Most MTG players reach a point where their collection grows faster than their ability to remember what they own. You've got binders, deck boxes, storage boxes, a stack on the desk — and when someone asks if you have a specific card, you genuinely don't know without searching through everything.
Cataloguing your collection fixes this. It tells you what you own, what it's worth, what you're missing, and what you have duplicates of that could be traded or sold. It also makes insuring or valuing your collection straightforward if that ever becomes relevant.
This guide covers the practical approach to cataloguing an MTG collection and introduces our free tracker tool that makes the process significantly easier.
The most practical way to catalogue an MTG collection is a spreadsheet tracking card name, set, condition, quantity, and approximate value. Our free TCG Collection Tracker is a Google Sheets spreadsheet designed for this purpose — it covers inventory, profit/loss tracking, and wishlist management. It works for MTG and any other card game. Get it free via the tracker page.
Why Most Players Don't Track Their Collection (And Why That's a Mistake)
The honest reason most players don't track their collection is that it feels like admin work, and the hobby is supposed to be fun. Sitting down to catalogue 500 cards sounds like an afternoon of tedium.
That's a fair point, but the cost of not tracking is real:
You buy duplicates. Without knowing what you own, you purchase cards you already have. This is extremely common in large collections and is straight money wasted.
You undersell or overlook value. A card you acquired years ago as a bulk rare might now be worth AU$30. Without tracking, you don't know. Players regularly discover significant value sitting in their collection when they finally catalogue it.
Deck building becomes harder. If you don't know what you own, you can't build efficiently. You'll buy singles you already have or miss cards you could pull from your collection.
Trading is inefficient. You can't trade fairly or effectively without knowing what you're holding and what it's worth.
The catalogue doesn't need to be comprehensive from day one. Starting with your valuable cards and expanding gradually is completely reasonable.
What to Track
A functional MTG collection tracker doesn't need to be complicated. The core fields that matter:
Card name. The exact card name as it appears on the card.
Set. Which set the card is from. The same card printed in multiple sets can have different artwork and different values. Specify the set using the three-letter set code (e.g., MH3 for Modern Horizons 3, BLB for Bloomburrow).
Condition. Near Mint (NM), Lightly Played (LP), Moderately Played (MP), or Heavily Played (HP). Condition directly affects value — NM cards are worth more than LP cards of the same printing.
Quantity. How many copies you own. Commander is singleton but you may have duplicates across multiple decks or from opening packs.
Approximate value. The current market value in AUD. Don't obsess over precision — an approximate value updated periodically is more useful than perfect data that's never actually maintained.
Location. Which deck, binder, or storage box the card is in. This is optional but genuinely useful in larger collections.
Foil/Special treatment. Whether the card is a foil, alternate-art, extended-art, or other special version. These have different values from regular versions.
How to Value Your Cards
Card values change constantly. A reliable valuation approach:
For cards you think are valuable: Check eBay Australia sold listings for the specific card and set. Filter by completed sales to see actual transaction prices. This is the most accurate indicator of what the card will actually sell for in Australia.
For bulk valuation: MTGGoldfish (mtggoldfish.com) provides USD prices for every card. Convert to AUD using the current exchange rate for an approximate local value. Note that Australian market prices for some cards differ from US prices based on local supply and demand.
Update periodically, not constantly. Card values shift daily but not dramatically for most cards. Updating your collection value monthly or when significant price moves occur (a card spikes due to tournament play or reprint announcement) is sufficient for most collectors.
Practical Approaches to Getting Started
The Triage Method
Don't try to catalogue everything at once. Start with the valuable cards.
Pull out anything you think might be worth AU$5 or more. Catalogue those first. They represent most of your collection's value while being a fraction of the total card count. Once the valuable cards are logged, you can tackle the bulk at whatever pace suits you.
The Binder-by-Binder Method
If your collection is already organised in binders, work through one binder at a time. Complete one binder per session. Progress is visible and manageable.
