posted on March 30, 2002 04:35:28 AM
I am selling some trading cards for the first time. Can other card sellers tell me how you mail them? Do you put them between card, use padded mailers etc? Thank for your help in advance, there are some great helpers on this board, I really appreciate you all.
posted on March 30, 2002 05:16:58 AM
How many trading cards are you sending?
If it is between 1-4 cards the standard is to put it in a top loader. For those folks not into trading cards a top loader is a rigid plastic sleeve. If you are shipping 1-3 I'd recomend putting it in a soft sleeve then into a top loader (if the cards have a high dollar value). Top loaders are pretty tight and can only hold 3 with a soft sleeve and 4 without. Once it is in a top loader you can simply put it in a regular envelope.......top loaders are pretty tough you won't need anything else.
Now if you are talking about 10+ cards then I'd wrap the bundle in a sheet of paper and put it into a small bubble mailer.
If you sold a lot of them in bulk like 200+ then the standard shipping method is to go to a local gaming/card/hobby shop and get the small cube white box and ship it in that. The small cubes cost $.50-$.75 cents.
posted on March 30, 2002 05:17:44 AM
This is what I do when I mail trading cards, postcards, comic books, stereoview cards, books, etc. I wrap the item in plastic, be it a grocery sack or I like to take extra bags at the produce section and I then put the item safely between two pieces of cardboard. I got a ton of it at a local auction. Bought an entire pallet of cardboard pieces for $5.00 and then I tape the cardboard pieces together...making sure I don't get any tape on the item. Then I put it in a padded envelope. I buy them in bulk from online stores such as uline.com, etc. I then put a label on the envelope that says: Do NOT BEND!! I make those on my own printer. Works great and I have never had a problem with them.
Good luck and enjoy!
There's no danger of developing eyestrain from looking at the bright side of things!
posted on March 30, 2002 06:45:26 AM
Soft plastic sleeve, then wrapped in plastic w/1 piece tape on back, sandwiched between two pieces of fresh 200 lb cardboard cut on a table razor so that there is 3/4" excess on all sides, 4 pieces of wide plastic tape to seal (1 on each edge), FRAGILE: DO NOT BEND label, return address label, addressee label covered with 1 piece wide plastic tape. Total cost about 5 cents. Important: When cutting, set cardboard pieces so that ridges in top piece are at a right angle to those in the bottom piece. Adds significantly to strength and prevents creasing.
Takes about 1 minute to package, is 99%waterproof, works for sports cards, trade cards, postcards, etc. Has satisfied everyone so far including high end collectors.
posted on March 30, 2002 07:30:33 AM
Don't ever load more than 2 cards in a toploader, it can cause damage to the cards.
For expensive cards, put in soft sleeve, put in toploader, and then put in team bag. Don't ever put more than one high value card into a toploader, you're just asking to get negged. Mail in bubble envelope.
For inexpensive cards, you can put up to 2 in a softsleeve and into a toploader. You can use a plain envelope as long as you use a couple blank sheets of paper wrapped around the toploaders, otherwise it is possible for the toploader to cut through the envelope.
Until you grasped the coordination for the toploaders, however, you shouldn't put more than one in or you can damage the cards when you put them in. You can practice this on some throwaway common cards.
posted on March 30, 2002 12:50:22 PM
I appreciate all the help. Forgive my ignorance, I have NO IDEA what a top loader is!! I am Canadian, so they may be called something different here. Also, what is a soft sleeve, is it like a baggie? My auctions are from 1-12 cards each listing, unless someone buys more than one lot. None of them are of great value, but I always want to send things packed as well as possible whatever the cost. I thought of putting them in stiff plastic from photograph album sleeves, and then putting them betweent he cardboard and taping as suggested by bdunique, I take it I can then put them in a regular mailer with "Do not bend" on them?
posted on March 30, 2002 01:30:20 PM
A top loader is a rather strange name but basically it is 2 sheets of semi rigid plastic bonded together and you can slide only a couple cards inside. I have never come across a bent top loader as they are pretty tough. A pack of 50 would run you about $1.50
A soft sleeve is like a protective skin to prevent cards from getting surface scratches. They are not rigid as the plastic is the same as what sandwich baggies are made of. A bag of 100 costs about $.50
If you get top loaders and soft sleeves you don't need to cut and deal with cardboard pieces.
If you do want to use cardboard you will still need soft sleeves to prevent scratches.
No matter how you ship the cards you have to get the soft sleeves. Not only does it prevent scratches, but it is kinda like card trading etiquette. Even when I trade cards in person I'll have some soft sleeves on hand.
and I then put the item safely between two pieces of cardboard. I got a ton of it at a local auction. Bought an entire pallet of cardboard pieces for $5.00 and then I tape the cardboard pieces together...making sure I don't get any tape on the item. Then I put it in a padded envelope. I buy them in bulk from online stores such as uline.com, etc. I then put a label on the envelope that says: Do NOT BEND!! I make those on my own printer. Works great and I have never had a problem with them.