Brain in a Jar

As of Jul 28, 2026, the cheapest tracked printing of Brain in a Jar is $0.31 (SOI #252), and the most expensive is $2.01 (SOI #252, Foil). The benchmark price (cheapest playable nonfoil) is $0.31, down 8.8% over 7 days, flat over 30 days, up 55.0% over 90 days. All-time tracked high: $0.34 (2026).

Brain in a Jar has 2 tracked printings across 2 sets, in nonfoil and foil finishes, including prerelease treatments.

SOI #252

$0.31

CK $0.49 / $0.03 90%

MP $0.15 609 avail

PSOI #252s Prerelease Foil

$1.39 +348%

CK $2.79 / $1.30 6%

MP $0.77 18 avail

SOI #252 Foil

$2.01 +548%

CK $0.99 / $0.20 90%

MP $0.20 63 avail

Card Kingdom currently pays $1.30 cash for PSOI #252s (Foil); the retail-buylist spread on that printing is 53% (wide).

• Apr 8, 2016 If Brain in a Jar leaves the battlefield before its first ability resolves, use the number of counters on it at the moment it left to determine what spell you may cast. That number won’t change because you can’t put a new counter on Brain in a Jar.
• Apr 8, 2016 If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X.
• Apr 8, 2016 If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs, such as awaken costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Lightning Axe, you must pay those to cast the card.
• Apr 8, 2016 When resolving the first ability of Brain in a Jar, the newly-placed charge counter will be counted when determining what spells you may cast. No player may take any action between you placing the counter and choosing which spell to cast.

Brain in a Jar has been reprinted 3 times.

Set	Date	Rarity	Treatment
SOI #252	2016-04-08	Rare	Standard
SOI #252	2016-04-08	Rare	Standard
PSOI #252s	2016-04-08	Rare	Prerelease

Brain in a Jar is the #18,524 most-played card on EDHREC, down 260 places over the last 30 days.