Move over, Mantle, here comes Magic ... The Gathering.
An Alpha Black Lotus, graded by CGC Cards as Pristine 10, sold for $3 million in a private sale between Adam Cai of Pristine Collectibles and an undisclosed buyer, making it the highest-priced Magic: The Gathering card of all time.
The previous Magic: The Gathering record was held by the 1/1 The One Ring card, which was reportedly purchased by Post Malone for more than $2 million in 2023.
In November 2021, a 1993 Magic: The Gathering Alpha Edition Sealed Starter Deck sold for $108,000 at Heritage Auctions. The deck included 60 cards and a chance of finding the coveted Black Lotus card.
It also became the highest-priced card ever graded by CGC. The previous record was held by a 1952 Topps No. 311 Mickey Mantle Type 1, graded CGC 8, that sold for more than $1.25 million in December 2022 at a SCP Auction.
The record-breaking Black Lotus, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Limited Edition Alpha is the only CGC Pristine 10 example in the CGC Cards population report as of April 2024.
“This is one of the most amazing Alpha Black Lotuses I've ever seen," Cai told CGC Cards. "It would undoubtedly be the centerpiece of anyone's TCG collection.”
The Alpha Black Lotus is popular due to its scarcity and value, according to CGC Cards. And the cards are hard to find in good condition because they are more than 30 years old.
Magic: The Gathering, which was founded in 1993 by Richard Garfield, kicked off trading card game mania. This was later fueled by Pokémon’s arrival to the United States in 1999.
Pokémon continues to be the hottest trading card item among collectors. Influencer Logan Paul purchased a 1998 Pikachu Illustrator card in 2022 for $5.275 million, a record for any trading card.
Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct.