Toronto man, 36, in 'complete disbelief' after finding ultra-rare card

A Toronto man says he's in "complete disbelief" after finding an ultra-rare and extremely valuable collectable card.

The One Ring is a collectible card created for the tabletop, deckbuilding game “Magic: The Gathering” (MTG), as part of the recently released collection honouring the “The Lord of the Rings” series.

What makes this particular card so special – the one trading card that debatably rules them all – is that it is the only one to be printed in the Black Speech of Sauron using Tengwar letterforms, which is one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional languages in the hit series.

“There’s only one in existence, this is something very new for Magic: The Gathering,” Jeff MacDougall, manager of 401 Games, told NEWSTALK1010.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.

We are thrilled to hear tale of a new Ring-bearer in possession of the serialized 1:1 The One Ring! This journey is finished, but the adventure with #MTGxLOTR's continues! pic.twitter.com/nlKqJ02Qqk

— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) June 30, 2023

Gaming companies worldwide have publicly declared bounties to become the bearers of The One Ring. Dave and Adam’s Card World, a New York-based collectibles shop, placed a US$1-million bounty (or roughly $1.3 million Canadian) for the card, while Spanish-based store Gremio de Dragones offered two million euros (roughly $2.9 million Canadian).

WHO FOUND THE CARD?

The card owner has chosen to remain anonymous, but in a statement to CTV News Toronto provided by marketing and PR firm, Notable Group, they said the person is a cashier and forklift operator living in Toronto.

The elusive trading card-bearer said he has been playing MTG ever since he was a kid.

While he kicked the hobby when he went to university, he says he picked it back up a few years ago.

He said he had pre-ordered the collector’s box and was set to pick it up on June 17.

“But, for some reason, I woke up early on June 16 and decided to head to the store when it opened,” the statement reads, adding he went to Face to Face Games in Toronto.

“I was the first one in. I asked if they had any collector boxes for sale, and they said they had a few left. So, I bought two. I opened the extra boxes at home, and there it was, in the sixth pack of the second box!”

When he saw the card, he said he was “in complete disbelief.”

“My hands were shaking, and my heart was racing. I knew it was a life-changing moment,” the statement reads.

Matthew Schmaltz Tziritas, general manager of Face to Face Games, told CTV News Toronto the anonymous card owner is a regular at the store.

“I’m happy that one of our customers, [that] someone in Canada got it. He seems like a really nice guy,” Tziritas said.

“All around I’m happy. I’m very happy that it’s out in the public because it’s been quite a few weeks that we’ve had to sort of keep the secret.”

‘YOU CAN JUST FEEL ITS SIGNIFICANCE’

Few knew The One Ring was drawn in mid-June, including MAXimum Cards and Collectibles co-owner James Hammond, who told CTV News Toronto he found out through the card owner’s cousin the following day, as he is a regular at the store.

“We were just advising him on next steps until legal representation, and after that we kind of stepped back and are just watching all of the stories,” he said.

Everyone else found out on June 30, after its authentication was announced.

Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), the largest third party grading service according to its website, announced it graded the card that day.

“The One Ring is found, authenticated, and now rules them all,” PSA said in a tweet.

𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙂𝙍𝘼𝘿𝙀𝘿

The One Ring is found, authenticated, and now rules them all. pic.twitter.com/k4flMy8VXF

— PSAcard (@PSAcard) June 30, 2023

The card was graded a Mint 9, which is second highest on the grading scale, meaning it is in superb condition that shows only minor flaws, like a minor printing imperfection for example.

“There were fakes being released on the Internet, so no one would have believed it was real without authentication,” the card owner said. “When you see it and hold it, you can just feel its significance.”

He says he plans to sell the card, adding he is still receiving and reviewing offers.

Before The One Ring, the most expensive Magic card was Black Lotus, one of which was purchased by musician Post Malone for $800,000.

“It’s amazing to see how much joy and wonder this has brought to others in the community,” the card owner said.