ARCHIVIST BLOG
GUIDES FOR COLLECTORS

Field notes for
Magic collectors.

Practical guides on digitizing, valuing, and organizing your Magic: The Gathering collection.

Guide · 2026.07.06

How to keep track of cards across multiple Commander decks

Managing Sol Rings, staples, and expensive pieces across three, five, or ten EDH decks — without buying duplicates you already own or cannibalizing a working deck every time you build a new one.

Guide · 2026.06.29

How to start collecting Magic: The Gathering cards

What to buy first, how to set a budget, which format to collect for, and why logging your cards from day one is the habit that separates organized collectors from mystery-box owners.

Guide · 2026.06.22

How to trade Magic: The Gathering cards

How to build a trade binder, check prices at the table without getting lowballed, and keep your digital collection accurate after every swap.

Guide · 2026.06.15

How to build and manage a Magic: The Gathering card wishlist

How to track cards you want across multiple decks, set price alerts, and go from want list to TCGplayer checkout — without re-researching every card.

Guide · 2026.06.08

What to do with duplicate Magic: The Gathering cards

Every collection accumulates extras from packs, trades, and inherited boxes. How to spot your high-value dupes, decide what to keep, and move the rest.

Guide · 2026.06.01

How to build a Commander deck from scratch

Picking a commander, hitting the right card ratios, and tuning your build before you buy — a practical first-deck guide for EDH players.

Guide · 2026.05.25

How to insure your Magic: The Gathering collection

Standard homeowners and renters policies often cap collectibles at a few hundred dollars. Here's how to get real coverage — and why an itemized digital inventory is the first step.

Guide · 2026.05.22

How to organize a Commander (EDH) collection

Deck-first, binder of staples, or fully digital — practical strategies for keeping a Commander collection findable, accurate, and ready to play.

Guide · 2026.05.21

Archivist vs Moxfield, Deckbox, and ManaBox

An honest comparison of the main MTG collection apps — what each does best and which one fits how you actually play.

Guide · 2026.05.19

How to find hidden value in your bulk Magic cards

Your "bulk" box probably hides cards worth real money. Here's how to surface the staples fast by scanning instead of sorting by hand.

Guide · 2026.05.16

The best way to scan Magic cards into a digital collection

What "scanning" a Magic card actually means, how camera recognition works, and what to look for in a scanner app — including double-faced and split cards.

Guide · 2026.05.13

How to sell your Magic: The Gathering collection

The difference between a fair payout and a lowball is knowing what you have. How to inventory, price, and sell without leaving money behind.

Guide · 2026.05.11

How to value an inherited Magic collection

Inherited a box of Magic cards and have no idea what it's worth? How to identify, price, and decide — even if you don't play.

Guide · 2026.05.07

How to price-check your Magic cards

Why the exact printing matters, how to price a whole stack at once instead of one at a time, and how to track prices over time.

Guide · 2026.05.02

How to track the value of your Magic collection

What your cards are worth changes weekly. Here's how to get a live total without re-pricing every card by hand, plus how price alerts work.

Guide · 2026.04.25

How to organize Magic cards by set, color, or rarity

Should you sort by color, set, rarity, or value? When each scheme makes sense — and how a digital index makes the physical sort optional.

Guide · 2026.04.18

How to digitize your Magic: The Gathering collection

Three ways to get a paper collection into a searchable digital library — by hand, by spreadsheet, and by camera scan — and which one actually scales past a shoebox.

Guide · 2026.04.09

How to store Magic cards: sleeves, binders, and boxes

Storage is value protection. Which sleeves to use, binders vs boxes, and how to guard against the things that actually damage cards.