Lotus ScanHow to Scan MTG Cards After Draft or Sealed Events
A step-by-step guide to help you scan mtg cards after draft or sealed events quickly and accurately.
After a draft or sealed event at your local game store, you are sitting on a pile of newly opened cards with no idea what they are worth. Some might be valuable rares or chase mythics hiding among the commons. Scanning your pulls with Lotus Scan right at the table gives you instant pricing so you can make smart trade decisions before anyone leaves the store. This guide shows you how to efficiently scan and value your event pulls while the cards are still fresh.
Step-by-Step Guide
Separate your rares and foils immediately
As soon as the event ends and you have collected all your cards, do a quick pass through the pile and pull out anything with a gold or red-orange set symbol, plus any foils. These are the cards most likely to have meaningful value and should be scanned first. Do not worry about sorting commons and uncommons at this point since the goal is to identify your high-value pulls while you are still at the store and can potentially trade them. This initial sort takes less than two minutes and ensures you do not overlook a valuable card buried between bulk commons.
Tip: Keep an eye out for valuable uncommons too. Many sets have uncommons worth several dollars that are easy to miss if you only check rares.
Open Lotus Scan and start scanning rares
Launch Lotus Scan on your phone and scan each rare, mythic, and foil card. The app will identify each card instantly and show you the current market price. Pay attention to cards worth more than a few dollars since these are your trade or sell candidates. The scanning process is fast enough that you can get through a typical sealed pool of 6-8 rares in under a minute. If you drafted, you likely have 3-5 rares to scan. Note which cards have significant value so you can mention them when people at the table start discussing trades.
Do a quick scan of uncommons for hidden value
After scanning your rares, flip through your uncommons quickly. In many recent sets, certain uncommons are format staples worth $2 to $10 or more, which adds up when you have pulled several. Scan any uncommon you are not sure about since it only takes a second per card. Cards that see heavy play in Commander, Pioneer, or Modern often maintain value even at uncommon rarity. This step catches money cards that other players at your table might overlook and gives you a trading edge.
Tip: If the set just released, uncommon prices can be inflated. Wait a week before selling newly opened uncommons unless you find a willing buyer at the event.
Check prices before making trades
With your pulls scanned and valued, you are in a strong position to trade. Before agreeing to any trade at the table, pull up both cards in Lotus Scan to compare current market values. Event-day trades are exciting but they happen fast, and it is easy to get the short end of a deal if you are guessing at prices. Having concrete numbers on your screen keeps trades fair for both sides. Do not be afraid to say you want to check the price first since experienced players expect it and respect it.
Save your pulls to a collection group
Create a collection group in Lotus Scan named after the event, like 'FNM Draft 2026-02-14' or 'Prerelease Sealed.' Save all your scanned cards to this group so you have a record of exactly what you pulled. This is useful for tracking your event history, calculating whether events are worth the entry fee over time, and knowing exactly which new cards entered your collection. If you trade cards at the event, remove them from the group so the record stays accurate.
Tip: Over time, these event groups become a fun log of your drafting history and help you calculate your average value per event.
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
- Charge your phone before heading to the event. Scanning uses the camera continuously and drains battery faster than normal use.
- If the store lighting is dim, increase your phone screen brightness and hold cards under the brightest nearby light source for better scan accuracy.
- Scan your sideboard cards too. After a draft, your sideboard often contains cards you did not play but that have trade or collection value.
- Share your Lotus Scan results with friends at the table to help everyone make better trades. Building a reputation for fair trading makes you a preferred trade partner.
- Bulk commons and uncommons from events can be donated to the store or new players if you do not need them. Most stores appreciate the gesture.