I have been collecting and trading in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card game since the first European English Edition Starter Decks arrived in the UK in early 2003. Since then I have gone on to collect and complete an immense collection of mint 1st Edition cards. It is a bit late but I have now decided to create a simple guide to help the newbies among you who are just getting into the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card game or who are having difficulty in identifying the various card types found in the many starter, deck, booster packs and various promos.

Gold Holograms

The gold hologram to the bottom right hand corner of a YuGiOh! card indicates that it is a 1st edition

Silver Holograms

The silver hologram to the bottom right hand corner of a YuGiOh! card indicates that it is an unlimited edition print card.

Common

This card type is denoted by a standard printed surface & black text in the cards title. Example of a Common card is CDIP-EN004 Cyber Ogre.

Rare

This card type is denoted by a standard print surface & silver indented text in the cards title. Example of a Rare card is CDIP-EN017 Vanity's Fiend.

Super Rare

This card type is denoted by a holographic surface in the cards image & black text in the cards title. Example of a Super Rare card is CDIP-EN032 Storm Shooter.

Ultra Rare

This card type is denoted by a holographic surface in the cards image & gold indented text in the cards title. Example of an Ultra Rare card is CDIP-EN035 Cyberdark Dragon.

Ultimate Rare

This card type is denoted by a shiny detailed embossed surface in the cards image, star level, spell/ trap/ element type & gold indented text in the cards title. Example of an Ultimate Rare card is CDIP-EN036 Cyber Ogre 2 (please note that from Soul of the Duelist through to the most present boosters, Ultimate rare types are available for every Rare, Super and Ultra Rare card format within those series).

Secret Rare

This card type is denoted by a holgraphic surface that carries diagonal lines that run from the bottom left to the top right in the cards image & silver indented text with a hologram-like appearance in the cards title. Example of a Secret Rare card is JMP-EN005 Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (please note that is card is also available in an Ultra Rare format).

Parallel Ultra Rare

This card type is denoted by a holographic surface that carries vertical prismatic detail in the cards image & silver indented text with a bubble-like effect in the cards title. Example of a Parallel Ultra Rare card is WC4-E001 Valkyrion the Magna Warrior.

Rainbow Ghost Rare

This is a new card rarity technology used in the more recent Tactical Evolution Boster series. This card type is denoted by a holographic surface that carries an inverted greyscale image and silver indented text with a hologram-like appearance in the cards title (similar to the Secret Rare Variant type of print). Example of a Ghost Rare card is TAEV-EN006 Rainbow Dragon.

I hope this helps a few of you out as I've noticed that in the past quite a few people have made an incorrect assessment of their cards rarity type in their listings. I will update this Guide whenever a new rarity becomes available.

Updated 15.09.2007