TCGplayer vs Card Kingdom: which is cheaper?
Quick answer
For a single card, TCGplayer is usually cheaper: it's a marketplace of many independent sellers, so individual listings run low. The catch is that each seller ships separately, so a scattered order stacks up shipping — TCGplayer Direct offsets this by consolidating eligible cards into one shipment with free shipping over $35. Card Kingdom is one trusted store with conservative grading and fast shipping; per-card prices run a little higher, but you get one clean order and no per-seller shipping math. So for a whole deck, neither wins outright — the cheapest total is often a split, some cards from TCGplayer sellers and some from Card Kingdom (and ManaPool), arranged to minimize shipping. ScryPrice runs that comparison across all three for your exact list and gives you a ready-to-buy cart for each. It's free.
TCGplayer and Card Kingdom are two of the most popular places to buy Magic singles in the US, built on opposite models: a marketplace of many sellers versus one first-party store.
| Factor | TCGplayer | Card Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Marketplace — many independent sellers | Single first-party store |
| Single-card price | Often the lowest available | Slightly higher on average |
| Shipping | Per seller; Direct free over $35 (else ~$5.49) | Free over $99 (else ~$5.61) |
| Grading | Varies by seller | Conservative and consistent |
| Best for | Lowest per-card price; orders that clear Direct's free threshold | One clean package, reliable condition |
TCGplayer: a marketplace of many sellers
TCGplayer is a marketplace where thousands of independent sellers list cards, so individual singles are often the cheapest you'll find anywhere. The trade-off is shipping: each seller ships separately, so an order scattered across six sellers can pay shipping six times. TCGplayer Direct mitigates this by consolidating eligible cards into one shipment with free shipping over $35 (ScryPrice models the under-threshold rate at about $5.49). Concentrating an order on Direct listings, or nudging it over $35, often lowers the delivered total more than chasing the rock-bottom price on each card.
Card Kingdom: one trusted store
Card Kingdom is a single first-party store known for conservative grading and fast, reliable shipping. Per-card prices run a little higher than the cheapest TCGplayer listing, but you get one clean order, consistent condition, and no per-seller shipping math. Card Kingdom ships free over $99; below that, ScryPrice models a flat rate of about $5.61. For a mid-size order that won't clear the $99 threshold, that single flat fee can still beat several TCGplayer seller shipments.
So which is cheaper for a whole deck?
For a single card, TCGplayer usually wins on price. For a whole deck, neither wins outright — the cheapest delivered total is frequently a split: some cards from TCGplayer sellers, some from Card Kingdom, and some from ManaPool, arranged so you pay shipping the fewest times.
How ScryPrice decides
ScryPrice prices your entire list against 170,000+ indexed cards with prices refreshed daily, then its optimizer weighs each store's item prices against its shipping rules to find the lowest total — not the lowest price per card. Set a condition floor or allow cheaper printings and it factors those in too, then returns a ready-to-buy cart for each store in the winning split.
Price your card list free →Frequently asked questions
Is TCGplayer or Card Kingdom cheaper?
TCGplayer's marketplace usually has cheaper individual singles, but shipping stacks up across sellers. Card Kingdom charges a bit more per card but ships one reliable package. For a full deck, the cheapest option is often a split across both — which ScryPrice calculates automatically.
Can I buy a deck from TCGplayer and Card Kingdom at the same time?
Yes. ScryPrice splits your list across TCGplayer, Card Kingdom, and ManaPool to minimize the total cost including shipping, then gives you a ready-to-buy cart for each store.