Most Expensive Magic: the Gathering Cards Ever Sold -

Most Expensive Magic: the Gathering Cards Ever Sold

Jake Valentine

February 6, 2025

Magic: the Gathering has been around for over 30 years. Fans across the world have fallen in love with the seemingly infinite ways to play the game.

Of course, the game would be nothing without its iconic cards, some selling for a pretty penny. Whether they’re iconic cards from the game’s debut or limited-supply special one-off cards that attract the attention of celebrities like Post Malone, collectors have spent hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars to obtain some of these cards.

A quick note: Our data for card prices comes from posted auctions and current market data. Buying and selling high-end Magic cards can be tricky, and the market can be easily manipulated. However, having played the game for over 25 years, I’ve been able to tell when a price is real versus a manufactured price. Also, Alpha refers to the very first set of Magic: the Gathering. Collectors often try to hunt down cards from the first print run of Alpha, as they are the rarest cards in the game’s history.

Black Lotus

Widely regarded as the best card in Magic’s history and a part of the iconic “Power 9” group of powerful cards, Black Lotus is the holy grail of Magic Cards.

Not only is it so powerful that it has been banned or restricted in nearly every format the game offers, but it is also on the Reserved List. This means Wizards of the Coast, the studio that makes Magic: the Gathering, has vowed never to print the card again.

A Black Lotus often sells for well over $100,000, but one copy from Alpha, released in 1993, sold for $3 million at a private sale.

The One Ring – 001/001

MTG The One Ring — Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast.

One ring to rule them all…

In 2023, a Lord of the Rings tie-in set for Magic: the Gathering was released. As part of the set, a special edition of a card based on the iconic One Ring was printed with a twist: only one existed.

Singer Post Malone, a huge fan of Magic, bought the card from a lucky fan and lifelong Magic player for $2 million.

The Moxen

MTG Jet Mox — Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast.

While not as powerful as Black Lotus, the Moxen are a group of “Power 9” cards that offer a powerful effect: the ability to add mana at no cost.

Each color in Magic has its own Mox (Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Pearl, and Jet), and their price points are, more or less, pretty similar.

However, one stands above the rest: a Limited Edition Alpha Mox Jet selling for $108,000 at auction.

Follow us on MSN for more of the content you love.

Timetwister

Most of the “Power 9” includes ways to give players mana quickly and efficiently to play their powerful spells earlier than you otherwise could. They are also part of that Reserved List, adding to their potential value.

Timetwister is another part of Power 9. Its powerful effect resets the game, allowing players to recover from a losing board state. As a result, it is a highly desired part of any collection.

In April 2023, an Alpha Timetwister sold for $84,000 at auction.

Time Walk

Taking another turn is a powerful effect that has its place on several cards throughout Magic’s history.

None of them are as cheap as Time Walk, which costs the low, low price of two mana. Yet another member of the “Power 9,” an Alpha Time Walk sold for $63,000 at an April 2023 auction.

Ancestral Recall

The final member of the “Power 9,” Ancestral Recall, allows players to draw three c cost of one mana. For those unfamiliar with the game, that’s an incredibly cheap and efficient cost.

Its art is just as iconic as the card, which means that even though drawing cards is common nowadays, Ancestral Recall still has a high price tag. Although it’s the cheapest of the “Power 9,” its Alpha edition still costs over $38,000.

Lord of the Pit

Just because a card isn’t a part of the “Power 9” or desired by celebrities doesn’t mean it can’t fetch a pretty penny at auction.

Lord of the Pit is a collector’s item due to its powerful stats: a flying 7/7 with trample was pretty rare back in the day, and Magic fans have long desired a chance at obtaining history.

In January 2023, a mint condition Lord of the Pit from Alpha sold for $105,000.

Splendid Genesis

Sometimes, Magic cards are valuable for reasons beyond gameplay. Splendid Genesis is a perfect example of that.

Designed by Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: the Gathering, Splendid Genesis celebrated the birth of his daughter in 1997 and was a limited edition promo released to only friends and family of Wizards of the Coast staff; it didn’t see a widespread print run.

This makes the card incredibly rare, which explains why it sold for $72,000 at a 2022 auction.

Vesuvan Doppelgänger

Vesuvan Doppelgäs called a “Clone” effect, which means it can become a clone of any other creature on the battlefield.

Several other cards in Magic’s history have these, but Vesuvan Doopleganger is a bit more powerful, as you can repeat the effect during your turn to copy new creatures.

That, combined with the rarity of its Alpha edition, led to someone buying a copy at auction for $63,000.