Tri-Horned Dragon [1st Edition] #LOB-000

Tri-Horned Dragon [1st Edition] #LOB-000 collector guide

About Tri-Horned Dragon

Tri-Horned Dragon is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as LOB-000 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Secret Rare. It is a Level 8 DARK Dragon monster with 2,850 ATK and 2,350 DEF. At its Level it needs two Tributes to Normal Summon. Its ATK is the 2nd highest of the 87 monsters in the set. 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 10th of the 454 Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon cards we track, one of the chase cards of the set. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €968.32.

Character and collecting appeal

Tri-Horned Dragon is a 2850 ATK Normal Monster and one of the Secret Rare chase cards of Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon. With no effect, its appeal is its artwork, its stats and its place in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Version and identification

This guide covers the 1st Edition printing. The words "1st Edition" are printed below the artwork on the left; copies without them are the Unlimited printing and usually sell for less. Check the code printed below the artwork on the right: it should read LOB-000. The code LOB-000, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E000, and are priced separately. It is the Secret Rare version. Secret Rares have a rainbow-foil name and diagonal holographic artwork. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon has 3 other printings of Tri-Horned Dragon: LOB-000 (€27.01), LOB-E000 (€10.62) and LOB-E000 1st Edition (€67.57). 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 €178.32, a PSA 9 for €609.68 and a PSA 10 for €2,720. Our monthly prices for it go back to February 2022. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 103%, and up 104% in the last month. The current price is its high point on our records. PSA 10 copies have moved up 119% over the same 12 months. Of the 4 printings of Tri-Horned Dragon we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-E000 at €10.62. 1st Edition copies sell for about 6.6× the Unlimited printing (€178.32 against €27.01).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 15.3× the ungraded price and 4.5× a PSA 9. That gap is big enough that grading a sharp, well-centred copy can pay for itself. Early English Yu-Gi-Oh! cards often have off-centre cuts and wear on the dark brown back borders, which is why high grades are hard to reach.

Investment potential

In its favour: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 103% in a year; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; lasting fame from the anime or the competitive game; an active market (179 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €178.32 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €609.68. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-000, the "1st Edition" text and the Secret Rare finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. At this price fakes are worth checking for: genuine cards have a small holographic seal (the Eye of Anubis) in the bottom-right corner, and the font, colours and card back should match a copy you know is genuine. Look up the certificate number of any graded copy on the grading company's website. 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.