Magic: The Gathering debuted on Aug. 5, 1993 with what is known as the Alpha set. The cards in this set have become extremely sought-after over the years, with many of them worth thousands of dollars in today’s market. If only we knew then what we know now about these early sets; Even some of the common cards in the Alpha Set are now worth several thousands of dollars.

The second printing of the Alpha set in Sept. of 1993, called the Beta set, even has cards worth thousands of dollars. Below is a list of the rarest and most valuable Magic the Gathering cards and what they are worth today. The card prices here are for mint/near mint card conditions.

RELATED: Magic: The Gathering: Most Expensive Throne of Eldraine Cards So Far

Updated on June 24, 2021, by Jeff Drake: It is rare for the price of the most valuable Magic: The Gathering cards to be static - they seem to steadily go up in price without fail. The prices on this list have been updated to be current at the time of the update. A few additional cards, mostly from the Alpha set, have been added since their value has risen to compete with most of the cards on this list.

15 *Tundra

The dual-land cards in the early sets are a great example of reverse power-creep. Normally in card games, the first sets are considered underpowered after a few years of booster sets. The newer cards are almost always better, to entice players to buy the new booster sets. Dual-land cards were so powerful that it would be awhile until they were re-introduced. Tundra provides its owner either a blue or white mana each turn.

Price Range:

The Alpha set Tundra goes for $4,000 - $5,500, depending on its condition.

14 Chaos Orb

Players seek after this card because it is still viable, and it's one of the rarer cards from the original Alpha set. The power of this card probably caused a lot of double-takes back in the day as the targeted player exclaimed, "I'm sorry, that card does what?"  For two colorless mana, this card lets players drop it from at least one foot in height and discard all cards it touched when it lands.

RELATED: MTG Planeswalkers Lore: Things You Never Knew About Jace Beleren

Price Range:

This card has a price range of $3,000 - $8,500, depending on the condition. The Beta version isn't valued at much less; it's worth about $2,000, but one in excellent or mint condition will cost around $6,500.

13 Timetwister

This blue sorcery spell forces all players to shuffle the cards in their hand, graveyard, and library together to form a new library. This is a great card to have for players frequently finding themselves playing against a “deck buster," a deck designed to make the opponent’s library empty quickly. This card can also help players win with a come-from-behind victory.

Price Range:

The Alpha Timetwister commonly sells for about $8,000, but the Beta Timetwister can be bought for a measly $15,800.

12 Mox Pearl

The Mox Pearl is an artifact that players can use as a source of white mana, with the added benefit of being used as an interrupt if needed. This artifact can also be played without expending mana, which is fairly uncommon in Magic. If a player uses a lot of white cards, this artifact can mean the difference between victory and defeat. It only provides one white mana per turn, but nearly every player has had the frustration of being one mana short of summoning a much-needed champion.

RELATED: Magic Arena: Best Budget Decks (August 2019)

Price Range:

The Mox Pearl, which was part of the Alpha set, can be bought for around $8,000 if lucky. However, it can go for as high as $19,000.

11 Shivan Dragon

Shivan Dragon is the only creature (summoning spell) on the list. It is a red creature with a decent attack and defense, and it can fly. Four unblocked attacks from the Shivan Dragon will usually kill an opponent. For the first few years of Magic: The Gathering's existence, this was probably the most sought-after summoning spell. Even players who didn't use red cards wanted this one, and would retool their deck if they were lucky enough to get one.

Price Range:

The Shivan Dragon from the Alpha set sells for about $3,000 on the low end. A card in excellent or mint condition sells for around $6,000.

10 Underground Sea

The Alpha set had a lot of useful cards, but the dual lands were perhaps the most useful. These dual lands can be used as a source of two different colors of mana, but only one type per turn. Nowadays, dual lands are some of the most sought-after Magic cards. They are easily recognizable by the spiral pattern inside the text-box. Considered a swamp and island, the Underground Sea provides black and blue mana.

Price Range:

This is the highest value land card in Magic the Gathering. It typically sells for about $6,500, but has sold for as high as $14,000.

9 Mox Emerald

The Mox Emerald is an artifact that can be tapped for one green mana per turn. Like the other Mox gems, the Mox Emerald can be played from the hand without expending mana and can be played as an interrupt.

The Mox Emerald, along with the rest of the Mox gems, is great for getting an advantage early in the game. Any time a player can play multiple mana sources during a turn, especially towards the beginning of the game, the odds of victory are significantly increased.

Price Range:

The Mox Emerald is worth approximately $6,500, but on the high end, it can sell for about $20,000.

