Card rarities in Magic: The Gathering comprise Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Mythic Rare. Typically, Play Boosters contain several Commons, and Uncommons, with one-to-three Rares and/or Mythic Rares. Over time, players accumulate piles of Commons and Uncommon from opening Booster packs and playing Limited events like Prerelease. These piles of extra Commons and Uncommons are often referred to as bulk.
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When a player no longer wants their bulk, they have a few choices. First, then can gift or donate the cards. Second, they can try to sell them to another person. Third, they can sell them to local game store (LGS). On average, a mix of 1,000 Commons and Uncommon (bulk) sells for $3.00 to $5.00 as cash or in-store credit. An LGS will either leave bulk unsorted and sell for a mark-up or sort bulk into singles.

Why Look Through Bulk?
Sifting through bulk cards is a time-consuming process. However, there is an incentive for players to look through bulk boxes. There are many Common and Uncommon MTG cards worth multiple dollars. For instance, Untimely Malfunction, an Uncommon from Duskmourn: House of Horror sells for almost $10 per copy. Withering Torment from the same is worth about $3 per copy. Selling these two cards mixed in with other bulk from Duskmourn: House of Horror at bulk pricing would be unfavorable. So how do you know what bulk cards are actually buried treasure? 

My favorite website to view valuable bulk cards by set is MTG Dawnglare. You can search by format or set to see which Common and Uncommon cards are worth over $1.00. Just finding a handful of $1-2 cards from a bulk box can exceed trading in 1,000 bulk for $5. Also, you don't have to go through ever card in a bulk box if they are sorted by set or alphabetically beforehand. I'll share my favorite tips for looking through bulk further below.

Beyond finding valuable cards, some players pick through bulk boxes at an LGS because they want to build their card collection. It is generally cheaper buying bulk cards as a lot than individual singles. Time spent picking bulk can save money by acquiring playable cards for MTG formats like Pauper and Commander.
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How to Sell Individual Bulk Cards
Selling a stack of valuable bulk cards is easier than it sounds. There are a few options at your disposal:

1. Sell individually in-person or online
2. Trade into an LGS 
3. Buylist to an online store
   

Option 1 is usually challenging unless you have an established store front on platforms like TCGplayer or eBay. Transaction costs and shipping further erode profit margins. Option 2 is as easy as walking into an LGS and asking what they will pay for your cards. Although, you may not get as much for them as you think.

Option 3 is my recommended approach. You can go to an online store such as Card Kingdom or Star City Games and start a buylist. This is time consuming as you will need to enter each card name in a search tool and see what they will purchase it for. However, there is a process to upload a CSV file as a buylist option that can save time. The most straight forward approach is downloading the Mana Box app to your phone and creating a free account. Mana Box also provides tips for creating and editing CSV files. You'll likely need to use Google Sheets to edit exported CSV files to meet a store's buylist requirements.

To maximize returns and cover buylist shipping costs to an online store, I suggest trying to reach $100 per buylist submission. Further, achieving $100 in store credit meets most free shipping thresholds when you spend the credit. It may take 200-300 bulk cards to reach $100 in cash or credit value, but the reward is worthwhile. Recently, I traded in bulk to Card Kingdom toward a copy of The Mind Stone.​

Tips for Effective Bulk Picking
​1. Knowledge of the Most Played Commons and Uncommons in Constructed Formats
The most played Constructed format cards are usually worth more than others of similar rarities. A great place to start is with MTGGoldfish's format staple lists. As a starting point, I recommend focusing on Standard-legal Commons and Uncommons.

2. Knowledge of the Most Played EDH Cards by Color
EDH is a popular format with a huge card pool. EDHREC has most-played card lists by color, artifact, and land. Familiarizing yourself with the most-played Commons and Uncommons by color will help you spot potentially valuable bulk.

