Scan Magic: The Gathering Cards

Scanning a Magic card

Magic has printed the same card dozens of times across three decades, and the printings are worth wildly different amounts. Photograph the card and the scanner identifies it and estimates a band; the app resolves the exact set and pulls the live TCGplayer and Cardmarket price for that printing.

Identifying which printing you have

Since 1995 most Magic cards carry an expansion symbol on the right of the type line — its shape gives the set, and on modern cards its colour gives the rarity (black common, silver uncommon, gold rare, orange-red mythic). Cards with no expansion symbol at all are from the earliest sets, which is where the serious money lives.

• Border colour narrows the era: black borders for original printings, white for older core-set reprints.
• The copyright line at the bottom gives the year and, on newer cards, the collector number.
• Foil treatment prices separately from the non-foil version of the same card.

What moves Magic prices

Unlike Pokémon, Magic values are driven heavily by playability. A card that becomes a staple in a competitive format can multiply in weeks, and rotation or a ban can undo it just as fast. Reserved List cards from the earliest sets move differently — they can never be reprinted, so they behave more like collectibles than playing pieces.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free app to scan Magic cards?

Yes — Kardexy scans Magic: The Gathering cards and shows live market prices, free to start on iOS and Android. You can also scan directly from this page.

Can it tell which set my card is from?

The app identifies the exact set and printing, which matters enormously in Magic — the same card can be worth a few cents in one printing and hundreds in another.

Does it price foils separately?

Yes. Foil and non-foil versions of the same card are distinct markets and are priced separately.

What’s the Reserved List?

A list of cards Wizards of the Coast has committed never to reprint. Because supply is permanently fixed, those cards — mostly from the earliest sets — hold value differently from cards that can be reprinted.