Chapter 2 Of Learning Pokemonthe Pokemon Tcg Buyers Guide Booster Packs Boxes And Decks
Learning Pokemon TCG is a series of blogs and videos that teaches you everything you need to know to start playing! This series is updated regularly to ensure all information is accurate.
Once you know how to play the Pokemon TCG, the next step is to buy what you need to do it! One of the best, and sometimes most overwhelming, elements of Pokemon is the massive amount of cards available.
If youre looking for a fast and easy way to try the Pokemon TCG, we recommend buying a couple of theme decks. These are pre-constructed, ready-to-play decks that allow anyone to start playing right away.
While theme decks are incredibly convenient, they are only the beginning of what is available to play the game. In this chapter, we cover everything you need to know to decide how you want to collect the Pokemon TCG!
Pokemon Card Singles By Media Mail Arent Cheaper
From what I had heard about USPSs Media Mail, I thought a person would be saving a substantial amount of money by sending pokemon cards using the shipping service.
However, when I started looking at the price of Media Mail shipping compared to regular First Class, I was surprised to see in most instances for the average collector, it is more expensive to ship Pokemon cards by Media Mail.
| Weight |
USPSs Media Mail starts their prices at $2.89 for up to 1 lb. of weight.
Even if you only use a fraction of that weight allowance, they will still charge you $2.89 for just using the service.;
This minimum weight allowance creates some issues for the average Pokemon card collector when you start to examine the pricing structure.;
To get any savings from using the Media Mail as a shipping method you need to be sending more than 10 oz. of Pokemon cards through USPS.;
Just how many Pokemon cards is that?;
| Number Of Pokémon Cards | |
| 166 | 10 oz. |
Well, if the average weight of a Pokemon card is 0.06 oz. we need to be sending around 166 Pokemon cards to a single individual before we start to see any savings using Media Mail over First Class Mail Envelopes.
Even if you try to account for the fact that the cards you will be sending will be in card protectors, adding to the weight and reducing the cards needed to reach the 10 oz. threshold, you still need to send a large number of cards before it starts to make sense as a shipping option.;
How To Economically Ship Cards And Get 5
With eBay now charging percentage-based final value fees on shipping, it is becoming harder for sports card sellers to keep up a healthy profit margin.
Many sellers have increased their shipping fees to combat the revised charges. Here’s a simple, cost-effective way to trim your shipping costs when selling trading cards on eBay.
I charge $2.50 for the first card and $0.50 for each additional card. I use first-class service. This allows me to advertise expedited shipping. I can also use eBay’s postal service.
The benefits:
- I can advertise expedited shipping.
- It saves me a trip to the post office.
- It provides delivery confirmation, which alerts both parties when the item has shipped and provided added protection against non-delivery claims.
Here are my actual shipping and handling costs when sending a card . Obviously, the individual costs will differ by the seller and postage itself is always increasing.
- Penny Sleeve: $0.01
- 4 x 6 Bubble Mailer : $0.20
- Shipping cost from eBay: $1.75
Total Cost: $2.05
This leaves plenty of room to cover eBay’s final value fees and about $0.45 in extra profit for every transaction in addition to the money made on the item sold.
With the fast, safe and up-front costs clearly stated, customers appreciate the extra time and effort taken and usually leave the coveted five-star feedback rating.
Find the best deals on card shipping supplies below:
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Pokemon Cards Singles Sets Tins And Ex Cards
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is one of the greatest, fastest growing games of all time! Since 1996 this great game has been wowing kids and adults alike from Japan to the US, and all over the world, with colorful, collectible Pocket Monsters . First launched by Wizards of the Coast, and then taken over by The Pokemon Company, these yellow bordered monsters have been crashing into the world for over twenty years. Collectors and players can both get in on the action on this great game – Gotta catch em all!
Get A Postage Discount
Im always amazed when I get a package from something I bought online and I see the postage reflecting the full retail price.; There are very few reasons that sellers or traders should not be taking advantage of the discounts you receive from printing the labels directly from eBay or PayPal.
The eBay option shows up once you sell an item, and you can access the shipping screens on PayPal by going to www.paypal.com/shipnow.; You get a discount on every shipping option except for stamps.; So using these sites to print your postage saves you money on any first class or priority package when compared to walking up to the post office window.; You can even print the label on regular printer paper if you dont have a label printer! ;
When it comes to packaging, you can get bubble mailers real cheap on eBay, and priority boxes and padded flat rates are free from USPS.; Dont spend more than you need to on packaging!
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How To Properly Ship Trading Cards As The Seller
If this doesn’t belong and you happen to know a better place to ask this question, please let me know.
