A Magic collector’s dream.
Magic: The Gathering continues to expand into the collector space in a massive way, offering timely yet limited releases on desirable cards from the growing Secret Lair Drop Series. Since its inception in 2019, the Secret Lair Drop Series has gone from strength to strength, adding a mixture of reprints and new-to-Magic cards, even some cards offering new aesthetics as seen with the recent Hatsune Miku collaboration. With that in mind, it is easy to ignore the value of some of these Secret Lair cards if you have never seen the card or art before, but it is always worth checking the price if in doubt.
As mentioned earlier, Magic is entering a broad collector space where these quirky designs and themes can command a high price depending on varying factors. Let’s run down some of the most valuable cards from the Secret Lair Drop Series, including cards from the Secret Lair: 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit. This doesn’t include any of the bonus cards you can find in Secret Lairs, but if you are curious about those, you can read all about it right here.
What is the Secret Lair in Magic: The Gathering?
Market Price: $43.22
Market Price: $62.06
Market Price: $52.14
A sub-brand of Magic: The Gathering, Secret Lair is a series of cards incorporated into small collectible sets called drops, often appearing with unique art styles and themes. Starting in 2019, the Secret Lair Drop Series is Wizards of the Coast’s full foray into selling cards directly to players. After a while, Wizards extended the Secret Lair into original Magic: The Gathering cards with The Walking Dead and Stranger Things Secret Lair collaborations, now grandfathered under the Universes Beyond banner. Even now, offers players and collectors the opportunity to acquire something unique and, in some cases, incredibly valuable. These Secret Lair products are sold for a limited time with a fixed print window directly through Wizards, making them ideal for card collectors and those who like to own sealed products. Sometimes, brand new cards appear in these Secret Lairs, such as Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, which will eventually see in-Magic variants as part of the subset called Universes Within if you don’t care for the overlap of intellectual properties.
#10 Sliver Overlord (Kaleidoscope Killers)
Sliver Overlord
Secret Lair Drop Series, Mythic
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Slivers continue to be one of the more popular creature types to play in Magic, especially in Commander. So it isn’t much of a surprise to see the Secret Lair printing of Sliver Overlord from Kaleidoscope Killers become an expensive card from the growing series. What makes Sliver Overlord such a compelling Commander (or within the ninety-nine) is its ability to tutor for a Sliver and put that card into your hand, and this isn’t a tapped ability, so you can keep activating Sliver Overlord to find the Slivers you need based on the situation. Due to this powerful activated ability, it’s effortless to combo with Sliver Overlord and a pile of Slivers in play to win the game.
Market Price: $79.47
Market Price: $192.33
Market Price: $70.55
Since the release of Commander Masters last year, Slivers have seen renewed interest as players look to upgrade their Sliver Swarm Precon with some of the more powerful and exotic Sliver cards around, which is why many of the Extended Art Slivers are commanding solid value as these are bonus cards from older Secret Lair releases. This is also true for Kaleidoscope Killers printing of Sliver Overlord, and at the time of publication, it remains the more affordable foil printings of card with the Premium Deck Series printing following shortly behind.
#9 Eldrazi Temple (Art Series: Aleksi Briclot)
Eldrazi Temple
Secret Lair Drop Series, Rare
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With the release of Modern Horizons 3, the Eldrazi are back in a massive way, which has caused spikes with cards that appear in the stunning Art Series: Aleksi Briclot Secret Lair. In particular, this printing of Eldrazi Temple has soared into becoming a high-value card due to the popularity of the spaghetti beings in Modern and Commander. Furthermore, Thought-Knot Seer from the same Secret Lair Drop is also seeing notable movement, as players want to buy the most exotic variants for their Eldrazi builds.
Market Price: $26.09
Market Price: $14.45
While the Eldrazi hype will continue for a while due to the exciting Eldrazi Incursion Commander Precon from Modern Horizons 3, now is a good time to sell into the hype if you have any of these unwanted Eldrazi Secret Lair cards. However, one exciting aspect of this series created by Aleksi Briclot is how the cards create a panorama of the Eldrazi invading Zendikar, with Inquisition of Kozilek depicting a poor a Kor solider who’s met with an unfortunate fate.
