When it was first revealed, many MTG players were understandably excited about the latest Secret Lair Superdrop. Not only did it include gorgeous art to admire, but it also contained what MTG players love most: reprints. Considering the cost of building a competitive MTG deck, the love for these cards is unsurprising.
Thankfully for thrifty MTG players, the Secret Lair Spring Superdrop 2023 has reprints in droves. 35 of them, to be exact. While all of these reprints weren’t as enticing as Stoneforge Mystic, there was still plenty for MTG players to be excited about. That was, at least, the theory when initially assessing the Spring Superdrop 2023.
It has now been a month since the Spring Superdrop 2023 first went live. While the Superdrop is still up for sale, in this time, there has been a good deal of movement in card prices. So much so, in fact, that several of the reprints have revealed themselves to be incredibly lucrative. Others, however, not so much
If you’re looking to pick up some singles, these are the best picks from the Spring Superdrop 2023.
Rejoice for Reprints
Whenever they are revealed, there’s no question that Secret Lair drops are often celebrated for their gorgeous and adorable artwork. For better or worse, however, despite how good these cards look, the value isn’t solely based on artistic merit. Instead, as usual, prices predominantly depend on how much the card is played.
For in-demand cards such as Stoneforge Mystic, this means there hasn’t been substantial movement in the price. Other cards, such as Serra the Benevolent, however, have seen quite a sizable drop. Previously only printed in Modern Horizons, now this once $14.50 Planeswalker is available for just $4.85!
Similar to Stoneforge Mystic, is Grand Abolisher. While both are technically cheaper than their non-Secret Lair counterparts, these cards need some explaining. On one hand, the Market Price on TCGplayer indicates the new Secret Lair Grand Abolisher is a great deal. Priced at just $20.57 on average, this makes it at least $7 less than the next cheapest option.
In reality, however, thanks to MTG cards being available in a variety of conditions and from different sellers, prices don’t always align. For instance, recent sales of Randy Vargas’ Secret Lair Grand Abolisher have been for around $25. In comparison, Near Mint copies from Commander 2014 have been selling for just $23.
While it can pay to shop around, thankfully, many of the cards from the Spring Superdrop 2023 are unequivocally cheaper than past variants. Here’s a quick list of a few of those choice picks.
- Emeria, the Sky Ruin | Zendikar : $20.21 | Secret Lair $13.89
- Nature’s Will | Champions of Kamigawa $13.64 | Secret Lair $6.37
- Thassa, Deep-Dwelling | Theros Beyond Death: $14.20 | Secret Lair $10.17
All Hail Halo Foils
Alongside the regular themed and Artist Series Secret Lair drops, the Spring Superdrop 2023 also included a trio of Showcase drops. A fairly new addition to the Secret Lair catalog, these drops play into the themes of recent Premier sets.
Playing into March of the Machine’s themes, the latest Secret Lair drops utilized each card’s Showcase frame. While not all of these art styles are beloved, they nevertheless provide a unique look to somewhat in-demand cards. Alongside this, the cards in the trio of Showcase drops were only available in the Halo Foil treatment.
Thanks to only being available as foils, judging the price of these cards is easier said than done. After all, alongside the new-ish foil treatment, these cards also have new art. Since these two elements are inseparable, demand doesn’t entirely equate to the foil prices of old. That being said, however, if you are just after a foil version of a classic Commander favorite, these Showcase drops are fantastic.
Out of all the Secret Lair Showcase cards from the latest Superdrop Higure, the Still Wind is unequivocally the best. Currently, if you want a traditional foil version of this card, you’ll be paying at least $120. On the other hand, if all you want is a foil Higure, the new Secret Lair copy is just $16 on average!
Thankfully for foil fanatics, Higure is far from the only rare foil to get a significantly cheaper option. Since there’s a handful to go over, here’s a quick list of the best picks.
- Dragonlord Kolaghan | Traditional Foil: $29.10 | Halo Foil $9.29
- Misdirection | Traditional Foil: $19.94 | Halo Foil $8.95
- Utvara Hellkite | Traditional Foil: $61.97 | Halo Foil $19.80
- Wheel and Deal | Traditional Foil: $34.64 | Halo Foil $3.90
All About the Art
While, for the most part, MTG Secret Lair reprints tend to be a similar price, if not cheaper, than their counterparts. There are exceptions to this rule, however. In these cases, the desire for unique and stunning art treatment shines above the regular price of a card. In the Spring Superdrop 2023 the best, or rather worst, example of this is Thassa’s Oracle.
Played in Legacy, Vintage, Modern, and Commander, Thassa’s Oracle is a somewhat unique win condition that players love to show off with. Subsequently, there’s understandably a lot of demand for the new gorgeous artwork by Lauren YS. There’s so much of it, in fact, that this Secret Lair card is selling for $20 on average. This is roughly $8 more than the typical price Thassa’s Oracle sells for.
Alongside this prized artwork, we would be remiss not to talk about the best boy in the Spring Superdrop 2023. This is, of course, the new Selfless Savior by Randy Vargas. Depicted as an adorable sausage dog, with heartbreaking flavor text, this artwork is absolutely beloved by the community. So much so that Selfless Savior is worth an awful lot more than usual.
Originally hailing from Core Set 2021, normal copies of Selfless Savior are worth just $0.23 on average. The new Secret Lair variant, however, is worth a much more compelling $4.07! This means the new card is worth 1507% more than normal. Given just how adorable this card is, we’ve got to say it’s worth the price.
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