In this episode, the gang gets back together to chat about how our guesses from the last episode went, what we thought of the awesome stuff announced, and what we hope to see the rest of the year. We hope you enjoy watching and listening to our thoughts as the episode plays out.

Continue reading “Listen now! Collecting The Precious Podcast Ep 9: Comic-Con 2023 Review”

This year, instead of a booth tour, we’re going to go on a tour of the things you could see at Comic-Con 2023 that were Middle-earth related. During this video, we stop at Jerry Vanderstelt’s booth to see the unveiling of Weta Workshop’s Master Collection piece as well as Jerry’s print that can be paired with it. We also stopped by the Diamond Select Booths to see the goodies both they and Weta Workshop had at this year’s show. We hope you enjoy the tour!

Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – SDCC 2023 Middle-earth video tour”

In our newest episode of the Collecting The Precious Podcast we sit down with Ben and new guest Ryan aka The Cyber Hobbit to talk about Comic-Con 2023. We chat about some recent releases and things we’d like to see come out during Comic-Con. As always, we hope you enjoy the episode!

Continue reading “Collecting The Precious Podcast Episode 8 – Comic-Con 2023 Preview and More”

So as you’re all aware, the MTG The Lord of the Rings cards are all the rage and getting fans excited as can be. Well, I am no stranger to this and have purchased a few things myself. In this first video, this newb will be opening up and going through my Food and Fellowship Commander deck. This is just the first MTG video you’ll see from Collecting The Precious. I’m addicted to the art of these cards, and will be getting more for sure.

Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – Magic The Gathering Food and Fellowship Commander Deck Opening”

Late last year we brought you news of the incredible artistic feat which is composer Paul Corfield Godfrey’s series of operas, telling tales from The Silmarillion. Already available at that time were Fëanor, Beren and Lúthien, The Children of Húrin and The Fall of Gondolin. Last week, the fifth and final part, The War of Wrath, was released.

These stunning and suitably epic operas all use text taken directly from Tolkien’s writing (with full permission from the Tolkien Estate). You can order your copies from Volante Opera’s website. Check out this video (really way more than a trailer!) to give you a taste of this labour of love:

Continue reading “Operatic War of Wrath now available for your listening pleasure”

After months of hype and fantastic artwork reveals, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth cards are officially available at most major stores – and selling out fast.

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) has created a Willy Wonka style Golden Ticket race to find a rare 1/1 foil card of the one ring of power. It’s only available in Collector Boosters (says COLLECTOR right on the box). MTGxLOTR has crossed over into “mainstream” pop culture with this chase for the ring.

Tons of YouTubers, Twitch streamers and TikToks are posting videos opening packs of Magic: The Gathering’s new LOTR crossover cards. xQc, one of the biggest twitch gaming stars in the world with millions of followers and a recent $100 million streaming deal (you read that right), was seen opening Collector packs this weekend. Much of it is driven by the search for THE ONE RING 1-of-1 foil card, written in Elvish font, and currently worth $2 million on the open market. Other serialized & numbered “Sol Ring” cards, as the magic ring is called in this card set, are being valued at over $10,000.

Over the weekend, Nerd of the Rings teamed up with TORn staffer Justin to split the cost of a box of Collector Boosters, which currently retail for around $400, and streamed opening half a box each. The results were surprising! Thanks to the superchat donations, another box of these cards will be opened on Nerd of the Rings’ live stream next Sunday.

We did some homework to try to figure out what you should be buying, with so many packs available. The basic rule is, if you are simply chasing great artwork and collecting the valuable cards for display or resale, you’ll want to buy Collectors Packs. Those have the best chance to get great cards.

A listing at TCGPlayer.com has a rare “Sol Ring” One Ring card serialized (with xxx / xxx) for $11,000.

Here’s the official press release from Wizards of the Coast / MTG:

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ Now Available

Gather the Fellowship on Tabletop, Arena, Local Game Stores

RENTON, Wash. — June 26, 2023 — Wizards of the Coast, a division of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), has released the highly anticipated Magic: The Gathering set. This Universes Beyond card set combines Magic’s deep and strategic gameplay that players love with characters and settings from the classic trilogy from J.R.R. Tolkien for a one-of-a-kind experience in Middle-earth.

With The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™, players will join the Fellowship and relive or create their journey through Middle-earth. Each game is a new adventure, and players will decide whether they bear the burden of The Ring to save Middle-earth or claim its power and cast the realm into shadow.

“Much like The Lord of the Rings, Magic: The Gathering is about fellowship,” said Bill Rose, global play lead for Magic: The Gathering. “We can’t wait for Magic fans and new players to come together on the journey there and back again through the thematic gameplay that Magic fans all over the world have come to love and appreciate.”

Iconic scenes from the Third Age of Middle-earth are brought to life through stunning original art. Each card is a mini masterpiece, providing a new interpretation of the beloved characters, lands, and relics that Tolkien brought to life in his classic trilogy. Some adventures just can’t be contained in one book or one journey. 

The pivotal moments of The Lord of the Rings are so powerful, it took multiple cards to depict them in their entirety. Collectors can assemble special combinations of Magic cards to recreate climactic scenes in larger tableaus, like the Battle of the Pelennor Fields at Minas Tirith or Bilbo’s Birthday party.

With thematic gameplay, like having any creature become a Ringbearer, this nostalgic tale has been seamlessly integrated into Magic: The Gathering. The story may play out very differently, and the effects of the Ring on your Ringbearer will linger even if someone else claims it. 

  • One of One Ring

The One of One Ring Promotion is an extraordinarily rare promotion only for The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™. The card is mechanically identical to other versions of the card with English text, but this one copy of this premium foil card with raised gold foil will be inserted into an English language Collector Booster pack and printed with 1 of 1 numbering and with Elvish script. The precious One Ring could fall into the hands of any player, presenting a unique opportunity for collectors and fans of the franchise

  • Sol Ring

Additional collectable opportunities continue with new Sol Ring art cards featuring the Elven, Dwarven and Human Rings of Power, each with Elvish script and unique framing on the card. As a staple in the Commander format, Sol Ring is one of Magic’s most famous and used cards, making these unique versions highly desirable for collectors and players alike.

  • Ringbearer

As the Ringbearer, the One Ring changes the abilities of a creature that has been tempted by its power. It immediately becomes legendary and can’t be blocked by creatures with greater power. In time, The Ring’s other abilities will provide valuable combat bonuses, increasing in power as The Ring Tempts You mechanic enters into the game through other cards.

  • Celebration Weekend and Arena Play  

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth ™ is available now. Local game stores in the Wizards Play Network (WPN) will be hosting key events to celebrate the launch. Participating game stores will welcome new players into the fellowship in a celebration event weekend on July 7-9, so anyone can learn to play Magic in a relaxed environment. All WPN events can be found using the Wizards Store Locator

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth ™ is also available now on Magic: The Gathering Arena in Alchemy and Historic formats. ARENA is the online playable version of MTG, with apps on iphone and android.

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