A Magic: The Gathering card shop recently got the chance to take in one of the most elusive cards in the storied game’s history, complete with a copy of the original receipt. The beloved card game from Wizards of the Coast has seen plenty of highly sought-after cards throughout its history, with many selling for thousands of dollars. Cards like the seralized one-of-a-kind version of «The One Ring» have even fetched millions, with Post Malone buying the card for more than $2 million USD. However, one card has gained a legendary reputation among the game’s fanbase.
Of all the thousands of cards added to Magic: the Gathering throughout the more than three decades since its launch, «Black Lotus» has taken on an identity of its own among fans. Black Lotus stands as one of the most powerful cards ever introduced to Magic: the Gathering, first debuting in the Alpha version of the game in August 1993. Black Lotus has gained legendary status as one of the game’s most prized possessions, with signed copies selling for as high as $800,000. Now, one card shop has picked up an unusual copy of the card.
Reddit user JerryFromCan shared the unusual card shop purchase on the official Magic: the Gathering subreddit. The image shows a Black Lotus taken in by the user’s local card shop, looking to be from the game’s «Unlimited» edition from the white border on the card. The trade-in came complete with the store receipt from when the seller had originally purchased the Black Lotus for $350 CAD, dating the card back to 1997. Ungraded copies of Black Lotus from the Unlimited expansion often fetch more than $10,000 USD today.
Magic: The Gathering Player Sells Black Lotus with Original Receipt
The unusual trade-in comes as Black Lotus has been one of Magic: the Gathering‘s most widely recognizable cards since its inception. Black Lotus has often been re-imagined by Wizards of the Coast through other cards, providing powerful mana effects with higher costs or greater drawbacks. The developer has even spoofed Black Lotus on multiple different occasions, including the recent Deadpool Secret Lair set’s inclusion of the «Blacker Lotus» card. Wizards of the Coast has not reprinted an official tournament-legal version of Black Lotus since the Unlimited expansion’s launch in December 1993.
Magic: the Gathering looks to have some big changes on the way throughout the year with its next set releases. Wizards of the Coast confirmed late last year that Universes Beyond will become a major staple of Magic moving forward, with new franchises like Final Fantasy, Spider-Man, and Avatar: the Last Airbender all coming to the game. Magic: the Gathering is also making a major change to one of its core formats, confirming new Universes Beyond sets will be legal for Standard. 2025 is set to be a game-changing year for Magic: the Gathering.
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