Important “Pokémon” and “Magic: The Gathering” (MTG) cards and sets sold for nearly $300,000 at auction recently, after bidding wars blew away all expectations when they crossed the block at a recent Heritage auction.
A total of 37 lots were on offer, and MTG cards claimed nine of the top prices. However, a bidding war broke out for a “Pokémon” first-edition base set sealed booster box (Wizards of the Coast, 1999), which sold for $78,000, the sale’s top role-playing game item.
The auction offered 12 “Pokémon” lots and 25 MTG lots, which sold for a combined $294,858 in Heritage Auctions’ Comics and Comic Art Auction held Feb. 21, 22, and 23. The “Pokémon” first-edition base set contained 36 unopened packs, each with 11 cards. “The demand for this set was very high, because it is from the first edition from the first set,” said Heritage Auctions vice president Lon Allen. “Adding to the intrigue is the mystery about which cards are in each pack, because each pack inside the set is unopened.
In terms of individual cards, “Magic: The Gathering” dominated the auction. A “Magic: The Gathering” beta edition Black Lotus BGS 9 (Wizards of the Coast, 1993) brought $26,400 to claim the top spot in its series, followed by “Magic: The Gathering” beta edition Black Lotus BGS 8 (Wizards of the Coast, 1993), which realized $18,000. An Ed Beard Jr. “Magic: The Gathering” Legends Card #142 "Arcades Sabboth" original art painting and signed card (Wizards of the Coast, 1994) sold for $16,800.
Two other “Magic: The Gathering” cards drew five-figure results, a “Magic: The Gathering” beta edition Mox Sapphire BGS 9 (Wizards of the Coast, 1993), which finished at $11,400, and “Magic: The Gathering” unlimited edition Black Lotus BGS 8.5 (Wizards of the Coast, 1993), which closed at $10,800.
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