Getting Started

Everything you need to start tracking your MTG collection

1 What Is This App?

I Want My MTG is a personal Magic: The Gathering collection tracker. It lets you record the cards you own, see what they're worth, log when you buy or sell, and watch your portfolio value over time.

  • Inventory — the cards you currently own, with quantities and current market prices
  • Transactions — a log of every buy or sell you've recorded, used to calculate your cost basis
  • Portfolio — a live P&L summary: what you've spent, what it's worth now, and your unrealized gains
  • Sets — browse any Magic set, see card prices, and track your completion percentage

2 Adding Cards to Your Inventory

There are two ways to add cards:

Browse & Add One at a Time

Go to Sets, open a set, and use the + / controls next to any card to set your quantity. Changes save automatically — no submit button needed.

Import from CSV (Fastest for Large Collections)

If you already have a list in a spreadsheet, export it as a CSV and import it directly. You only need a name column — everything else is optional for smarter matching.

Read the Import & Export Guide →

3 Finding a Specific Card

Use the search bar at the top of any page to find a card by name. Results show all matching cards and sets. Click a card name to open its detail page, where you can see its price history, legality in each format, and add it to your inventory.

4 Logging Buys & Sells

On any card's detail page, use the Record Transaction form to log a buy or sell. Recording transactions unlocks the Portfolio page, which uses your purchase history (FIFO method) to calculate your actual cost basis and profit/loss.

You don't have to record every transaction — inventory quantities are tracked independently. Transactions are only needed if you want accurate cost basis and P&L tracking.

5 Understanding Your Portfolio

Once you have transactions recorded, the Portfolio page shows:

  • Current Value — total market value of cards you currently hold
  • Total Invested — the sum of all your buy transactions (FIFO cost basis)
  • Unrealized P&L — gain or loss on cards you still own
  • Realized Gains — profit or loss locked in from cards you've sold
  • ROI — overall return as a percentage

6 Binder View

Any set in your inventory can be viewed as a binder — a page-by-page grid of card images, like flipping through a physical binder. Look for the icon next to any set name in your inventory to open it.

Tips & Shortcuts

  • Hover over any card name for a quick image preview (desktop)
  • Long-press a card name on mobile to see its image
  • Base cards only toggle on set and inventory pages hides variant/promo printings
  • Dark mode toggle is in the top-right corner of every page
  • Arrow keys navigate binder pages when the binder view is focused