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API for card search

API for card search

You need to ship a finance-facing card search and pricing feature this week—think search-as-you-type for sports cards plus recent sales prices you can chart and use for valuation. By the end of this post, you will be able to search for trading cards and pull time-series prices using production-ready endpoints from Zyla API Hub, wire them into your pricing or portfolio logic, and even call them from an AI agent via MCP.

What this API delivers for finance workflows

The Sports Card and Trading Card API returns searchable card metadata and time-series price data. Developers building finance-style apps for alternative assets—portfolio trackers, price alerts, valuation dashboards, or analytics—use it to:

  • Resolve free-text search (“Lebron topps chrome rc psa 10”) into clean identifiers, including a stable card_id and set metadata.
  • Query recent prices by card and grade to power charts, risk scoring, and mark-to-market calculations.

All calls run on Zyla API Hub, which provides one account, one API key, and a subscription + quota model across more than 10,000 public APIs. For this API, you can start a 7-day trial from its marketplace page, then continue under subscription and quota (no pay-per-call).

Getting started on Zyla API Hub

  1. Open the API’s marketplace page and start the trial: Start 7-day trial on Sports Card and Trading Card API.
  2. Click Subscribe or Start Free Trial (when available) to get your API key.
  3. Send requests with the header Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY to the endpoints below.

If you’re new to Zyla, you can also browse categories and manage subscriptions at zylalabs.com. The subscription uses quotas, not pay-per-call. For current access options and pricing, check the API page.

Endpoint: Card Search

Search trading cards with fuzzy matching and receive a JSON list of candidates plus metadata. This is your resolver from a user’s free-text query to a canonical card_id you can use for pricing fetches.

  • Method: GET
  • URL: https://zylalabs.com/api/2511/sports-card-and-trading-card-api/2494/card-search
  • Query param:
    • search (string, required): Lebron James

cURL request

curl -s -X GET "https://zylalabs.com/api/2511/sports-card-and-trading-card-api/2494/card-search?search=Lebron+James" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Official JSON example

[
{
"description": "LeBron James 2003 Topps Basketball",
"player": "Lebron James",
"set": "2003 Topps Basketball",
"number": "221",
"variant": "Base",
"card_id": "1588290260620x609083468203688000",
"image": "//s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1588290324330x374737296708651100/2003-Topps-Basketball-LeBron-James-graded.jpg",
"category": "Basketball",
"category_group": "Sports Cards",
"set_type": "Topps Basketball"
},
{
"description": "LeBron James 2003 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives Basketball",
"player": "Lebron James",
"set": "2003 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives Basketball",
"number": "1",
"variant": "Base",
"card_id": "1593982609906x272877681796710400",
"image": "//s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1593982606419x316822824595257800/2003-Upper-Deck-Rookie-Exclusives-Lebron-James-1.jpg",
"category": "Basketball",
"category_group": "Sports Cards",
"set_type": "Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives Basketball"
},
{
"description": "LeBron James 2025 Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Basketball",
"player": "LeBron James",
"set": "2025 Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Basketball",
"number": "46",
"variant": "Base",
"card_id": "1782184797693x851477815192830800",
"image": "//s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1598843985116x489100344198574160/05-Basketball.jpg",
"category": "Basketball",
"category_group": "Sports Cards",
"set_type": "Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Basketball"
},
{
"description": "LeBron James 2003 Topps Chrome Basketball",
"player": "Lebron James",
"set": "2003 Topps Chrome Basketball",
"number": "111",
"variant": "Base",
"card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",
"image": "//942284f33c575895b4be9de571ca6e40.cdn.bubble.io/d112/f1766768512710x492230808547762700/resize",
"category": "Basketball",
"category_group": "Sports Cards",
"set_type": "Topps Chrome Basketball"
},
{
"description": "LeBron James 2024 Panini Prizm Basketball",
"player": "LeBron James",
"set": "2024 Panini Prizm Basketball",
"number": "130",
"variant": "Base",
"card_id": "1740403688997x505339465151470000",
"image": "//942284f33c575895b4be9de571ca6e40.cdn.bubble.io/d112/f1757384268822x692013733346557700/resize",…

Key fields you will use in finance contexts:

  • card_id: stable identifier to fetch prices and join across your datastore.
  • description, set, number, variant: canonical labeling for portfolio rows and valuation reports.
  • image: render a thumbnail alongside price charts and positions.

Python example: search, choose a card, and prepare for pricing

import requests

API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"
q = "Lebron James"

resp = requests.get(
"https://zylalabs.com/api/2511/sports-card-and-trading-card-api/2494/card-search",
params={"search": q},
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
timeout=30,
)
resp.raise_for_status()
cards = resp.json()

# Pick a candidate with clear set/number, keep its card_id for pricing
for c in cards:
print(f"{c.get('description')} | #{c.get('number')} | id={c.get('card_id')}")
# Example downstream selection:
target = next((c for c in cards if c.get("card_id") == "1586412050491x786559417729941500"), None)
if target:
print("Selected:", target["description"], "->", target["card_id"])

Endpoint: Get Card Prices

Pull recent price points for a specific card and grade. Use the card_id from Card Search to query. The result is a time series suitable for charting, moving averages, trend detection, and portfolio valuation pipelines.

