Kickstarter hit: This machine aims to make life easier for Magic and Pokémon collectors, hits $300K goal in just 24 minutes
Whether it’s Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh! – anyone who has fallen in love with a trading card game usually aims to build as large a collection as possible. But when it comes to tracking down a specific card, many collectors break into a cold sweat. Often only the most valuable pieces are neatly organized, while thousands of less rare cards end up scattered in piles because sorting them properly would take far too long.
A new Kickstarter campaign claims to offer the solution – a sorting machine built specifically for trading cards. At its core is an AI-powered scanner that identifies each card individually, recognizing details such as name, color, set, mana symbols and foil effects. It can also sort by rarity, card type or market value. A rail system then gently moves the cards into padded output trays. According to the creators, the machine has even been tested with high-value cards like the legendary Black Lotus. The only drawback: cards must be removed from their protective sleeves first.
Users can set their preferred sorting criteria via a touchscreen menu. At the same time, each scanned card is uploaded to a web portal accessible from any device. There, collections can be filtered, exported to platforms like Moxfield, TCGPlayer or eBay, and tracked for value over time. Planned features include deck syncing, insurance options and AI-driven condition grading. Sustainability is also a key focus: the CardMill uses recyclable components, ships in plastic-free packaging and comes with teardown instructions to help extend its lifespan. At launch, the device will support six different trading card games:
- Magic: The Gathering
- Pokémon
- Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Lorcana
- Star Wars Unlimited
- Flesh and Blood
Funding target exceeded by over 400%
Launched on June 10 with a funding goal of $350,000, the project hit its target in just 24 minutes. Since then, more than 3,100 backers have pledged over $1.5 million – more than four times the original goal. The campaign runs until August 19. According to Kickstarter, the CardMill is priced between $400 and $575 with no subscription fees. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in December 2025, initially limited to the US. International shipping may follow at a later stage.
Source(s)
Image source: CardMill via YouTube
