We use the price cards actually sell for.
Most MTG price sites show you the median of current listings — a number influenced by speculators, graded copies, and vendors who haven't updated inventory in months. SpellBook uses TCGPlayer market price: a weighted average of real, completed transactions.
Market Price vs. Listing Median
| SpellBook (TCGPlayer Market) | Listing Median Sites | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Weighted average of completed sales | Midpoint of active seller listings |
| Affected by troll listings? | No — only settled transactions count | Yes — a $500 listing on a $3 card skews the median up |
| Affected by graded copies? | No — market price is Near Mint, non-graded | Yes — graded copies appear in listing data |
| Lag | Updates daily from TCGPlayer transaction data | Reflects current listings, not actual sales |
| Best for | Knowing what a card actually trades at | Knowing what vendors are currently asking |
What it is
Affected by troll listings?
Affected by graded copies?
Lag
Best for
Where This Difference Shows Up
| Card | SpellBook Market Price | Listing Median Tendency | Why It Differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underground SeaLEA | Median often 15-30% higher | Reserved List dual land with very few sales. Graded and altered copies inflate listing medians well above actual NM transaction prices. | |
| Volcanic IslandLEA | Median often 15-25% higher | Infrequent sales and graded copies in listing pools push the median above where NM copies actually trade. | |
| Mox DiamondSTH | Median often 10-20% higher | Reserved List staple with a wide spread between NM and LP conditions. Median listings include LP copies priced closer to NM, inflating the midpoint. | |
| Force of WillALL | Median varies by 10-15% | High reprint count means multiple printings at different price points. Aggregators mixing printings skew listing medians. | |
| The One RingLTR | Median can overshoot by 10-20% | High demand staple with frequent repricing. Sellers overshoot on spikes, so listing median lags behind where transactions actually settle. | |
| Ragavan, Nimble PilfererMH2 | Median varies by 10-15% | Modern staple with foil and non-foil at very different prices. Sites mixing finishes create misleading medians. |
Reserved List dual land with very few sales. Graded and altered copies inflate listing medians well above actual NM transaction prices.
Infrequent sales and graded copies in listing pools push the median above where NM copies actually trade.
Reserved List staple with a wide spread between NM and LP conditions. Median listings include LP copies priced closer to NM, inflating the midpoint.
High reprint count means multiple printings at different price points. Aggregators mixing printings skew listing medians.
High demand staple with frequent repricing. Sellers overshoot on spikes, so listing median lags behind where transactions actually settle.
Modern staple with foil and non-foil at very different prices. Sites mixing finishes create misleading medians.
Listing-median figures are approximate, based on observed TCGPlayer active listing distributions, not scraped from any competitor.
Why It Matters for Your Portfolio
When you track your collection's value, the number you see should reflect what you could actually sell those cards for today. Listing medians inflate portfolio values by including prices no one is willing to pay.
SpellBook's market prices align with what buylist calculators and dealers use as a baseline. If you're comparing your MTG portfolio against the S&P 500 — which is exactly what SpellBook does — you need the most accurate price possible. Otherwise you're comparing real stock returns against inflated card valuations.
Data Freshness
Prices update daily from TCGPlayer transaction data. Every card and sealed product in SpellBook reflects the most recent completed sales — not what's sitting unsold in someone's storefront.
Frequently Asked Questions
What price does SpellBook use?
SpellBook uses TCGPlayer market price — a transaction-weighted average computed from actual completed sales. This reflects what cards really trade for, not what sellers are asking.
Why not use listing median prices?
Listing medians include troll listings, graded copies, and stale inventory that distort real market value. A $500 listing on a $3 card skews the median up, but market price ignores it because no one actually paid $500.
How often do SpellBook prices update?
Prices update daily from TCGPlayer transaction data. Every card and sealed product in SpellBook reflects the most recent completed sales.
Is SpellBook more accurate than MTGGoldfish or MTGStocks?
SpellBook uses completed transaction data (market price) while most competitors use listing medians or proprietary averages. Transaction data is inherently more accurate for determining what a card is worth because it reflects actual buyer-seller agreement, not speculative asking prices.
SpellBook does not scrape competitor sites. This comparison is based on TCGPlayer's own published price type definitions.
See market-accurate prices in action
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