Magic: The Gathering prices
Modern and eternal format staples
Modern, Legacy, and Vintage staples price on reprint risk and local event demand. A shop without eternal events will often understock or underbid these cards relative to a tournament store that sees the format every week.
How collectors price this locally
Decision rules for shopping at a local card shop — not live quotes. Confirm recent sold comps before you buy or sell.
- Check whether the shop runs the format you play. Empty Modern nights usually mean thinner Modern cases.
- Reprint announcements move ask prices faster than buylists. Confirm the shop updates both.
- Foil and special treatments are not automatic premiums if the local room does not chase them.
- Reserved List vs modern-legal staples should never share one mental price model.
- Bring the exact printing you want. Non-foil, promo, and special guest versions are different markets even when the card name matches.
- Tournament stores with active Modern or eternal events usually quote closer to real demand than sealed-only retailers that happen to own a few staples.