The 10 Most Expensive ‘The Hobbit’ MTG Cards
Looking for the most expensive chase cards from the MTG The Hobbit set?
I’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll be looking at the most valuable cards money can buy on the secondary market. Whether you are a long term MTG veteran, or just a simple fan of The Hobbit, pull up your pipe, and get ready to return to Middle-earth one more time.
#1 Smaug the Magnificent (Gleaming Gold)
This totally retro-looking card looks like a dragon you’d see peeking out of a castle window at a Renaissance. Only psyche! It’s actually by far the rarest and most valuable card from the set.
While actual sales data isn’t available for this card yet, the lowest offer currently on TCGPlayer is for a pretty incredible $25,000.
With a mere 500 copies in existence, Smaug the Magnificent Gleaming Gold may actually be worth it.
#2 Gleaming Splendor (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
Here we have the Gleaming Splendor Borderless Surge Foil card with a classic design that’s heavily nostalgic for the earliest fantasy book covers of The Hobbit – from a time long ago well before I ever heard the story.
Yet despite these being a huge throwback artwork from a different time, there’s something about it that just works, with Smaug the dragon leering at us from the center of this card’s artwork.
#3 The Arkenstone (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
Fans of The Hobbit will have no trouble recalling this classic MacGuffin: the Arkenstone. Here, the Arkenstone is seen being held by Thorin as he gazes on it with a mix of triumph and wonder on his face.
Just in the way the Dwarves desired the Arkenstone above all else, many MTG collectors will want this just as badly. At second place on this list, the Arkenstone is a valuable card well worth the chase.
#4 The Arkenstone (Showcase) (Surge Foil)
While lacking the paperback throwback look, this Arkenstone card still glimmers with the promise of fortune for any collector lucky enough to pull it.
#5 Gandalf, Goblins' Bane (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
Gandalf, Goblins' Bane (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
The Hobbit • M
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Now for my favorite card from the set – a card that depicts one of the most iconic moments from The Hobbit when Gandalf fought off a hoard of orcs through crafty and creative means.
Here Gandalf is immortalized as his famous fireworks cascade around him in the background. Fittingly it’s one of the top chase cards from the set.
#6 Smaug the Magnificent (Showcase) (Surge Foil)
While getting your hands on the Gleaming Gold Smaug is going to take luck akin to landing Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket – or maybe finding the One Ring to keep the analogy more Hobbit-themed – why not shoot for the next best thing?
This Smaug Showcase shows the legendary dragon looking surprisingly peaceful where it lies asleep amidst its horde of treasure. Collectors who manage to pull this card will have a similar treasure on their hands, just like the gold that Smaug covets.
#7 Bilbo, Thief in the Night (Showcase) (Surge Foil)
Bilbo, Thief in the Night (Showcase) (Surge Foil)
The Hobbit • M
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Now to shift gears a little, we have Bilbo as a thief. In the story, Bilbo was originally hired to be a “Hobbit Burglar.” However, it takes a while for him to live up to this lofty job title. But when you have a magic ring that makes you invisible, suddenly it’s relatively easy to sneak around and steal things. Unless, of course, a tricky dragon can see through your tricks.
This Showcase depicts the moment Bilbo escapes with some of Smaug’s treasure. It’s an iconic moment for the books perfectly captured in cardboard.
#8 Thorin, Mountain-king (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
Thorin, Mountain-king (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
The Hobbit • M
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Many TCG enthusiasts could learn a valuable lesson from the message and story this card is conveying. Essentially, in the books Thorin becomes so consumed with the Arkenstone treasure that he descends into madness. While collectors should avoid meeting a similar fate, the good news is Thorin does eventually get over his “dragon sickness” and comes to aid the five armies.
The book cover art here depicts Thorin’s beginning descent into madness deftly, while the card itself serves as both a wealthy reward for those who manage to chase it – although hopefully it won’t come with dragon sickness of its own.
#9 Thranduil, the Elvenking (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
Thranduil, the Elvenking (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
The Hobbit • R
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We’re almost to the end of this list. Only, before we get there we have to have at least one card with an Elf on it. This book cover boarderless card features the complex Elven king, Thranduil. While Thranduil’s character might be ambiguous, his price is not: this card is easily one of the top chase cards from the set thanks to its noticeable flare and that instantly lovable book cover art.
#10 The Queen of Dale (Showcase) (Surge Foil)
Here’s an interesting twist for you: the last card on this list of top 10 chase cards from MTG The Hobbit isn’t actually from The Hobbit. At least not technically. And while she may not ever be featured within the actual events the book covers, there is a reference made to her in the later published works (i.e. The Fellowship of the Ring).
For true fantasy lovers, The Hobbit is an incredibly delightful set to collect. By staying devotedly true to the source material, Tolkien fans will thoroughly enjoy this magical set. Hopefully looking at these cards will spark something in your own mind – that itch for the adventure that is collecting and TCGs in general. Perhaps – after seeing this list – you’ll say something like “I’m going on an adventure!”
