Lotus ScanHow to Compare MTG Card Prices Across Stores
A step-by-step guide to help you compare mtg card prices across stores quickly and accurately.
Magic card prices vary significantly across different marketplaces, and the difference between the cheapest and most expensive listing for the same card can be 20 to 40 percent or more. Whether you are buying singles for a deck or selling cards from your collection, knowing where to look and how to compare saves real money. TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom, eBay, and Cardmarket each serve different audiences and have different pricing dynamics. This guide teaches you how to use Lotus Scan alongside these platforms to consistently find the best prices.
Step-by-Step Guide
Scan your target cards with Lotus Scan
Start by scanning the cards you want to buy or sell with Lotus Scan to get a baseline market price. The app pulls pricing data that gives you an immediate reference point for each card's current value. This baseline is essential because it tells you whether a listing on any specific store is priced above or below the market average. Without this reference, you are comparing store prices against each other in a vacuum with no anchor to actual market value. Scan every card in your buy list or sell list so you have complete data before you start shopping across platforms.
Check TCGPlayer for the broadest market view
TCGPlayer is the largest Magic singles marketplace in North America, with thousands of individual sellers competing on price. This competition drives prices down and makes it the best place to find the cheapest copy of most cards. Check the TCGPlayer market price, which represents the average of recent actual sales, and compare it to the lowest available listing. For cards you are selling, TCGPlayer gives you the best view of what the market is willing to pay. Keep in mind that TCGPlayer charges seller fees of around 10 to 13 percent, so factor that into your pricing calculations.
Tip: TCGPlayer's "Direct" program ships from a central warehouse with consistent packaging quality, often worth the small premium for expensive singles.
Compare against Card Kingdom pricing
Card Kingdom sets their own prices rather than hosting a marketplace, which means their prices tend to be higher for buying but their buylist prices are often more competitive for selling. Check Card Kingdom for cards you want to sell since their buylist sometimes offers better cash value than selling on TCGPlayer after fees. For buying, Card Kingdom charges a premium but guarantees condition accuracy and offers excellent customer service. If the price difference between Card Kingdom and TCGPlayer is small, the reliability and grading consistency of Card Kingdom can be worth paying a dollar or two extra.
Check eBay for deals on high-value singles
eBay is often overlooked for Magic singles, but it can offer the best prices on high-value cards, especially through auctions that end below market value. Check completed eBay listings to see what cards have actually sold for recently, not just what they are listed at. For cards worth $50 or more, eBay's combination of buyer protection, auction dynamics, and best-offer listings frequently beats other platforms on both the buy side and sell side. The downside is that condition descriptions on eBay vary wildly in accuracy, so scrutinize photos carefully before purchasing.
Tip: Set up eBay saved searches with email alerts for specific expensive cards you want. Deals often appear and disappear within hours.
Use Cardmarket for European pricing if applicable
If you are based in Europe or willing to ship internationally, Cardmarket is the largest European Magic marketplace and prices are often significantly lower than North American stores for the same cards. Even with international shipping costs, buying from Cardmarket can save 20 to 30 percent on singles compared to TCGPlayer. Cardmarket also handles different languages of the same card, which is useful if you are willing to accept a German or Italian printing at a discount. Check Cardmarket alongside your other sources to ensure you are seeing the full global picture.
Make your purchase or listing decision based on total cost
After checking all sources, compare the total cost to you including shipping, fees, and any currency conversion. The cheapest card price does not always mean the cheapest total cost once shipping is added. For selling, compare the net amount you receive after platform fees and shipping costs. Build a simple spreadsheet or use the notes feature in Lotus Scan to track prices across stores for your most important cards. Over time, you will develop intuition for which platform tends to be cheapest for which types of cards, making future comparisons faster.
Make It Easier with Lotus Scan
Lotus Scan for iPhone simplifies this entire process with AI-powered card recognition, real-time price tracking, and intuitive collection management. Just point your camera and scan.
Pro Tips
- Card prices on all platforms tend to dip Sunday through Tuesday and spike Wednesday through Friday as people prepare for weekend events. Time your purchases accordingly.
- TCGPlayer cart optimizer automatically finds the cheapest combination of sellers for multi-card orders. Always use it when buying more than a few cards.
- For cards under five dollars, shipping costs can make cross-platform comparison pointless. Just buy from whichever store you are already ordering from to combine shipping.
- Follow MTG finance communities on Reddit and Twitter for real-time alerts on price discrepancies and deals across platforms.