  • Method: GET
  • URL: https://zylalabs.com/api/2511/sports-card-and-trading-card-api/2495/get-card-prices
  • Query params:
    • card_id (string, required): 1586412050491x786559417729941500
    • days (string, required): 90
    • grade (string, required): PSA 10

cURL request

Example JSON

[
{
"closing_date": "2026-08-03T23:59:00.000Z",
"Grade": "PSA 10",
"card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",
"price": "16150.00"
},
{
"closing_date": "2026-08-01T23:59:00.000Z",
"Grade": "PSA 10",
"card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",
"price": "18250.00"
},
{
"closing_date": "2026-07-31T23:59:00.000Z",
"Grade": "PSA 10",
"card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",
"price": "17900.00"
},
{
"closing_date": "2026-07-27T23:59:00.000Z",
"Grade": "PSA 10",
"card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",
"price": "17303.00"
},
{
"closing_date": "2026-07-21T23:59:00.000Z",
"Grade": "PSA 10",
"card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",
"price": "17373.00"
},
{
"closing_date": "2026-07-17T23:59:00.000Z",
"Grade": "PSA 10",
"card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",
"price": "15337.20"
},
{
"closing_date": "2026-07-15T23:59:00.000Z",
"Grade": "PSA 10",
"card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",…

Notes for finance implementations:

  • closing_date is an ISO 8601 timestamp with Z-suffix (UTC). Align your charting and cache invalidation on UTC to avoid off-by-one-day issues.
  • price is a stringified numeric value. Parse to decimal/number type appropriate for your stack to avoid floating-point rounding errors.
  • Grade is a string such as “PSA 10”; use it for labeling and to enforce grade-specific valuation rules.

Compose: from search to price series

Typical flow:

  1. Call Card Search with a user’s input.
  2. Let the user confirm the exact card (set, number, variant).
  3. Use the returned card_id with Get Card Prices for the desired grade and lookback window.
  4. Compute metrics: 7/30/90-day averages, volatility approximations, drawdowns, and percent changes.

Practical integration details that save time

  • Authorization: pass Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY on every request.
  • Caching: for price endpoints, a short cache window per card_id and grade (e.g., hourly) is typically sufficient for dashboards while reducing quota usage.
  • Timezones: treat closing_date as UTC. Normalize all downstream calculations to UTC before bucketing by day/week.
  • Search UX: issue Card Search on input change with a small debounce (e.g., 200–300ms). Persist the selected card_id in your positions.
  • Error handling: surface “no results” gracefully; allow power users to refine queries by adding set, year, and card number to the search string.

Example: build a card valuation widget

Below is a minimal, two-step flow you can wire into a finance dashboard:

  1. Search “Lebron James” and list candidates with description, set, number, and card_id.
  2. When the user selects the “2003 Topps Chrome Basketball #111” card_id 1586412050491x786559417729941500 and chooses grade “PSA 10”, fetch a 90-day price series and plot it. Persist the latest price as your position’s valuation.

Because the API returns clean identifiers and timestamps, you can compute rolling averages and P/L using your existing portfolio code paths.

Calling the API from AI agents via MCP

If you prefer to orchestrate the search and price calls from an AI agent (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf), you can route them through Zyla’s MCP endpoint. Point your MCP-compatible client to:

MCP

Use your Zyla API key and have the agent invoke the two HTTPS endpoints shown above with the same Authorization header and query parameters. This allows agents to resolve a card_id and fetch price time series within a single tool call sequence.

Finance-focused use cases you can ship this week

  • Mark-to-market portfolio: store card_id and grade per position; refresh via Get Card Prices and compute unrealized P/L.
  • Price alerts: trigger notifications when the latest price crosses a threshold or deviates X% from a moving average.
  • Valuation cards in watchlists: search once, pin the card_id, and render current and trailing prices beside ticker-like tiles.
  • Risk dashboards: derive rolling volatility from the time series for grade-specific risk scoring across alternative assets.

Troubleshooting and validation

  • Empty or noisy search: enrich the search string with year, set, or card number to tighten fuzzy matches.
  • Multiple variants: present the variant and set_type in your UI so users pick the right one before pricing.
  • Decimals: parse price as Decimal/BigNumber to avoid rounding drift in portfolio totals.
  • Data refresh cadence: if you snapshot daily NAVs, bucket by closing_date (UTC) to keep consistent daily bars.

