Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest stunned after expert revealed the value of her husband’s trading cards (marketrealist.com)
Local Woman’s Husband’s ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Cards Worth a Fortune!
A local woman got the surprise of a lifetime on PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow” when her husband’s old trading cards turned out to be worth six figures. The woman brought the collection of “Magic: The Gathering” cards, amassed by her husband in the 1990s, to the show, thinking they might be worth something, but not expecting much. She explained that her husband had diligently collected complete sets of the cards, both buying packs and trading with friends.
“Antiques Roadshow” expert Travis Landry was visibly excited about the collection. He explained that “Magic: The Gathering,” created in 1993, was the first trading card game of its kind, paving the way for later sensations like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh.
The woman’s collection included a near-complete set of the highly sought-after “Beta” edition, including several cards from the ultra-rare “Power Nine.” These nine cards are considered the most powerful in the game’s history. Landry pointed out the cards’ black borders and rounded corners, indicating they were part of the initial 1993 printing.
When asked to guess their value, the woman modestly suggested a few hundred dollars. Landry, however, estimated the “Power Nine” cards alone could fetch $50,000 to $75,000 at auction, given their excellent condition.
But the surprises didn’t end there! The collection also contained a “Black Lotus,” one of the rarest and most desirable “Magic” cards in existence.
Landry estimated its value at $15,000 to $20,000. Another card, the “Mox Emerald,” added another $8,000 to $12,000 to the tally.
The final estimated value? Over $100,000!
The stunned woman could only respond with, “Oh my gosh!” Now, those old “cards” are looking more like a college fund, she joked.