WOODSANITY!  Sunday, June 15, 2014 was Father’s Day in the USA.  Clearly, there were some father(s) involved in one of the most amazing sales in Magic: The Gathering history – ONLY BGS 10 MTG Alpha Wooden Sphere on eBay that ended exactly at 5:29pm on 6/15/2014.  Wooden Sphere?  Why would that sell for any more than an Alpha Ancestral Recall, Underground Sea, Time Walk, Mox Sapphire, basically everything other than a Black Lotus.

In looking at the listing on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/1993-Magic-The-Gathering-Alpha-Wooden-Sphere-U-A-BGS-10-PRISTINE-PWCC-/351091894351?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51beb5284f) at first glance, I thought it was just another PRISTINE BGS 10.  After reviewing the card and description, I noticed the subgrades were 10 centering, 10 corners, 10 edges, and 10 surface.  I checked the serial number of the listing on the Beckett.com website and I sat there thinking, wholly cow, I have never seen any card with all 10’s let alone an Alpha Magic card!  You might say – So what is the big deal Daniel?  Who cares, it’s a Wooden Sphere.  Let me explain the reasoning and hype behind this historic sale:

First, let’s review the auction statistics:

• No reserve, 7 day auction
• Three bidders with a maximum bid over $3,000 USD
• Six bidders with a maximum bid over $799 USD
• 22 total bids
• 12 unique bidders
• Sale price: $3555 USD

Based on these statistics let’s confirm the sale was real.  The buyer had 585 “feedback” at the time of the sale.  I did some research and actually pinpointed who the buyer was (who wishes to remain anonymous).  VintageMagic.com, LLC can confirm the sale was 100% real, and not a fake sale.

Now we can examine the reasoning of why a $5.00 (ungraded) Wooden Sphere sold for more than every Alpha card other than the Black Lotus.

1. GMTG – For those of you who want proof that GMTG (Graded Magic Cards) are the most valuable MTG collectibles in the hobby, the VintageMagic.com, LLC Gallery showcases the most expensive and rare Magic rarities in the world.  With sales of reaching as high as $50,000 and $5,000 are a dime a dozen, clearly when it comes to collecting Magic elite, it is GMTG.

2. Rarity – For serious collectors, the best of the best is all that matters. And when it comes to rare, nothing compares to Alpha in the world of Magic: The Gathering.  The Wooden Sphere is an uncommon with an estimated 5,000 to 6,500 examples in the world.  But consider the 2^nd most important factor, less than 25 BGS 10 Alpha cards are in existence. With nearly 5000 cards graded, this leaves the top .5% of all graded Alpha cards in the population.  This Alpha Wooden Sphere is in a class by itself, ranking in the top .02% of all Alpha cards graded.

3. Subgrades – When it comes to GMTG the subgrades are all that matters. The higher the subs, the more valuable the card.  Consider a BGS 9.5 Alpha Black Lotus with basic subs (3 x 9.5’s & 1 x 9) versus a BGS 9.5 Alpha Black Lotus with premium subs (3 x 9.5 & 1 x 10), the value comparison is $25,000 versus $50,000.  Quite a big difference considering 1.0 of subgrade improvement.  Consider the BGS 10 Alpha Wooden Sphere selling at $3555 versus a BGS 9.5 which estimated value is $255. That is  nearly 15 times more!

4. Set Collecting – When it comes to making the BEST set in the world you need the best cards. It doesn’t matter that you have the highest graded Alpha Black Lotus – cards like the Stone Rain, Creature Bond, and Wooden Sphere are collection royalty.  Having the top grades for EVERY card in the set is what matters – quite a flexing of muscles I would say!

In summary, this article reaffirms that Magic: The Gathering has truly become more than just gaming; the collecting/investing of Magic truly has taken off like a rocket ship.  The reality is this: Do you still believe Magic will continue soaring to new heights or has it leveled off, or is its journey set on a course to crash?  Based on the sale of the BGS 10 Alpha Wooden Sphere, the economy of Magic is good, really good.

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