A collection of some of the most rare Magic: The Gathering test prints are up for sale on a website created by an original MTG playtester and designer.
Misprints and test prints of some of the most sought after cards like the Garfield Celebration cards, Heroes of the Realm, and even Swarovski Crystal test prints of the Power 9 grace the Ancestral website. The backs of the crystal test prints (seen below) even show a sixth color on the back of the card.
Ancestral is a high-end web shop and trade platform where players can find oddities, misprints, test prints, art, and more. Joel Mick, who started playtesting Magic in 1992 and later went on to be a lead designer, founded the site. Mick advertised a handful of the pieces in the #MTG Rarities Facebook group with links to all of the varying categories.
On top of all the collectibles, the site also has Commander, Old School, and other eternal format staples for sale. While Alpha and Beta dual lands and Power 9 are treasured items for players and collectors, few things compare with some of the test prints shown off on Ancestral. Prices for the test prints range from $150 all the way up to $50,000, with a collection of five crystal basic lands going for $250,000.
While some of the rarities are known quantities, like the Gamma playtest cards and the Garfield Celebrations cards, others have never been seen before. Even Star City Games General Manager, Ben Bleiweiss, was amazed at some of the offerings.
“Some of these test prints have never been seen before. The Swarovski crystal test prints are especially intriguing,” Bleiweiss said. “It’s a view into how Wizards may have incorporated foil cards into a special way for Magic 30th edition!”
