Topic: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

Well, I started Magic when Return to Ravnica came out (wow, two years went by fast) and I always think about what the prices for cards such as the Eldrazi, the power 9, and countless other awesome cards costed when they first came out or when they were legal in standard. Can anyone help me out on this journey of knowledge since I can never find the answer anywhere else?

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

I don't know about eldrazi, but this was a pretty funny link from 94.  Back in the day, your only source for prices was a magazine called Scrye that came out every month.

http://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/commen … from_1994/

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

Nighthawk wrote:

I don't know about eldrazi, but this was a pretty funny link from 94.  Back in the day, your only source for prices was a magazine called Scrye that came out every month.

http://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/commen … from_1994/

Wow, the dual lands were lower than the current shock lands. I never thought I would see that coming. Thanks for the link big_smile

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

I started playing right around the end of Worldwake into Rise of the Eldrazi. At the time most of the Eldrazi gods were pretty cheap (5-10 bucks) because they weren't good in standard and aside from Emrkul seeming a little play in legacy, they weren't wanted much cause EDH was fairly new format.

One of my more proud moments looking back was trading in my highly regarded Baneslayer Angel, Ajani Goldmane and 5 dollars for a Jace, the Mindsculptor into my store.

Also, I use mtgstocks.com a lot cause it's fun to see a graph of how prices of cards have changed.

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

Helios52 wrote:

I started playing right around the end of Worldwake into Rise of the Eldrazi. At the time most of the Eldrazi gods were pretty cheap (5-10 bucks) because they weren't good in standard and aside from Emrkul seeming a little play in legacy, they weren't wanted much cause EDH was fairly new format.

One of my more proud moments looking back was trading in my highly regarded Baneslayer Angel, Ajani Goldmane and 5 dollars for a Jace, the Mindsculptor into my store.

Also, I use mtgstocks.com a lot cause it's fun to see a graph of how prices of cards have changed.

Wow, that just makes me want to build a time machine to go back and buy a 5 dollar Eldrazi

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

Back when I was first playing in '94 (yeah, I'm that old, but I was 11 back then...) it was quite the amusing game where Moxes were sitting at $20-50 and Black Lotus made its way up toward $100-300.  The price guide magazines were neat and you always had to wait until the first one AFTER a set came out to see the full set-list of cards.

That all being said, I recall almost trading for a damaged mox, but ultimately didn't because it was damaged (whoops).  In another case I recall trading a revised Savannah for a Sorceress Queen... it was a great trade at the time, $7 card for a $12 card... oh if I had only known what I know now.

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

skull_king wrote:
Helios52 wrote:

I started playing right around the end of Worldwake into Rise of the Eldrazi. At the time most of the Eldrazi gods were pretty cheap (5-10 bucks) because they weren't good in standard and aside from Emrkul seeming a little play in legacy, they weren't wanted much cause EDH was fairly new format.

One of my more proud moments looking back was trading in my highly regarded Baneslayer Angel, Ajani Goldmane and 5 dollars for a Jace, the Mindsculptor into my store.

Also, I use mtgstocks.com a lot cause it's fun to see a graph of how prices of cards have changed.

Wow, that just makes me want to build a time machine to go back and buy a 5 dollar Eldrazi

Let me know when you get the Machine working. I would glady go back and smack the yugioh and Pokemon cards out of younger me's hands and tell me to get into Magic.

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

When Fallen Empires came out, Moxes were around $100 and Black Lotus was $300.

Other cards I remember from revised:
Royal Assassin - $12
Shivan Dragon - $15
Dual Lands - $5 each
Sol Ring - $1 (I had a small collection, but had 3 Sol Rings, because they were uncommon)

When Force of Will was out, it probably didn't cost more than a $1, if that. Alliances was fairly easy to get a hold of and Balduvian Horde was the big card of the set and was $20 for a while. Creatures were so weak back then that a great creature was always going to be worth a lot.

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

Wow, now that is, just, wow! Another card that came to mind, what did Bob cost at firs?

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

Bob has slowly gone up over time. I think he was prolly around 10ish. I didnt play around then som Im not sure but when I did start playing he was only around 40ish. I think it wasnt until his time in extended did people really notice his power that it became more of a staple.

Goyf is prolly a better example of what your thinking about. Ive heard that at the time of the release of Futuresight, Goyf was a bulk rare. I think it preordered for 2-3 dollars at most and pretty much held there because people thought it took too much work make it worth playing.

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

Not when I started playing, but when my sister was playing she said she would pick up wastelands for ~$1. She also said people literally gave force of wills away/threw them away. All the d'oh in the world from those people.

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

FlutterGuy wrote:

Not when I started playing, but when my sister was playing she said she would pick up wastelands for ~$1. She also said people literally gave force of wills away/threw them away. All the d'oh in the world from those people.

If I were one of those people, I would probably shat myself. Emotionally, mentally, and physically.

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

One dude on that reddit thread makes a joke about the elder dragon legends...

...before chronicles, you couldnt trade a black lotus for a nicol bolas straight up.  Even though the lotus was 300ish and the bolas was...I think somewhere around 50-75 at the time?  The speculation on him was insane.

I traded away a bunch of revised duals to a friend for arabians cards.  Wasn't a good deal for me in the end.  The duals were going for 15 each at the time, so it took quite a few duals to get the value up.

I remember when mirror universe was the highest value legends card...and before that all hallow's eve I think?

Guardian Beast was the highest value arabian card for a long time, then djinn, then library, now bazaar i guess?  I picked up my bazaar as something some dude threw in on a trade because i was trying to grab arabian cards, and it was worthless at the time.  Just something to make me happy and want to do the trade he wanted.



The local gaming store around here used to sell on scrye low.  So one month, candelabra was at 20ish (maybe 22) high and 11 low...which at the time was a massive difference.  The difference usually was only a couple of bucks between high and low.  So I bought the candelabra.  Good deal for me.

Re: How much did some valuable cards cost at first?

skull_king wrote:

Well, I started Magic when Return to Ravnica came out

Same here

skull_king wrote:

(wow, two years went by fast)

Couldn't agree more

Helios52 wrote:
skull_king wrote:

Wow, that just makes me want to build a time machine to go back and buy a 5 dollar Eldrazi

Let me know when you get the Machine working. I would glady go back and smack the yugioh and Pokemon cards out of younger me's hands and tell me to get into Magic.

Let me know too. I want to tell my younger self that TCGs aren't stupid. Oh, and I'd want to have learned to play when I had the chance summer '10 (and could have gotten a free deck).

In general, I am blunt and to the point. I apologize in advance if I appear mean or rude.

I am the Community Admin for the CSUN Magic Players Community. I also sometimes help people with technical issues.
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