Waboku #SDY-040

Waboku #SDY-040 collector guide

About Waboku

Waboku is a Normal Trap Card, printed as SDY-040 in Starter Deck: Yugi (2002) as a Common. Starter Deck: Yugi was one of the two pre-built decks that launched the English game in 2002, built around the cards Yugi Muto plays in the anime, with Dark Magician at its centre. Ungraded, this printing ranks 137th of the 162 Starter Deck: Yugi cards we track. The top card is Castle Walls at €356.09.

Character and collecting appeal

Its text is about destroying cards.

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 SDY-040. The code SDY-040, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as SDY-E040, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Starter Deck: Yugi has 4 other printings of Waboku: SDY-040 1st Edition (€10.41), SDY-040 Misprint (€223.11), SDY-E036 (€2.14) and SDY-E036 1st Edition. Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Magnificent Monsters, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €0.51, a PSA 9 for €34.77 and a PSA 10 for €53.13. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 54%, and down 23% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €1.92 in May 2024, 73% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 33% over the same 12 months. Of the 5 printings of Waboku we track, this one ranks 5th by ungraded value. The most valuable is Starter Deck: Yugi SDY-040 Misprint at €223.11. 1st Edition copies sell for about 20.4× the Unlimited printing (€10.41 against €0.51).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 104.2× the ungraded price and 1.5× 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 May 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; it is the original printing, which reprints rarely replace for collectors; an active market (26 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 54% in a year. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.51 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €34.77. Ask the seller to show the code SDY-040, 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.