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Archive (no new threads please) >> Searching, Buying, Paying, Shipping, Storing >> sending mtg via mail?
(Message started by: TerraFrost on Dec 13^th, 2003, 3:58am)

Title: sending mtg via mail?
Post by TerraFrost on Dec 13^th, 2003, 3:58am

i've joined MOTL recently, and am in fact considering doing a fair bit of trading, but... before i do this, i'm currious... what's the best way to prepare cards for shipment? often times, when i order from retailers, or win auctions on eBay, i recieve the cards in via UPS, in an envelope, containing a little plastic slip. there is no top loader, or anything like that, but i think that's forgivable since i'm usually ordering multiple cards. do most people consider this adequete packaging? i'm guessing that i would just put one card in a top loader, if that one card was all that i was sending.

would this packaging, however, be sufficient for expensive cards? it doesn't seem like it would be, but i'm not sure what more could be done. and at what point does a card become expensive, when engaging in trades? obviously, sending a black lotus would be an expensive trade, but would trading three morphlings, for example, be considered expensive? what about just one morhpling?

also, what about insurance?

and should i ship via UPS, USPS, FedEx, or what? if putting the cards in an envelope was packaging enough, it seems like UPS would be over kill...

Title: Re: sending mtg via mail?
Post by flatmatt on Dec 13^th, 2003, 6:06am

I've never sent expensive cards on MOTL or a large quantity. But even for cheap cards, it's generally expected that you'll use toploaders. I try to limit it to 3 cards/toploader at most, Otherwise, it's impossible to get them out.

That said, there are still a lot of people who don't use toploaders, so don't always expect them if you don't mention it. It's their responsibility if they package the cards poorly, though. I'm not picky as long as the cards arrive without major damage.

For larger quantities of cards or more expensive cards, you'll probably want a bubble mailer (and one of those plastic cases that holds like 20 cards if you're sending a lot). They'll protect the cards even more. Also, you probably won't need insurance unless you're sending like $50+ of cards.

USPS is usually the best option. Convenient for both you and the person receiving the cards.

Title: Re: sending mtg via mail?
Post by silver.paladin on Dec 13^th, 2003, 6:13am

My personal opinion (and experience), is that I am fine with using standard mail with a top loader. I insert a card into a plastic sleeve, and then put the sleeve into the top loader so that the card will not be able to come out, and then put a piece of tape over the toploader so the sleeve cannot come out either. I find this sufficient for sending and receiving. If there are a number of cards, then I would do the same, but also put it into a bubble envelope. For a real expensive card, or set, like a lotus, maybe using registered mail would be preferable, but anything else, standard mail is good. I also find insurance to be pointless, at least when shipping internationally. Registered Mail, or something like Purolator is only necessary for a real expensive transaction.
One of the things I find that I HATE the most, as a buyer, is the seller putting a value of any kind on the package, because then often Customs will look at the envelope, open it up, and charge a fee for them to do that. I have never had a Customs problem with standard mail/envelopes - only with packages and registered/couriered items.

What is insurance good for anyways - other than if the item gets damaged, then the money is refunded - but who really cares about the money?? Its the card(s) that is wanted. And if you use Registered Mail or a Courier, then insurance is virtually part of the cost anyways - unless of course the value is significant.

This is just my opinion of course - as both a buyer and a seller.

Title: Re: sending mtg via mail?
Post by TerraFrost on Dec 14^th, 2003, 7:19am

thanks for the posts :)

i have another question, now...

i live in the US (in TX, to be exact)... what all would i have to do to ship something to, say... France, or some place like that?

Title: Re: sending mtg via mail?
Post by flatmatt on Dec 14^th, 2003, 8:28am

I just asked a very similar question the other day:

http://magiclibrary.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=handling;action=display;num=10798257124

That should help. :)

Title: Re: sending mtg via mail?
Post by TerraFrost on Dec 14^th, 2003, 8:44pm

ah, heh.

thanks for pointing that thread out :)