Lord of D. #SDK-041

Lord of D. #SDK-041 collector guide

About Lord of D.

Lord of D. is an Effect Monster, printed as SDK-041 in Starter Deck: Kaiba (2002) as a Super Rare. It is a Level 4 DARK Spellcaster monster with 1,200 ATK and 1,100 DEF. 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 59th of the 110 Starter Deck: Kaiba cards we track. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €300.65.

Character and collecting appeal

Spellcasters have been popular since Dark Magician, and the Type has some of the most sought-after artwork in the game. The Flute of Summoning Dragon mentions Lord of D. 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 SDK-041. The code SDK-041, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as SDK-E041, and are priced separately. It is the Super Rare version. Super Rares have holographic artwork and a plain name. Starter Deck: Kaiba has 2 other printings of Lord of D.: SDK-041 1st Edition (€10.25) and SDK-E038 (€2.59). 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 €1.23, a PSA 9 for €29.42 and a PSA 10 for €89.16. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 35%, and down 3% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €6.78 in November 2022, 82% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 49% over the same 12 months. Of the 3 printings of Lord of D. we track, this one ranks 3rd by ungraded value. The most valuable is Starter Deck: Kaiba SDK-041 1st Edition at €10.25. 1st Edition copies sell for about 8.3× the Unlimited printing (€10.25 against €1.23).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 72.5× the ungraded price and 3× 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 November 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 (102 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 35% in a year. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €1.23 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €29.42. Ask the seller to show the code SDK-041, the missing "1st Edition" text and the Super Rare 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.