Sogen [1st Edition] #SDK-045

Sogen [1st Edition] #SDK-045 collector guide

About Sogen

Sogen is a Field Spell Card, printed as SDK-045 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 87th of the 110 Starter Deck: Kaiba cards we track. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €300.65.

Character and collecting appeal

In play, it is a card for changing ATK and DEF.

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-045. The code SDK-045, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as SDK-E045, 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 Sogen: SDK-045 (€0.31). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €0.54, a PSA 9 for €6.24 and a PSA 10 for €41.62. Our monthly prices for it go back to April 2022. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 81%, and up 8% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €8.92 in August 2022, 94% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 2% over the same 12 months. Of the 6 printings of Sogen we track, this one ranks 4th by ungraded value. The most valuable is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-049 1st Edition at €4.25. 1st Edition copies sell for about 1.7× the Unlimited printing (€0.54 against €0.31).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 77.1× the ungraded price and 6.7× 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 August 2022 peak, which some collectors see as room to recover; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; an active market (28 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 81% in a year; reprints in another set, which keep playable copies easy to find. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.54 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-045, 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.