The Best Place to Buy Magic Cards | MTG Online Retailers Reviewed
Without further ado, here is our list, read on for all the details.
Magic: the Gathering has a rich history, launching more than three decades ago. The game and community have shown incredible staying power, with new players jumping onto the scene every day as the game grows in popularity.
What’s more, Wizards of the Coast – the company behind MTG – is constantly developing new mechanics and releasing new sets. With an ever-growing number of options for customers to choose from, many wonder, what is the best place to buy MTG cards?
Today we’re bringing you our list of the best stores for Magic: the Gathering in the market. We’re focusing on online retailers, but we also recommend checking out your local game stores.
Without further ado, here is our list, read on for all the details.
- TCG Player – Best Overall MTG Marketplace
- Card Kingdom – Best for New Magic Players
- Print MTG – Best for Magic Proxy Cards
- Star City Games – Best for Competition Players
- Proxy King – Best for High Quality MTG Proxies
- Card Market – Best for European Players
- Abu Games – Best for High End Cards
- Cool Stuff Inc – Notable Mention
- Toad and Troll – Notable Mention
- Ninety-Five – Notable Mention
- Proxy MTG – Notable Mention
- Card Titan – Notable Mention
- Nerd Rage – Notable Mention
TCGPlayer – Best Overall MTG Marketplace
TCGPlayer is a prominent online marketplace headquartered in Syracuse, New York, that specializes in the buying and selling of collectible card games (CCGs), such as Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!
It’s often considered the best source for purchasing Magic: The Gathering cards due to its extensive inventory, competitive pricing, and the convenience of connecting buyers with thousands of local game stores globally. This platform provides a wide range of Magic: The Gathering products, from single cards to booster packs and boxes, catering to both casual and competitive players.
The platform facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers, offering tools for inventory management, pricing, and sales tracking. TCG Player’s marketplace model enables individual sellers to reach a broad audience. At the same time, buyers benefit from the biggest selection of cards in the world, and competitive pricing.
The company emphasizes security and customer service to ensure a trustworthy and efficient trading experience.
Card Kingdom – Best for New Players
Founded in the late 1990s in Seattle, Washington, Card Kingdom has grown to become a leading name in the trading card game community, offering a broad array of cards, from the latest sets to rare and vintage singles.
They also offer many options for gaming supplies, including sleeves, deck boxes, dice, life counters, and more.
With a focus on accessibility and customer service, Card Kingdom is noted for its user-friendly website and knowledgeable staff, making it an ideal starting point for individuals new to collectible card games.
Card Kingdom’s retail locations, including Mox Boarding House, enhance its community presence by offering spaces for players to meet, play, and participate in tournaments, fostering a vibrant local gaming community.
With helpful staff, and a wide range of products – even beyond cards – we recommend Card Kingdom for players new to MTG.
PrintMTG – Best for Print on Demand Proxies
PrintMTG takes a different approach, focusing on the proxy side of MTG. They offer several services including their primary platform that allows customers to paste in an entire decklist and print it on demand. With quantity price breaks, it’s an excellent option for people who want to enjoy the game in a casual setting without a major investment – cards can be had for as low as $0.25 each, with higher quantities.
The site also has custom MTG card making tools that allow for complete customization of proxy cards. Users can fully design, edit and customize all aspects of the cards.
PrintMTG uses high quality cardstock for printing, known for its resemblance to original MTG cards in terms of texture and durability. The platform promises a fast production timeframe of 1-2 business days and various shipping options, aiming to make high-quality proxy cards affordable and accessible.
PrintMTG.com positions itself as an affordable and quality-focused alternative in the broader context of the MTG proxy market. It competes with other proxy services by offering a wide range of customizable templates and personalization options, making it attractive for players looking to create custom proxy cards.
Star City Games – Known for Tournaments
Star City Games (SCG) is a prominent entity within the TCG community, particularly known for its influence on the competitive scene of Magic: The Gathering. Established in the late 1990s and based in Roanoke, Virginia, Star City Games has grown to become one of the largest MTG retailers in the world, offering an extensive range of singles, sealed products, and gaming supplies.
SCG is best known for its SCG Tour, a tournament series that attracts competitive players from across the United States and beyond. These events range from local qualifiers to large-scale Opens and Invitationals, with the latter offering substantial prize pools and attracting top-tier talent from the MTG community. The SCG Tour has been instrumental in shaping the competitive landscape of MTG, providing a platform for emerging players to showcase their skills and for established professionals to continue to compete at a high level.
Through its competitive events and educational content, Star City Games’ commitment to the MTG community has cemented its reputation as a cornerstone of the MTG competitive scene. Its role in fostering competitive play and providing a solid retail experience makes SCG a key player in the market.
ProxyKing – Best for Quality MTG Proxy Cards
Proxy King, like Print MTG, focuses on the proxy card market. However, the company positions itself differently. Their focus is on creating the highest quality MTG proxies on the market. Their cards are stand in for actual MTG cards, at a fraction of the cost.
They have many of the most popular and valuable Magic cards on their site, from more recent sets all the way to Power Nine.
Customers praise Proxy King for their accuracy and realism – they match almost perfectly with original cards in terms of quality, size, weight, and finish. This makes them ideal for competitive deck testing and collecting. They are particularly useful in formats like Vintage and Legacy where the most powerful cards are otherwise more than a mortgage payment.