#8 Anointed Procession (Raining Cats and Dogs)
If there’s one thing Commander players love, it’s being able to double up on powerful effects (or triggers) throughout a game, and Anointed Procession is one of these. The card joins an impressive line of token-doubling effects, as seen with Parallel Lives and Doubling Season, where you’re able to amass an impressive board by using spells that encourage ample token generation. And while Anointed Procession hasn’t had a genuine (and accessible) reprint yet, the Secret Lair copy from the Raining Cats and Dogs release remains a high-value card from the Secret Lair Drop Series. What makes this particular printing of Anointed Procession special is how it’s double-sided with dogs on one side and cats on the other; what’s not to love?
Cards such as Anointed Procession will be evergreen as it does one particular thing that casual Commander players love, meaning the price for the card will remain high even if there is a reprint or two in the future. At the time of publication (the price chart is currently broken for this one, but will be fixed soon!), this Secret Lair printing of Anointed Procession is currently sitting at $66.
#7 Lord Windgrace (LOOK AT THE KITTIES)
Lord Windgrace
Secret Lair Drop Series, Mythic
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If it wasn’t obvious, cards depicting cats and dogs tend to be popular with Magic players, so it isn’t much of a surprise to see Lord Windgrace from the LOOK AT THE KITTIES Secret Lair to be a valuable card to own from the series. Lord Windgrace first appeared as the face Commander for the Nature’s Vengeance Precon from Commander 2018, and as a result of this release, the Planeswalker became a de-facto Commander for any Lands-focused strategy in the singleton format. Hell, even Commander Precon packs a serious punch, where it becomes challenging to build Lord Windgrace in a fair way because his abilities create a powerful engine that is hard to disrupt. And while the Commander 2018 printing of the Planeswalker remains affordable, the (very) adorable Secret Lair printing commands serious value as it’s a popular-yet powerful Commander to run casually and competitively.
#6 Kodama’s Reach (Purrfection – Pulse Con Exclusive)
Kodama’s Reach
Secret Lair Drop Series, Rare
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Kodama’s Reach from the Purrfection – Pulse Con Exclusive Secret Lair is a unique case, and it’s simply because no one really knew this drop was readily available to buy at Pulse Con in 2021. Furthermore, this Secret Lair also had low print numbers, and many skipped this release due to the unexciting cards or the questionable value at the time of release. However, it turns out there’s a lot of value in the Purrfection Secret Lair, as Kodama’s Reach is one of the most expensive Secret Lair cards right now, with foils commanding an even higher premium.
Market Price: $27.94
Market Price: $18.53
Market Price: $27.24
A long-time Commander staple, Kodama’s Reach offers ample ramp for any strategy that incorporates Green, and this printing is by far and away the most exotic and rarest you can own, which means there are Commander players who will snap up a copy or two to put in their decks. It’s also worth noting Ayako Ishiguro (wife of Junji Ito, who also has their own Secret Lair) also created the artwork for this Secret Lair, which adds a further premium to this selection of expensive cards.
#5 Old Gnawbone (Beadle & Grimm’s Here Be Dragons)
Old Gnawbone
Secret Lair Drop Series, Mythic
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A popular card since the release of Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, Old Gnawbone cares quite a bit about creating Treasure tokens. During the release of Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, Treasure tokens became a pushed aspect of Commander since many new cards introduced ways to create these tokens effectively. However, Old Gnawbone remains the queen of Treasure tokens from the release, where theShowcase Secret Lair printing remains a desirable card to own amongst Commander players. In a collaboration with Beadle & Grimm’s, Here Be Dragons Secret Lair contains a selection of iconic Dragons (including Old Gnawbone) from the Adventure in the Forgotten Realms release along with exclusive dice, deck box, and sleeves.
Old Gnawbone from this Secret Lair remains the most valuable from the selection, as it sees regular Commander play since creating Treasure tokens upon your creatures dealing combat damage to a player is pretty powerful. Furthermore, Dragons remain a popular creature type to play in Commander as The Ur-Dragon saw a recent reprint in Commander Masters, giving players another chance to acquire the iconic card through more affordable means. For as long as Dragons remain a desirable creature type to play in Commander, the value of Old Gnawbone will remain reasonably high.
#4 Sol Ring (Through the Wormhole – Galaxy Foil)
Sol Ring
Secret Lair Drop Series, Rare
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Appearing in the highly popular Through the Wormhole Secret Lair, the Sol Ring from this unique release is beginning to provide massive value to collectors. In particular, the Galaxy Foil printing is seeing the most notable surge in price due to the card being wholly unique in aesthetic while offering something exciting for Commander players.
