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Ancestral Recall
Limited Edition Alpha
Key facts
- CardVolume lists 13 verified sales of the Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Alpha) as of November 11, 2026.
- No grade has the 5 verified sales in 90 days needed for a market price; the most recent verified sale was $4,500 for a Limited Edition Beta CGC 5 on May 20, 2026 at Heritage Auctions.
- The highest verified sale on record is $36,000 for a Limited Edition Alpha BGS 9.5 on March 4, 2022 at Heritage Auctions.
Updated · Only verified or cross-checked sales count · How we verify · Data: Markdown, JSON
Email me when a new verified sale posts. Prices and sales stay public. Forever.
Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Alpha, CGC 8.5): last verified sale $10,625 on Jun 28, 2025 (Heritage Auctions). Not enough verified sales in the last 90 days for a market price. Source: CardVolume, cardvolume.com/magic/alpha/ancestral-recall/, as of Nov 11, 2026.
Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Alpha, CGC 8): last verified sale $10,313 on Dec 13, 2025 (Heritage Auctions). Not enough verified sales in the last 90 days for a market price. Source: CardVolume, cardvolume.com/magic/alpha/ancestral-recall/, as of Nov 11, 2026.
Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Alpha, BGS 9.5): last verified sale $36,000 on Mar 4, 2022 (Heritage Auctions). Not enough verified sales in the last 90 days for a market price. Source: CardVolume, cardvolume.com/magic/alpha/ancestral-recall/, as of Nov 11, 2026.
Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Alpha, BGS 9): last verified sale $14,400 on May 18, 2026 (Fanatics Collect). Not enough verified sales in the last 90 days for a market price. Source: CardVolume, cardvolume.com/magic/alpha/ancestral-recall/, as of Nov 11, 2026.
Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Beta, PSA 2): last verified sale $5,789 on Oct 27, 2024 (eBay). Not enough verified sales in the last 90 days for a market price. Source: CardVolume, cardvolume.com/magic/alpha/ancestral-recall/, as of Nov 11, 2026.
Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Beta, CGC 8.5): last verified sale $6,250 on Sep 20, 2025 (Heritage Auctions). Not enough verified sales in the last 90 days for a market price. Source: CardVolume, cardvolume.com/magic/alpha/ancestral-recall/, as of Nov 11, 2026.
Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Beta, CGC 8): last verified sale $5,500 on Dec 13, 2025 (Heritage Auctions). Not enough verified sales in the last 90 days for a market price. Source: CardVolume, cardvolume.com/magic/alpha/ancestral-recall/, as of Nov 11, 2026.
Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Beta, CGC 5): last verified sale $4,500 on May 20, 2026 (Heritage Auctions). Not enough verified sales in the last 90 days for a market price. Source: CardVolume, cardvolume.com/magic/alpha/ancestral-recall/, as of Nov 11, 2026.
Ancestral Recall (Limited Edition Beta, CGC Gem Mint 10): last verified sale $10,625 on Mar 28, 2026 (Heritage Auctions). Not enough verified sales in the last 90 days for a market price. Source: CardVolume, cardvolume.com/magic/alpha/ancestral-recall/, as of Nov 11, 2026.
Values as of Nov 11, 2026 in USD. Market price = median of at least 5 qualifying sales of this exact version and grade in the last 90 days. Methodology
Ancestral Recall price by grade
| Version | Grade | Price | Basis | Verified sales | Last sale | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limited Edition Alpha | CGC 8.5 | $10,625 | last verified sale | 1 | $10,625 · Jun 28, 2025 | $10,625 |
| Limited Edition Alpha | CGC 8 | $10,313 | last verified sale | 1 | $10,313 · Dec 13, 2025 | $10,313 |
| Limited Edition Alpha | BGS 9.5 | $36,000 | last verified sale | 1 | $36,000 · Mar 4, 2022 | $36,000 |
| Limited Edition Alpha | BGS 9 | $16,000 | median of the last 5 sales | 5 | $14,400 · May 18, 2026 | $21,600 |
| Limited Edition Beta | PSA 2 | $5,789 | last verified sale | 1 | $5,789 · Oct 27, 2024 | $5,789 |
| Limited Edition Beta | CGC 8.5 | $6,250 | last verified sale | 1 | $6,250 · Sep 20, 2025 | $6,250 |
| Limited Edition Beta | CGC 8 | $5,500 | last verified sale | 1 | $5,500 · Dec 13, 2025 | $5,500 |
| Limited Edition Beta | CGC 5 | $4,500 | last verified sale | 1 | $4,500 · May 20, 2026 | $4,500 |
| Limited Edition Beta | CGC Gem Mint 10 | $10,625 | last verified sale | 1 | $10,625 · Mar 28, 2026 | $10,625 |
Price: the 90-day market price where there is one (median of at least 5 verified sales), otherwise the median of the last 5 verified sales. Each version and grade is priced on its own; nothing is averaged across grades.
