Magic: The Gathering Cards an ‘Extravaganza’ for Collectors
A Holy Grail Beta Black Lotus card leads the top five MTG lots, which have a combined high estimate of $135,000, at Bruneau’s auction on February 26. The sale also features comic books sure to attract collectors.
CRANSTON, R.I. – Anyone who doubts the soaring popularity of Magic: The Gathering trading cards needs to look no further than Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ upcoming Winter Comic, TCG (Trading Card Games) & Toy auction. The top five lots – all MTG cards – have a combined high estimate of $135,000.
“This is certainly going to be an extravaganza for Magic: The Gathering collectors,” predicts Travis Landry, a Bruneau & Co. auctioneer and the firm’s director of pop culture. “This is one of the best collections to surface in a long time. It’s also a first in a very long time that comics do not dominate the catalog. I can’t wait to see how many new bidders are attracted to the auction.”
The sale on February 26 is packed with 427 lots curated from across the country. All five of the expected top lots are MTG cards from a single-owner Virginia collection and all are from 1993. Top among these is a Magic: The Gathering Beta Black Lotus card, graded CGC 9 Mint, a Holy Grail item for MTG collectors (estimate: $40,000-$60,000). It’s idolized for its fast mana acceleration during play and is famous for its elegant artwork by Christopher Rush.
An Alpha Black Lotus card, graded PSA 10, with a case signed by the card’s illustrator Christopher Rush, shocked many when it sold for a record-setting $511,100 on eBay in January 2021. That sale demolished the previous high-selling price of a PSA 10 Alpha Black Lotus (population 7), which sold for $250,000 in July of 2020.
Other notable MTG Power Nine cards in Bruno's sale include an Alpha Ancestral Recall card, graded CGC 9.5 Gem Mint (estimate: $20,000-$30,000), another Holy Grail that is on most every collector's wish list to complete, with Alpha print being the most coveted; a Beta Mox Sapphire card, graded CGC 9.5 Gem Mint (estimate: $10,000-$20,000), one of the finest on the open market and a must-have card; an Alpha Timetwister card, graded BGS 8.5 NM-MT+ (estimate: $10,000-$15,000), a serious investment for the serious collector’s MTG portfolio; and a Beta Time Walk trading card, graded CGC 9 Mint (estimate: $7,000-$10,000), another serious investment for an MTG portfolio.
“It’s amazing to see how many different things come into the gallery,” said Kevin Bruneau, Bruneau & Co’s president and an auctioneer. “While the Magic: The Gathering collection is very exciting, I’m still eager to see our gallery wall of comics with all that color. The copy of Wonder Woman #7 is a great wartime cover that’s sure to attract interest. It’ll be a fun sale.”
The D.C. Comics copy of Wonder Woman issue #7 (Winter, 1943) features a “Wonder Woman for President” story and cover with art by H.G. Peter. Per the CGC census 5 in 3.5, only 44 examples are higher. This is a scarce and iconic wartime Golden Age D.C. cover, a rare opportunity for collectors today; in a CDC case (estimate: $4,000-$6,000).
A copy of Marvel Comics Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 from 1964 has a pre-sale estimate of $3,000-$4,000. The 72-page comic book features the first appearance of the Sinister Six, with appearances by Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp, Dr. Strange and the Fantastic Four. It’s graded CGC 6.0, with off-white pages. The CGC case is 13 inches by 8 inches.
A copy of D.C. Comics Detective Comics #359 (January, 1967), graded CGC 8.0 with white pages, features the origin and first appearance of Batgirl and has a Killer Moth appearance. Per the CGC census 104 in 8.0, 180 are higher (estimate: $3,000-$4,000).
A preview is available by appointment the week and day of the sale, with doors opening at 9 a.m. Eastern time. To schedule an appointment, call 401-533-9980; or email info@bruneauandco.com. Bidding will be available via in-person, absentee, telephone or Internet.
The auction starts promptly at 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, February 26, online as well as in Bruneau & Co.’s gallery located at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston, R.I. Internet bidding will be facilitated by the popular platforms LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com, plus bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com and the mobile app ‘Bruneau & Co.’ on iTunes or GooglePlay.
For more information, visit www.bruneauandco.com.