Market Price: $35.77
Market Price: $28.37
Market Price: $11.82
Sol Ring is a must-have card for Commander as it permits you to have explosive starts coupled with ample mana generation. As a result of Sol Ring’s staple presence in the singleton format, exotic copies of the artifact card often come at a premium due to Commander demand. While normal copies of the card Sol Ring can set you back a few bucks, there’s evergreen demand for these unique variants as they provide personality through playing Commander, and the space theme in the Through the Wormhole Secret Lair is a popular one with players.
#3 Thassa’s Oracle (Cool Ocean Breeze)
Thassa’s Oracle
Secret Lair Drop Series, Rare
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One of Commander’s most popular win-conditions is also one of the more valuable cards you can collect from the Secret Lair Drop Series. First printed in Theros Beyond Death, Thassa’s Oracle became a must-have for those looking to combo with Demonic Consultation in Commander, Underworld Breach in Modern, and Doomsday in Legacy. Regardless of how you feel about Thassa’s Oracle, it’s a popular card that will continue to see play in these formats because it’s one of the best cards with a “you win the game” effects seen in recent times. And due to the release of Cool Ocean Breeze last year, Secret Lair printing of the Merfolk Wizard continues to climb in value. Why? Commander, especially competitive Commander.
Market Price: $13.07
Market Price: $28.07
Market Price: $36.22
A trend we’re beginning to see in Magic is these must-have Commander staples rising in value, especially if there’s a more exotic printing of the card available. This is also happening with copies of Borderless Chrome Mox from Double Masters, as Commander players are snapping up these printings and putting them in their decks, meaning supply is slowly drying up as these are going into “forever homes.” The same is also happening to this Secret Lair printing of Thassa’s Oracle as it’s the most exotic printing you can own of the card at the time of publication, meaning monetary momentum on this printing of the Merfolk Wizard won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
#2 Chrome Mox (Secret Lair: 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit)
Chrome Mox
Secret Lair: 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit, Mythic
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Chrome Mox remains one of the more powerful mana-generating artifacts you can play in Commander at the cost of exiling a card from your hand. If you do this, Chrome Mox taps for one mana of the exiled card’s colors, which is excellent if you want to propel on mana in the early turns and cast those threats ahead of schedule. While Commander is where Chrome Mox sees the most play, it also crops up in Vintage and Legacy, with the latter appearing in Goblin Stompy and Boros Initiative builds. While this stunning printing of Chrome Mox didn’t appear in a typical Secret Lair release, it was part of the Secret Lair: 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit, where you received 30 individually wrapped cards with a 30% chance of opening a foil. Unsurprisingly, Chrome Mox is the most expensive card from this range, with Necropotence and Birthing Pod falling way behind in second and third.
Market Price: $12.07
Market Price: $14.66
What makes this particular printing of Chrome Mox a desirable one is that it incorporates art by the iconic Dan Frazier, who has done a variety of works for some of the most iconic artifacts in Magic, such as the Moxes, Sol Ring, and even the Signets in a separate Secret Lair release. Going back to an earlier point, cards with exotic printings such as Chrome Mox are climbing in price as there’s a demand with Commander players who have cash to burn, and it’s no different with the Secret Lair printing that dropped as part of the 30th Anniversary celebrations in 2022.
#1 Mox Opal (Dan Frazier’s Mox Box / Las Vegas Festival in a Box)
Mox Opal
Secret Lair Drop Series, Mythic
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Appearing in Dan Frazier’s Mox Box, which was part of the Las Vegas Festival in a Box Secret Lair is Mox Opal, one of the more powerful artifacts to see print in Magic. Through using Metalcraft, Mox Opal can tap for any color of mana as long as you control three or more artifacts on the battlefield. It’s that good, the card saw an eventual ban in Modern since it was effortless to have access to Mox Opal’s mana as early as turn one. However, the card sees plenty of play in Commander (especially in competitive Commander) as long there’s a decent density of artifacts to ensure you can meet the Metalcraft criteria. Much like many other Dan Frazier’s Secret Lair cards, this printing of Mox Opal is popular as it offers the iconic Retro Frame that has become well-received since its revival in Modern Horizons 2. At the time of publication, this Secret Lair printing is the most expensive card from the series (that isn’t including bonus cards).