The long weekend started on a high note for one lucky card collector from Whitby after an unsuspecting purchase yielded one of the rarest trading cards ever made: the One Ring.
Released in mid-June as part of a Lord of the Rings-themed card set for the game Magic: The Gathering, the value of the One Ring card is estimated to be over $2 million thanks to its ultra-exclusive nature; just like the Ring of Power itself, the card is one of a kind.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.
We are thrilled to hear tale of a new Ring-bearer in possession of the serialized 1:1 The One Ring! This journey is finished, but the adventure with #MTGxLOTR‘s continues! pic.twitter.com/nlKqJ02Qqk
— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) June 30, 2023
The news of its finding was broken on Twitter on Friday afternoon, and it was later confirmed by the owners of the Whitby collectibles store MAXimum Cards and Collectibles that the card was pulled by the cousin of one of their long-time customers.
While the card was not pulled in our store, it was pulled by one of our customers and we are extremely happy for him.
We are happy to answer any questions that we can on his behalf, however there are some details the seller can’t share as negotiations are currently ongoing.— MAXimum Cards & Collectibles (@maximumcards) June 30, 2023
So far, the identity of the newly crowned ring bearer remains a mystery, but considering the frenzy that the card has sent the Magic community into, choosing anonymity was probably the right call.
The card could only be found in specific booster packs, and retailers were capitalizing on the hype by marking up their prices, selling the packs for as much as $500.
Of course, now that the One Ring has been found, some purchasers are realizing that the price tag of their noble quest for the Ring and all its glory may have been a bit excessive.
Me who just ordered $600 worth of collector boosters trying to find it pic.twitter.com/2mImHrUlJ6
— cjniebel (@cjniebel1) June 30, 2023
The ring bearer is now in the process of finding a buyer for the One Ring and will likely explore a deal with Spanish collectibles retailer, Gremio de Dragones, who issued a bounty of €2 million for the card earlier in June.
Just in case the cash isn’t enough, the bounty also includes a trip to Valencia and a paella dinner.
The bounty has been raised 📈
For MtG’s 1/1 The One Ring 💍
– €2,000,000 ($2.16m) 💰
– a trip to Valencia, Spain 🇪🇸
– Paella 🥘 pic.twitter.com/93LswL7XzR— Joe Munns | Collector-in-Chief (@JoeMunnsHK) June 15, 2023
Translating to a healthy payout of C$2.89 million, the offer is almost too good to refuse, and if it keeps the One Ring out of the hands of the dark lord Sauron, then that’s just better for everyone.
If the deal goes through, the One Ring would become the highest-valued Magic card ever sold, taking the crown from the Black Lotus, which sold at auction last year for a lofty $615,000.
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