Castle Walls [1st Edition] #SDK-049

Castle Walls [1st Edition] #SDK-049 collector guide

About Castle Walls

Castle Walls is a Normal Trap Card, printed as SDK-049 in Starter Deck: Kaiba (2002) as a Common. Starter Deck: Kaiba was one of the two pre-built decks that launched the English game in 2002, built around Seto Kaiba and his Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Ungraded, this printing ranks 23rd of the 110 Starter Deck: Kaiba cards we track. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €300.65.

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 SDK-049. The code SDK-049, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as SDK-E049, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Starter Deck: Kaiba has one other printing of Castle Walls: SDK-049 (€0.23). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Starter Deck: Yugi, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €3.09, a PSA 9 for €36.56. Our monthly prices for it go back to December 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 60%, and up 58% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €4.46 in December 2021, 31% above today. Of the 7 printings of Castle Walls we track, this one ranks 3rd by ungraded value. The most valuable is Starter Deck: Yugi SDY-049 Sample at €356.09. 1st Edition copies sell for about 13.4× the Unlimited printing (€3.09 against €0.23).

Investment potential

In its favour: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 60% in a year; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; it is the original printing, which reprints rarely replace for collectors; an active market (21 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 €3.09 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €36.56. Ask the seller to show the code SDK-049, the "1st Edition" text and the Common 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.