The worst trade you can make is one where you unintentionally destroy your cards. Please follow these guidelines written by an experienced trader in our community to properly pack your cards and ship your package for $1 less than what the post office will charge you. If you're looking to trade regularly, I would suggest buying size 000 bubble mailers in bulk from ebay for less than 50 cents apiece.

If you'd kindly direct all your upvotes here: http://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/q4har/trading_thread_packing_advice/

Hey hey! That's my post! :D

Anyways, something like this are great bubble mailers:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/25-6x10-Self-Seal-Poly-Bubble-Mailers-Envelopes-Bags-6-x-10-inch-0-/140703195014?pt=BI_Mailers_Envelopes&hash=item20c2905f86#ht_1665wt_1398

I haven't purchased these particular ones before, but that's generally what you'll be looking for. 25 for $7.62.

I will note that many envelopes -- both paper padded and poly bubble padded -- can be reused at least once before throwing them away. I usually reuse about 50% of the envelopes I receive.

If you have a little bit of patience with eBay, you can find even better deals. I bought 100 5x10 bubble mailers for $16, including free shipping. It'll probably last me the rest of my life.

The PayPal site says:

Note: Delivery Confirmation is FREE with the purchase of Signature Confirmation. Also, Delivery Confirmation can only be used on packages ("Parcels"), not on letters, or large envelopes ("flats").

Does a bubble mailer with cards in qualify as a Parcel?

Bulletproofman wrote:The PayPal site says:

Note: Delivery Confirmation is FREE with the purchase of Signature Confirmation. Also, Delivery Confirmation can only be used on packages ("Parcels"), not on letters, or large envelopes ("flats").

Does a bubble mailer with cards in qualify as a Parcel?

i've been able to get it on mine

Bulletproofman wrote:The PayPal site says:

Note: Delivery Confirmation is FREE with the purchase of Signature Confirmation. Also, Delivery Confirmation can only be used on packages ("Parcels"), not on letters, or large envelopes ("flats").

Does a bubble mailer with cards in qualify as a Parcel?

As I found out today, it depends.

At my local post office, I've never had a problem. I mail out several dozen bubble mailers per week and never have an issue getting delivery confirmation for it. This afternoon I was a couple towns over and dropped in to ship out my trades from the weekend. The clerk there was adamant that delivery confirmation was not allowed on bubble mailers.

RabbertKlein_ wrote:

Bulletproofman wrote:The PayPal site says:

Note: Delivery Confirmation is FREE with the purchase of Signature Confirmation. Also, Delivery Confirmation can only be used on packages ("Parcels"), not on letters, or large envelopes ("flats").

Does a bubble mailer with cards in qualify as a Parcel?

As I found out today, it depends.

At my local post office, I've never had a problem. I mail out several dozen bubble mailers per week and never have an issue getting delivery confirmation for it. This afternoon I was a couple towns over and dropped in to ship out my trades from the weekend. The clerk there was adamant that delivery confirmation was not allowed on bubble mailers.

Yep. If it doesn't work, try another Postal Office.

Or just drop it in a blue box. There's nobody to complain, then. :)

marumari wrote:Or just drop it in a blue box. There's nobody to complain, then. :)

Note that we're talking about delivery confirmation.

RabbertKlein_ wrote:

marumari wrote:Or just drop it in a blue box. There's nobody to complain, then. :)

Note that we're talking about delivery confirmation.

Drop it in the larger blue box designed for pre-paid packages. I've been doing that too. No problems thus far.

The problem isn't the bubble envelope its that there is a size requirement for DC which some post offices actually adhere to. Your package is required to be greater than 3/4" thick or rigid(from the USPS website & experience) which some post offices actually expect your bubble mailer to be. Dropping it off in a box avoids that or stuffing it with some plastic bags/folded paper works too. Also DC on Paypal is free and then you can mail direct from home which is the simplest.

I've recently made a change to how I ship. I'm still using penny sleeves and toploaders, but rather than taping the toploaders shut, I put the toploader (or toploaders with a sandwich of sleeved cards between them) on a piece of paper, and then I wrap the toploader/sandwich with the paper, sealing the paper shut with a bit of tape. That keeps the toploaders from getting gunked up with tape, and it also keeps any cards from coming into contact with tape adhesive (as when happens when they slide loose of their sleeves). The weight is negligable, and it makes for a cleaner/easier trade for the recipient.

Cheers!

HikingStick wrote:I've recently made a change to how I ship. I'm still using penny sleeves and toploaders, but rather than taping the toploaders shut, I put the toploader (or toploaders with a sandwich of sleeved cards between them) on a piece of paper, and then I wrap the toploader/sandwich with the paper, sealing the paper shut with a bit of tape. That keeps the toploaders from getting gunked up with tape, and it also keeps any cards from coming into contact with tape adhesive (as when happens when they slide loose of their sleeves). The weight is negligable, and it makes for a cleaner/easier trade for the recipient.

Cheers!

I do the toploader sandwich, but hadn't thought about the paper idea. I may just try that for future trades. It will allow the toploaders to be easily reused by future traders.

Would something like this work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300-6x9-Poly-Mailers-Self-Sealing-Shipping-Bags-Envelopes-6-x-9-/140809679348?_trksid=p4340.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D13%26meid%3D2044890084850376327%26pid%3D100012%26prg%3D1014%26rk%3D2%26

It says they aren't bubble mailers so I was wondering if anyone had experience with these "Poly" mailers or if I'm just better paying for for bubble ones.

EDIT: Do not buy. Pretty ineffective.

Am I missing something? It looks to me like these are 15$ for 300 bags which is 5 cents each. Maybe I am reading it wrong but this seems like the best deal.

