# Mtg Sealed Price Check

> Verify whether an Argentine sealed MTG product (Collector Booster Box, Play Booster Box, Bundle, etc.) is fairly priced by comparing against current US market price. Use when the user shares a price list from an Argentine MTG store or asks "is X a good price?".

- Skill: `rodrijuarez/mtg-sealed-price-check` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add rodrijuarez/mtg-sealed-price-check`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/rodrijuarez/mtg-sealed-price-check/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: rodrijuarez (https://skillmd.com/u/rodrijuarez)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/rodrijuarez/mtg-sealed-price-check

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# MTG Sealed Price Check (Argentina vs US)

Compares Argentine retailer pricing against the current US market to determine if a sealed product is a good deal, average, or overpriced.

## When to use
- User pastes a price list from a Buenos Aires MTG store
- User asks "is X price good for Y product?"
- User is deciding between multiple stores for the same sealed product

## Constants and assumptions
- **Exchange rate**: ALWAYS ask the user for the current ARS/USD rate — Argentine peso moves weekly, never assume from memory
- **Acceptable Argentine markup**: +0-30% above US is fair, +30-50% is typical, +50%+ is overpriced
- **Cash/bank transfer discounts**: typically 5-15% off list price — always factor these in

## US reference price sources (verify each, don't trust memory)

| Source | URL pattern | Use case |
|--------|------------|----------|
| **Manapool** | `https://manapool.com/sealed/<set>/<product>` | Often best for current market price |
| **TCGPlayer** | `https://www.tcgplayer.com/product/<id>/...` | Authoritative US market |
| **MTGGoldfish** | `https://www.mtggoldfish.com/price/<set>/<product>-sealed` | Price history graphs |
| **PriceCharting** | `https://www.pricecharting.com/game/magic-<set>/booster-box-collector` | Charts and trends |
| **Card Kingdom** | `https://www.cardkingdom.com/mtg-sealed/<product>` | Usually marked up vs market |

## Critical rule
**NEVER invent or recite US reference prices from memory.** Always verify via WebSearch or WebFetch before saying "US price is $X."

Sealed prices move 10-30% within weeks. **Always re-verify on TCGPlayer first** before quoting any number.

## Required first step (before any markup math)
**Open TCGPlayer for the product** and read the current Market Price. Search pattern:
- `https://www.tcgplayer.com/search/magic/<set-slug>?productLineName=magic&ProductTypeName=Sealed+Products`
- Or direct product URL if known: `https://www.tcgplayer.com/product/<id>/...`

If WebFetch returns 403 on TCGPlayer (common), use WebSearch with: `"<product full name>" tcgplayer market price`. The search results often surface the Market Price even when the page itself is blocked.

Cross-check against Manapool or MTGGoldfish only if TCGPlayer is unavailable.

## Process

### Step 1 — confirm exchange rate
Ask the user: "What's the current ARS/USD rate you're using?" Never assume.

### Step 2 — convert ARS to USD
`price_USD = price_ARS / rate`

If there's a discount (e.g., "10% off cash" or "8% off promo"), apply it: `final_USD = price_USD * (1 - discount)`.

### Step 3 — fetch current US price
WebSearch for `"<product name>" sealed booster box price <year> current` or fetch a known retailer URL directly.

If WebFetch returns 403 (Cardmarket, PriceCharting, TCGPlayer often block), try WebSearch with retailer-specific queries:
- `"<product>" Card Kingdom sealed price`
- `"<product>" Manapool current price`

### Step 4 — compute markup
`markup_pct = (final_USD / US_market) - 1`

### Step 5 — produce the report

Use this verdict scale:
- **≤ +10%**: Excellent (essentially US price)
- **+10-30%**: Fair (normal Argentine markup)
- **+30-50%**: OK (mediocre)
- **+50-80%**: High markup
- **+80%+**: Skip / terrible markup

## Bundle/Scene/Draft Night warnings
These are typically priced at 70-150% markup in Argentina. Almost always skip:
- Bundles (especially Scene boxes priced near Collector Box levels)
- Draft Night packs
- Single Commander decks at $80+ (usually $30-40 in US)

## Time cost factor
If a cheaper store requires significant travel, factor in **your own time cost** (your hourly rate × travel time). Sticker savings need to exceed this hidden cost to be worth the trip.

Suggest shipping ($10-25 typical in Argentina) over driving when feasible.

## What NOT to do
- Don't say "this is a steal" without verified US comparison
- Don't recommend products purely because the user mentioned them — give an honest assessment
- Don't push for the cheapest store if it's overpriced internationally too (Argentine market floor matters)
- Don't suggest shipping bypass schemes — Argentine import tariffs are real
- Don't assume an exchange rate — always ask