LOTR, Dominaria Remastered among Magic: The Gathering's top selling products in 2023

IMAGES: WOTC

Dominaria Remastered and multiple Lord of the Rings products are amongst Magic: The Gathering's top-selling products, according to CCG e-tailer TCGPlayer.

2023 has been a banner year in terms of the number of Magic: The Gathering releases between the various sets, Universes Beyond products, Commander decks, and whatnot that has come out since Jan. 1.  And, of those, ten MTG products have proven to be more popular than the rest.

10. LOTR: Tales of Middle-earth Commander Decks (Set of Four)

Says TCGPlayer: "These Universes Beyond Commander products emphasized being playedstraight out of the box, where you don't necessarily need to upgrade them if you want to keep to a particular theme. Given how Commander continues to be the most popular Magic format around, it's no surprise to see the Tales of Middle-earth Precons sell so well throughout the year."

9. Phyrexia: All Will Be One Compleat Edition Bundle

Says TCGPlayer: "While visual accessibility in Magic: The Gathering continues to be a crutch when it comes to playing with these unique moving game pieces, players really liked the Oil Slick Raised cards as they're unabashedly Phyrexian and play into a particular aesthetic for casual players, even if you can't read them on the other side of the table. Despite prices on the Oil Slick Raised Foil cards dropping since the Spring release, the Compleat Bundle was a massive hit"

8. Phyrexia: All Will Be One Set Booster Display

Says TCGPlayer: "It's not much of a surprise to see Phyrexia: All Will Be One Set Boosters appear on the end-of-year bestsellers as it was the first Standard release of the year. Not only did the story offer an unfortunate outcome for many of Magic's iconic characters — which amassed to basically nothing in March of the Machine and The Aftermath — but players loved the aesthetic and design of the Phyrexian set. The return to Phyrexia was a long-time request from players, where it offered plenty of exciting cards in the previously-mentioned Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines, Mondrak, Glory Dominus and Atraxa, Grand Unifier for Constructed and Commander play."

7. Commander Masters Commander Decks (Set of Four)

Says TCGPlayer: "A polarizing release for a variety of reasons, Commander Masters dropped in August as the premium release of the year, doubling up on the success seen with Commander Legends and Double Masters before it. Despite the criticism of the steep price point, the reprint equity in Commander Masters was rather good as it allowed many to snap up desirable singles at a more affordable rate. Furthermore, the four tailored Commander Precons saw plenty of attention as they tapped into an element Commander players love, and that's Typal synergies."

6. Phyrexia: All Will Be One Collector Booster Display

Says TCGPlayer: "There isn't much more to say that hasn't already been said, Phyrexia: All Will Be One proved to be a popular release this year. Combined with this being the first Standard expansion of 2023 and excitement of a return to Phyreixa, players snapped up product including Collector Boosters, as the set saw a mix of powerful and playable cards to accommodate a variety of formats."

5. Dominaria Remastered Draft Booster Display

Says TCGPlayer: "Unsurprisingly, Dominaria Remastered was chocked-full of Commander reprints, allowing various staples to become more affordable and accessible with players. It's clear Dominaria Remastered was a love letter to the enfranchised Magic crowd, featuring a mixture of new and existing mechanics that many newer players would struggle to understand on first appearance. Either way, Dominaria Remastered seemed popular on reprint equity alone, which led to strong sales of Draft Booster Boxes."

4. Commander Masters Collector Booster Display

Says TCGPlayer: "Despite taking the same Collector Booster model as Double Masters 2022, where there are only four packs per display, many big-spending Magic players snapped up Commander Masters Collector Boosters to get that dopamine hit. There are some pretty high-value and desirable hits, such as the Textured Foil Jeweled Lotus, The Great Henge, and even Borderless Demonic Tutor."

3. Commander Masters Set Booster Display

Says TCGPlayer: "The same logic applies to the Set Booster, which saw substantial sales as players wanted (twenty) more Commander Masters Boosters for their buck. It's a shame Commander Masters Draft Booster didn't see as well because Commander Limited formats are actually quite fun (Commander Legends: Battle of Baldur's Gate being a recent example), but further cements the alienation of Draft Boosters thanks to the introduction of Set Boosters and the "Booster Fun" ideology."

2. LOTR: Tales of Middle-earth Set Booster Display

Says TCGPlayer: "Set Boosters are also good at capturing the casual excitement of opening a Legendary regardless of the value, cards such as Tom Bombadil, Shelob, Child of Ungoliant, and Sméagol, Helpful Guide are popular Commanders because they play into a fun theme, while also following a narrative based on the Tales of Middle-earth card pool."

1. LOTR: Tales of Middle-earth Collector Booster Display

Says TCGPlayer: "Perhaps the most unsurprising bestselling product of the year on TCGplayer is the Tales of Middle-earth Collector Booster Display, where many purchased the product in the hope of opening the coveted one-of-one The One Ring, which was eventually found in Canada, a week after Tales of Middle-earth's global release. The stunning copy of Legendary Artifact sold for a staggering $2 million and now is part of Post Malone's incredible Magic collection. Not only was there an incentive to find The One Ring, but other cards such as Orcish Bowmasters and even traditional copies of The One Ring remain desirable due to the success seen at Pro Tour The Lord of the Rings in July."

According to TCGPlayer, the above rankings are taken from products sold rather than unique purchases throughout the year.

Barry White

Barry White is a longtime Magic: The Gathering player, having started in 1994 shortly before the release of 'Fallen Empires.' After graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno, he went on to a 15-year journalism career as a writer, reporter, and videographer for three different ABC affiliate newsrooms.