Coyote1023 wrote:

HikingStick wrote:I've recently made a change to how I ship. I'm still using penny sleeves and toploaders, but rather than taping the toploaders shut, I put the toploader (or toploaders with a sandwich of sleeved cards between them) on a piece of paper, and then I wrap the toploader/sandwich with the paper, sealing the paper shut with a bit of tape. That keeps the toploaders from getting gunked up with tape, and it also keeps any cards from coming into contact with tape adhesive (as when happens when they slide loose of their sleeves). The weight is negligable, and it makes for a cleaner/easier trade for the recipient.

Cheers!

I do the toploader sandwich, but hadn't thought about the paper idea. I may just try that for future trades. It will allow the toploaders to be easily reused by future traders.

Being able to reuse toploaders has been a real boon. A number of my regular partners have switched to the paper-wrap concept, and it has been great. The cards can't slide around but you don't have to worry about tape residue or tape damate on the ends of cards in the "sandwich".

I had the recent revelation that the packaging from the Ultra Pro deck protectors hold a top loader just about perfectly, and are resealable out of the gate. Has anyone else taken to recycling these, or is there an issue that I haven't figured out with them?

I usually package all of my larger trades by putting sets of 3 cards into old mismatched cases I have lying around, then putting those into toploaders. Then putting the handful of toploaders into the little plastic baggies that all my kmc sleeves cam in. Then I put that into a recycled bubble mailer. I havent purchased shipping materials in ages.

Side note: The mailers I linked to previously in this thread do not work very well. They are devoid of cushion so they are no better than a flimsy envelope.

Where's the best place to get the penny sleeves and rigid top loaders for a good price? eBay? What search terms do you use?

Zooligan wrote:Where's the best place to get the penny sleeves and rigid top loaders for a good price? eBay? What search terms do you use?

This is a pretty good deal for 100 top loaders and penny sleeves

Zooligan wrote:Where's the best place to get the penny sleeves and rigid top loaders for a good price? eBay? What search terms do you use?

Walmart usually has 100 penny sleeves for $1 and 50 or so toploaders for a dollar or two.

Yup. WallyWorld. Found 'em.

BTW, I've found that instead of using tape on the toploaders to keep the sleeves in or keep them in place inside envelopes, post-it notes work. Easy as tape, stay in place inside the envelope, but peel off clean.

You can write littel notes to yourself or the recipient on them too...

Zooligan wrote:Yup. WallyWorld. Found 'em.

BTW, I've found that instead of using tape on the toploaders to keep the sleeves in or keep them in place inside envelopes, post-it notes work. Easy as tape, stay in place inside the envelope, but peel off clean.

You can write littel notes to yourself or the recipient on them too...

I use a sheet of printer paper. I place the top loader in, off center of the sheet. Fold it over in thirds, then fold the ends in. When it's done you have a tight envelope around the top loader that won't come open during shipping due to the way the envelope works.

If you take cardboard from a "longbox" or a normal box and cut it correctly. You can sandwich the top loaders and its almost indestructible.

Taped correctly and secured in an envelope you have to try to get it to damage cards.

Would 4x6 be a good size bubble maielr to ship cards in? Something like this? :http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-0000-4x6-SMALL-SELF-SEAL-KRAFT-BUBBLE-MAILERS-PADDED-ENVELOPES-4-x-6-/350604310799?pt=BI_Mailers_Envelopes&hash=item51a1a5390f

Yep. You can do bigger and smaller too, if you like.

namartia wrote:Yep. You can do bigger and smaller too, if you like.

Does having a bigger bubble mailer change the price, type of shipping, or anything?

Geckosoldierx wrote:

namartia wrote:Yep. You can do bigger and smaller too, if you like.

Does having a bigger bubble mailer change the price, type of shipping, or anything?

Anything under... 13oz I think? Is the same price with USPS.

Don't forget if you want to guarantee USPS First Class PARCEL postage rates instead of them trying to bump you to priority mail, put a single packing peanut or a small plastic grocery bag smushed up in the mailer to increase the thickness to 3/4". I put a bunch of packing peanuts from a newegg shipment I got in a bag in the garage and just pull a single one for each trade I do. Works every time, even at the post office that made me ship priority before I found out that trick. Also use definitely use the paypal shipping for free delivery confirmation! :)

z28power wrote:

Geckosoldierx wrote:

namartia wrote:Yep. You can do bigger and smaller too, if you like.

Does having a bigger bubble mailer change the price, type of shipping, or anything?

Anything under... 13oz I think? Is the same price with USPS.

Don't forget if you want to guarantee USPS First Class PARCEL postage rates instead of them trying to bump you to priority mail, put a single packing peanut or a small plastic grocery bag smushed up in the mailer to increase the thickness to 3/4". I put a bunch of packing peanuts from a newegg shipment I got in a bag in the garage and just pull a single one for each trade I do. Works every time, even at the post office that made me ship priority before I found out that trick. Also use definitely use the paypal shipping for free delivery confirmation! :)

I've done the same thing. I actually opened an envelope in front of the USPS worker, crumpled up a brochure and sealed it back to make it thick enough for parcel post. I got some weird looks, but saved a little bit on postage.

Something else to keep in mind, if youre using PWEs, then your envelopes are going to go through this. And it doesn't see to matter if you mark it non-machinable. Look at that guy loading the machine, he doesn't care. And this is a video from the company that makes the machines and is trying to sell them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxtkYBN5kJg

If you ever buy ultra pro 80 count magic sleeves. They come in bundles of 40 wrapped in plastic with its own adhesive. I save those. Then I put my cards in a penny sleeve and into top loaders. Then put them in the sleeve packaging and sometimes put a small piece of tape for good measure. Works great.