How Much Are My Magic Cards Worth?
If you’ve got a box of Magic cards and want a real number, here’s the four-step process I use when I price a collection. Same process whether you’re selling to me, a buylist, or listing on eBay yourself.
Step 1: Sort by rarity (or don’t, and trust the bulk rate)
The rarity stamp on a Magic card lives in the bottom-center, just below the art: black diamond for common, silver for uncommon, gold for rare, orange-red for mythic. Cards from before Magic 2010 sometimes mark rarity by the set-symbol color (gold = rare). If you don’t want to sort, the assumption I use is roughly:
- About 60% commons
- About 25% uncommons
- About 13% rares
- About 2% mythics
That ratio holds for unsorted draft leftovers. Long boxes from a dedicated collector skew higher rare/mythic because the collector pulled commons to sell or donate.
Step 2: Apply the bulk rate floor
Every card is worth at least the bulk rate, even if it’s a $0.10 rare. The standard floor (mine, and most legitimate local buyers):
| Card type | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| Commons / Uncommons | $7 |
| Rares | $100 |
| Mythics | $250 |
| Foil Commons / Uncommons | $20 |
| Foil Rares | $125 |
So a typical long box (3,000-3,500 cards) yields a bulk floor of $40-60 for commons/uncommons, $40-80 for rares, $10-25 for mythics. Call it $90-165 baseline for a generic long box of unsorted bulk.
Step 3: Pull the singles worth more than bulk
This is where actual value lives. Any rare or mythic worth $1+ should be pulled and priced individually.
The pricing tool everyone in the industry uses is TCGPlayer. Look up your card by name, look at the "Market" price for Near Mint condition. That number is the working market value. A buyer paying you in cash will offer 60-70% of TCGPlayer market low for high-value singles, because they need margin to resell.
Quick triage list for what to pull:
- Anything Reserved List. Original dual lands, Power Nine, certain old rares. Search "Magic Reserved List" for the full list.
- Anything from Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends, The Dark. Even commons from these sets carry value.
- Foils from before 2005. Especially Urza’s Legacy through Onslaught.
- Modern format staples. Fetch lands, shock lands, Force of Will, Mox Opal, etc.
- Recent Commander staples. Sol Ring foils, Mana Crypt printings, certain Universes Beyond cards.
Step 4: Price sealed product separately
Sealed product (unopened booster packs, boxes, Commander Decks, Pre-Release kits) prices differently. The market for sealed is driven by collectors and box openers, and prices move based on what’s being printed and what just got reprinted.
Quick rule: most sealed sells at 70-90% of TCGPlayer market low for cash, less if you’re shipping. Older sealed (pre-2015) often holds or appreciates. Newer sealed (last 2-3 years) usually depreciates until it stops being printed.
Foils, alternate-art treatments, and special-frame cards from recent sets are their own market. The 30th Anniversary Edition, Secret Lair drops, and Universes Beyond cross-promotions all have unusual pricing dynamics. Send a photo if you have any and want a real number.
Get a real quote
The four steps above give you a working estimate. For an actual offer on your specific cards, message me with a photo or rough count. I’ll come back with a same-day ballpark based on what I can see. If you’re in Eugene, Springfield, or Glenwood, I’ll drive to you for cash on pickup.