Cocoon of Evolution #MRD-011

Cocoon of Evolution #MRD-011 collector guide

About Cocoon of Evolution

Cocoon of Evolution is an Effect Monster, printed as MRD-011 in Metal Raiders (2002) as a Super Short Print. It is a Level 3 EARTH Insect monster with 0 ATK and 2,000 DEF. Metal Raiders was the second English booster set. It added Summoned Skull, Gate Guardian, Mirror Force and Change of Heart, and many of its cards shaped how the early game was played. Ungraded, this printing ranks 432nd of the 508 Metal Raiders cards we track. The top card is Gate Guardian at €301.65.

Character and collecting appeal

Insects are a small Type best known from Weevil Underwood's deck in the anime. Its text names Petit Moth, so collectors often look for them together. Great Moth and Larvae Moth mention Cocoon of Evolution in their 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 MRD-011. The code MRD-011, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as MRD-E011, and are priced separately. It is the Super Short Print version. Super Short Prints look like Commons but were printed in even smaller numbers than Short Prints. Metal Raiders has 3 other printings of Cocoon of Evolution: MRD-011 1st Edition (€4.41), MRD-E011 (€2.67) and MRD-E011 1st Edition (€3.45). 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 €0.66, a PSA 9 for €7.13 and a PSA 10 for €68.43. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 64%, and flat in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €3.15 in November 2022, 79% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 39% over the same 12 months. Of the 4 printings of Cocoon of Evolution we track, this one ranks 4th by ungraded value. The most valuable is Metal Raiders MRD-011 1st Edition at €4.41. 1st Edition copies sell for about 6.7× the Unlimited printing (€4.41 against €0.66).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 103.7× the ungraded price and 9.6× 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 November 2022 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 (25 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 64% in a year. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.66 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €7.13. Ask the seller to show the code MRD-011, the missing "1st Edition" text and the Super Short Print 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.