General Forum

Hey friends,

The majority of my trades go out in a "PWE." Sometimes that plain white envelope is a large manila one, but you get the idea. I'll use bubble mailers for more valuable cards, or for singles when I have a small one on hand and it doesn't increase the shipping cost.

I use cereal box for protection, but I am noticing an increase in incoming cards that have a single piece of 8.5 x 11 paper wrapped around the cards. All of these cards have survived intact, and in (I assume) the same condition they were shipped in.

Having said that, I'm also seeing an increase in envelopes that have been absolutely battered in transit - most often when they are coming from across the border. I had two ebay orders arrive recently where the envelopes were completely opened (team sets shipped from the same seller who bundled them in team bags, creating an oddly bulging package, so I'm guessing customs ripped it open).

TL;DR: So my questions are: how many of you are using card stock for protection? Who is skipping that in order to cut down on weight? Have you had to deal with damaged cards on the sending or receiving end as a result of less protected packages?

My standard PWE packaging goes as follows (using a 27 card trade as an example):

1. 9 bundles of 3 cards to a penny sleeve
2. each bundle goes in a pocket of a 9-pocket page
3. sandwich the page in cereal box
4. painter's tape ONLY to hold it all together, and pulled snug to compress it as flat as possible
5. that goes in a #10 envelope
6. packing tape to reinforce the seal on the envelope and prevent tampering
7. "handle with care, do not bend" sticker on front (and often back now too)

I have put the cards in a 9 pocket page, nothing else. I have never had an issue. I usually use an entire 9 pocket sheet and fold it so the flap openings are tucked in. If I used 1/3 of a 3 pocket sheet I would probably put painters tape on the open end so cards couldn't slide out.

One of my unproven theories is the thinner you can keep the package the more likely the envelope survives as sent so adding cardboard is making it thicker and increasing the chance that it gets ripped open in transit.

I second this and am always pushing to just use 9 pocket pages folded into 3rds so that no openings are showing.  In addition I use Kraft envelopes which are more durable.  These are the ones I use https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094K1QDW4/

Never try to cheat customs with an overstuffed envelope.

I've stopped using cardboard as well, not to save weight, but rather my local post office (or sorting centre or something) inevitably rejects the envelope as 'invalid' mail and it gets returned to me. Haven't had a complaint yet about damage, knock on wood.

I usually just use a single piece of cereal box cardboard when it's all or part of a 9 pocket page. I have received a number of PWEs with just the page folded in a piece of paper and all have been fine. Keeping it as thin as possible is the way to go.

I use card savers and wrap them in heavy card stock. I’ll use 9 pocket pages wrapped in card stock as well for 12-25 cards. 

I use a 9 pocket page when I ship most my trades. I will cut a page down to just 3 when shipping 9 or less cards. I usually use 2 pieces of thin cardboard to help protect. Haven't had any complaints as of yet. I did just have 1 trade come in that the cards were between 2 pieces of cardboard and the envelope was missing about a third of it. It did come across the border. 

  I have also received a few trades that had the cards in a pocket page and just wrapped in paper. They received in great condition. I just ship how I think is the best way to protect cards. We just have to have faith that tjey get there the way they were put in the mail. But we all know how the post office works

I ordered a 100-count box of the "official" ebay sports card envelopes (and have already used a few for TCDb trades too).  Their ebay-logo branded kit consists of a white #10 envelope, a three-pocket paper sleeve (like 1/3 of a pocket page), and a single piece of cardstock.  The paper sleeve is wide enough to house penny-sleeved cards but requires tape to keep the contents from sliding up.

I'd agree that thick is bad - and sending glued multi-layer cards like MEMs, or high-end brands in a PWE is a big no-no since they will resist bending & crease when they get fed through the twists & turns of the sorting machines.

I once read the envelope has to go around a wheel. So it has to be able to bend. Keep it flexible and tape up the leading right edge and bottom for reinforcement. I use the brochure pages wrapped around the 9 pocket most times. 20 cards starts to push it for thickness. Over 20 , I send 2 pwe s most times. Keep it machine friendly.