Sales history
Export CSVPrices and sales stay public. Forever. CSV export needs a free account.
| Date | Version | Grade | Price | Venue | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2026 | Limited Edition Beta | CGC 5 | $4,500 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Lot 58009 | Cross-checked | Open |
| May 18, 2026 | Limited Edition Alpha | BGS 9 | $14,400 hammer, excl. premium | Fanatics Collect fixed | Cross-checked | Open |
| Mar 28, 2026 | Limited Edition Beta | CGC Gem Mint 10 | $10,625 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Lot 36001. 25% BP. Reported as a record for this grade | Cross-checked | Open |
| Mar 25, 2026 | Unlimited Edition | CGC 4.5 | $2,875 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Lot 59009 | Excluded | Open |
| Mar 11, 2026 | Unlimited Edition | CGC 4.5 | $2,875 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Lot 57020 | Excluded | Open |
| Dec 13, 2025 | Limited Edition Beta | CGC 8 | $5,500 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Lot 36015. 25% BP | Cross-checked | Open |
| Dec 13, 2025 | Limited Edition Beta | CGC 8 | $5,750 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Lot 36022. 25% BP | Excluded | Open |
| Dec 13, 2025 | Limited Edition Alpha | CGC 8 | $10,313 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Lot 36001. 25% BP | Cross-checked | Open |
| Sep 20, 2025 | Limited Edition Beta | CGC 8.5 | $6,250 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Lot 36012. 25% BP | Cross-checked | Open |
| Jun 28, 2025 | Limited Edition Alpha | CGC 8.5 | $10,625 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Lot 36001. 25% BP tiered | Cross-checked | Open |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Limited Edition Alpha | BGS 9 | $16,000 hammer, excl. premium | Fanatics Collect fixed | Cross-checked | Open |
| Oct 27, 2024 | Limited Edition Beta | PSA 2 · cert 76092898 | $5,789 hammer, excl. premium | eBay auction Lot 305846599998. Reported as a record for this grade | Verified | Open |
| Apr 11, 2024 | Limited Edition Alpha | BGS 9 | $15,625 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Heritage archive result identifies BGS Mint 9. | Cross-checked | Open |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Limited Edition Alpha | BGS 9 | $16,875 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction BGS Mint 9 Alpha copy. | Cross-checked | Open |
| Mar 4, 2022 | Limited Edition Alpha | BGS 9.5 | $36,000 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Heritage archive result identifies a BGS Gem Mint 9.5 Alpha Ancestral Recall s… | Cross-checked | Open |
| Mar 25, 2021 | Limited Edition Alpha | BGS 9 | $21,600 incl. buyer's premium | Heritage Auctions auction Heritage archive result identifies BGS 9. | Cross-checked | Open |
Verified: an editor or automated check confirmed the figure on the source page. Cross-checked: an independent second research pass reopened the source and confirmed it. Reported: cited by research but not re-checked; never used in metrics. 3 sales were excluded (reasons on hover). Asking prices are never listed here.
Raw-condition estimates
Raw-condition estimates from Scrydex based on TCGplayer marketplace data, updated Sep 27, 2026. The method is not published, so these are shown separately and never used in CardVolume’s market price, which comes only from documented sales. Raw estimates are not comparable with graded sale prices.
| Condition / grade | Low | Market | High | 30-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw · NM | — | — | — | |
| Raw · LP | — | — | — | |
| Raw · MP | — | — | — | |
| Raw · HP | — | — | — | |
| Raw · DM | — | — | — |
Data: Scrydex. Provider estimates are not sales records.
Price chart
Limited Edition Alpha · CGC 8.5
Fewer than two qualifying sales for CGC 8.5; no chart.
Limited Edition Alpha · CGC 8
Fewer than two qualifying sales for CGC 8; no chart.
Limited Edition Alpha · BGS 9.5
Fewer than two qualifying sales for BGS 9.5; no chart.
Limited Edition Alpha · BGS 9
Limited Edition Beta · PSA 2
Fewer than two qualifying sales for PSA 2; no chart.
Limited Edition Beta · CGC 8.5
Fewer than two qualifying sales for CGC 8.5; no chart.
Limited Edition Beta · CGC 8
Fewer than two qualifying sales for CGC 8; no chart.
Limited Edition Beta · CGC 5
Fewer than two qualifying sales for CGC 5; no chart.
Limited Edition Beta · CGC Gem Mint 10
Fewer than two qualifying sales for CGC Gem Mint 10; no chart.
Graded population
| Version | Grader | Grade | Count | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limited Edition Alpha | BGS | 9 | 60 | Jul 7, 2023 | Open |
Population counts copies graded by one company in one grade. It is not a print run and it grows with every submission. Why population is not print run
Grading math for this card
Prefilled with the latest qualifying sale for each grade where one exists. Replace any value with your own. We never suggest what grade your copy will get.
Compare grading math across cards · Formula from Grading: condition, uncertainty, and economics: grading pays only if your honest chance of the high grade exceeds (raw net + cost − other-outcome net) ÷ (high-grade net − other-outcome net). The 13% fee is an editable assumption, not a quoted tariff.
