Trial of Nightmare #LOB-012

Trial of Nightmare #LOB-012 collector guide

About Trial of Nightmare

Trial of Nightmare is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as LOB-012 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Common. It is a Level 4 DARK Fiend monster with 1,300 ATK and 900 DEF. 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 440th 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

Fiends are one of the largest Types in the game, home to many of its darker and more unusual designs. 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 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-012. The code LOB-012, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E012, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon has one other printing of Trial of Nightmare: LOB-012 1st Edition (€7.99). 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 €0.21, a PSA 9 for €23.63 and a PSA 10 for €89.16. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 85%, and up 17% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €1.66 in July 2023, 87% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved sideways over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 38× the Unlimited printing (€7.99 against €0.21).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 424.6× the ungraded price and 3.8× a PSA 9. That gap is big enough that grading a sharp, well-centred copy can pay for itself. 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 July 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 (31 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 85% in a year. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.21 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €23.63. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-012, 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.