Did you ever wonder what the top 20 most expensive magic cards of all time were?

These are also possibly some of the most sought after cards in the world. If you own one of these, heads up, it’s probably worth more than you’d guess…

Well here goes: (prices listed refect an average of online listings and no particular vendor)

#20

Grim Tutor – Starter 1999 – $139

This cards scarcity adds a lot to its value. It is out played by demonic tutor, but costs well over the cost of 4 demonic tutors from revised. This is more of a collectors item than a broken card.

#19

Mana Drain – Legends – $145

This card is ridiculous. Talk about a game changer. You better secure your copy now because the cost of this baby is only going to go up. With its last printing in the 1994 set “legends” and its inevitable block from ever being reprinted, it is truly a collectors item. and definitely the 10th “Power 9″ card.

#18

Shivian Dragon – Limited Edition Alpha – $220

This card is a collectors item, and a collectors item only. Its age, rarity and popularity drive up the price. If you really want one, it is re-printed in 10 edition for less than $2.00 a piece.

#17

Birds of Paradise – Limited Edition Alpha – $232

Alpha cards are rare, mostly because they are older than half the kids that play the game. Not to mention this card was and still is one of the most sought after cards in the game. Lucky for collectors, it has been reprinted no less than 9 times in other sets…and counting…

#16

Bazaar of Bahgdad – Arabian Nights- $243

A 1993 printing makes this card hard to find. A novelty to have, it is a rare land that doesn’t really act like a land at all!

#15

Imperial Seal – Portal: 3 Kingdoms – $250

Not only does this card kick Grim Tutors butt, it kicks ALL tutor cards butts (except maybe Demonic Tutor). Its one of my personal favorites because it’s so broken. You have the capability of getting whatever you want in your hand during the second turn. This card is also rare because very few were ever sold in the USA.

#14

Mishra’s Workshop – Antiquities – $268

Yea this one is pretty self explanatory. I want to play an Isochron Scepter w/ a counterspell on my first turn too… this is the only printing of this card, also making it a collectors item, also being a land, it’s a teeny bit tougher to find it in unplayed condition.

#13

Tropical Island – Limited Edition Alpha – $300

One of the famed “dual lands”, the color combo is easy to use. The rarity of the alpha edition makes this card more expensive. …I can see Simic decks smiling all across the country.

#12

Time Vault – Limited Edition Alpha – $300

This card has been givin’ extra turns since 1993. Its rarity and novelty obviously spike the price.

#11

Tundra – Limited Edition Alpha – $375

Another amazing dual land, this card is one of the most versatile cards in the early game. Oh, and they are still some of the most versitile lands in the game.

#10

Underground Sea – Limited Edition Alpha – $389

The best and the most expensive of all the dual lands, this card has always been highly sought after. Its re-printings in Unlimited and revised sell for a fraction of the Alpha price, proving that again it is a collectors item, mainly for its rarity (as well as all the other Alpha dual-lands).

#9

Mox Ruby – Limited Edition Alpha – $650

Part of the “Power 9″, this card is broken and highly sought after. How would you like to draw more than one on your first turn? ha. good luck. It, along with the rest of the power 9 cards, is restricted and or banned in all formats.

#8

Time Twister – Limited Edition Alpha – $699

Another P9 card. Drawing 7 cards for 3? sounds good to me! This card has not been reprinted since Unlimited and still sells for quite a lot from that set.

#7

Mox Pearl – Limited Edition Alpha – $749

Better than a plains in so many ways. This Power 9 card has the crappiest picture out of them all. You’d think they’d draw something cooler for it.

#6

Mox Emerald – Limited edition Alpha – $750

Just like all the other Mox cards, this is one of the Power 9 and broken… and kinda boring, unless you’re playing Magic. Then its one of the best cards ever printed!

#5

Mox Jet – Limited Edition Alpha – $899

P9. yawn. another Mox. At this price I might just go buy myself some swamps with really cool pictures. On the contrary it is a conversation piece. This card has not been re-printed outside of Unlimited.

#4

Time Walk – Limited Edition Alpha – $925

My personal favorite of the Power 9. This is one of the most sought after cards ever printed and has been sold for well over a thousand dollars.

#3

Mox Sapphire – Limited Edition Alpha – $950

I thought we were done with mox’es…. . Using all 5 Moxes in a deck has been an aspiration for many players over the years, making them all collectors items from the begining.

#2

Ancestral Recall – Limited Edition Alpha – $950

What a card to play in a pinch! This card and Mox Sapphire are practically identical in price (Fluctuating constantly). A newer version of this card has been printed in Timespiral, for 996 dollars less, it has a “slight” drawback to it. The collectibility of this card is great and it’s novelty made it famous. Also part of the Power 9, it is restricted practically anywhere you play. (just go get it with Imperial Seal!)

drum-roll…..

#1

Black Lotus – Limited Edition Alpha – $2900

What you can buy INSTEAD of a Black Lotus: a used car, an engagement ring, a living room set, a semester at a cheap college, 12,000 gumballs. What you can’t get without a Black Lotus: the ultimate respect from Magic the Gathering players across the universe. This card is so broken, it’s fixed. The root of infinite mana combos, first turn wins, and any deck every made, this card stands alone. Which is most likely why it costs so much. Not to mention they stopped printing it 15 years ago. I hear Alex Rodriguez puts them in his bicycle spokes…

All of the above mentioned cards can be purchased for a significantly differant price wherever you look.

Try www.starcitygames.com for the best deals I could find on them. THESE ARE NOT THE PRICES LISTED. Prices listed reflect an AVERAGE taken from several different sources.

good luck.

thanks to magiccards.info for supplying many of the above images.