3. Reference MTG Dawnglare When Picking Bulk
It is beneficial to reference MTG Dawnglare when looking through bulk. I try to pull aside any Commons or Uncommons worth over $1 by set. Moreover, if I come across an MTG set with no Commons or Uncommons worth over $1.00, I may skip it entirely. Due note that cards in a set worth less than $1 can still buylist to a store for $0.08 or more per copy.
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4. Focus on Uncommon Rarity Symbols 
Every MTG set beginning with Exodus uses colored rarity set symbols on cards. Commons have black set symbols, while Uncommons have silver ones. When sorting cards, try focusing on Uncommons. I generally skip through all Commons in an unsorted bulk box unless I recognize the artwork or card name. The reason for doing this is because very few Common cards hold value. An exception to this rule is older sets like Zendikar, Fifth Dawn, and Dissension. Common cards can be worth a few dollars from older sets due to scarcity. I will also take my time looking through Modern Masters sets where card rarities are downshifted.

5. Make Piles of Cards from Sets Without Rarity Symbols
It is hard for most players to remember the rarities of cards from sets like Fourth Edition, Ice Age, and Visions. These sets do not contain rarity symbols on the cards. Some players overlook this trait and place Rare cards in their bulk boxes. I strongly encourage you to set cards aside from these sets to check their value. Once you get a good-sized stack, you can quickly reference MTG Dawnglare. I have found valuable cards from early sets, including Reserved List cards, in LGS bulk boxes.

6. Set Aside Cards You Want to Play
If you enjoy playing MTG and want to build a personal collection, you should set aside bulk to slot into decks. I often pull playable bulk cards for Commander and Standard formats. I've run out of copies of Arcane Signet, Cultivate, and Path to Exile more times than I can remember.

7. Know Shipping Costs When Buylisting Bulk
It helps to know the price to ship a package of bulk cards to a online store. I typically spend around $8 to ship 200-250 cards for any given buylist across the United States. Alternative, USPS offers Priority Mall small flat rate boxes. These boxes hold around 400 cards regardless of weight. Priority Mail small flat rate boxes can be more cost effective when 300-400 cards in a package.  

Looking through bulk can be a profitable and rewarding way to build your MTG card collection. I've turned thousands of cards into Commander staples like Trouble in Pairs, Vampiric Tutor, and Cyclonic Rift. While pulling, sorting, and packaging bulk is time-consuming, you are rewarded for your efforts. Treasure hunting is also a fun part of the journey. I hope these tips improve your efficiency and add a few new cards to your collection.​

TCGplayer is an online platform for buying and selling trading card games. The website also provides a pricing reference for individual Magic: The Gathering cards. One of the biggest draws for players eager to purchase trading cards is TCGplayer's store credit (formerly bonus bucks) promotion. Periodically, TCGplayer offers store credit as a percentage of total purchases, which appears in accounts a few days after the promotion ends. The store credit has historically varied between 5% and 15%. Promotional events are commonly advertised just before an event's start date and occur for a limited time. 
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I have compiled a list (updated 5/15/2026) of TCGplayer bonus bucks and store credit events from January 1, 2018, through May 29th, 2026. This list was created with saved email announcements from TCGplayer. The store credit event list and article are periodically updated to show more recent TCGplayer promotions.​

2018 TCGplayer Bonus Bucks Days
In 2018, TCGPlayer ran bonus bucks promotions on 63 different days throughout the year. The discounts per bonus bucks promotion varied between 5% and 15%. On average, the bonus bucks percentage offered was 5.6%. In addition, there were restrictions on earning bonus bucks for 22 of the days. These restrictions were either direct orders only or photo listings only. The chart below illustrates bonus bucks promotion dates and discounts during 2018.

In 2018, only 8 of the 63 promotional days offered more than 5%. The highest bonus bucks discounts were offered on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the release week of Commander 2018. One commonality of the bonus bucks days is that they all fell on release weekends for Standard sets. They also fell on the release weekend for Masters 25 and Battlebond.  

2019 TCGplayer Bonus Bucks Days
As of December 18th, 2019, TCGplayer has offered a bonus bucks promotion on 51 different days. This is 7 less days over the same time period in 2018. The average bonus bucks discount throughout 2019 is 7%. An interesting fact is that the bonus bucks percentage has reached 10% on 10 different days. The only days bonus bucks were 10% or higher in 2018 were around Black Friday. It appears that TCGplayer is getting more aggressive with bonus bucks percentages. None of the bonus bucks days in 2019 have had restrictions regarding direct orders or photo listings. Additionally, the Standard set releases, as well as Modern Horizons' release, have featured a bonus bucks promotion. There are 11 other days that anniversary a bonus bucks promotion from 2018. The chart below highlights bonus bucks promotions and discounts during 2019.