I’m trying to sale some trading cards on e-bay, namely pokemon cards, but am confused on the shipping. I was planning to use bubble 6×9 envelopes to mail them in, but when trying to list the item it won’t let me select envelope dimensions. I also have some video games that I was planning to ship in slightly larger bubble mailers.
What would be the best way to ship the trading cards? One of the problems is that some of them sell for so little that if I make any mistakes with shipping, I’ll be out money instead of making it. Are bubble mailer envelopes ineligible to buy postage through ebay, and are they a good idea to use in the first place? I’ve heard that the 6×9 bubble mailers can be mailed using special stamps for around $1.20-2.50? Is that anywhere near correct?
I’m not used to selling much on e-bay and I’m just trying to find the best and cheapest method to ship everything in. Again, the main thing I’m confused on is using bubble mailers and the 2 things I’m wanting to ship are trading cards & video games .
Alternatives To Media Mail For Pokemon Cards
Although, to the best of my knowledge, there isnt anything out there like Media Mail that will give you the same kind of rates for shipping large collections of Pokemon cards. However, there are cheaper alternatives than just going to your local post office.
Something I have been hearing a lot about late is a service called Pirate Ship.
Although the company name does not initially inspire confidence in me to ship my expensive cards with, I have heard nothing but positive things about the service that aims to provide you with discount shipping rates when compared to buying directly from your post office.
Although I strongly advise against you trying to sneak Pokemon cards through Media Mail, Ill never say no to saving money that you dont need to spend.
Below Ill link to a great video I found that explains and goes through the process of using the Pirate Ship service so you can decide for yourself if it might be worth your time to try it out.
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Even The Finest Scotch Is Bad When Shipping Cards
One of the most common practices when it comes to shipping cards is placing a piece of tape across the top of a top loader. This is meant to stop the card from slipping out. In theory, this is smart, but there are a couple of things to consider.
Scotch tape is what I see the most. It’s what I used to use. However, it’s wasteful. When I receive a card for my personal collection, I don’t want to have it stored with a big piece of tape on the top loader. When I go to peel the tape off, there’s usually some goop left behind. Not only does it look bad, but it can lead to top loaders sticking together. Worse still is when I’m able to get some of the tape off easily, but not all of it. Now there’s a mix of goop, tape and stickiness.
I also get a lot of cards that have stronger packing tape across the top loader. This has the same issues as Scotch tape and more. Scotch taped top loaders is pretty easy to get into. Most of the time you just have to tear into it and it opens right up. Packing tape is different. I need a knife or scissors to open it. There’s a little added risk that the knife can slip and end up leaving a nasty nick in the top of the card.
Rather than using Scotch tape or packing tape, consider masking tape. It’s plenty strong but when it’s peeled off, it doesn’t leave a sticky residue. It’s also easier to peel off.
Collecting The Pokemon Tcg
Even though there is a seemingly endless number of cards you can collect, you can learn the game and have hours of fun by picking up a few theme decks. Again if you are new to the Pokemon TCG and want to give it a try, we recommend grabbing a few of the newest theme decks, like these below.
Given the number of previously released cards, we also do not recommend trying to catch up by buying booster boxes from older sets. If there are older cards that catch your eye , you can buy individual cards from websites like TCGPlayer.com.
If you play the game and love it, the best way to expand your collection is by keeping up with future sets. Some players only buy a handful of packs when a new set releases and buy the rest of the cards they want as singles. Most, however, buy anywhere between one and three boosters boxes every time a new set is released.;How many boxes you buy really depends on your budget and the experience you want to have.
Buying one booster box;is enough to give you a variety of cards from a set. This will let you get a feel for the new cards and inform your decision to purchase more packs or buy specific singles. This is a great way to go, particularly if you only plan to play across the kitchen table or are really just looking to enjoy the game with friends and family.
From here, you have a number of options to fill in your collection with specific cards you want.
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Ship Your Cards With The Right Services
With smaller shipments, USPS is your best bet.
If your cards are under a pound & under $1000 in value, use the First Class Package service.
If you are sending more than a pound or $1000 in value, use priority mail.
The best way to know the weight of your package is to use a kitchen scale.
As a small time seller, youll be ok.
But as you send more cards out, its recommended you buy one.
Shipping Pokemon Cards Affordably
If you’re sending that many, you should at least ship in a decently sized bubble mailer. I have a bunch of card board boxes from amazon lying around, so I cut up two pieces and tape cards between them. You can’t really save on shipping costs when you’re shipping with the cheapest possible. Unless you want to train some carrier pigeons. That’d be so wicked.
Shipping up to 3oz with Delivry Confirmation should never cost you more than $2.50ish. That’s for first class mail. It only goes up a few cents per additional ounce. If you ship a lot, buy your bubble mailers on ebay–you can save lie $1 per bubble mailer . If you have more cards than that, ship in a small flat-rate box. It’s $5 plus delivery confirmation, and you get the box for free.
