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 millions of true sold prices. Add one URL, done.

7 purpose-built tools

search_cards

Search card sales

Find recent sold prices for any card across eBay, Goldin, Heritage, Fanatics and more.

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.

seller_lookup

Seller lookup

Research any seller — feedback score, total sales, avg prices, which grades they deal in.

slab_lookup

Slab history

Enter a PSA/BGS/SGC serial number and see every time that specific card sold. Carfax for cards.

Claude Desktop

Open your config file and add the server block. ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "thecardapi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://thecardapi.com/api/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your key. Get a free key →

Claude Code

Run once in your terminal. All 7 tools are discovered automatically.

terminal

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

Cursor

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json

~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "thecardapi": {
      "url": "https://thecardapi.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_settings.json

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_settings.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "thecardapi": {
      "serverUrl": "https://thecardapi.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

ChatGPT Desktop

OpenAI's desktop app supports MCP. Add to ~/Library/Application Support/ChatGPT/mcp.json

~/Library/Application Support/ChatGPT/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "thecardapi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://thecardapi.com/api/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

LangChain (Python)

Use our tools inside any LangChain agent via langchain-mcp-adapters. Works with any LLM — Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, or your own.

terminal

pip install langchain-mcp-adapters langgraph langchain-anthropic

agent.py

import asyncio
from langchain_mcp_adapters.client import MultiServerMCPClient
from langgraph.prebuilt import create_react_agent
from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic

async def main():
    async with MultiServerMCPClient({
        "thecardapi": {
            "url": "https://thecardapi.com/api/mcp",
            "transport": "streamable_http",
            "headers": {"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"},
        }
    }) as client:
        tools = await client.get_tools()
        model = ChatAnthropic(model="claude-sonnet-4-6")
        agent = create_react_agent(model, tools)
        result = await agent.ainvoke({
            "messages": "Is it worth grading my 1989 Hoops Jordan raw for $85?"
        })
        print(result["messages"][-1].content)

asyncio.run(main())

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."

→"Full profile on pwcc_auctions: total sales, average price, and what grades they typically move."

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

→"Pull the full transaction history for PSA cert 84566824 — every sale, every price, 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