On March 16 2023, online auction house PWCC sold a PSA 10 Graded Alpha Black Lotus from the Magic: The Gathering trading card game for $540,000 as the leadoff lot in their March Premier auction. The sale is a new all-time record for the public sale of a Magic: The Gathering card.
Signed on the case (rather than on the card) by the late artist Christopher Rush in 2014, this card was one of two signed Black Lotuses that belonged to longtime collector David Edwards, who owns DM’s Alpha Set on the PSA Registry. The set was the highest-graded, complete set of the cards from Magic’s first release, now colloquially known as Alpha.
The two cards when first signed by Christopher Rush in Chicago.
The card, which began at an opening bid of only $1,000, rose quickly during the just over two-week auction before finally being hammered and sold for $540,000, inclusive of a 20% Buyer’s Premium, late Thursday night. This recent sale edged out the previous record of $511,100 set in January of 2021 of Edwards’ previous signed Black Lotus.
Image: PWCC
Hipsters of the Coast was able to catch back up with Edwards during the auction, and dig a little deeper into this most recent offering and dually record-breaking sale.
Donny Caltrider: Good morning David, and thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. If I’m correct, this is the sibling of the Black Lotus card that was sold in 2021?
David Edwards: DM’s Alpha was a project I began in 2007 buying another graded set to improve. It started as a 9.43 / 10.0 grade set I purchased and scoured the collector’s world for improvements. I managed to find 2 PSA 10 Alpha Black Lotus and then Christopher Rush visited Chicago for a GP around 2014 and I was able to get them both autographed. I parted with one 2 years ago and now I’m letting go of my entire graded set.
DC: Why the decision to let this one go now as well?
DE: The heart of my collecting took place from 2005-2014. At the time I tried to find every card missing for my set or power and duals that I knew I could eventually trade for cards I still needed 10’s of. It was a very fun ride, but eventually I ran out of cards I could improve. I’ve had almost 2 decades of enjoying this collection, it’s someone else’s turn to get to enjoy these. Many of these 1 of 1 iconic cards haven’t changed ownership in over 15 years, and after this sale they might not be on the market for another 15!
DC: Incredible stuff. So what’s next for DM’s Alpha Set?
DE: I can only hope that an excited collector will be watching closely to get their hands on the 1 of 1 iconic Alphas PWCC will be auctioning off for me. The raw supply to grade has pretty much dried up for Alphas, so this is not quite a once in a lifetime set of auctions—but depending on who buys them, it might be the last time some of these are available for sale.
Hipsters was also able to reach PWCC for comment following this historic sale:
“This record sale reinforces the Alpha Black Lotus as an investment-quality asset, fortifies its claim as a true work of art, and shows exactly how important Magic: The Gathering is to the culture of gaming and trading card games,” said Jesse Craig, Vice President of Sales at PWCC Marketplace. “It’s extremely unlikely we see one of these signed copies available for purchase again in the near future. They are crown jewels for a collection. They will remain under lock and key and treated as the museum-caliber pieces they are.”
Will another legendary Black Lotus come to market and follow this record-breaking sale? Or will the newly-revealed 1 of 1 Black Speech variant of The One Ring take the crown? Stay tuned to Hipsters of the Coast to follow the story.
FAQs
A PSA 10 Gem Mint Alpha Black Lotus sold for $540,000 and broke the record for highest selling Magic: The Gathering Card, breaking the record that a previous Black Lotus set in 2021. The record-setting auction was held on PWCC Marketplace and completed yesterday, topping the previous Alpha Black Lotus by $28,900.
How much is the PSA 10 Black Lotus MTG card worth? ›
Prices by Grade
| Grade | Most Recent Price | PSA Price |
|---|
| GEM - MT 10 | $511,100.00 | $425,000.00 |
| MINT 9 | — | $200,000.00 |
| NM - MT 8 | — | $110,000.00 |
| NM 7 | — | — |
8 more rowsA Black Lotus, arguably the most sought after card in Magic: The Gathering, has sold for a record-breaking price of $540,000 at a recent auction. As reported by Polygon, the Black Lotus has been topping its own record each time it's been available for auction.
How much is signed Black Lotus worth? ›
Over the weekend, another piece of Magic: The Gathering history was sold at auction – an artist proof, 8.5 Beta Black Lotus, signed by the late Christopher Rush, for $615,000.
How much is the Black Lotus Magic card worth? ›
Black Lotus – Up to $800,000
At the price tag suggests, Black Lotus is no ordinary card; it's a mono artifact, playable only once, and wields an astonishing ability to instantly infuse the players mana pool with three mana of any single colour.
How many PSA 10 Alpha Black Lotus are there? ›
Only six PSA 10 Black Lotus cards exist.
Why is MTG Black Lotus so rare? ›
Black Lotus and the rest of the Power Nine were only printed for the early Alpha, Beta and Unlimited sets right at the very beginning of Magic: The Gathering's inception. All in all, it is estimated that only about 1,100 Black Lotus cards were ever printed.
Why was Black Lotus banned? ›
The card is banned from most competitive Magic formats owing to its power and relative scarcity. The only competitive setting in which it is not banned is the "Vintage" format, where only one copy of the card is allowed instead of the usual four.
How many Black Lotus cards exist? ›
The Alpha Set included 1,100 Black Lotus MTG copies. These Black Lotus varieties are the rarest; 3,300 cards were printed for the Beta collection; It is unknown how many copies of the Unlimited Magic the Gathering set were made.
How much was Post Malone's Black Lotus? ›
In recent times, Black Lotus has achieved a newfound fame and value. Rapper Post Malone acquired a rare signed Black Lotus card for $800,000, setting a record for the most expensive MTG card purchase at the time, later outdoing himself with number 1 on our list…
Last year, Post Malone paid $800,000 for a rare Magic: The Gathering Black Lotus card signed by the illustrator.
Is Black Lotus legal? ›
, Sacrifice Black Lotus: Add three mana of any one color.
What is the rarest Magic card in the world? ›
1 Black Lotus
Players of Magic the Gathering will not be surprised to see this card at the #1 spot in this list. It has become an (in)famous card; both for its power and its value. Not only is the Black Lotus the most valuable Magic card, but its value seems to go up more and more every year.
Who owns a Black Lotus? ›
In 2022, Post Malone paid $800,000 for a Black Lotus, signed by Christopher Rush.
Are PSA 10 cards rare? ›
The grades are based on a scale from 1 to 10.
The image must be centered on the card within a tolerance not to exceed approximately 55/45 to 60/40 percent on the front, and 75/25 percent on the reverse.” A 10 is not an easy thing to achieve. However, the difference in value between a 10 and a 9 can be in the hundreds.
How much is the Magic: The Gathering Lotus card worth? ›
The card is banned in most competitive formats. Its power, limited print and distribution has made it one of the most valuable Magic cards. In the early 2020s, two copies of the card were sold for approximately $500,000 each.
Is Black Lotus actually a good card? ›
The Black Lotus is the most valuable normally printed card in the game of Magic printed in a standard set.
Why are PSA 10 cards so expensive? ›
A card that receives a high grade from PSA is more likely to command a higher price in the collector's market. The encapsulation provided by PSA also offers protection against wear and tear, preserving the card's condition over time.