Odd, when I’ve done trades in the past, toploader in the envelop along with a forever stamp always did the trick…Otherwise, up how much you charge for shipping perhaps? You definitely should’ve have to take a loss due to shipping unless you’re like sending a bunch in bulk or something.
You can always try carrier pigeon. They work for bird seed…
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How Should You Tape The Cards
Use Painters Tape, not scotch tape
A common practice when shipping trading cards is using a piece of tape over the top loader.
Most resort to scotch tape.
While scotch tape does protect the card from slipping out.
It can ruin the top loader and the experience for the buyer.
See collectors dont enjoy having tape on the cards when storing them.
It doesnt look appealing & can cause many top loaders to stick together.
And when removing the tape, it leaves residue.
And can be a pain to remove.
Instead of scotch tape, use painters tape.
Its easy to remove
And there is no residue left behind.
Fold the Tape
To make removing the tape even easier for the buyer.
Fold the tape over so there is a small tab.
That way the buyer wont have to use a fingernail to remove the tape if it gets stuck.
Dont over use Tape
Everyone understands the need of protecting a card.
But please, do not overdo the tape on the card.
A buyer shouldnt need to use another tool to take the tape off.
So please make it easy and add the tab.
The worst thing to do is have a collector ruin the card because of overprotection.
Use Two Pieces Of Cardboard For Added Protection
Find some firm cardboard , and cut two pieces of cardboard measuring roughly 5 inches in height and 4 inches in width.
Simply then lay the Pokemon card, which is already in a penny sleeve and rigid card protector, on one piece of the cardboard youve cut out .
Then put the other piece of cardboard over the top, to make what I like to call a cardboard sandwich. All that is left for this step, is to make sure the Pokemon card doesnt slide out so just wrap some tape around each side .
Not only does using the cardboard sandwich provide that ultra-layer of protection against bending, but it also could deter potential postal thieves especially if they cant see what is in the package or padded envelope, aside from cardboard.
Top tip: if youre doing this for a lot of Pokemon cards, make sure to write what Pokemon card is within the cardboard sandwich might save confusion and time.
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Beware The Corners With Cardboard Boxes
When it comes to shipping cards in bulk, like sets and team lots, there’s little choice but to use card boxes. It’s a common practice that’s fine, but you need to take a couple of simple steps to make sure a bunch of the cards don’t end up with damaged corners.
While in process, parcels get tossed around as they go from one place to another. While the postal system does their best to take care of things, there is some basic wear and tear. That means that it’s up to us to take some small precautions.
The main goal of packing a box of cards is to make sure there’s no room for them to move. Most people I’ve dealt with over the years have done a great job of making sure there’s no back and forth shifting, usually with bubble wrap or packing peanuts. However, there’s still a small part of the box that needs protecting, the edges along the top and bottom.
Even though this space is small, it’s easy for the cards to shift back and forth. A tumble off a shelf or a hard toss into a mail box and a good chunk of cards will have a mashed corner.
When I ship in card boxes, I fold up a couple pieces of paper to give some added protection along the edges. Normally, it doesn’t take more than a couple pieces along each edge to do the job.
If you want to be even safer, pack the box well and place it in a bigger box. This will give plenty of protection. That said, the added size could make shipping fees higher.
Look For Rare Pokemon Cards
Some cards could be worth more than others because they have unique features like holofoil or a special symbol. Other cards may not have many copies.;
Heres how to identify rare Pokemon cards.
Rarity Symbols
To determine how common or uncommon a card is, you can look for rarity symbols.
Most Pokemon cards have one of three rarity symbols:
- Stars: Rare
- Diamonds: Semi-rare
- Circles: Common
Cards with a star icon on the back are the rarest and can be worth the most money. You will want to pay closer attention to these rare cards and look for additional special features that add value.
Holofoil
If you collected Pokemon cards as a kid, you likely got excited when a pack of cards contained a holofoil card. They just looked cooler than all the other cards.;
Now theres another reason to be excited about holofoil cards. These cards are more valuable than a standard card thats ink-only. The entire Pokemon image may be holographic or only the reverse side.;
Rare Letters
Certain card series have rare letters stamped on the front.;
Some examples include these stamped letters:
- GX
- LEGEND
- LV.X
These letter stampings can be for recent releases with the United States version of the Sun & Moon set launching in 2016.;
Secret Numbers
Some cards may have a secret number that is higher than the actual number. For example, you might have card number 123 of 100 printed cards.
It can be worth your time to have a professional card grader verify the authenticity and condition of rare cards.;
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