Master & Expert #SDK-016

Master & Expert #SDK-016 collector guide

About Master & Expert

Master & Expert is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as SDK-016 in Starter Deck: Kaiba (2002) as a Common. It is a Level 4 EARTH Beast monster with 1,200 ATK and 1,000 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 96th of the 110 Starter Deck: Kaiba cards we track. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €300.65.

Character and collecting appeal

Beasts are one of the classic monster Types of the original series. As a Normal Monster it is collected for its artwork and its spot in the set rather than for play.

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-016. The code SDK-016, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as SDK-E016, 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 Master & Expert: SDK-016 1st Edition (€1.30). 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 €0.40, a PSA 9 for €6.24 and a PSA 10 for €47.58. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 71%, and down 11% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €1.77 in January 2024, 77% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 49% over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 3.3× the Unlimited printing (€1.30 against €0.40).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 119× the ungraded price and 7.6× a PSA 9. That gap is small, so grading fees may outweigh the gain unless the card is for your own collection. 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 January 2024 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. Against it: falling prices, down 71% in a year. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.40 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €6.24. Ask the seller to show the code SDK-016, the missing "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.