One assumption from the data suggests that TCGplayer will offer bonus bucks promotions on future set release weekends. They have offered a promotion for each Standard set and specialty set release since the beginning of 2018. If you are planning to pre-order individual cards, it may be advisable to wait until release weekend before purchasing them. 

Looking at the 2018 data, there were 5 bonus bucks days from December 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2018. Another assumption is that TCGplayer will have 5 additional bonus bucks promotion days between now and the end of the year. If this happened, there would be 7 less promotional days in 2019 than in 2018. There is a high probability TCGplayer would anniversary the days just before Christmas. The chance for another promotional day on December 31st, 2019 is not too farfetched. The 5 remaining days could potentially occur in November. In actuality, TCGplayer offered five bonus bucks promotional days between 10/21/2019 and 12/31/2019. These promotions averaged 9% in bonus bucks.

2020 TCGplayer Bonus Bucks Days
​TCGplayer did a two-day 10% bonus bucks promotion from January 27-28th 2020. No other promotional days were offered in 2020 until November 6-7th, when a two-day 8% promotion on singles occurred. On November 27th, 2020, TCGplayer held their annual Black Friday bonus bucks event with 10% on all products. The event was followed by a 30%  bonus bucks promotion for Ultra Pro Supplies on November 28th. The last 2020 bonus bucks event happened on Cyber Monday with a repeat of 10% on all products.

​2021 TCGplayer Bonus Bucks Days
2021 did not have any bonus bucks promotions until October. TCGplayer offered 15% bonus bucks on all products between October 1st and 2nd. However, the event was plagued with issues as TCGplayer's site was unable to process checkouts. The original sale period from 6 p.m. to midnight on October 1st got extended through noon on October 2nd to provide extra time for customers to make purchases. Another bonus bucks event occurred on October 26th with 10% off all products.

TCGplayer offered an exciting promotional event on March 8th, 2022, for fans of Digimon, MetaZoo, and Flesh and Blood. All singles and sealed product purchases for the three trading card games during the event earned a store credit kickback of 7%. The one-day event was probably not the last time TCGplayer offers bonus bucks for these trading card games. TCGplayer increased store credit kickback to 8% on sealed products and supplies for promotions on May 26th and June 24th. 

On April 15th and 28th, TCGplayer offered 10% bonus bucks on all product purchases at or above $35. However, the April promotional events were exclusive to paying subscribers of TCGplayer's subscription program. TCGplayer held a 10% store credit promotion for subscribers on July 15th, August 19th,  September 8th, and October 13th for all products. The promotional event on August 12th only included Yu-Gi-Oh! singles and sealed products. Interestingly, the September 8th event worked on preorders too.

Before Thanksgiving 2022, TCGplayer offered their first store credit event on comic books. Anyone could earn 8% bonus bucks on comics and trading card singles purchased between 9 am and 10 pm ET on November 11th. In 2023, TCGplayer discontinued their comic book business.

TCGplayer's 2022 Thanksgiving weekend and Cyber Monday promotional events differed from previous years. For Black Friday's promotion, TCGplayer offered 15% store credit on all products exclusively for subscribers. While the store credit percentage was the same as in 2021, it was available to the general public. As an additional promotion, TCGplayer offered 8% in store credit on sealed products and supplies for the general public on November 27th. An obvious omission of Sunday's promotion was the exclusion of singles. On Cyber Monday, TCGplayer repeated the 10% store credit promotion from 2021, but made the event only for subscribers again.

On December 16th, TCGplayer offered their store credit event with different percentages for subscribers and non-subscribers. TCGplayer subscribers received 10% in store credit on all products, whereas non-subscribers only received 8%. This particular event type continued where TCGplayer gives different store credit percentages for subscribers and non-subscribers.
 
