Substitoad [Quarter Century Secret Rare] #RA03-EN197

Substitoad [Quarter Century Secret Rare] #RA03-EN197 collector guide

About Substitoad

Substitoad is an Effect Monster, printed as RA03-EN197 in Quarter Century Bonanza (2024) as a Quarter Century Secret Rare. It is a Level 1 WATER Aqua monster with 100 ATK and 2,000 DEF. Quarter Century Bonanza, released in late 2024, mixes classic cards from the original series with modern staples, each in several rarities including Quarter Century Secret Rare and Platinum Secret Rare. Ungraded, this printing ranks 23rd of the 968 Quarter Century Bonanza cards we track. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €192.99.

Character and collecting appeal

Aqua monsters often work with water Field Spells such as Umi. In play, it is a card for Special Summoning and destroying cards.

Version and identification

Check the code printed below the artwork on the right: it should read RA03-EN197. RA03-EN197 is the English printing. Other languages use their own letters in place of EN, such as DE or FR, and are priced separately. It is the Quarter Century Secret Rare version. Quarter Century Secret Rares were introduced for the game's 25th anniversary. Quarter Century Bonanza has one other printing of Substitoad: RA03-EN197 Platinum Secret Rare (€5.93). 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 €51.21, a PSA 9 for €31.20 and a PSA 10 for €324.24. Our monthly prices for it go back to November 2024. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 1108%, and up 7% in the last month. It is trading at or near its highest recorded value. PSA 10 copies have moved up 505% over the same 12 months.

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 6.3× the ungraded price and 10.4× a PSA 9. That gap is big enough that grading a sharp, well-centred copy can pay for itself. Even pack-fresh modern cards can have surface scratches or curling foil, so a 10 is never guaranteed.

Investment potential

In its favour: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 1108% in a year; an active market (29 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: large modern print runs, which tend to cap prices unless a card becomes iconic. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €51.21 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €31.20. Ask the seller to show the code RA03-EN197 and the Quarter Century 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. Modern foils can be scratched or curled straight from the pack, so check the surface under a light if you plan to grade.

Card details and image from YGOPRODeck. Yu-Gi-Oh! is a trademark of Konami; Search Cards is not affiliated with Konami.