MagicTraders missing prices Fixed! 6/12/09

[Huggybaby]

*Updated 5-11-09*
Current total fixed: 947
I have done research on why the MagicTraders price update system does not show prices on cards for many sets, and have completed a list of every problem with the text datafile and how to correct them. I have created a corrected set of mwPrice files for download that have all these fixes (see bottom):

The following listed set abbrevs used in the file need changing to match MWS (change in order due to similar abbrevs, apply to both normal and foil files):

LE - LG (Legends)
UZ - US (Urza's Saga)
(ST) - (SH) (Stronghold)
ST1 - ST (Starter)
ST2 - ST (Starter 2000) except ST2 reprint Goblin Hero (leave be)
(PR) - (PY) (Prophecy)
BK - REW (Textless promos)
* BK - PR (Book/old Promos)
TOR - TO (Torment)
JUD - JU (Judgment)
ONS - ON (Onslaught)
LGN - LE (Legions)
SCG - SC (Scourge)
MRD - MR (Mirrodin)
DST - DS (Darksteel)
5DN - FD (Fifth Dawn)
DCI - FNM (DCI Promos)
AR - ARE (Arena)
GPT - GP (Guildpact)
CSP - CS (Coldsnap basic land)

All (UL) cards have hard coded MWS bug, they import into price base as U. Solution is to change to (UY) in MT text, then for those cards, manually edit mwPrice database and enter in UL in Edition:
Archivist, Beast of Burden, Blessed Reversal, Defense Grid, Delusions of Mediocrity, Engineered Plague, Fleeting Image, Gang of Elk, Ghitu Fire-Eater, Giant Cockroach, Granite Grip, Knighthood, Lava Axe, Levitation, Lone Wolf, Might of Oaks, Opportunity, Ostracize, Phyrexian Plaguelord, Plague Beetle, Purify, Pygmy Pyrosaur, Sustainer of the Realm, Swat, Vigilant Drake, Wing Snare
There are a few more UL cards in the Foil list that have been made into promos (ex. Deranged Hermit, Thieving Magpie, Mother of Runes, Treetop Village).

Indiv Cards needing edit:
Ach! Hans, Run! - Add Quotes, depending on how current gamepack has the card
Erase (UL) - remove " (UL)"
Erase (UNH) - change (UNH) to (Not the Urza's Legacy One)
Longest Card Name Ever Elemental - Our Market Research Shows That Players Like Really Long Card Names So We Made th
No Name - change to 5 underscores
Opposition - Add (7th) to the end of the one not (UD)
Question Elemental - Remove ?
Mine, Mine, Mine! - remove 2nd comma (too many commas- this causes the "1 card skipped" in import). Edit record in the mwPrice later in MWS interface
various Tokens - remove word Token
BK basic lands - ARE
*New Player Rewards cards are being marked as BK - These need changed to REW. These are only in the nonfoil list. All BK should change to REW except the known old promos should be changed individually to PR:
Counterspell, Incinerate, Giant Badger

Foil textfile:
PRErelease + DCI foils arent in official MWS but are in GoblinHero's database
Sets: no need to search for LE, Starters
Tahngarth (Alt Art) - no way to associate with version 2 record in MWS. Ignore
Ach!.. - change
Erase (UNH) - change
Question Elemental - remove ?


** The results from these fixes are several hundred cards now have the prices show up!

---------------------------------

Here is a detailed guide to how to get your MWS updated ON YOUR OWN:

