Checking Magic Card Prices Should Be Free
Magic: The Gathering cards range in value from fractions of a penny to thousands of dollars. Whether you are pricing cards for a trade, evaluating a collection you inherited, or checking if that card you just pulled is worth something, you should not have to pay for basic price information.
This guide covers the best free methods for looking up Magic card prices, from individual card searches to bulk collection scanning.
Free Online Price Resources
Scryfall
Scryfall is one of the most comprehensive free Magic card databases available. It pulls pricing data from major marketplaces and displays it alongside card images, oracle text, and printing history. You can search by card name, set, color, type, or even by specific rules text.
TCGPlayer
TCGPlayer shows real-time market prices based on actual listings from thousands of sellers. You can see the market price, median price, and lowest available price for any card in any condition. TCGPlayer is considered the standard price reference for Magic cards in North America.
MTGGoldfish
MTGGoldfish offers price tracking with historical charts. This lets you see how a card's price has changed over weeks, months, or years. It is especially useful for spotting price trends before buying or selling.
How to Look Up a Specific Card
If you have one card you want to check, here is the fastest process:
- Find the card name. It is printed at the top of every Magic card.
- Identify the set. The set symbol is printed on the right side of the card, below the art. Look up the symbol if you do not recognize it.
- Note the printing. Is it a regular version, foil, extended art, borderless, or showcase? Different printings of the same card can have very different prices.
- Search a price site. Enter the card name and filter by set and printing to find the exact version you have.
- Check the condition-adjusted price. Near Mint is the default pricing condition. If your card is played, expect to receive 60-80% of the NM price.
How to Price-Check a Large Collection
Looking up cards one at a time works for a few cards, but what if you have hundreds or thousands? Manual searches would take forever.
Use a Card Scanner
Scanner apps let you point your phone camera at a card and instantly identify it. This is orders of magnitude faster than manual searching. Riivster offers free card scanning for Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh. Scan each card, and it is identified and added to your digital collection. From there, you can research prices for your entire inventory.
Batch Processing Tips
- Sort by set first: Group your cards by set before scanning. This makes the process more efficient and helps you spot any cards the scanner might struggle with.
- Prioritize rares and mythics: Scan your gold and orange-symbol cards first. These are most likely to have significant value.
- Do not skip foils: Foil versions often have different (sometimes much higher) prices than their non-foil counterparts.
- Check both printings: If a card appears in multiple sets, make sure you have identified the correct set for accurate pricing.
Understanding MTG Price Fluctuations
Magic card prices are not static. They change based on several factors:
- Tournament results: When a card wins a major tournament, its price can spike overnight.
- Bans and unbans: A banned card often drops in price. An unbanned card can skyrocket.
- Reprints: When a card is reprinted in a new set, the price of older printings usually decreases.
- Commander demand: The Commander format is hugely popular and can drive sustained price increases for specific cards.
- Seasonal patterns: Prices often dip slightly when a new set releases as players sell old cards to fund new purchases.
Keep Track of Your Collection's Value
Prices change, and your collection's total value changes with them. A digital tracker that you keep updated ensures you always have a current picture of what your cards are worth. Try Riivster free at riivster.com to scan your Magic collection and stay on top of your inventory.