Start with the card you need
Buying single cards means paying for the exact card you need, instead of a booster pack full of others. The trade-off is that a single card's value depends on a few details that are easy to overlook. This guide covers the four that matter most: condition, finish, printing and price.
1. Condition
Condition describes how the card looks and plays. Our grades run from Near Mint, with clean edges, sharp corners and no visible wear, to Damaged for cards with heavy wear. Near Mint is the standard for most buyers.
Price moves with condition. A card that is a bargain at Moderately Played can cost more than it is worth at Near Mint once you account for how long it will last in a deck.
2. Finish
Each printing comes in one or more finishes. The main ones are non-foil, the standard finish, and foil, a shiny finish that is usually priced higher. Some sets also have etched foils, which are priced separately.
Check the finish before you check the price. A foil copy and a non-foil copy of the same card are different products.
3. Printing
The same card name can appear in many sets, with different art, frames and prices. Choose the printing you actually want. For a deck, the cheapest printing that is legal in your format is usually enough. For a collection, the set and art matter more.
Every card page on our storefront shows the set, collector number and finish, so you can compare printings side by side.
4. Price
Prices on our storefront follow market data. Check the price guide before you buy a card that is in high demand, because prices move with new releases and format changes.
A quick checklist before you buy
Work through these before you check out.
- Pick the printing and finish you want.
- Choose the lowest condition you can live with.
- Check the price against the price guide.
- Buy sleeves for any card you plan to play. Our sleeve guide explains which sleeves fit which cards.
- Read our return policy before you order.