Magic: The Gathering’s coveted Black Lotus breaks another record

polygon.com:

Days after the sale of a Magic: The Gathering Black Lotus card set a new record, going for $540,000 at auction at PWCC Marketplace, a sale of the highly coveted and rare card has set an even higher record. On Friday, a Magic: The Gathering artist proof Black Lotus signed by artist Christopher Rush sold for $615,000 at Heritage Auctions.

That higher price was paid for a lower-grade card. Friday’s auction was for a card graded “Near Mint/Mint+ 8.5” by Certified Guarantee Company; the card sold earlier this month was graded a perfect “Gem Mint 10.” That said, the most recent auction was for an artist proof, a “whiteback” card signed by Rush directly on the item. The Black Lotus sold by PWCC earlier this month was signed on the card’s case, not the card itself. Regardless, the company that sold the latest Black Lotus boasts that it’s “now the most valuable Magic: The Gathering card ever sold at auction.”

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The card was part of the collection of Rush’s friend and former agent, Jeff Ferreira, and included multiple Black Lotus-related items, including original artworks and recreations from Rush, and other signed cards — including an illustrated card featuring both the Black Lotus and Olaf from Disney’s Frozen. Heritage Auctions’ lot from the Jeff Ferreira collection also featured multiple sealed booster Magic: The Gathering packs dating back to 1994, one of which sold for $75,000.

MTG’s Black Lotus, which dates back to the competitive card game’s first Alpha printing in 1993, is famed for its rarity, with a print run of around 1,100, and its power. It costs no mana to play but adds three mana of any color to your pool, so it’s a great shortcut to casting powerful spells early in the game. It’s one of the “Power Nine,”