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What's a fair offer for my Magic cards?

By Geega Games · Updated

A fair offer on Magic: The Gathering cards is measured against what those cards sell for right now, and it will always be less than that. A buyer has to resell every card, paying fees and shipping and waiting for each sale, so the question isn’t whether an offer is under market. It’s how far under, and whether the buyer can show you how they got there.

The prices everyone measures against

Most Magic buyers in the US price from TCGplayer, the biggest marketplace for singles. Two of its numbers matter:

  • TCG low: the lowest price a seller is currently asking for that card in that condition. It moves whenever someone lists a cheaper copy.
  • Market price: worked out from recent completed sales, so it reflects what buyers actually paid.

Both depend on the exact printing and condition. The same card can be worth a few cents in one set and many dollars in another, and a heavily played copy sells for well under a near-mint one. Asking prices on eBay or Facebook aren’t sales: look at sold listings, or you’ll expect more than anyone pays.

Why no buyer pays full market

  • Selling fees. Marketplace and payment fees take roughly 13% or more of each sale (as of November 2026), before shipping supplies.
  • Time. Some cards sell in a day; others sit for months. The buyer pays you today for money they’ll see later.
  • Condition risk. A card graded near-mint in a photo can turn out to be played, and the buyer carries that loss.
  • Price swings. Reprints and bans can cut a card’s price after it’s been bought.

What sellers usually get

Cash offers from stores and buyers usually land somewhere around half to two-thirds of a card’s price, with more on offer if you take store credit, because credit costs a store less than cash. That’s the range sellers report most often in Magic forums and community guides; it varies by store, by card and by how fast the card sells. Whatever the number, a fair buyer can tell you how they reached it.

Bulk is different. Commons and uncommons worth a few cents each are priced by the thousand, not by the card, so judge a bulk offer per thousand cards. Our bulk guide covers what to pull out first.

Signs an offer is a lowball

  • The buyer won’t say which prices they started from, or how they got from there to the offer.
  • Pressure to decide on the spot, or a price that “expires” in minutes.
  • A lower offer after the cards arrive, with no list of which cards changed and why.
  • A request to be paid by PayPal Friends & Family, which gives you no protection.

Check any offer in five minutes

  1. Find your 10 or so most valuable cards. In many collections, a handful of cards carries much of the value. Our collection worth guide shows how to spot them.
  2. Look each one up on TCGplayer, in its real condition, and note TCG low and market price.
  3. Add them up, and compare the total with the offer for those cards.
  4. Ask the buyer how they priced them. A fair buyer can tell you card by card.

How we price

We start from TCG low too. On singles you ship to us we pay up to 70% of it by PayPal Goods & Services, on a tier scale set by each card’s price, or 80% in store credit on singles worth $20 or more. Send a few photos and you get an offer within 24 hours. If anything changes when we see the cards, we show you which cards and why, and you can still say no. Get a free offer.

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