TCG Price Index offers a comprehensive live card price dashboard for popular trading card games like Pokémon, MTG, and Yu-Gi-Oh. It features user accounts, searchable collections, real-time pricing, and purchasing options through Stripe. Available as a web app or desktop app, it caters to collectors and gamers alike.
TCG Price Index
The TCG Price Index is a comprehensive live card price dashboard that serves enthusiasts of ten popular trading card games, including Pokémon, MTG, Yu-Gi-Oh, One Piece, Lorcana, Digimon, Dragon Ball, Gundam, Star Wars Unlimited, and Riftbound. This powerful tool enables users to browse real-time prices, manage collections effortlessly, and process purchases securely through Stripe checkout. The application is versatile, available as a web app built with Node.js or a desktop app compatible with Windows and macOS using Tauri.
Key Features
- Live Card Prices: Access detailed pricing information, including ungraded, Grade 9, and PSA 10 prices.
- Browse and Search: Explore over 100 sets across various games, applying filters such as price, rarity, and grading options.
- User Accounts: Create accounts with seamless email/password registration and secure JWT authentication.
- Shopping Cart and Checkout: A user-friendly shopping experience integrates Stripe for payment processing.
- Admin Inventory Management: Maintain stock levels and pricing through an easy-to-use admin interface.
- Collections: Maintain personal wishlists for effective collection management.
- Customizable Themes: Choose from nine distinct color themes, supporting both light and dark modes.
- Desktop Application: A standalone Windows/macOS solution that auto-installs PostgreSQL on Windows for user convenience.
Data Flow Architecture
The TCG Price Index employs a sophisticated data flow architecture that pulls card pricing data from two primary sources:
- PriceCharting: Fast, hourly cached data scraped via HTTP requests.
- TCGPlayer: More detailed data gathered using Puppeteer, including game/set discovery.
This data feeds into a robust cache layer and a PostgreSQL database, supplemented by client-side IndexedDB for offline access.
Data Handling
- Price Retrieval: Efficient caching mechanisms ensure fast responses for card sets while allowing for continuous updates from different data sources.
- User Interaction: Users can browse cards, view detailed pricing, manage shopping carts, and execute secure checkouts seamlessly.
- Admin Functions: Administrators gain insights into inventory management, with dedicated endpoints for adding, modifying, and removing inventory items.
User Experience
For Users:
- Browse card sets by selecting a game.
- Utilize the search feature to find specific cards based on names.
- View current pricing from both PriceCharting and TCGPlayer.
- Add cards to the shopping cart, selecting grading and quantity.
- Proceed through an efficient checkout process using Stripe payment.
For Admins:
- Access secure endpoints for inventory management, allowing for the addition, update, and removal of cards easily.
Troubleshooting and Support
The application includes a troubleshooting section to address common challenges, such as starting issues, port conflicts, and inventory endpoint errors.
By providing a structured approach to trading card price tracking, the TCG Price Index empowers collectors and gamers alike, combining advanced technology with user-friendly design to simplify the way trading card enthusiasts interact with their collections.
