How CardFrame estimates card prices
Where CardFrame's card prices come from, what they mean, how often they change, and why some cards show no price.
One price per printing, finish and language
A card name is not enough to price a card. The same artwork can be printed in several sets, as a normal and a foil, as a first edition and an unlimited one, and in up to a dozen languages, and each of those trades at its own price. CardFrame prices every printing separately and never copies a price from one language or finish to another.
The figure is for a near-mint, ungraded copy. Played cards usually sell for less, and graded cards are a different market altogether.
Where the numbers come from
Prices are estimated from public marketplace data (recent sales and current listings for that exact printing) collected for each game from the markets where it actually trades. Japanese-market cards are priced from Japanese shops, European printings from European marketplaces, and so on.
What you see is CardFrame's estimate, not an offer to buy or sell and not any one shop's price tag. Treat it as a guide to what a card is worth today, and check current listings before a large purchase or trade.
How often prices update
Prices are refreshed regularly for every game. A sudden jump, a price that doubles or halves overnight, is held back until the next refresh confirms it, so a single odd listing does not move a card's price.
Price history, which shows how a card moved over the past year, is available in the CardFrame app.
Why some cards show no price
If the market data for a printing is thin or inconsistent (a single listing far above every other copy, a placeholder offer, a common card listed at thousands of dollars), the website shows no price rather than a misleading one, and leaves the card out of its "most valuable" rankings.
Brand-new sets often have no reliable prices for their first days. They appear as soon as the market settles.
