Alpha Time Walk (Magic: The Gathering) Value & Price Guide

For two blue mana, you get an extra turn. That's it. That's the card. Time Walk is one sentence of rules text and one of the most powerful spells ever printed in Magic: The Gathering. It was part of the original Alpha set released in August 1993, one of nine cards so overpowered they became known as the Power Nine. It has been banned or restricted in every competitive format since almost the beginning of the game. And an Alpha printing in near-mint condition can sell for $30,000-$50,000.

Time Walk is Magic at its most elegant and its most broken. A single extra turn for two mana fundamentally violates the game's balance. Richard Garfield designed it, realized it was too powerful, and the card was never printed again after Unlimited.

Quick Value Summary

Detail	Info
Item	Time Walk
Set	Alpha (Limited Edition Alpha)
Year	1993
Category	Trading Cards
Heavily Played	$5,000 - $8,000
Moderately Played	$8,000 - $15,000
Lightly Played	$15,000 - $25,000
Near Mint	$25,000 - $40,000
BGS/PSA 9+	$40,000 - $60,000+
Record Sale	~$60,000+ (BGS 9.5)
Rarity	Very Rare (Alpha print run ~1,100 copies)

The Story

Richard Garfield designed Magic: The Gathering while he was a mathematics doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania. He pitched a different game to Wizards of the Coast founder Peter Adkison, but Adkison wanted a portable card game. Garfield went home and created Magic.

The Alpha set (officially "Limited Edition Alpha") was printed in a run of approximately 2.6 million cards. For rare cards like Time Walk, this translates to roughly 1,100 copies. The set was released on August 5, 1993, and sold out within weeks. Nobody anticipated how popular the game would become.

Time Walk is one of the Power Nine, a group of nine cards from Alpha and Beta that are considered the most powerful cards ever printed:

• Black Lotus

• Ancestral Recall

• Time Walk

• Mox Pearl, Sapphire, Jet, Ruby, Emerald

• Timetwister

Of the Power Nine, Black Lotus is the most famous and valuable, but Time Walk holds a special place. Its effect is uniquely powerful because an extra turn means an extra draw, an extra land drop, an extra attack phase, and an extra main phase. It does everything for almost nothing.

The card was restricted in Vintage (the only format where it's legal) almost immediately. In 1994, it became one of the first cards added to the restricted list. It has never been unrestricted.

How to Identify It

Alpha vs. Beta: Alpha cards have more rounded corners than Beta or later sets. This is the easiest physical identifier. Alpha cards also have a slightly different coloring and the set has no edition marking (Beta has no marking either but has standard corners).

Card text: Alpha Time Walk reads: "Target player takes an extra turn after this one." The art is by Amy Weber, showing a figure walking through a clock-like portal.

Color and border: Blue card with the black Alpha border. The mana cost is 1 blue and 1 colorless (1U in Magic notation).

Quick corner test: Alpha corners are distinctly rounded compared to any other Magic set. Hold an Alpha card next to a standard Magic card and the difference is immediately visible.

Known errors: Some Alpha cards have printing defects common to the entire print run. These don't typically affect value positively or negatively unless severe.

Value by Condition

Heavily Played (HP): $5,000 - $8,000 Significant wear on edges and corners, surface scratches, possibly minor bends or creases. The card is genuine Alpha and identifiable, but shows extensive use. Many Alpha cards were played heavily in 1993-1994 before anyone realized they'd be valuable.

Moderately Played (MP): $8,000 - $15,000 Edge wear, some surface wear, possibly minor whitening on the black border. Still presents well in a sleeve but shows clear signs of play.

Lightly Played (LP): $15,000 - $25,000 Minimal edge wear, light surface handling marks. The card looks sharp at a glance but shows wear under close inspection or magnification.

Near Mint (NM): $25,000 - $40,000 Minimal imperfections. Sharp corners, clean surface, strong centering. These are cards that were likely pulled from packs and immediately sleeved or stored.

Graded BGS/PSA 9+: $40,000 - $60,000+ Professionally graded as Mint or Gem Mint. Exceptional centering, clean edges, pristine surface. Very few Alpha Time Walks achieve this grade. The premium for graded vs. raw NM cards reflects the certainty that professional grading provides.

Known Variations

The Alpha printing has no significant variations. However, collectors should be aware of related printings:

Beta Time Walk: Standard Magic corners, slightly larger print run (~3,300 copies). Worth roughly 50-70% of Alpha values at comparable conditions.

Unlimited Time Walk: White border, much larger print run. Worth roughly 10-20% of Alpha values. Still a significant card ($3,000-$8,000 depending on condition).

Collectors Edition / International Collectors Edition: Square-cornered, gold-bordered versions sold in boxed sets. Not tournament legal. Worth $1,000-$3,000.

Authentication and Fakes

Counterfeits exist and are improving. Chinese proxy manufacturers produce increasingly convincing fakes of high-value Magic cards. Key authentication points:

Light test: Genuine Magic cards have a blue core layer visible when a bright light is shone through the card. Fakes often lack this or have it in the wrong color.

Loupe test: Under 10x magnification, genuine Magic cards show a specific rosette printing pattern. Counterfeits often show a different pattern or solid color areas.

Feel and flex: Genuine Magic cards have a specific stiffness and flexibility. Experienced collectors can often identify fakes by feel alone.

Weight: Genuine Alpha cards weigh a consistent amount on a precision scale. Counterfeits are often slightly heavier or lighter.

Professional grading: BGS and PSA authenticate cards during the grading process. For a $20,000+ card, the $50-$150 grading fee is essential insurance.

Where to Sell

Card Kingdom and Star City Games: Major Magic retailers who buy collections. They offer 60-75% of retail value in cash or 70-85% in store credit.

eBay: Strong buyer pool for Power Nine cards. Fees around 13%. Expect the card to sell within a week at market price.

PWCC Marketplace: Specialized auction platform for high-value trading cards. Strong results for graded Power Nine.

Heritage Auctions: For graded copies valued at $30,000+, Heritage's buyer pool drives strong results.

Not sure about the condition of yours? Upload a photo to Curio Comp for a quick AI-powered estimate.

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