8 Mox Sapphire

The Mox Sapphire is an artifact that provides one blue mana per turn when tapped. Of course, this artifact does not require mana to be played from the hand, and can be used as an interrupt. It's one of the more useful of the Mox gem artifacts, mainly because most counter-spell cards use blue mana. When playing a counter-spell, the Mox Sapphire’s ability to be used as an interrupt can save a player from a damaging spell. This card has saved many players from a sudden defeat.

Price Range:

This card sells for an average of $9,500, and its price can reach as high $50,000.

7 Mox Jet

The Mox gem artifacts are rare and powerful, but keep in mind that many tournaments do not allow them. The rarity of these cards, coupled with the advantage they provide, has led them to be banned. This is an attempt to even the playing field for players who weren’t around in 1993 to buy the early editions (and/or don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a card). The Mox Jet provides one black mana, can be played as an interrupt, and does not require mana to be put into play.

Price Range:

Be prepared to pay about $7,600, if you’re lucky. Its worth in some price guides can reach as high as $10,000.

6 Time Walk

This blue sorcery spell has a simple, but very effective special power. Time Walk allows the player to take an extra turn after the turn in which it was played. This card alone was worth using a blue deck, and many games of Magic have been won because of this card. Using Time Walk allows the player to essentially bypass summoning sickness for one turn, as well as playing an extra mana source. If players can use this card early in the game, they can overwhelm an opponent who has not had a chance to summon many champions. It is also useful for untapping champions before an opponent’s turn.

Price Range:

Time Walk is worth around $9,000; however, it has been sold for as high as $25,000.

5 Time Vault

Time Vault is similar to Time Walk. It gives its owner an extra turn, the benefits of which are detailed in the above Time Walk entry. Time Vault is a little less useful while playing than Time Walk, due to it staying in play tapped until the player skips a turn. Thankfully, there are cards that allow players to reshuffle their graveyard into their deck. This makes Time Walk more re-usable, and therefore more valuable.

Price Range:

The Alpha set Time Vault can be found for around $2,500. However, getting one of these in near mint or mint condition will set buyers back about $7,200.

4 Mox Ruby

The last of the Mox gem artifacts in this list, the Mox Ruby provides one red mana per turn. Like the other Mox gems, this costs no mana to play and can be used as an interrupt. This is the most valuable of the Mox gems for a reason: Red spells are generally the most damaging to opposing players. A spell like fireball deals an amount of damage equal to the amount of red mana the player uses to cast it. It is not hard to see how this artifact, when used with multiple fireball spells, could provide a quick victory.

RELATED: MTG Multiverse Lore: Things You Never Knew About Alara

Price Range:

The Mox Ruby’s value is approximately $9,400 on average, but go sell for as much as $12,000.

3 Ancestral Recall

Ancestral Recall is a card that any player would want in their deck. It's a card that is worth adding islands to one's library—even if only to play this card. This is because Ancestral Recall allows the player to draw three cards or forces an opponent to discard three cards to the graveyard.

This card has two other positive aspects; it is an instant, and it only costs one blue mana to play. One mana seems a bit too low for such a powerful card, but that is why it is so sought after.

Price Range:

Ancestral Recall is worth about $21,000 on the low end and about $27,000.00 on the high end.

2 Blue Hurricane

In 1994, a set was printed called Revised Edition. Wizards of the Coast discovered the cards in this set had problems though, such as off-coloring, incorrect artist credit for the pictures on a few cards, and misprinted pictures. A revised Revised Edition, called Summer Magic due to being released in the summer of 1994, was then printed up and sent out to distributors.

Unfortunately, Wizards of the Coast soon discovered this revised Revised Edition also had many errors. One of these errors was the Hurricane Spell having a blue border instead of a green one. This Summer Magic set was immediately recalled, but not before some made their way into the hands of players and collectors.

Price Range:

Thanks to its rarity and novelty, the misprinted Blue Hurricane has sold for as much as $30,000.

1 Black Lotus

Players of Magic the Gathering will not be surprised to see this card at #1 spot in this list. It has become an (in)famous card; both for its power and its value. Not only is the Black Lotus the most valuable Magic card, but its value seems to go up more and more every year. The Black Lotus gives the player three mana of a single color when tapped, costs nothing to put into play, and can be used as an interrupt.

Price Range:

The Black Lotus’ value is currently around $75,000. For those who absolutely must have one, try to find a Beta version. That one is only worth a paltry $40,000.

NEXT: The Best Tabletop RPGs To Play After Dungeons and Dragons