Steel Ogre Grotto #1 #LOB-112

Steel Ogre Grotto #1 #LOB-112 collector guide

About Steel Ogre Grotto #1

Steel Ogre Grotto #1 is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as LOB-112 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Common. It is a Level 5 EARTH Machine monster with 1,400 ATK and 1,800 DEF. At its Level it needs one Tribute to Normal Summon. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon was the first booster set of the English Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game. It brought Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Dark Magician, Red-Eyes Black Dragon and the five pieces of Exodia to English-speaking players, so almost every card in it is a piece of the game's history. Ungraded, this printing ranks 450th of the 454 Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon cards we track. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €968.32.

Character and collecting appeal

Machines range from early robots to modern archetypes, and the Type has a loyal following. With no effect, its appeal is its artwork, its stats and its place in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon. Metal Dragon mentions Steel Ogre Grotto #1 in its text, which keeps it relevant.

Version and identification

This guide covers the Unlimited printing, without the "1st Edition" text below the artwork. 1st Edition copies of the same card have their own, usually higher, prices. Check the code printed below the artwork on the right: it should read LOB-112. The code LOB-112, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E112, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon has 3 other printings of Steel Ogre Grotto #1: LOB-112 1st Edition (€1.40), LOB-E090 (€1.17) and LOB-E090 1st Edition (€3.56). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €0.16, a PSA 9 for €5.35 and a PSA 10 for €38.38. Our monthly prices for it go back to August 2022. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 92%, and up 7% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €1.97 in June 2023, 92% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 63% over the same 12 months. Of the 4 printings of Steel Ogre Grotto #1 we track, this one ranks 4th by ungraded value. The most valuable is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-E090 1st Edition at €3.56. 1st Edition copies sell for about 8.8× the Unlimited printing (€1.40 against €0.16).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 239.9× the ungraded price and 7.2× a PSA 9. That gap is small, so grading fees may outweigh the gain unless the card is for your own collection. On cards from the early 2000s, the dark brown backs show every scuff and white edge, so top grades are scarce.

Investment potential

In its favour: a price well below its June 2023 peak, which some collectors see as room to recover; it comes from the first years of the English game, which are no longer printed; an active market (26 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 92% in a year. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.16 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €5.35. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-112, the missing "1st Edition" text and the Common finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. Cards from 2002 often show white wear on the back edges and corners, so ask for photos of the back before you buy.

Card details and image from YGOPRODeck. Yu-Gi-Oh! is a trademark of Konami; Search Cards is not affiliated with Konami.