Patrick Stewart's Death Triggers Heartless Spike In Star Trek MTG Collector Booster Sales

Published Oct 30, 2026, 6:58 AM EDT Niall (pronounced Ny-ul) is a UK-based writer who has been writing about Magic: The Gathering throughout his entire career, with everything from new set breakdowns and individual deck guides to offering his opinions on the state of formats and the general direction of the iconic TCG. Niall also has a rich history covering triple-A releases, sports games, and PC hardware. In one of the more depressing Magic: The Gathering stories in recent times, it appears as though people have jumped on the Star Trek Collector Booster boxes following the death of Patrick Stewart, in hopes of turning a profit due to the highly limited and valuable signed Jean-Luc Picard cards that can be found in packs. While it's hard to confirm this as the specific reason for the spike, nothing else of note happened yesterday that would trigger an almost $100 spike in market value and a 796% uplift in sales. These signed MTG cards may be among the last signed memorabilia Patrick Stewart agreed to, so their value will only increase over time. Star Trek MTG Collector Boosters Spike In Price Following Patrick Stewart's Passing On TCGPlayer, the price of Star Trek Collector Boosters was $495.34 on October 28; the next day, after news of Patrick Stewart's passing, it spiked to $576.02. This isn't the only major swing that occurred, though, because on October 28, only 63 boxes were sold according to TCGPlayer's figures, but on October 29, this figure rose to 565, a 796% increase in sales. News of Stewart's passing hit Star Trek fans hard, and it's hard to imagine that their first thought was to go and buy Magic Collector Booster boxes, so this definitely seems like a concerted effort from those who are going to hold onto this product in hopes that the price spike sticks, and they can sell for a profit. We don't doubt that some of these purchases are from genuinely interested players, given that sales have been pretty steady over the past few weeks, but we can't ignore the elephant in the room. These packs are the only place to find signed Jean-Luc Picard cards, which are hand-signed by Patrick Stewart. Given the timeline Wizards of the Coast presented during the debut stream, these cards were signed some time ago, meaning they could be among the last products he ever signed. There are also fewer than 250 in circulation, meaning they would have been highly desirable long before his death was confirmed. This is a seedy part of celebrity death. Signed memorabilia often starts moving around and rising in price after a notable figure's passing, but it's never really happened in the world of Magic before; the game isn't exempt and could get dragged into this more and more if signed cards become a regular occurrence. What Happens Next? We'll be monitoring Collector Booster prices closely over the coming weeks, but we don't expect to see any meaningful drops in value, especially with the launch of the set just a week away for prerelease, with the full launch a week later. The most telling stat will be whether the price continues to rise, and whether sales slow down. Given the limited nature of Collector Booster boxes, and the fact they won't be reprinted, it's extremely unlikely that sales will still be in the hundreds over the next few days, but sealed stock is always being moved frantically around the launch of a set, before it then steadies out as it's opened and the number in circulation steadily drops. Some of these recent purchases may have been made in hopes of hitting the jackpot and finding a Jean-Luc Picard signed card, but it seems far more likely that the stock will be held in hopes that the card becomes a huge chase for fans. At this point, it becomes more likely that fans will overpay to have the chance to find the card themselves. Another possibility is that the MTG Star Trek Collector Boosters become prime for breaks on platforms like Whatnot, where breakers will charge excessive prices for boxes or packs, and hopeful fans will buy in thinking they have a chance to find a card and make a huge profit. Franchise Magic: The Gathering Original Release Date August 5, 1993 Publisher Wizards of the Coast Designer(s) Richard Garfield