Magic card pricing guide: how to know what your collection is worth
One of the most common mistakes when trading Magic is not knowing what your cards are worth. That leads to lopsided trades where one side loses value without realizing it, or asking prices so high nobody wants to negotiate. In this guide we'll break down how reference prices work, which sources to use, how condition affects value, and how tools like Natural Order simplify the whole process.
Why prices matter in trading
When you trade in person, both sides need a shared reference for value. Without one, every negotiation starts with mistrust. A shared reference price makes the trade fair and quick for everyone.
On Facebook groups this is a constant problem: every seller picks their own price, buyers don't always check, and pricing arguments in the comments wear everyone down.
TCGPlayer Market Price vs Card Kingdom Buylist
The two pricing references most widely used worldwide are:
TCGPlayer Market Price
This is the average of recent sales on TCGPlayer, the largest singles marketplace in North America. Unlike the "listing price" (what sellers ask), Market Price reflects what people actually pay. It's the most commonly cited reference in the trading community and the basis for most peer-to-peer negotiations.
Card Kingdom Buylist
This is the price Card Kingdom pays to buy cards from you. It's always lower than retail (typically 50-70% of it). Useful as a value "floor": if Card Kingdom pays you X for a card, your card is worth at least that. Never sell below buylist.
For player-to-player trading, the standard approach is to use TCGPlayer Market Price as the baseline and negotiate a percentage (typically 70-90% for in-person trades).
How to check prices: the best tools
- Scryfall (scryfall.com) — The most complete Magic card database around. Shows TCGPlayer and Card Kingdom prices for every printing. Powerful search with filters by set, rarity, color, type, and more. Free, ad-free, and with an API used by most Magic apps (Natural Order included).
- MTGGoldfish (mtggoldfish.com) — Best for tracking price trends over time with historical charts. You can see whether a card is rising or falling, which is key to deciding when to trade and when to hold.
- TCGPlayer (tcgplayer.com) — For the official Market Price, current seller listings, and side-by-side comparison of prices across printings of the same card.
Conditions: NM, LP, MP, HP, and DMG
A card's condition has a direct impact on its value. Reference prices are usually quoted for Near Mint (NM). These are the standard condition grades used worldwide:
| Condition | Description | % of NM price |
|---|---|---|
| NM (Near Mint) | Perfect or near-perfect. No visible marks at a glance. | 100% |
| LP (Lightly Played) | Minor wear. Small marks on edges or surface. | 85-90% |
| MP (Moderately Played) | Visible wear. Marks, edge whitening, slight bowing. | 70-80% |
| HP (Heavily Played) | Significant damage. Creases, stains, heavy edge wear. | 50-65% |
| DMG (Damaged) | Severe damage. Tears, writing, water damage. | 30-40% |
Always be honest about condition when trading. Calling a card NM when it's LP creates mistrust and burns future trade opportunities. When you can, take photos of the cards before you meet so there are no surprises.
How Natural Order handles pricing
On Natural Order, prices are configured automatically as a percentage of the Scryfall market price (which aggregates TCGPlayer and Card Kingdom data). When you load a card into your collection, you can pick from three modes:
- Global percentage — Set one general discount (e.g., 80% of market price) that applies to all your cards. The fastest option.
- Fixed price per card — For special cards or ones with sentimental value, set a manual price that overrides the automatic calculation.
- Per-card percentage — Adjust the percentage card by card for tighter control over the pricing of your most valuable cards.
The matching algorithm shows each card's price to the potential buyer and flags it with a warning if the price exceeds the maximum the buyer configured in their wishlist. That removes the haggling step and lets trades start with clear expectations on both sides.
Value your collection automatically
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