Ordeal of a Traveler #PGD-042

Ordeal of a Traveler #PGD-042 collector guide

About Ordeal of a Traveler

Ordeal of a Traveler is a Continuous Trap Card, printed as PGD-042 in Pharaonic Guardian (2003) as a Short Print. Pharaonic Guardian is the Ancient Egypt-themed set of 2003 that brought the Gravekeeper's monsters and Necrovalley, alongside cards such as Ring of Destruction and Don Zaloog. Ungraded, this printing ranks 108th of the 216 Pharaonic Guardian cards we track. The top card is Ring of Destruction at €35.21.

Character and collecting appeal

Its text is about returning cards to the hand or Deck.

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 PGD-042. The code PGD-042, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as PGD-E042, and are priced separately. It is the Short Print version. Short Prints look like Commons but were printed in smaller numbers. Pharaonic Guardian has one other printing of Ordeal of a Traveler: PGD-042 1st Edition (€1.28). 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 €0.97, a PSA 9 for €7.13 and a PSA 10 for €71.61. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 9%, and up 10% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €3.56 in February 2022, 73% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 20% over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 1.3× the Unlimited printing (€1.28 against €0.97).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 73.8× the ungraded price and 10× 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: a price well below its February 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. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.97 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 PGD-042, the missing "1st Edition" text and the Short Print finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. Cards from 2003 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.