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How to Price Magic: The Gathering Cards – Reprints, Foils and Versions

Mateusz Ryś · October 28, 2026 · about 7 min read

When you price Magic: The Gathering cards, the card name is only the starting point. The same card may be reprinted in a dozen sets, in foil and non-foil, with a showcase or borderless frame – and each of those versions has a different price. The key is the set code and collector number.

Pricing Magic cards – the same card in many sets

Magic has been around since 1993, and many of them get reprinted regularly. A popular card can exist in core sets, expansions, Commander products, Masters sets and special products. The rules text is the same, but to the market they’re different cards:

• the original printing is often pricier because of its age and smaller print run,
• new reprints increase supply and can push down prices of older versions,
• versions from collector products (e.g. Collector Boosters) usually cost more than regular ones.

So “what’s this card worth?” is always a question about a specific printing. You’ll also find general pricing principles in how to value a card collection.

Set code and collector number

On newer cards, the bottom-left corner has a line with printing info: the collector number, the rarity letter, the set code (three to four characters) and the language code. On older cards, set info comes mainly from the set symbol on the right side, below the art, and the collector number isn’t always printed.

The set code and number pin down the card’s version – within one set the same card can have several numbers: regular, showcase, borderless, extended art. So always search by set code + number, not by name alone.

The set symbol’s color shows rarity: black – common, silver – uncommon, gold – rare, orange-red – mythic rare (in sets that have that rarity).

Foil, non-foil and special versions

Many cards exist in two finishes: non-foil (regular) and foil (shiny). The foil is often pricier, but not always – for some older cards and playables the difference can be small or even reversed. There are other finishes too, like etched foil or special foils from select products.

The most common special frame treatments:

Each of these versions has its own collector number and its own price, often in both foil and non-foil. Matching the version is therefore crucial when pricing. RipWorth matches Magic cards to Cardmarket product-to-product (via Scryfall), and foil-only cards get the foil price – if a version can’t be matched reliably, the app would rather show no price than the price of a different version.

The Reserved List – cards that don’t get reprinted

The Reserved List is a list of cards the publisher committed not to reprint in any tournament-legal version (there have only been a few non-tournament-legal collector printings). It covers mostly cards from the oldest sets of the ’90s. Because their supply is limited, many of them command high prices, and those prices are sensitive to condition and authenticity.

With Reserved List cards:

• grade condition especially carefully – see card condition,
• watch out for counterfeits and buy from trusted sellers,
• tell printings apart: the same card from different old sets (e.g. ’90s core set editions) can have very different prices.

The current list is best checked in the publisher’s official sources or in databases like Scryfall.

Magic card languages

Magic is printed in many languages. When pricing:

• English cards usually have the biggest market and the most price data,
• other languages are often cheaper, but some foreign-language printings – e.g. older or special Japanese versions – are clearly pricier than English,
• on Cardmarket, language is an attribute of the listing – filter by it, or the lowest listing may be for a card in another language.

For tournament playables, language usually matters less than for collector cards – plenty of people play cards in various languages, as long as the event’s rules allow it. For collector cards the differences can be big, so always price the specific language and state it clearly in your listing.

Magic card condition and cards from collections

Old Magic collections often contain cards played without sleeves, with whitened edges and scratches. For cheap cards, condition makes little difference, but for expensive ones – especially from the oldest sets – the condition grade moves the price a lot. Check corners, edges and surface the same way as for other games (details: card condition). Also check foils for curling, which is common with them.

With a box of thousands of cards, don’t price everything one by one: first pull the rares and mythics (gold and orange set symbols), foils and cards from old sets, and treat the rest as bulk.

Cardmarket vs. TCGplayer for Magic cards

For Magic, both marketplaces are big and well documented. TCGplayer shows US market prices in dollars, with separate foil and non-foil prices, and is the natural reference point in the US. Cardmarket shows European prices in euros (trend, averages, lowest listing).

Prices for the same card often differ between the two – because of different demand in tournament formats, supply and shipping costs. Details and pitfalls: Cardmarket vs. TCGplayer. Be careful with cards that just gained or lost tournament relevance – their prices can change within days.

Pricing checklist:

1. Set code and collector number.
2. Foil or non-foil (and which kind of foil).
3. Frame version: regular, showcase, borderless, extended art.
4. Language.
5. Condition.
6. Actual sale prices from TCGplayer and Cardmarket.

Frequently asked questions

See also

Game and service names are trademarks of their respective owners. This guide is for information only; card prices change daily.