Ship singles safely

Every single, cheap or expensive, gets the same core stack. It takes under a minute and costs a few cents.

1. 1Penny sleeve first. Slide the card into a soft plastic sleeve, holding it by the edges so you never fingerprint the surface. Card in back-first so the sleeve mouth sits at the top.
2. 2Toploader or semi-rigid. Drop the sleeved card into a rigid toploader (standard 35pt for normal cards, thicker for relics). For cards you may grade later, use a semi-rigid Card Saver instead. This is the part that stops bends.
3. 3Seal it in a team bag. Put the toploader into a resealable team bag and fold the flap over. Now the card cannot slide out and it is water resistant. Do not tape the toploader itself.
4. 4Cardboard sandwich. Place the bagged card between two pieces of stiff cardboard cut a little larger than the card, and tape the cardboard closed so nothing shifts. This is what beats sorting machines and letterbox slots.
5. 5Outer mailer. Slide the sandwich into a bubble mailer for normal value, or a rigid cardboard mailer or small box for higher value. Tape all seams. Write nothing about card value on the outside.

Golden rule: the buyer should have to work to bend the parcel. If you can flex it with two fingers, add cardboard.

Match the effort and the shipping service to what the card is worth.

The US untracked "PWE" habit is a gamble on anything but the cheapest bulk. A small tracked parcel or letter costs a little more and gives you both a tracking number, which is the proof if a trade is ever disputed.

Buy consumables in bulk once and your per-order cost drops to cents.

• Penny sleeves (soft sleeves): Ultra Pro, Dragon Shield, KMC or generic. A few cents each.
• Toploaders (rigid 35pt) and semi-rigid Card Savers for anything you may grade.
• Team bags (resealable): holds a toploader, the water-resistant layer.
• Bubble mailers (#000 / #0) and rigid cardboard mailers for chase cards.
• Plain cardboard cut from any box, plus painter's or paper tape (peels clean, never touches the card).

Buy in bulk from a general marketplace, or grab a starter set from a local game or hobby shop. Many post offices and courier points sell mailers and small boxes on the spot.

• Do hold cards by the edges, sleeve before anything else, and tape only cardboard and mailers.
• Do cut a toploader corner or leave the team bag flap so the buyer can open it without forcing the card out.
• Do not put duct tape or clear packing tape directly on a toploader or sleeve. It leaves residue and can lift the surface.
• Do not ship in a bare envelope with no cardboard. Sorting machines and letterboxes bend unsupported cards.
• Do not write the card name or value on the outside of the parcel.

• Tracked is the floor. Use whatever tracked service is cheapest where you are: national post tracked letter or small parcel, or a courier drop-off point. The tracking number, not the method, is what protects you both.
• Insure high value. Above ~75, declared value or insurance is a small percentage and covers loss or damage in transit.
• Prepay for higher value. Cash on delivery is fine for trusted local buyers; for anything valuable, take prepayment first, then ship.
• Send the tracking number in the Foilio chat the moment you post. That timestamped message is your proof the parcel left.

• ✓Card is sleeved, in a toploader or semi-rigid, in a sealed team bag.
• ✓Cardboard sandwich taped so nothing moves. Parcel does not flex.
• ✓Photo of the packed card and the sealed parcel, saved to the order chat.
• ✓Correct service for the value (tracked; insured if high value).
• ✓Buyer's address or pickup point confirmed in writing.
• ✓Tracking number sent to the buyer in the Foilio chat.

Keep the whole exchange in the Foilio chat: agreed price, address, packing photos, tracking. Those timestamped messages protect you and the buyer if anything goes wrong. That record is the thing Facebook groups do not give you.