A PSA 10 Alpha Black Lotus, one of three known copies in existence, sold for $2,208,200 at the 2026 Summer Goldin 100 auction held by Goldin Auctions on Saturday. The sale price includes the buyer’s premium.
The card is a rare version of Magic: The Gathering’s most famous spell. It was graded a PSA 10, the highest possible grade, and carries the “Alpha” designation, meaning it comes from the very first printing of the set. There are only three known copies of this exact combination in existence.
The $2.2 million price tag is a notable figure for the market. It does not, however, set a record for a Black Lotus auction, a distinction that continues to belong to a private sale.
What The Sale Beat
The $2.2 million price tag does not set a record for a Black Lotus auction. That distinction still belongs to a private sale in 2024, where a buyer purchased a CGC 10 copy from Adam Cai for $3 million. The current public record sits lower, at $540,000, where a PSA 10 Gem Mint Alpha Black Lotus sold on PWCC Marketplace in 2023.
This sale beats that 2023 figure. It also beats the previous auction record for a Black Lotus, even though the private sale remains the top mark overall.
The gap between the private sale and the public auction records is now wider than before. The public auction ladder now has its own rung, with this latest sale sitting above the 2023 figure.
The Card’s Rarity
The PSA 10 grade means the card passed grading inspection with no flaws. The Alpha designation narrows the pool further, since Alpha cards come from the first printing of the set. Together, the combination of PSA 10 and Alpha makes this one of the three known copies of this exact card in existence.
The rarity is not just about the grade. It is about the printing itself: the Alpha designation means this card comes from the very first production run of the set. That makes it rarer than cards from later printings, even cards that might carry a PSA 10 grade.
There are only three known copies of this exact combination in existence. That number does not change with this sale.
The Auction’s Collection
The 2026 Summer Goldin 100 was not just about the Black Lotus. The sale featured a wide range of sports and trading card collectibles, including:
- A Shohei Ohtani rookie card
- A CGC 9 1998 Pokémon Illustrator Pikachu card
- A LeBron James game-worn jersey
The Pikachu card headlined the auction, selling for $2,806,271.
The Buyer’s Premium
The $2,208,200 figure includes the buyer’s premium, which is added to the hammer price at auction. That means the final amount paid by the winning bidder was higher than the hammer price alone.
The buyer’s premium is a standard part of the auction process. The winning bidder pays the hammer price plus the premium, which is a percentage of the hammer price.
For collectors, the inclusion of the premium is important context. A card that sells for $2.2 million is a different matter than a card that sells for $2 million. The difference matters when comparing records across sales.
How The Record Stands Now
The record landscape for Black Lotus has shifted with each sale. Here is how it breaks down:
- Private sale record: $3 million, CGC 10 copy sold by Adam Cai in 2024
- Public auction record: $540,000, PSA 10 Gem Mint Alpha sold on PWCC Marketplace in 2023
- New public auction record: $2,208,200, PSA 10 Alpha sold at the 2026 Summer Goldin 100
The private sale remains the ceiling. The public auctions now have their own ladder, with this latest sale sitting above the 2023 figure.
The gap between the private and public records is now wider than before. The private sale of $3 million still stands as the top mark overall, while the public auctions have their own rung, with this latest sale sitting above the 2023 figure.
The Pikachu Card
The Pikachu card was the star of the auction. It sold for $2,806,271, a figure that outpaced the Black Lotus sale price.
The comparison is worth noting because it shows where the market is strongest. A Pokémon card from 1998 sold for a substantial amount at the auction, outpacing the Black Lotus sale itself.
The Sale’s Context
The sale suggests the market for rare trading cards remains strong. A $2 million-plus price tag for a single card is notable in this space, and the Black Lotus has a particular history that makes this sale significant.
The fact that the private sale record still stands is a known fact of the market. Public auctions are transparent, and records can be tracked. Private sales remain opaque, and their prices are known only to the buyer and seller.
“One of three known copies of a PSA 10 Alpha Black Lotus was sold for $2,208,200 at the 2026 Summer Goldin 100.”
The sale was a notable moment for collectors of rare trading cards. A $2 million-plus price tag is a statement, and the Black Lotus has made that statement more than once.
See the a run of 33 images at Star City Games.
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