How to ship Magic cards to a buylist

Once a shop has accepted your buylist order, the cards have to arrive in the condition you graded them. This guide covers how to protect, pack and post a TCG collection so that nothing moves in transit and nothing is deducted on arrival.

Get tracking and insurance for your shipments.

Sleeves and toploaders

Preparing your cards

• Most vendors require a specific sorting order. Do not skip this.
• Do not forget to include your order number with a buylist order.

Protecting your cards

• Minimize empty space so cards cannot move or shift
• Remove cards from binders and sleeves
• To protect high end cards, place each between two sleeves
• Ensure cards cannot be bent in the package

De-sleeving fee: many vendors charge $20+ for collections with 100+ sleeved cards because of the labor.

What not to use

• Rubber bands (can leave marks)
• Paper clips (can scratch cards)
• Excessive tape (damages cards during removal)
• Newspaper (ink can transfer)
• Thin cardboard boxes (crush easily)

Choosing a mailer

Card quantities and shipping costs

• Under 20 cards and under $50: plain envelope with inner protection
• Under 400 cards: deck box or boxes in a bubble mailer (~$3-5)
• Over 400 cards: storage box or boxes (~$8-25)

Weight guidelines

• 1 Magic card: 1.775 grams (0.063 oz)
• 80 cards: a 1-inch stack
• 540 cards: the weight of a booster box (2.1 lbs)

Boxes and materials

For small collections under 400 cards, place the cards in deck boxes such as a hinged trading card box and ship inside a bubble mailer, around $5 of postage. For a large collection over 400 cards, use cardboard storage boxes inside a flat rate box, $8 to $25 of postage. When searching for boxes or cases, Magic: The Gathering cards are 60mm x 91mm.

Essential supplies:

• Bubble wrap: prevents shifting during transit
• Packing peanuts: fills empty space
• Packing paper: cushions contents
• Painter's tape: easy removal without residue
• Bubble mailers: combines bubble and envelope for simplicity

The packing process:

1. Secure cards in appropriate storage containers
2. Fill empty space with bubble wrap or packing peanuts
3. Ensure contents cannot shift when the box is shaken
4. Seal with quality packing tape
5. Label clearly with "FRAGILE" and "DO NOT BEND"

Postage and tracking

USPS plain white envelope

• Lowest cost method
• Best for under $50
• Works up to 26 cards, as shown in this video guide

USPS flat rate, best for larger collections

• Flat Rate boxes up to 70 lbs
• Free boxes and supplies
• Competitive pricing for card collections
• Reliable tracking

• Small Flat Rate Box: $9.65 (up to ~1,000 cards)
• Medium Flat Rate Box: $16.65 (up to ~4,300 cards)
• Large Flat Rate Box: $22.65 (up to ~6,400 cards)

Use PirateShip.com for discounted USPS labels and home pickup scheduling.

FedEx and UPS

FedEx starts around $9.72 and offers professional packing services, excellent tracking and insurance options, which suits high-value shipments. UPS starts around $8.95, with retail locations that pack for you and a reliable network for large, heavy shipments.

Addressing and labels

• Print labels clearly, and handwrite in ALL CAPS
• Include a return address
• Include the order number on the exterior
• Add "FRAGILE" and "DO NOT BEND" labels

Insuring a valuable parcel

Always buy tracking, and insure anything high-value: an uninsured parcel is your loss, not the shop's. For plain envelopes, TcgTracking.com adds tracking and up to $50 of insurance. Above that, ship flat rate, FedEx or UPS and declare the value. If a single card carries most of the parcel's value, check what the shop is actually paying for it before deciding how much cover to buy.

What the shop does when it arrives

The shop verifies the condition and authenticity of every card before it pays you. Cards graded more generously than the shop grades them are repriced or rejected, and vendors will often charge return shipping or deduct egregious errors from your payout. A collection that arrives sorted the way the vendor asked, with the order number in the parcel, gets processed faster; one that arrives with 100+ sleeved cards can pick up a de-sleeving fee of $20 or more.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Over-taping: use minimal tape with pull tabs
2. Under-padding: cards should not move when the box is shaken
3. Wrong box size: too large allows shifting, too small risks crushing
4. No tracking: always get tracking
5. Poor addressing: sloppy handwritten addresses cause delivery issues
6. No insurance: protect high-value shipments with insurance

Time-saving tip: fold your order slip around the cards instead of using tape. This provides extra protection and eliminates tape removal issues.