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Packaging Guide

How to pack your cards safely for shipping. No special material needed. With a few simple rules your cards arrive safely.

The essentials at a glance

How to do it right

Stack cards compactly so they can't move around in the parcel

Pack cards in cardboard or metal boxes (e.g. tins)

Fill empty spaces in the box with paper or bubble wrap

Put valuable cards in sleeves or toploaders

Use a sturdy box or a padded envelope

Please avoid this

Throwing cards loosely into a big box

Rubber bands directly around cards (they leave pressure marks)

Sleeving every cheap card individually (unnecessary effort)

Tape directly on cards

Packing collections

For collections it's enough to stack the cards neatly and make sure nothing wobbles:

Stack in rows

Stand the cards in rows. This uses the space optimally and the cards support each other. Cardboard or metal boxes (e.g. tins) work excellently as inner containers.

Fill gaps

If the cards don't fill the whole box, stuff the gaps with crumpled paper, kitchen roll or bubble wrap.

Sturdy box

Use a sturdy shipping box. The box has to survive the postal journey without buckling.

Binders and folders

Cards in binders can stay in the binder. Place the binder in a sturdy box and pad the gaps with paper so it doesn't shift.

✓ This is what good packaging can look like

✗ Better not like this

Protecting valuable cards

For more expensive cards a bit of extra protection is worthwhile, since the condition affects the buying price:

Card sleeves

Put valuable cards (from around 10 € market value) into soft sleeves (penny sleeves). These cost almost nothing and protect against scratches.

Toploader

For especially valuable cards (from around 30 €): put the card in a soft sleeve and then into a toploader (a rigid plastic holder). This offers maximum protection.

Close the toploader with a strip of tape at the top so the card doesn't slide out. But never stick the tape directly on the card or the sleeve, only on the toploader itself.

Important: Packaging is crucial, because the condition in which the cards arrive at me is what gets valued. So make sure especially valuable cards are well protected. Shipping damage lowers the card value.

Shipping

From 50 € collection value

You get a link from me to create a free DHL shipping label. Enter your address, print the label, stick it on and drop the parcel off at a DHL branch, a parcel shop or a Packstation. Free shipping applies within Germany only.

Under 50 € collection value

You cover the shipping costs yourself. I recommend insured shipping (e.g. by DHL parcel), as I can't be liable for any loss with uninsured shipping.

Send in your collection