It is important to take steps to ensure that your collectibles are properly protected and arrive at their destination in good condition. The following best practices will keep your item safe in transit and reduce the need to file insurance claims.
Specifically, insurance requires items to be “packed sufficiently to withstand normal rigors of transit”. The following best practices will ensure the items are safe in transit and ensure that you have met and exceeded your obligations.
- Shipping is at the seller’s discretion, but preferred couriers are USPS, FedEx, and UPS. Media mail is not an acceptable form of shipping. As a best practice, it is recommended you have 2 layers of packing such as a bubble mailer within a box, a box within a larger box, and so on. Bubble wrap, packing peanuts, cardboard layers, etc. are all highly recommended. No one likes damage during shipping and the resulting return requests that come as the result of poor packing. All wax shipments should be packaged securely inside of an exterior box. Boxes and cases shipped solely in the original factory packaging risk damage that may be unacceptable to the buyer and run a higher risk of being stolen through the delivery process.
- Regardless of the chosen courier, sellers are strongly encouraged to both insure their shipments for the full purchase price (through available shipping or collectible protection), to save proof of shipment and to always require a signature at the time of delivery. For higher dollar items USPS Registered Mail is a highly recommended option. If a seller chooses not to take these simple common sense precautions, options to help them in the event of a lost or damaged package become very limited. Ultimately it is the seller's sole responsibility to make sure their customers receive the item that was purchased in the condition in which it was listed.
- All packages over $700 require signature
- If trading cards, the item must be contained in a hard plastic slab during transit
- Slab must be in a cardboard box surrounded by packing peanuts, packing paper, bubble wrap or similar for higher valued, insured items.
- Thick, rigid cardboard cut to slightly over the size of the item and inserted on top and bottom of the card, then shipped in a bubble mailer can be used for lower valued items.
- Minimum requirements:
Toploader
- minimum thickness of 1" when shipping higher valued, insured items in a box
- minimum thickness of 3/4" if using bubble mailer method
- place painter’s/masking tape across the top to ensure the card doesn’t come out or be placed securely in a team bag. Do not use scotch tape or packing tape as they will leave a residue.
Magnetic
- minimum thickness of 1" when shipping higher valued, insured items in a box
- minimum thickness of 3/4" if using bubble mailer method
- Painter's/masking tape should be used
Sealed
- minimum thickness of 1" when shipping higher valued, insured items in a box
- minimum thickness of 3/4" if using bubble mailer method
Card boxes
- Fill space on either side of the cards to make sure there is no room to move
- Place the card box in a second cardboard box
Other
- Raw and graded card lots should be shipped dependent on size, in accordance with the guidelines above but should have allowances based off of singular items meaning a 3 slab shipment wouldn't need a 3" box as you could fit them just as safely and securely in a USPS priority box as you could with a raw card set of say 400 cards should be shipped more in accordance with how one would ship sealed wax.
- After shipping, sellers should share tracking details with the buyer within 3 business days from the time of sale. This is the respectful, courteous thing to do as it automatically lets your buyer know that things are moving along as expected. If you choose not to purchase tracking, you will forfeit all protection in the event of a claim.