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Basically I'm wondering how long Magic cards are actually printed/in production. IE: Being made.

I would assume it's just whatever is in the standard block? but it could go further back. Wizards has a reprint policy, but it has more to do with specific cards and not decks as a whole.

Thanks!

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    depends on how the set sells, usually there is a second print run, sometimes a third...
    – Affe
    Jul 30, 2013 at 17:52

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I cannot speak towards any product printed and packaged for general consumption (ie. booster boxes, theme decks, special sets such as Planeshift or Commander, and Fat Packs, among others), but Wizards does list redemption guarantee dates for sets redeemable from Magic: the Gathering Online.

From their Magic Online Product Release & Redemption Schedule:

As a general rule, Magic Online sets will be available for redemption roughly one month after they are released. If a redeemable set runs out of stock before its Redemption Guarantee Date, the set will be reprinted. After a redeemable set's Redemption Guaranteed Date has passed, such set will be available while supplies last or until its Cutoff Date, whichever comes first. All cutoff times are 9:00 AM.

At the very least, it appears that Wizards will print new product at least until approximately one month after a set rotates out of the Standard Format (if the initial print run is not sufficient to meet the Magic: Online redemption demand.)

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    Here is an article on wizards.com which explains how a card goes from conception to print. Magic the Gathering cards are printed by a company called Carta Mundi. I was going to theorize that sets are just printed in one run and warehoused for distribution, but your answer has specific details on how long a set is printed. It seems you only have to look at Magic Online Redemption Guarantee Dates to see how long a set is in production. Good answer.
    – ghoppe
    Jul 30, 2013 at 17:57
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    I think if that ever actually happened someone in supply chain management would be looking for a new job :)
    – Affe
    Jul 30, 2013 at 18:03
  • @Affe I agree. Though if a set turned out to be surprisingly very popular, I can see there being more print runs within the window. Similarly if a set bombed, there probably wouldn't be reprints and a good deal of surplus stock (like Fallen Empires back in the day).
    – amcintosh
    Jul 31, 2013 at 12:17
  • I do know for a fact that the Innistrad set stopped being printed several months before rotating out of standard, meaning your final statement is incorrect.
    – bengoesboom
    Jul 31, 2013 at 17:09
  • @bengoesboom My final statement is predicated upon Wizards following their own policy, which means that if they run out of redeemable product before 10/31/13, they will print more Innistrad.
    – LJ2
    Jul 31, 2013 at 19:05

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