How to value an inherited Magic: The Gathering collection

A relative played Magic, and now there's a box — or several — of cards you don't understand. The good news: you don't need to know the game to find out what it's worth. You need a way to identify each card and attach a current price. Here's how to do it without learning twenty years of Magic history.

First, don't sort or throw anything away

The single most common mistake is judging cards by how they look. Old, plain, or beat-up cards can be the valuable ones; shiny new cards are often worth pennies. Until everything is priced, treat the whole box as potentially valuable and keep it together.

Step 1: identify what's in the box

Every Magic card has a name in the top-left and, on most modern cards, a set symbol and collector number along the bottom. Those identify the exact printing, which determines the price. Typing them all into a website one by one is unrealistic for a real collection — the practical approach is to scan each card with your phone, which reads the name and set automatically and matches it to the real card.

Step 2: attach current prices

Once a card is identified, its market price is a lookup. A scanning app does this as you go, so by the time you've worked through the box you have a running total and a list you can sort from most to least valuable. That sorted list is the whole game — it tells you in minutes which cards matter and which are bulk.

What makes an inherited collection valuable?

• Age. Cards from the 1990s (sets like Alpha, Beta, Arabian Nights, Legends) can be worth a great deal — but only specific cards, and condition matters enormously.
• Specific staples. A handful of cards drive most of a collection's value; the rest is usually bulk. Sorting by price finds them instantly.
• Condition. A near-mint card can be worth multiples of the same card with creases or wear. Older, well-loved cards are often heavily played.
• Foils and special printings. These can carry premiums over the normal version.

Step 3: decide what to do

With a priced inventory you can make an informed choice: keep it, sell the valuable singles individually, or move the bulk in one lot. If you decide to sell, read how to sell a collection so you don't get lowballed. And before you write off the "boring" cards, check how value hides in bulk.

You don't have to become a collector to handle an inherited collection well — you just need to see it clearly. Start by digitizing it.