Where to manage access and quotas

All access is provisioned through Zyla API Hub under a subscription + quota model (no pay-per-call). First-time access typically starts with a 7-day trial or 50 requests. For availability and exact details, use the API’s item page. You can view and manage your subscriptions across categories on zylalabs.com.

FAQ

What header do I use for auth?
Use Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY on every request.

How do I get prices for a specific card?
First resolve the card with Card Search to obtain card_id, then call Get Card Prices with card_id, days, and grade.

What timezone are timestamps in?
closing_date values are in UTC (Z-suffix ISO 8601). Normalize your analytics to UTC to avoid boundary issues.

Can I chart prices directly from the response?
Yes. Iterate over the array, parse price to a numeric type, and plot by closing_date in ascending order.

Is there a free plan?
Access is subscription + quota based. Check the API page for current access options and pricing; you can start a 7-day trial from the item page.

Ready to add card search and pricing to your finance app? Start the trial, get your key, and ship the integration today: Sports Card and Trading Card API.

Official API response

[
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2003 Topps Basketball",
        "player": "Lebron James",
        "set": "2003 Topps Basketball",
        "number": "221",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1588290260620x609083468203688000",
        "image": "//s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1588290324330x374737296708651100/2003-Topps-Basketball-LeBron-James-graded.jpg",
        "category": "Basketball",
        "category_group": "Sports Cards",
        "set_type": "Topps Basketball"
    },
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2003 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives Basketball",
        "player": "Lebron James",
        "set": "2003 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives Basketball",
        "number": "1",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1593982609906x272877681796710400",
        "image": "//s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1593982606419x316822824595257800/2003-Upper-Deck-Rookie-Exclusives-Lebron-James-1.jpg",
        "category": "Basketball",
        "category_group": "Sports Cards",
        "set_type": "Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives Basketball"
    },
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2025 Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Basketball",
        "player": "LeBron James",
        "set": "2025 Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Basketball",
        "number": "46",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1782184797693x851477815192830800",
        "image": "//s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1598843985116x489100344198574160/05-Basketball.jpg",
        "category": "Basketball",
        "category_group": "Sports Cards",
        "set_type": "Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Basketball"
    },
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2003 Topps Chrome Basketball",
        "player": "Lebron James",
        "set": "2003 Topps Chrome Basketball",
        "number": "111",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",
        "image": "//942284f33c575895b4be9de571ca6e40.cdn.bubble.io/d112/f1766768512710x492230808547762700/resize",
        "category": "Basketball",
        "category_group": "Sports Cards",
        "set_type": "Topps Chrome Basketball"
    },
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2024 Panini Prizm Basketball",
        "player": "LeBron James",
        "set": "2024 Panini Prizm Basketball",
        "number": "130",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1740403688997x505339465151470000",
        "image": "//942284f33c575895b4be9de571ca6e40.cdn.bubble.io/d112/f1757384268822x692013733346557700/resize",…

Official API response

[
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2003 Topps Basketball",
        "player": "Lebron James",
        "set": "2003 Topps Basketball",
        "number": "221",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1588290260620x609083468203688000",
        "image": "//s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1588290324330x374737296708651100/2003-Topps-Basketball-LeBron-James-graded.jpg",
        "category": "Basketball",
        "category_group": "Sports Cards",
        "set_type": "Topps Basketball"
    },
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2003 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives Basketball",
        "player": "Lebron James",
        "set": "2003 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives Basketball",
        "number": "1",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1593982609906x272877681796710400",
        "image": "//s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1593982606419x316822824595257800/2003-Upper-Deck-Rookie-Exclusives-Lebron-James-1.jpg",
        "category": "Basketball",
        "category_group": "Sports Cards",
        "set_type": "Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives Basketball"
    },
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2025 Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Basketball",
        "player": "LeBron James",
        "set": "2025 Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Basketball",
        "number": "46",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1782184797693x851477815192830800",
        "image": "//s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1598843985116x489100344198574160/05-Basketball.jpg",
        "category": "Basketball",
        "category_group": "Sports Cards",
        "set_type": "Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Basketball"
    },
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2003 Topps Chrome Basketball",
        "player": "Lebron James",
        "set": "2003 Topps Chrome Basketball",
        "number": "111",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1586412050491x786559417729941500",
        "image": "//942284f33c575895b4be9de571ca6e40.cdn.bubble.io/d112/f1766768512710x492230808547762700/resize",
        "category": "Basketball",
        "category_group": "Sports Cards",
        "set_type": "Topps Chrome Basketball"
    },
    {
        "description": "LeBron James 2024 Panini Prizm Basketball",
        "player": "LeBron James",
        "set": "2024 Panini Prizm Basketball",
        "number": "130",
        "variant": "Base",
        "card_id": "1740403688997x505339465151470000",
        "image": "//942284f33c575895b4be9de571ca6e40.cdn.bubble.io/d112/f1757384268822x692013733346557700/resize",…

Ready to use Zyla API HUB?

Try it now!

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