Witty Phantom #SDY-E015

Witty Phantom #SDY-E015 collector guide

About Witty Phantom

Witty Phantom is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as SDY-E015 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 50th 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 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-E015. The E in SDY-E015 marks the European English printing. The North American printing uses a code without the letter, sometimes with a different card number, and has its own prices. 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-017 1st Edition (€1.53) 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 €2.96. Our monthly prices for it go back to August 2023. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 47%, and flat in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €3.76 in August 2023, 21% above today. Of the 8 printings of Witty Phantom we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon LOB-072 at €0.19. Unusually, Unlimited copies currently sell for as much as or more than 1st Edition ones (€2.96 against €1.96).

Investment potential

In its favour: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 47% in a year; it comes from the first years of the English game, which are no longer printed. Against it: reprints in another set, which keep playable copies easy to find; thin trading, so selling quickly can mean accepting a lower price. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €2.96 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less. Ask the seller to show the code SDY-E015, 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.