Summoned Skull #MRD-003

Summoned Skull #MRD-003 collector guide

About Summoned Skull

Summoned Skull is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as MRD-003 in Metal Raiders (2002) as an Ultra Rare. It is a Level 6 DARK Fiend monster with 2,500 ATK and 1,200 DEF. At its Level it needs one Tribute to Normal Summon. Its ATK is the 8th highest of the 122 monsters in the set. 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 33rd of the 508 Metal Raiders cards we track. The top card is Gate Guardian at €301.65.

Character and collecting appeal

Summoned Skull is one of Yugi's heavy hitters in the anime. At Level 6 with 2500 ATK it needed only one Tribute, which made it one of the best attackers of 2002. Normal Monsters like this one are mostly collected for their art and to complete the set. Black Skull Dragon mentions Summoned Skull in its 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-003. The code MRD-003, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as MRD-E003, and are priced separately. It is the Ultra Rare version. Ultra Rares have a gold-foil name and holographic artwork. Metal Raiders has 4 other printings of Summoned Skull: MRD-003 1st Edition (€266.15), MRD-003 Misprint (€53.54), MRD-E003 (€29.46) and MRD-E003 1st Edition (€174.30). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Starter Deck: Yugi and Quarter Century Bonanza, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €22.29, a PSA 9 for €161.17 and a PSA 10 for €1,052. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 33%, and down 6% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €134.05 in December 2021, 83% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 177% over the same 12 months. Of the 9 printings of Summoned Skull we track, this one ranks 6th by ungraded value. The most valuable is Metal Raiders MRD-003 1st Edition at €266.15. 1st Edition copies sell for about 11.9× the Unlimited printing (€266.15 against €22.29).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 47.2× the ungraded price and 6.5× 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 33% in a year; a price well below its December 2021 peak, which some collectors see as room to recover; it comes from the first years of the English game, which are no longer printed; lasting fame from the anime or the competitive game; an active market (192 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: reprints in 2 other sets, which keep playable copies easy to find. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €22.29 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €161.17. Ask the seller to show the code MRD-003, the missing "1st Edition" text and the Ultra 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.