How to safely package cards for shipping
A card that leaves as Near Mint should also arrive as Near Mint. That's almost entirely a matter of packaging.
A package that gets damaged in transit costs you money: the condition on arrival determines what ultimately gets paid out. The good news is that protecting cards isn't expensive or complicated.
Sleeve everything
Put every card you ship in a penny sleeve. They cost next to nothing and they keep out moisture, fingerprints and scuffing. Cards that slide loosely against each other in an envelope end up with scratches — that's exactly the kind of damage that costs a card a condition grade.
Toploader or semi-rigid for anything with value
Anything that's actually worth money goes in a toploader or a semi-rigid holder. These prevent bends, and a bend is irreversible. For stacks of cheaper cards, it's enough to keep them sleeved together and protect that stack as a whole.
No rubber bands on your cards
Never put a rubber band directly around cards. It cuts into the edges and leaves permanent marks, even through sleeves. If you want to keep a stack together, use a team bag or place the stack between two pieces of cardboard.
Make sure nothing can shift
Fill the empty space in your box or envelope. A package that rattles is a package in which cards bang against the walls during sorting at the carrier. Some padding — paper, cardboard, bubble wrap — costs you nothing and makes all the difference.
Slabs and sealed product belong in a box
A graded slab is rigid plastic and breaks on a hard impact; sealed product quickly gets dented in a padded envelope. Use a sturdy box instead of a bag for these, with padding all around.
Keep your proof of shipment
Ship with track & trace and keep the proof. As long as a package is in transit, that's the only way you can show it was actually sent. Also put your reference number inside the package, so that upon arrival it's immediately clear who the shipment is from.
In short
- Every card in a sleeve
- Toploader or semi-rigid for anything with value
- No rubber bands directly on cards
- Pad until nothing shifts anymore
- Sturdy box for slabs and sealed
- Track & trace and keep the proof