17 guides · written by collectors

The collector guides

Everything we wish we knew earlier — scanning, pricing, grading, spotting fakes, storing. Written by people with the same pile of cards on their desk.

How to Scan Magic Cards with Tappr

Learn how to get fast, accurate scans of your Magic: The Gathering cards with Tappr. Tips for lighting, foils, sleeves, and bulk scanning workflows.

6 min readUpdated 2025-06-20

How to Check Magic Card Prices

Understand how live Magic: The Gathering card prices work, why TCGplayer, Card Kingdom, and Cardmarket differ, and what actually moves a card price.

7 min readUpdated 2025-07-12

How to Spot Fake Magic Cards

Learn the tests collectors use to catch counterfeit Magic: The Gathering cards, from the light test to foil behavior, before you buy a fake.

8 min readUpdated 2025-08-01

How to Grade Magic Cards

A practical guide to grading Magic: The Gathering cards. Compare PSA, BGS, and CGC, understand subgrades, and learn when grading is worth the cost.

8 min readUpdated 2025-09-05

Budget Commander Deck Guide

Build a solid Commander (EDH) deck without overspending. Pick a commander, learn the staple budget cards, and know where to save versus splurge.

8 min readUpdated 2025-10-10

How to Store Magic Cards

Protect your Magic: The Gathering collection with the right sleeves, binders, and storage boxes. A full guide to preserving card condition long term.

7 min readUpdated 2025-11-01

How to Identify a Magic Set Symbol

Learn to read a Magic: The Gathering set symbol, its rarity color coding, and the collector number, and tell reprints of the same card apart.

6 min readUpdated 2025-12-05

Understanding Magic Card Rarities

A clear explanation of Magic: The Gathering rarities — Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Mythic Rare — plus why rarity alone does not determine card value.

6 min readUpdated 2026-01-10

How to Sell Magic Cards

The complete guide to selling Magic: The Gathering cards. Compare TCGplayer, Card Kingdom buylist, Cardmarket, and your local game store to maximize returns.

8 min readUpdated 2026-02-15

The Most Valuable Magic Cards

A guide to the most valuable Magic: The Gathering cards, from the Power Nine and Black Lotus to modern chase cards, and what actually drives their value.

9 min readUpdated 2026-03-20

Magic Card Condition Guide

Understand Magic: The Gathering card condition tiers from Near Mint to Damaged, what to look for on foils, and how condition affects a card price.

6 min readUpdated 2026-04-25

Magic Formats Explained

A complete guide to Magic: The Gathering formats — Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Pauper, and Alchemy — and how they affect card value.

9 min readUpdated 2026-06-01

MTG Card Scanning Tips

Practical Magic card scanning tips for Tappr: lighting, foil glare, sleeves, binder pages, and a bulk workflow that stays accurate.

6 min readUpdated 2026-08-01

MTG Set Completion Strategy

How to complete Magic sets without overpaying: track progress, prioritize scarce slots, and use scanning to know what you already own.

7 min readUpdated 2026-08-01

How to Value a Bulk MTG Collection

A practical method to value bulk Magic collections: scan for hits, separate true bulk, and use live prices before you sell to an LGS or online.

7 min readUpdated 2026-08-01

MTG Trade Binder Guide

Build a better Magic trade binder: what to front-load, how to price slots, and how scanning keeps values current for FNM and shows.

6 min readUpdated 2026-08-01

Best MTG Scanner Apps Compared

Compare popular Magic card scanner apps — ManaBox, Delver Lens, Dragon Shield, TCGplayer, Lotus Scan, and Tappr — and when to use each.

8 min readUpdated 2026-08-10
Free to download
Tappr

Get Tappr and start scanning

Get Tappr free. Identify any Magic: The Gathering card and see what it is worth in seconds.

No credit card. No signup. Just scan.

Free on iOS & AndroidNo account required
Tappr

Scan any MTG card

Free on iOS & Android

Get App