Magic: The Gathering Cards Graded by CGC Cards Impress in Heritage Sale

Three Magic: The Gathering cards from early sets that are certified by CGC Cards™ each realized impressive prices in a recent Heritage Auctions sale. The MTG cards were among nearly 200 CGC-certified TCG rarities in Heritage’s Trading Card Games Signature Auction, which was held on December 16-17, 2023.

An Artist Proof Black Lotus, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Limited Edition Beta graded CGC 6.5 (lot 37009) led the CGC-certified cards in the sale, realizing $57,500. Artist Proof cards allow TCG developers and artists to see how their designs will look once they are printed on cardstock. For this reason, most Artist Proof cards have a blank back. Artist Proof cards are extremely rare — in fact, CGC Cards has only graded seven Limited Edition Beta Black Lotus examples, according to the CGC Cards Population Report.

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In addition, for the first time ever, Heritage offered Delta playtest cards certified by CGC Cards. Delta playtest cards were used after the Gamma playtest. Though most cards were the same as Gamma, some introduced new concepts and designs, and all Delta playtest cards were printed on orange cardstock. These cards are some of the rarest MTG trading cards out there. Most Delta playtest cards were destroyed after the playtest ended, and no complete set list exists. CGC Cards has only graded a total of 14 Delta playtest cards, according to the CGC Cards Population Report.

An Ancestral Memory, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Delta Playtest graded CGC 8 (lot 37005) realized $15,000 in the sale. Ancestral Memory would eventually become Ancestral Recall, one of the Power Nine — some of the most powerful cards in MTG. Additionally, a Sol Ring, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Delta Playtest graded CGC 7 (lot 37008) realized $4,000.

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Other CGC-certified cards in the auction included:

• a Collectigull, Magic: The Gathering (2020) Heroes of the Realm – 001/007 – Special – Studio X Booster Team graded CGC 8.5 (lot 37015) that realized $7,187
• a The Seal of Orichalcos, Yu-Gi-Oh! (2005) North American English Upper Deck – Duel the Master Side Event – SEAL-EN001 – Upper Deck Unauthorized Print graded CGC 6 (lot 37022) that realized $6,000
• a Charizard, Pokémon (1996) Japanese Base Set Holo graded CGC Pristine 10 Qualified (lot 37090) that realized $5,500
• a Lugia, Pokémon (2000) Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo graded CGC Gem Mint 10 (lot 37075) that realized $4,725
• a Timetwister, Magic: The Gathering (1993) Unlimited Edition graded CGC 8 (lot 37103) that realized $4,125

All prices realized include a buyer’s premium.

Note: At the time some of these cards were graded, they were encapsulated with the original CGC Cards label. Starting July 11, 2023, CGC Cards began encapsulating cards with the new CGC Cards label. In addition to the new label, collectors enjoy many other benefits with CGC Cards, such as the ability to submit without purchasing a membership and an industry-standard Gem Mint 10 grading scale. For more information, go here.