About Ancestral Recall
Ancestral Recall is the original one-blue-mana draw spell from Limited Edition Alpha and one of the Power Nine. Collectors search for it because it is a first-set Reserved List card with separate Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, grade, and condition markets.
Why this card matters
Verified factAncestral Recall matters as one of Magic's original Power Nine cards and as a Limited Edition Alpha rare by Mark Poole. The catalog record identifies the Alpha card as number 47, available nonfoil, and released on August 5, 1993. Wizards' Reserved List names Ancestral Recall from Limited Edition, so any discussion of supply should distinguish the original tournament-legal printings from later digital, oversized, championship, or non-tournament products. That evidence supports a historical and identification claim, not a broad prediction about future buyers or prices. [1][2]
Identifying the exact version
AnalysisThe exact Ancestral Recall version changes the comp set. Alpha is a black-bordered card with no expansion symbol and the larger Alpha corner radius. Beta is also black-bordered but uses the standard Magic corner cut. Unlimited is white-bordered. The card was also represented in Collectors' Edition, International Collectors' Edition, Magic Online, Vintage Masters, championship-related printings, and 30th Anniversary products. Those may share the name or art lineage, but they are not Alpha comps. For slabs, keep BGS 9, BGS 9.5, CGC, PSA, raw, altered, and qualified copies separate. [1][2][3]
What moves the price between versions and grades
Verified factThe opened Heritage records show a narrow but useful comparison. A BGS Mint 9 Alpha Ancestral Recall sold for $16,875 on July 7, 2023, and another BGS Mint 9 sold for $15,625 on April 11, 2024. A BGS Gem Mint 9.5 Alpha example sold for $36,000 on March 4, 2022 in Heritage archive results. These are auction observations, not a complete market model. Date, grade, grader, eye appeal, and venue all matter, and a price estimate should use a current set of opened sold pages rather than one spectacular number. [4][5][6]
Authenticity checks
AnalysisFor authenticity, compare the card to a stable Alpha Ancestral Recall reference and to known authentic Alpha print traits. Use several checks: black border, no expansion symbol, Alpha corner radius, correct text and mana cost, surface, edges, card back, and print pattern. Slabbed copies should have cert details, holder images, and card images that match the listing. Do not perform destructive tests or rely on one shortcut. Copied cert numbers and convincing images can appear in the market, so high-value purchases need seller due diligence and, when unresolved, a physical expert review. [1][4]
Telling the versions apart
| Version | How to identify it |
|---|---|
| Limited Edition Alpha | Black border, no expansion symbol, original 1993 frame, catalog number 47, and the larger Alpha corner cut. |
| Limited Edition Beta | Black border and no expansion symbol, but with the standard Magic corner radius rather than Alpha's larger rounded corners. |
| Unlimited Edition | White border, no expansion symbol, and early 1993 core-set styling distinct from black-bordered Alpha and Beta. |
What people get wrong about this card
Based on the claims our guides decline to adopt: Risk and strategy · Case studies and corrections
Supply events
- May 4, 2016 · card reprintWizards' official Reprint Policy lists Ancestral Recall from Limited Edition as a Reserved Card and says Reserved Cards will not be printed again in functionally identical tournament-legal physical form. Source
“Reprint” can mean four different things; each affects a different pool of substitutes. How reprints affect Pokémon prices
Frequently asked questions
What is Alpha Ancestral Recall?
Is Ancestral Recall on the Reserved List?
How much did a BGS 9 Alpha Ancestral Recall sell for in July 2023?
How much did a BGS 9 Alpha Ancestral Recall sell for in April 2024?
How do I tell Alpha from Unlimited Ancestral Recall?
How many PSA 10 Alpha Ancestral Recall copies exist?
Sources
- Ancestral Recall - Limited Edition Alpha catalog page — mtg.wtf (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
- Official Reprint Policy — Wizards of the Coast (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
- Alpha Rare Authentication — MTG Information (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
- Heritage Auctions Lot 36001: Ancestral Recall Alpha BGS Mint 9 — Heritage Auctions (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
- Heritage Auctions archive results: April 11, 2024 Alpha Ancestral Recall BGS Mint 9 — Heritage Auctions (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
- Heritage Auctions archive results: Alpha Ancestral Recall BGS Gem Mint 9.5 — Heritage Auctions (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
- Heritage Auctions archive results: March 25, 2021 Alpha Ancestral Recall BGS 9 — Heritage Auctions (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
Not yet established
- No current PSA, BGS, or CGC population page with full grade counts and explicit as-of date was independently opened.
- Recent eBay or dealer sales were not included because no underlying sold listing page was opened.
- Heritage's BGS population statement is treated as of the lot date, but a live BGS population report was not opened.
Research: Codex research pass (live web) · automated source checks · independent cross-check · generated Sep 26, 2026 · reviewed by CardVolume editorial (owner-approved) on Sep 26, 2026 · updated Sep 28, 2026. Found an error? Report it.