​2023 TCGplayer Store Credit Days
February 24th marked the first store credit event in 2023. TCGplayer offered an 8% kickback on sealed product and supplies for everyone. TCGplayer subscribers received 10-13% depending on their tenure. The same promotional event was repeated on March 30th with an increased range of 13-15% in store credit for subscribers. On April 28th, TCGplayer repeated a similar promotional event structure but expanded it to include all products. Interestingly, the base kickback percentage for subscribers is 2% - 5% higher between the three events, respectively, than what the general public received. June 30th marked another 8% kickback for the public and 13-15% for subscribers on sealed product and supplies. Lastly, September 29th marked a store credit event for sealed products and supplies with a 10% kickback for everyone.

For Black Friday 2023, TCGplayer gave 10% store credit to everyone for purchases of all products from November 24-27th. TCGplayer subscribers got 15-17% back in bonus bucks on all purchases depending on their tier. Four days of store credit offers is sure to spur many purchases between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 
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​2024 TCGplayer Store Credit Days
2024's first TCGplayer promotional event occurred on March 22nd. The general public received 8% in store credit on sealed and supplies purchases, while TCGplayer subscribers got 11-13%. Although this particular promotion did not include singles, all trading card games and relates supplies were included. 

TCGplayer's second promotional event happened on May 17th from 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. EST. Non-TCGplayer subscribers received 10% in store credit on purchases of all products and singles. TCGplayer subscribers earned 13-15% in store credit instead, depending on their existing Loyalty Bonus. 

The third TCGplayer promotional event of 2024 occured on September 13th with a repeated offering of the promotion from March 22nd. While a promotion targeted at singles would have been ideal, it did not happen this time. Everyone will have to wait until Black Friday or another future date in 2024 to receive store credit from purchasing singles.

TCGplayer's 2024 Black Friday - Cyber Monday promotion event ran from 9 a.m. November 29th - 11 p.m. through December 2nd. This promotion gave non-TCGplayer subscribers 10% in store credit on purchases of all products and TCGplayer subscribers received 13-15% in store credit. 

​2025 TCGplayer Store Credit Days
TCGplayer waited over five months in 2025 to offer their first store credit promotion of the year. On May 16th, 2025, TCGplayer gave shoppers 10% all products and subscribers 11-13% depending on their tier. The promotion event went from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. Note that the subscriber store credit percentage was 2% lower than what was offered in December 2024.

In traditional fashion, TCGplayer is running a store credit promotion November 28th - December 1st, 2025. The public will get 10% store credit on all products, while subscribers receive 13-15% based on their tier. Based on prior year store credit promotion history, this is likely the last such promotional event of 2025.

​ ​2026 TCGplayer Store Credit Days
After many months, TCGplayer decided to offer a store credit promotion on May 29th, 2026. Everyone will receive 8% store credit on all products, but subscribers can receive 9-11% depending on their tier. This is a rare opportunity to score a kickback on purchases in 2026.

*The information in this article is of my own knowledge and opinion. It is meant for informational purposes only. I am not a registered financial professional or trying to act as one.* ​

My latest EDHREC article, “10 Surprisingly Expensive Commons for Commander,” showcases how Magic: The Gathering commons like Creeping Bloodsucker and Sigil of Sleep aren’t just budget staples, they’re market movers. Commons highlighted in the article cost an average of $5 or more apiece! Some of these commons even hit price tags near $15, thanks to clever synergies with popular Final Fantasy cards like Vivi Ornitier and Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed. Whether you’re a collector, speculator, or casual brewer, this article may reshape your next Commander deck build.

Magic: The Gathering's Duskmourn: House of Horror is an exciting set full of fear, horror, and suspense. Many of the cards in the set feature frightening Demons, Nightmares, and Spirits. Chase cards like Overlord of the Balemurk and Valgavoth, Terror Eater continue to excite players. 

My recent TCGplayer article, The Best Steals and Deals from Duskmourn: House of Horror, showcases some of the best value buys from the set that won't cost a fortune. Cards like Twitching Doll and Valgavoth's Lair are potent cards for Commander with low price points. Read the article to see what other Duskmourn cards are worth your attention.