While proxies can democratize access to gameplay, especially for high-value cards, their use in sanctioned events is usually not permitted.
ProxyKing.biz offers a solution for players looking to enjoy MTG without the significant financial investment typically required for competitive or casual play.
Read more on where to get MTG proxies.
CardMarket – Best for European Customers
Cardmarket, based in Berlin, Germany, is a leading online marketplace for trading card games (TCGs) in Europe. Launched in the early 2000s, Cardmarket has become the preferred platform for European customers looking to buy, sell, or trade cards and related products for games like Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon, and many others. The platform is celebrated for its user-friendly interface, extensive product listings, and commitment to providing users with a secure and efficient trading environment.
What sets Cardmarket apart is its dedication to serving the European TCG community, offering features tailored to the needs of its diverse customer base. This includes support for multiple languages and currencies, a comprehensive buyer protection program, and tools designed for easy search, listing, and transaction processes for users across Europe.
Cardmarket also sponsors events and tournaments throughout Europe, further solidifying its position as a central hub for the TCG community.
ABUGames: Best for High-End Cards
ABUGames stands out as a distinguished destination for Magic: The Gathering (MTG) enthusiasts, particularly those with an eye for high-end and collector-grade cards. As a physical store and an online marketplace, ABUGames offers an extensive selection of MTG singles, boosters, sleeves, decks, and boxes, catering to various needs from casual play to competitive gaming. Their commitment to the MTG community is evident in their comprehensive inventory that spans all game editions, making it a go-to source for collectors seeking specific, rare, or hard-to-find cards. Furthermore, ABUGames extends its offerings beyond MTG cards to include board games and other tabletop accessories, ensuring a well-rounded shopping experience for gamers and collectors.
In addition to its robust online presence, ABUGames engages with the community through its eBay store, showcasing its ability to reach customers on multiple platforms. This approach provides flexibility in purchasing options, including auctions and direct buys, thus accommodating different buyer preferences. The store’s reputation for a wide selection is bolstered by its activity on eBay, where it lists a variety of MTG cards ranging from vintage and rare to the latest releases.
CoolStuffInc
CoolStuffInc.com, established in the early 2000s, is an online retailer based in the United States specializing in various gaming products, including collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering, board games, miniatures, and role-playing games. Known for its frequent sales and promotions, CoolStuffInc.com has garnered a reputation for offering competitive prices and deals that appeal to a broad spectrum of gamers and collectors.
CoolStuffInc.com is also known for its customer loyalty program. It rewards repeat customers with discounts and special offers, enhancing the shopping experience and encouraging customer retention. The platform’s commitment to customer service is evident in its responsive support team, which assists with questions, orders, and after-sales service.
With a busy online store and a physical presence through its retail locations in Florida, CoolStuffInc.com is a vital resource for gamers and collectors seeking a wide selection, competitive prices, and a commitment to customer satisfaction.
Toad and Troll
Troll and Toad is an established online retailer serving the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) community for many years. They are known for their wide selection of MTG singles, sealed products, and other trading card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon. Troll, and Toad is recognized as a fantastic online store for card-playing needs, offering a good selection of sealed products and singles at reasonable prices. They’ve been a first choice for many players when ordering online.
However, it’s worth noting that the primary audience seems to lean more toward Pokémon players/collectors, so they don’t have the same MTG focus as other stores on our list.
They offer pre-orders for upcoming releases, ensuring enthusiasts can secure their desired products.
Finally, it’s worth noting that customer experiences with Troll and Toad can vary. The most common complaint seems to be around Toad and Troll’s apparent inconsistency in their card ratings for singles. For example, marketing a card as Lightly Played, when others would rate it as Heavily Played.
Ninety-Five
Initially starting as a Grand Prix vendor, Ninety-Five has evolved into a full-fledged online storefront. This transition allowed Ninety-Five to extend its reach beyond tournament venues, offering a broad array of MTG singles, sets, and related products to a global audience. Their commitment to providing competitive prices has been central to their philosophy, with the goal to serve the MTG community by making cards more accessible to players at all levels.
In the broader MTG market, Ninety Five is recognized for its decent selection of singles and its engagement with the community through content creation, including articles and strategy guides featuring prominent players like Mike Sigrist.
Card Titan
Card Titan is renowned for its significant presence in the MTG community, mainly through hosting major competitive events such as Eternal Weekend.
These events offer unique prizes, including original artwork of iconic cards like the Black Lotus for Vintage Championship winners, underlining Card Titan’s commitment to the core of MTG’s competitive scene and its rich history.
They also maintain a strong presence on eBay. Card Titan offers a wide range of MTG products, from singles to complete sets, alongside other collectibles.
Nerd Rage Gaming
Nerd Rage Gaming is recognized in the MTG community for hosting cash tournaments, which draw competitive players from various locations.
Additionally, these tournaments contribute to a store’s reputation as a hub for serious play, attracting a dedicated customer base interested in both participation and the purchase of cards to enhance their decks for competitive play.
Wrapping Up
Picking the right MTG store comes down to your use case and budget. Whether you want vintage cards, singles, sealed product, MTG proxies, or something else. Hopefully this article points you in the right direction. There are lots of options out there, so it’s worth trying out different retailers.
Happy gaming.
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