How can I tell which edition my Magic the Gathering cards are?

Question

All of my cards are at least 10 or 11 years old. I'm hoping for links to reference sites.

Answer 1

If your cards have black borders and expansion symbols (e.g. small icon on the middle bar, at the right), that makes it easy, as all expansions have always been labeled. Here's a key to the expansion symbols (only a few oddballs have been left out, like the symbol from the Beatdown box set, Nalathni Dragon, and other one-offs)
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/products/cardsets

If your cards have white borders, but also have expansion symbols, they are either re-prints of cards from expansion sets (like from Chronicles/Anthologies) or they are main sets 6th edition and after. (and have expansion symbols that are numbers)

If your cards have black borders and no expansion symbols, then they are likely either Alpha or Beta cards. The roundedness of the corners shows the difference between the sets.

If your cards have white borders and no expansion symbols, then they are from Unlimited, Revised, Fourth, or Fifth Editions. Fourth and Fifth are easier to determine, because they used a copyright date in the lines at the bottom. Copyright 1995 is Fourth Edition, and Copyright 1997 is Fifth Edition.

If your cards have a white borders, no expansion symbols, and no copyright dates, then they are either Unlimited or Revised. Visually, unlimited can be distinguished from Revised by the color depth of the card... the printing process was changed in Revised, and the cards have "lighter colors" (and converselely, the Unlimited cards had a heavier color printing and were generally "darker") Additionally, wording and the font point-face changed in Revised to be more consistent across the cards, so Unlimited cards can be distinguished because the words on them are generally larger. Finally, looking at the borders of the cards, if the color inside the white border is even all the way around the card, it is revised, and if the colored area has a beveled area within it, and has a border on it that is wider on the sides than it is on the top, it is unlimited.

Here is a thread with a chart that can help you determine what cards you own:
http://www.magiclibrary.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3495&sid=c0260e8e363f8b60f68b1e7168f717f9

Answer 2

All the core sets from Alpha to 4th edition had no way of determining which set they were in. Alpha and Beta have more cards than Unlimited and Revised because some cards were cut due to power level. Here's a link for a more detailed explaination http://boards1.wizards.com/archive/index.php/t-119388.html

Answer 3

Mtg 4th Edition

Answer 4

I have mostly 8th edition cards and there is a little picture underneath the illustration with an 8 on it. I'm not sure how to tell which particular edition you have, but you should check out this site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering

There is a lot of information on it pertaining to Magic!

Answer 5

Ok exspansion symbol is on the inside of exspansion sets, we know this right. ok

Older edition sets

alpha-black border more rounded corners
beta-black border moresharper rounded
unlimited-white border more faded
revised-White border more clearer image
4th edition- Copyright 1994 on bottom of cards
5th edition- copyright 1997 on bottom

the rest have exspansion besides foreign cards i am not thinking of. should help out.

Answer 6

all that and i think if it is 5th edition or earlier they do not have a symbol on the card and i am not sure how to figure those out

Answer 7

Go to www.magicthegathering.com and click on the gather and type in your card's name and the card will show and what edition it was in.