MCP Server

Connect any AI to real card market data

One URL gives Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, ChatGPT, LangChain, or any MCP-compatible client direct access to verified sold prices. Add one URL, done.

Availability and freshness vary by platform and date. See Status for the current data state.

6 purpose-built tools

search_cards

Search card sales

Find recent eBay sold prices for any card — Auction, Fixed Price, and Best Offer.

grade_impact_analysis

Grade impact analysis

See exactly how PSA/BGS grade affects price. Find the best-value grade for any card.

grading_value_calculator

Grading value calculator

Should you grade this card? Real cost math (PSA/CGC/SGC/BGS pricing + shipping) vs actual market comps.

grader_comparison

Grader comparison

PSA vs CGC vs SGC vs BGS for the same grade. Which grader commands the highest premium?

price_momentum

Price momentum

Is this card trending up or down? Compare any time window vs the prior window of the same length.

Setup

Run once in your terminal. All 5 tools are discovered automatically.

terminal

claude mcp add thecardapi \
  --transport http \
  --url https://www.thecardapi.com/api/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your key. Get a free key →

Example prompts to try

→"What are PSA 10 Luka Doncic 2018 Prizm Silver cards actually selling for right now — including true Best Offer prices, not just auctions?"

→"I paid $6,500 for a raw 1986 Fleer Jordan #57. Is PSA grading it worth it, and what grade do I need to break even?"

→"For a grade 9 Wembanyama Prizm Silver rookie, does PSA, CGC, or BGS command the highest average sale price?"

→"Has the market for Prizm Silver Wembanyama been rising or falling over the past two weeks — include volume."

→"Show me the complete PSA grade ladder for Mickey Mantle cards over $1,000 — where's the sharpest value jump between grades?"

→"Find the available transaction history for PSA cert 84566824 — what prices are present, and has it appreciated?"

Authentication

All tools use your existing The Card API key — the same key you use for the REST API. The MCP server validates it and applies your tier's rate limits automatically.

Authorization: Bearer tca_your_key_here