(Do it yourself from scratch)
1. In MWS File menu, goto Import -> Prices
2. Select your existing MagicTraders mwPrice file, have foil unselected, then click Update.
3. File downloads, updates, reports complete. Hit OK.
4. Run price update again, but use your MagicTradersFoil mwPrice and select Foil.
5. Minimize MWS and navigate thru your hard drive to your Magic Workstation install folder. Locate the newest dated MagicTraders_Price_xx_yy_2008.txt and open it (Notepad is fine, 98/ME users open it in Wordpad)
6. Using the list of sets above, in order, run a Replace (on edit menu) thru the file, putting the first set abbrev. in the Find box, and the second in the Replace box, exactly as written, and check off the Match Case box. Do Replace All.
7. Search for the listed individual cards and fix them. for the Tokens, search for "Token" and remove as described.
8. Done, save the file and close.
9. Perform the edits on the Foil text file.
10. Back in MWS, run the price update for normal and foil, but use the Update from File option, using your just-edited txt files.
11. In the bottom pane, hit the Open file button. Load your MagicTraders.mwPrice file. Switch the pane to Edit mode; Edit all the UY cards's editions to UL. This takes awhile; heres an exact method:
- Switch the pane to Edit Mode.
- Search for Mine Mine Mine. Add the appropriate commas.
- Click on the Edition column to sort it.
- Scroll to the bottom, find the UY group. Select one of the UY and type in UL, then highlight it and press Ctrl-C to copy the 2 letters to clipboard.
- Move down or press enter, and the record will now autosort to be above UNH.
- Press page down several times to get back to the UY's.
- Press Ctrl-V to paste in UL.
- Repeat this quickly to take care of all UY's. Be careful not to page down too far and edit the wrong card!
When done save + close this file and then run thru the Foil price base. This one is quicker. Put the selection in the Edition row, make sure the sort is still on that column; just hold the ctrl key down and repeatedly press end and V to goto the last row and paste the UL in, until you fix all UY's.
12. Close MWS and reopen it so it reloads the price bases; view your results!

(Using QBASIC [available on win98 CD])
Go thru step 5 above, and copy the 2 pricelist files into an easily accessible directory on your drive (ie. C:\magic). Rename the nonfoil one MTPL.TXT, and the foil one MTPL_F.TXT
Open QBASIC, open MT_MWS.BAS and change the OPEN statements to match the directory you put the text files in (you must stay with 8-char dos names).
Run it (Shift+F5). The output files will appear in the directory. (the nonfoil is MTPLFIX, foil is MTPLFOIL, and theres 2 more files for the high-price versions.) Close QB. Move or rename these files however you want.
Open MWS and run the price update using the text files, one per mwPrice. Continue with step 10 above.

To update from my base download:

An additional feature of this download is the inclusion of a second set of price databases showing MT High prices for better judgment of value!

The download is on my website (click WWW below). I also have the 2 edited MT txt files available to look at if desired, with the change list and QB script program I use. Simply download the MT_PriceBases.zip and put the 4 mwPrice files in your main MWS directory (replace/overwrite your current MagicTraders ones if you have the same filenames as me), then within MWS tools menu, goto Tools -> Price Base Management and select the new files to utilize if this is your first usage. Note MWS keeps the price view in memory, if you update the bases while its open, it must be restarted to see the changes.

Note: If you still see a card in MWS not showing a price, its most likely not in the MT list. This happens for alot of random commons and junk due to noone trading that card at MT.
However, PLEASE report any cards that should have a price showing but do not, and you can verify an entry exists in the current text pricelist (viewed on magictraders.com/pricelists/) for the correct edition - the price text is huge and new errors may occur, I am not actively looking for one-of errors.

You're welcome everyone, enjoy!

NOTE: The MagicTraders prices are AVERAGES from Ebay. They are VERY LOW most of the time unless a card is heavily sold. A better real-world estimate of trade value is to add 20% to these prices, or use something near the High prices (which equates to Mint grade cards).
_________________
MTG Software Wizard
See my website (www button) with unique MWS updates and many MTG software links!

[Huggybaby]

Planeswlk updated the price base 12/30/08, get it at http://www.angelfire.com/va/planeswlk/index.html.

Details about what has changed, and instructions for making your own updates are at http://www.magi-soft.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=31560#31560.

[Huggybaby]

Updated 5/11/09

[Huggybaby]

Another update:
http://www.magi-soft.com/forum/viewtopi ... 32f8#45040

[Carbon]

Are these prices dynamic?

[Huggybaby]

No, they only change when you load a new update.