Witty Phantom [1st Edition] #SDY-017

Witty Phantom [1st Edition] #SDY-017 collector guide

About Witty Phantom

Witty Phantom is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as SDY-017 in Starter Deck: Yugi (2002) as a Common. It is a Level 4 DARK Fiend monster with 1,400 ATK and 1,300 DEF. 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 113th of the 162 Starter Deck: Yugi cards we track. The top card is Castle Walls at €356.09.

Character and collecting appeal

Fiends are one of the largest Types in the game, home to many of its darker and more unusual designs. 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 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 SDY-017. The code SDY-017, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as SDY-E017, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Starter Deck: Yugi has 3 other printings of Witty Phantom: SDY-017 (€0.24), SDY-E015 (€2.96) and SDY-E015 1st Edition (€1.96). 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 €1.52, a PSA 9 for €39.30 and a PSA 10 for €47.26. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 14%, and flat in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €5.29 in September 2023, 71% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 32% over the same 12 months. Of the 8 printings of Witty Phantom we track, this one ranks 5th by ungraded value. The most valuable is Starter Deck: Yugi SDY-E015 at €2.96. 1st Edition copies sell for about 6.3× the Unlimited printing (€1.52 against €0.24).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 31.1× the ungraded price and 1.2× 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 September 2023 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 (26 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 14% in a year; reprints in another set, which keep playable copies easy to find. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €1.52 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €39.30. Ask the seller to show the code SDY-017, 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.