Guide
how to track Magic: The Gathering restocks
Magic has two separate supply problems and they need different handling. Ordinary sets are allocated to distributors, which means a set that looks sold out everywhere reappears at specialist shops in waves for weeks afterwards, usually at RRP and usually in small quantities. Collector boosters are the version of this that actually hurts, because the print run is deliberately smaller and the preorder window is where most of it goes.
The second problem is Secret Lair, which does not work like a set at all. Wizards sells those drops direct in defined windows, so the constraint is a deadline rather than a scramble, and missing it means the secondary market permanently.
Tracking both means covering three different kinds of shop: the grouped AIO monitors that sweep the Shopify card retailers, the Secret Lair store itself, and the named UK specialists who get the genuine RRP restocks.
Developed for mobile:
the four ways Magic stock disappears
Collector booster preorders
Smaller print runs than draft or play boosters, mostly claimed before release day, not after it.
Secret Lair windows
Sold direct in a defined period. The risk is forgetting the deadline, not losing a race.
Distributor restock waves
Sets return to specialist shops in clusters. One shop restocking is a reason to check the others.
Per-customer caps
Specialists limit sealed product per order, so the quantity you want often means several separate windows.
which shops get what
The three kinds of source behave differently enough that treating them the same is why people miss stock.
AIO grouped monitors
Sweep a large set of Shopify card retailers behind one entry. Best coverage per store slot, and the fastest way to see a wave starting.
Secret Lair direct
Wizards selling its own limited drops. Nothing else carries them, and no shop restocks them afterwards.
Named UK specialists
Where RRP restocks of sealed product actually turn up. Slower to sell through than the big retailers because fewer people watch them.
monitors, direct and specialists
The AIO entries are grouped monitors covering many Shopify card retailers at once instead of single shops, so one slot buys far more coverage than adding specialists individually. The named shops are listed separately because they have their own monitors.
Australia & NZ
MTG AIO (Shopify)
Canada
MTG AIO (Shopify)
Europe
MTG AIO, Secret Lair
Japan
MTG
United Kingdom
Card Giant, Chaos Cards, Dark Sphere, Element Games, Magic Madhouse, MTG AIO, Mythics, Secret Lair, Wayland Games, Zatu Games
United States
MTG AIO (Shopify), Secret Lair
keywords that survive a new set
Keywords filter every store you track, so one list covers all of them. Start broad, then cut it down once you have seen a week of alerts.
- collector,booster
- secret,lair
- bundle
- commander
- play,booster
- set,booster
how to set this up properly
Start with an AIO monitor
One grouped entry covers a large set of card retailers. For Magic specifically this is the highest-value slot you can spend.
Keyword by product type, not set name
Set names change every few months. Collector,booster and commander keep working across every release without maintenance.
Treat Secret Lair as a diary entry
It is a window, not a race. Set the alert so you know the window opened, then order before it closes.
Add two UK specialists
They are where RRP sealed product reappears weeks later, long after the big retailers have gone.
questions
How do I get Magic: The Gathering restock alerts?
Add a grouped AIO monitor plus a couple of named specialists, set a keyword such as collector,booster, and MerchVault sends a push notification when matching stock appears.
Can I track Secret Lair drops?
Yes, Secret Lair is monitored as its own store. Because those drops are sold in windows rather than until sold out, the alert is there to tell you the window opened.
Which shops restock sealed product at RRP?
In the UK the specialist card and games shops do it most consistently. The coverage list on this page is read from the live store list and shows the current set.
Why track collector boosters specifically?
Smaller print runs, and most of the allocation goes during preorder. By release day the interesting product is usually already committed.
Do the AIO monitors cover my local shop?
They cover a large set of Shopify-based card retailers. If a shop you buy from is missing, it can be requested in the app.
start tracking Magic: The Gathering
Install the app, add the stores from the coverage list above, and set your keywords. The free tier includes three collectables stores, and Premium removes the limit along with Shopify Scanner and price drop alerts.