Steel Ogre Grotto #1 #LOB-E090

Steel Ogre Grotto #1 #LOB-E090 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-E090 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 355th 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. Normal Monsters like this one are mostly collected for their art and to complete the set. 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-E090. The E in LOB-E090 marks the European English printing. The North American printing uses a code without the letter, sometimes with a different card number, and has its own prices. 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 (€0.16), LOB-112 1st Edition (€1.40) 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 €1.17. Our monthly prices for it go back to August 2023. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 70%, and down 70% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €5.67 in December 2023, 79% above today. Of the 4 printings of Steel Ogre Grotto #1 we track, this one ranks 3rd 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 3× the Unlimited printing (€3.56 against €1.17).

Investment potential

In its favour: a price well below its December 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. Against it: falling prices, down 70% in a year; thin trading, so selling quickly can mean accepting a lower price. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €1.17 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-E090, 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.