Thousand Dragon [1st Edition] #MRD-143

Thousand Dragon [1st Edition] #MRD-143 collector guide

About Thousand Dragon

Thousand Dragon is a Fusion Monster, made from its Fusion Materials with a card such as Polymerization, printed as MRD-143 in Metal Raiders (2002) as a Secret Rare. It is a Level 7 WIND Dragon monster with 2,400 ATK and 2,000 DEF. Its ATK is the 10th 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 14th of the 508 Metal Raiders cards we track. The top card is Gate Guardian at €301.65.

Character and collecting appeal

Thousand Dragon is the aged form of Baby Dragon, made by fusing it with Time Wizard. Its Fusion Materials include Baby Dragon and Time Wizard.

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-143. The code MRD-143, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as MRD-E143, and are priced separately. It is the Secret Rare version. Secret Rares have a rainbow-foil name and diagonal holographic artwork. Metal Raiders has 4 other printings of Thousand Dragon: MRD-143 (€7.98), MRD-143 Reverse Foil Misprint (€15.53), MRD-E143 (€8.62) and MRD-E143 1st Edition (€53.67). 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 €67.99, a PSA 9 for €354.44 and a PSA 10 for €2,063. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 60%, and up 45% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €126.79 in April 2023, 46% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 182% over the same 12 months. Of the 5 printings of Thousand Dragon we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Metal Raiders MRD-143 at €7.98. 1st Edition copies sell for about 8.5× the Unlimited printing (€67.99 against €7.98).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 30.3× the ungraded price and 5.8× 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: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 60% in a year; a price well below its April 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; lasting fame from the anime or the competitive game; an active market (159 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €67.99 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €354.44. Ask the seller to show the code MRD-143, the "1st Edition" text and the Secret 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.