Lotus ScanHow to Scan MTG Cards and Sell to Buylist
A step-by-step guide to help you scan mtg cards and sell to buylist quickly and accurately.
Selling to a buylist is the fastest way to convert Magic cards into cash without the hassle of individual listings, shipping to multiple buyers, or waiting for auction bids. Stores like Card Kingdom and TCGPlayer Direct maintain standing buy prices for thousands of cards, and if you can match what they want with what you have, the process is remarkably smooth. The key is scanning your cards first so you know exactly what each one is worth on the buylist before you commit to selling. Lotus Scan makes this workflow efficient by giving you market and buylist pricing side by side.
Step-by-Step Guide
Scan your cards and check buylist prices
Start by scanning your collection or the specific cards you want to sell with Lotus Scan. As each card is identified, compare the retail market price with the buylist price being offered by major stores. The buylist price is what a store will actually pay you in cash or store credit, and it is typically 40 to 60 percent of the retail market price. Focus on cards where the buylist price meets your expectations since not every card is worth selling to a buylist. Cards under a dollar in buylist value often are not worth the effort of packaging and shipping individually, so set a minimum threshold for what you will bother selling.
Tip: Store credit buylists usually pay 20-30 percent more than cash buylists. If you plan to buy more cards from that store, credit is often the better deal.
Sort your cards by buylist destination
Different stores offer different buylist prices for the same card, so it pays to compare. Card Kingdom tends to offer competitive prices on Commander staples and older cards, while TCGPlayer Direct can be better for Standard and Pioneer format cards. Scan your cards and note which store offers the best price for each one. Then physically sort your cards into piles by destination. This might seem like extra work, but splitting a hundred-card sell into two or three optimized buylists can net you 15 to 25 percent more cash overall than sending everything to one store.
Grade conditions conservatively for buylist
Stores are strict about condition grading on buylist submissions. If you send a card graded as Near Mint and they assess it as Lightly Played, they will either adjust the price downward or reject the card entirely. Grade every card honestly and lean conservative. Use Lotus Scan to record the condition as you sort and you will have an accurate sell list ready to go. Many stores dock the buylist price by 10 to 20 percent per condition step, so a card you thought was NM at $8 buylist might only fetch $6.50 if the store grades it LP. Being upfront about condition avoids surprises and speeds up the transaction.
Tip: Card Kingdom provides detailed condition guides with photo examples on their website. Review these before grading your submission.
Submit your buylist order online
Export your sell list from Lotus Scan as a CSV and use it as your reference while submitting the buylist order on the store's website. Most buylist platforms let you search for each card and add it to your sell cart with the quantity and condition. Card Kingdom's buylist interface is particularly user-friendly and lets you add cards quickly. TCGPlayer Direct has a similar process through their seller portal. Double-check quantities and conditions in your cart before submitting since stores hold you to what you submit. Once you finalize the order, the store will provide shipping instructions.
Package and ship your cards properly
Follow the store's packaging requirements exactly. Most stores want cards sorted alphabetically, separated by condition, with rares in toploaders and commons or uncommons in a secure stack wrapped in paper or in a card box. Ship with tracking since buylist submissions can represent hundreds of dollars and you need proof of delivery. Card Kingdom provides free shipping labels for orders above certain thresholds, which makes larger submissions more economical. Package everything tightly so cards do not shift during transit, as damage during shipping is your responsibility until the store receives and processes the order.
Tip: Include a printed copy of your buylist order in the package so the store can process your submission faster and with fewer errors.
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
- Buylist prices fluctuate daily based on store inventory needs. A card that has a low buylist today might jump next week if the store runs out of stock.
- Combine buylist selling with your regular collection maintenance. When you scan new acquisitions, check if any older cards in your collection have buylist prices that make selling worthwhile.
- Some stores offer buylist bonuses during special events or promotions. Follow Card Kingdom and other major stores on social media to catch these windows.
- For bulk commons and uncommons, many stores offer flat bulk buylist rates per thousand cards. This is the most practical way to offload bulk without scanning every individual card.
- Keep records of your buylist sales for tax purposes. In many jurisdictions, selling collectibles for profit is taxable income.