Which 4th Edition Magic: The Gathering cards are the most valuable?
Below is an extensive, plain-text, easy-to-understand guide covering which Fourth Edition (1995 base reprint commonly called “4th Edition” or “4ED”) Magic: The Gathering cards tend to be most valuable, why they command those prices, how condition/printing variations and grading affect value, where to find authoritative price data, and practical tips for sellers and collectors. When I state facts about markets or medical topics I include authoritative sources; market data is cited to recognized card-price aggregators and hobby analytic sites and explanations about health-related handling (if any) cite authoritative medical guidance. Each factual sentence that relies on a search result is followed immediately by a bracketed citation number referring to the search results you provided.
Short direct answer
The most valuable Fourth Edition cards are typically the high-demand staples that are rare or play in multiple formats (for example, Power cards reprints such as early Moxen when present, format staples like Lion’s Eye Diamond or other legacy staples that had Fourth Edition printings), plus iconic large creatures and staples whose Fourth Edition copies trade at premiums when graded in high condition; prices vary widely by card and grade and are best checked on price aggregators and grading-population resources for current values[2][3].
Essential context and how to interpret value
– “Fourth Edition” (4ED) was a major 1995 reprint set; it is not the original 1993 print run and thus many collectors value earlier prints more, but 4ED copies can still be valuable depending on the card and its condition[3].
– Card value is driven by three main factors: playability (demand from formats like Vintage, Legacy, Commander), scarcity (how many copies exist, especially high-grade copies), and condition/grade (raw Near Mint vs. professionally graded PSA/BGS/CGC grades dramatically affect price)[2][6].
– For older mainstream MTG cards, pressings, print-run differences, and known print errors (misprints, white-border vs. black-border, etc.) can change value; 4ED is a white-bordered reprint set so collectors preferring original black-border prints will value 4ED differently[3].
– Third-party grading (PSA, BGS, CGC) creates premium prices for high grades; pricing guides often separate ungraded and graded values and sometimes provide separate price tiers for PSA 10, BGS 9.5/10, and other companies’ 10s[3][6].
Most valuable 4th Edition candidates and why they matter
– Cards that are part of the “Power Nine” and other extremely influential early cards are historically the very most expensive Magic cards overall, though many Power Nine originals are Alpha/Beta/Unlimited and not 4ED reprints; when they do appear in later reprints their value depends on scarcity and desirability of that print[2].
– Black Lotus, the most famous example of the Power Nine, is historically the highest-priced MTG card overall when original prints are considered; general lists of most expensive MTG cards place Black Lotus at the top[2].
– Legacy/Vintage staples with 4ED printings: certain cards that see play in eternal formats or are Commander staples command continued demand; for example, Lion’s Eye Diamond (a Legacy/Vintage staple) appears on modern price lists among the most expensive cards, though values depend on print and condition[2].
– Popular creatures and spells with appreciable 4ED demand: classic cards such as Leviathan, Dark Ritual, and other recognizable old cards have market listings for Fourth Edition versions, and their graded copies can be worth significantly more than raw ungraded copies[3][4].
– Example: Leviathan (4th Edition) has a price guide showing ungraded and graded estimates across grades, indicating graded high-condition copies receive large premiums compared with ungraded copies[3].
– Example: Dark Ritual (1995 Fourth Edition base) has tracked sales and price movement on hobby price sites indicating steady demand for certain conditions[4].
Authoritative sources to check for prices and populations (and why they are authoritative)
– PriceCharting and similar price guides aggregate historical sales and list estimated values across grading tiers; they provide month-by-month charts and grade-specific estimates for 4ED cards such as Leviathan, which helps identify how much grading increases price[3].
– DraftSim, TheGamer, MTGStocks, SportsCardInvestor and other hobby sites regularly publish lists of expensive MTG cards and market analyses; they are useful for identifying which cards are currently driving prices and market trends, though they are secondary reporting and should be cross-referenced with primary sale data[1][2][5].
– Card population reports and grading services (PSA, BGS, CGC) publish population figures and grading census information; these are authoritative for assessing scarcity of high-grade copies—however, site-specific population pages sometimes change or produce errors, so verify directly on grading-company pages when possible[6].
– For price discovery use multiple sources: auction platforms and completed-sales histories (e.g., eBay completed listings), price aggregators (PriceCharting), and card marketplaces (TCGplayer, Card Kingdom, and other large buyers/sellers); cross-referencing reduces error and reveals realized sale prices rather than listed prices[3][4].
How condition, print, and grading affect Fourth Edition card prices
– Condition matters more than the raw print for older common printings: a Black Lotus or other high-demand card graded PSA 10 or BGS 9.5 commands exponentially higher prices than raw Near Mint or played copies[2][6].
– Fourth Edition is a white-bordered reprint set; collectors and older-format players often prefer earlier prints (Alpha/Beta/Unlimited) for collectability, but 4ED serves a player market for playable copies and a collector market for graded high-grade specimens, especially for cards that were not printed as often in earlier sets[3].
– Graded-population scarcity: when few PSA/BGS/CGC 10s exist for a Fourth Edition card, the handful of high-grade examples can sell at significant premiums; population reports illustrate how rare top-tier grades are for many old prints and help set realistic expectations for value[6].
Examples with specific price guidance (illustrative—check live markets for current pricing)
– Leviathan (4th Edition): price guides list ungraded estimates and graded prices across PSA/BGS grades, showing graded NM/Mint copies fetch far higher prices than ungraded copies; PriceCharting lists estimated values by grade for Leviathan 4ED[3].
– Dark Ritual (4th Edition): hobby price tracker SportscardInvestor lists recent sale prices and price movement for Dark Ritual 1995 Fourth Edition base, demonstrating the card’s market movement and that even lesser-celebrated old cards have active markets[4].
– High-end staples in lists of most expensive MTG cards: general aggregator lists such as DraftSim and TheGamer list top expensive cards across all prints (including modern special treatments)—use these to identify which card identities historically pull high prices, and then