The Deck-by-Deck Method
If most of your value is in your active Commander decks, catalogue your decks first. This has the added benefit of giving you a complete deck list for each deck, which is useful for goldfish testing, trading, and deck building improvements.
Using a Spreadsheet vs a Dedicated App
Several dedicated MTG collection tracking apps exist — Moxfield, Deckbox, and others allow you to catalogue cards and track values with card image lookups. These apps are good but have some limitations: they require an account, rely on the service remaining operational, and may have limited AU-specific pricing.
A spreadsheet is simpler, completely under your control, accessible offline, shareable without giving anyone account access, and can be customised exactly to your needs. For most collectors, a well-designed spreadsheet is the better long-term tool.
The C3 Free TCG Collection Tracker
Our free TCG Collection Tracker is a Google Sheets spreadsheet built specifically for collectors who also sell. It covers:
Collection inventory with auto profit/loss calculation — enter your purchase price and current value and the spreadsheet calculates your gain or loss automatically.
Works across all major TCGs — MTG, Pokemon, One Piece, Lorcana, Yu-Gi-Oh and others. The structure is game-agnostic.
Wishlist tab with priority ranking — track cards you're looking for with a priority flag so you know what to hunt for at your next local game store visit or eBay search.
200 card capacity in the free version — sufficient for most focused collections or high-value card tracking.
Instant access via Google Sheets — no download required, works in your browser, can be saved to your Google Drive with one click.
The tracker is available free via our tracker page. Drop your details and you'll get access immediately.
From Tracking to Selling
Once your collection is catalogued, identifying what to sell becomes straightforward. You can sort by value to find your most valuable duplicates, identify cards in formats you no longer play, and make informed decisions about what to move versus what to keep.
For selling, see our guide on How to Sell Your MTG Cards in Australia and Get the Best Price — it covers eBay, Facebook, and local game store options with honest fee breakdowns.
Keeping the Catalogue Current
The most common reason collection trackers fail is that they're abandoned after the initial setup. Keeping a tracker useful requires a small ongoing time investment.
A practical maintenance approach:
When you buy new cards, add them immediately — before they go into storage or a deck. When you sell cards, remove them immediately. When a card has a significant price movement (you see it mentioned in the community as spiking or crashing), update that entry.
Monthly: check the total estimated value against your last calculation. Investigate significant changes.
This doesn't require hours. Five minutes after a game store visit to log new acquisitions keeps the tracker useful without becoming a burden.
Get the free TCG Collection Tracker. Works for MTG, Pokemon, Lorcana, One Piece and more. Instant Google Sheets access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free app to track MTG cards? Yes — Moxfield, Deckbox, and MTG Goldfish all offer free collection tracking features. Apps have the advantage of card image lookup and automatic price updates. A spreadsheet has the advantage of being fully customisable, offline-accessible, and not dependent on a third-party service staying operational.
How do I know what condition my cards are in? Near Mint (NM): No visible wear, crisp corners, clean surface. Lightly Played (LP): Minor edge wear or very light surface marks, still looks good. Moderately Played (MP): Noticeable wear, scuffs, or edge damage visible without close inspection. Heavily Played (HP): Significant wear, creases, heavy edge damage.
Should I catalogue basic lands? Only if they're valuable versions — full-art basics, special set basics, or foil basics worth AU$1 or more each. Regular basic lands have negligible individual value and cataloguing them isn't worth the time.
How often should I update my collection's value? Monthly is sufficient for most collections. Update immediately when you know a card you own has had a significant price movement — format ban, reprint announcement, or tournament spike.
Can I use the C3 tracker for Pokemon and other TCGs? Yes. The tracker is designed to work across all major TCGs. The inventory structure is game-agnostic — it tracks card name, set, condition, quantity, and value regardless of which game the card is from.
What is the best way to find out what old cards are worth? eBay Australia completed sales (filter to sold listings) for AU-specific pricing. MTGGoldfish for USD price history and trend tracking. For very old or niche cards, TCGPlayer (USD) provides comprehensive historical data.