Crass Clown [1st Edition] #MRD-078

Crass Clown [1st Edition] #MRD-078 collector guide

About Crass Clown

Crass Clown is an Effect Monster, printed as MRD-078 in Metal Raiders (2002) as a Short Print. It is a Level 4 DARK Fiend monster with 1,350 ATK and 1,400 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 116th of the 508 Metal Raiders cards we track. The top card is Gate Guardian at €301.65.

Character and collecting appeal

Fiends are one of the largest Types in the game, home to many of its darker and more unusual designs. Bickuribox mentions Crass Clown in its text, which keeps it relevant.

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 MRD-078. The code MRD-078, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as MRD-E078, and are priced separately. It is the Short Print version. Short Prints look like Commons but were printed in smaller numbers. Metal Raiders has 3 other printings of Crass Clown: MRD-078 (€0.66), MRD-E078 (€1.89) and MRD-E078 1st Edition (€3.28). 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 €4.38, a PSA 9 for €23.27 and a PSA 10 for €54.93. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 36%, and flat in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €8.92 in March 2023, 51% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 79% over the same 12 months. Of the 4 printings of Crass Clown we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Metal Raiders MRD-078 at €0.66. 1st Edition copies sell for about 6.6× the Unlimited printing (€4.38 against €0.66).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 12.5× the ungraded price and 2.4× a PSA 9. That gap is small, so grading fees may outweigh the gain unless the card is for your own collection. 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 36% in a year; a price well below its March 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; an active market (36 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 €4.38 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €23.27. Ask the seller to show the code MRD-078, the "1st Edition" text and the 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.