Since its debut in 1993, Magic: The Gathering, a fantasy strategy card game, has become one of the world’s most popular trading card games. Somewhere between chess and Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering is played by an estimated 20 million people in 70 countries worldwide.
Magic: The Gathering Cards – The Unofficial Ultimate Collector’s Guide celebrates all of the excitement of the pioneering game and is packed with information about more than 160 sets – from the first core sets (Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited) through Dominaria. This book also includes values for nearly 20,000 of the most wildly collectible cards, and nearly 500 photos of beautifully illustrated cards. In addition, the book gives insight on what cards to collect and why, and how to value cards based on condition, edition, and rarity.
Writer Ben Bleiweiss has channeled his extensive knowledge of Magic: The Gathering into this over 500 page book. Along with being the general manager of StarCityGames, the world’s largest Magic retailer, Bleiweiss is also an eight-time Pro Tour player, a two-time columnist for MagicTheGathering, and spent a year providing coverage of the Magic Pro Tour.
Fueled by a thriving tournament scene worldwide, the secondary market is soaring for Magic: The Gathering cards that are rare, and have the most playability and demand. Cards trade daily in online market places and individual card prices can range from a few cents to tens of thousands of dollars. A Mint-condition Alpha Black Lotus sold on eBay in July 2018 for $87,672, making it the single most expensive card in the history of the game.
Other valuable cards include The Limited Edition Alpha version of Ancestral Recall worth around $6,500, a Mox Sapphire worth $6,000, an Underground Sea card worth $5,600, and a Time Vault card worth $3,500. Many other cards are valued between $1,000-$1,500, and even cards printed as recently as last year are worth over $100, including Force of Will from the Masterpiece Series.
Similar information and more can be found in Magic: The Gathering Cards – The Unofficial Ultimate Collector’s Guide, releasing in October 2018 from Krause Publications. Retailed for $27.99, the book will be available online and at all major booksellers.
“I truly believe that Magic is one of the best games ever made. It’s not only a game, though – it’s also a huge collectible market. And it’s not just a huge collectible market – it’s a huge market that has held value with steady growth for 25 years. We aren’t talking about a flash-in-the-pan Beanie Baby market, or the baseball card market of the late 1980s/early 1990s. We’re talking about a living, thriving economy that has been forged over decades of product growth,” said Bleiweiss.
