Yami [1st Edition] #LOB-051

Yami [1st Edition] #LOB-051 collector guide

About Yami

Yami is a Field Spell Card, printed as LOB-051 in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon (2002) as a Common. 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 215th 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

Its text is about changing ATK and DEF.

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-051. The code LOB-051, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOB-E051, 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 Yami: LOB-051 (€0.35), LOB-E040 (€2.05) and LOB-E040 1st Edition (€3.02). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Starter Deck: Yugi, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €2.62, a PSA 9 for €23.39 and a PSA 10 for €101.43. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 20%, and down 10% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €7.13 in August 2023, 63% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 36% over the same 12 months. Of the 7 printings of Yami we track, this one ranks 3rd by ungraded value. The most valuable is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-E040 1st Edition at €3.02. 1st Edition copies sell for about 7.5× the Unlimited printing (€2.62 against €0.35).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 38.7× the ungraded price and 4.3× 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: a price well below its August 2023 peak, which some collectors see as room to recover; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; it is the original printing, which reprints rarely replace for collectors; an active market (57 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 20% in a year. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €2.62 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €23.39. Ask the seller to show the code LOB-051, the "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.