The Most Expensive Trading Cards of All Time

Written by George Chrysostomou

For the average player, those kinds of valuations might seem absurd. But for collectors like us, on some level there’s a sense of understanding. Because it is logical that the rarest cards in the world should be sold at a matching number. But that’s got us wondering, what are the highest selling trading cards of all time? Well, these 5 collector’s items hold extortionate price tags.

Yu-Gi-Oh’s Stainless Steel Black Luster Soldier 

There’s sure to be some debate over this pick, as there have been alterations to the reports over the years. However, it is said that the Black Luster Soldier card from the Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game was listed for a whopping $10 million, before selling at $2 million. The card itself is one of a kind, printed on stainless steel as the prize for the first ever Yu-Gi-Oh tournament in 1999. While, of course, the second and third place cards are also valuable, neither compares to this trophy piece. Even the graded, modern collectible reprint goes for some very decent amounts. 

Magic: The Gathering’s The One Ring

Magic The Gathering occasionally creates tie-in cards, where major pop culture crossover occurs. The Lord of the Rings feels like a natural point of connection for the franchise, and so a couple of Middle-earth-themed designs were launched. The One Ring is still the most expensive and exclusive of them all; a card which also boasts text written in an ancient Tolkien language. The card is said to have retailed at just over 2.6 million, despite it being a more modern product, and is now in the ownership of Post Malone. Clearly, they just had to have the precious! 

Magic: The Gathering’s Alpha Black Lotus 

 

 

 

 

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Magic: The Gathering players probably suspected that their title of choice would reach the upper echelon of ridiculous sales. The Alpha Black Lotus card actually earns the number two spot with a hefty $3 million value. The card itself was a limited edition and dates back to 1993, the year of the game’s creation. Not only does it represent the title’s earliest stages, but the high value card in question was also given a perfect 10 grading, highlighting its quality condition. It’s also a fascinating example because the card is actually unplayable, having been banned due to the way it unbalanced the TCG’s mechanics. That probably won’t stop that collector from sneaking it into their next game though. 

The Pokémon Trading Card Game’s Illustrator Pikachu

With The Pokémon Trading Card Game dating back to 1996, it was always going to be the case that across that period, one of its many cards would end up being auctioned at a record value. No one would have guessed that the 1998 Pikachu Illustrator card would sell at $5,275,000, sold to one Logan Paul. Not only was the card given a perfect 10 grading, but the world-record breaking TCG item was a one-of-one. It was first printed as a prize for whoever won CoroCoro Magazine’s art competition and depicts the titular Pikachu with art supplies in hand. Perhaps whoever initially won the contest probably should have held onto their winnings a little longer.

Honourable Mention: Sports Cards

Although we’re focusing primarily on cards from traditional trading card games, we cannot ignore some of the collectable cards from the sporting world that have so often topped the charts; especially because fans have invented their own games with these series. The 1952 Topps baseball card featuring Mickey Mantle auctioned at an astounding $12.6 million, for example. Elsewhere, a 1909 Honus Wagner retailed at $6.6 million, while both Stephen Curry and LeBron James’ cards moved past $5 million. Clearly, there is big money to be found in classic sports collectables, so it’s a good time to look through your collection for any potential mint condition cards.