A fan wandering MagicCon found all four prize cards from Magic’s Secret Lair Showdown tournament for sale at a booth.
Magic: The Gathering is no stranger to issuing limited cards at tournaments and events. Since 2023, the Secret Lair Showdown has fostered this as well. The tournament offers special versions of popular cards.
One fan wandering the merchant booths at MagicCon: Chicago found all four Brainstorm cards handed to winners of the first Showdown on sale. It’s a scarce find, as only four were printed. Priced as a set for $400,000, this particular card is one of the most expensive to acquire.
The author of the post on Reddit, a self-described collector commented:
“Not gonna lie, super impressed that one shop was able to collect them all.
“But as a collector, it hurts my soul that four people took the paycheck instead of keeping one of the coolest items they’ll likely ever have held. But bills are bills and all that.”
Another Reddit user did mention that the cards are being sold on consignment. Essentially, this just means the store owner is looking after the cards while seeking a buyer. Users in the thread also assume that some hefty insurance has been taken out to ensure protection.
Magic’s limited printings are a little more often than they used to be now. Secret Lair Showdown currently has 19 cards in its roster, including Brainstorm.
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Brainstorm is one of Magic’s most popular cards, allowing players to manipulate the next three draws.
MagicCon seller surprises fans by having $400,000 worth of cards in top loaders
Others were surprised as to how expensive merchandise is being treated. The cards in question are simply put in regular plastic top loaders, and labeled with a post-it note.
“I don’t know who the vendor is but this is sort of embarrassing from a presentation/premium standpoint.
“Although I shouldn’t be surprised, this is the industry of dirty lifetime tables and broken chairs for game rooms.”
Responding to that comment, someone pointed out that other sellers like StarCity Games would put the rare and expensive Black Lotus card in “penny sleeves”.
Unfortunately, it’s not known if the cards were sold at the event.
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