Jumpstart 2022 has taken hold of the secondary market. One of the Booster Fun initiatives in Jumpstart 2022 was the inclusion of one anime art card per pack. Recent community conversations suggest that the MTG world has taken to these new Booster Fun cards with open arms. The secondary market supports this outlook since anime art cards are going for more than their alternatives.
A $1 Card Going for $20!?
The increase in prices for anime art cards from Jumpstart 2022 compared to their counterparts. This Coldsteel Heart takes things to a ridiculous notch, going for about $20 on average. Coldsteel Heart is a solid mana rock in Commander that can tap for any color. The snow synergy is a nice touch for the few decks that care about that.
Coldsteel Heart is an uncommon that has been reprinted multiple times throughout different Commander products. As a result, you can find copies of these cards that only go for $1. Heck, there was a listing for a Coldsteel Heart at a single cent at the time of writing. This should put into perspective just how crazy the current ‘Waifu tax’ really is on MTG cards.
Balan, Wandering Knight
Of all the anime art cards from Jumpstart 2022 currently available on TCGplayer, Balan, Wandering Knight is the most expensive. The increase percentage-wise is not as crazy as some of the cheaper anime art cards available, but it is still going for ten times its initial price point. For those who want an anime MTG cat girl of their own, Balan currently has a $50 price tag, making it the most expensive card in the entire set. This is absolutely unprecedented since the card is outpacing Commander staples like Rhystic Study. The average price of a non-anime Balan is about $4.50.
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Tree of Perdition
There is still a ‘Waifu tax’ available with this first-ever reprinted card, but it’s not nearly as bad as the other price spikes in anime art cards from Jumpstart 2022. This Tree of Perdition is going for about $16 currently, only 60% more than its $10 price otherwise.
Stitcher’s Supplier
Stitcher’s Supplier is a popular constructed card. Being able to mill as many as six cards for a one-mana investment is a fantastic rate for decks that interact with their graveyards. This puts normal versions of Stitcher’s Supplier at a startling $3 despite being uncommon.
As you might imagine, this particular Stitcher’s Supplier is running for a premium. The spike for this one has been particularly explosive, rising from a measly $1 to $8 in just over a week.
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Mirror Image
The Mirror Image uncommon is relatively unplayed. While it’s probably a decent budget Commander card, it only goes for $1. As soon as the card receives some anime artwork, the card, after a massive spike, goes for $8.
Tragic Slip
Outside of this anime artwork, Tragic Slip is a 25-cent card. Morbid is a lot harder to turn on than the Revolt mechanic on Fatal Push that most competitive players are used to. If a creature (it does not have to be yours) has died this turn, Tragic Slip can remove almost any creature you come across, including behemoths like Ulamog, The Ceaseless Hunger.
Tragic Slip with the anime artwork from Jumpstart 2022 goes for anywhere between $4.50 and $5. That’s a 1900% increase!
Spectral Sailor
Spoiled as one of the earliest Booster Fun examples for Jumpstart 2022, Spectral Sailor is another card that goes for much more than its counterparts. Notably, this card sees play in some Spirit builds in Pioneer, giving it a competitive home. Regardless, in its normal form, Spectral Sailor still only goes for about 25 cents. Spectral Sailor’s anime artwork is currently going for an average of $3.50.
Will This Booster Fun Artwork Return?
If anything was made clear by the absurd boosts in price seen in many (but not all!) of the anime artwork cards introduced in Jumpstart 2022, this Booster Fun promotion seems to be incredibly successful. Following this, I would not be surprised if we see a return of the anime artwork in future sets. As was discussed in our article addressing community position on these artworks, while many like the new art, the ones who do not like it tend to hate them, to the point where they don’t even want to see their opponents playing them. Unfortunately for those players, success breeds repetition with MTG, so there is a good chance we will see them again.
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