[rjcj2017]

Okay, it is possible that they have toploaders.  But, I bought 200 back in March 2020 and then had to buy another 150 in February 2021, and still had to remove them this past weekend from cards for trade in order to topload my PC cards.

It is amazing how quickly they go when the BV keeps increasing on older cards the way it has.

Agreed ... I just know I would never not put a card in a toploader or at least a Card Saver II before I sent it.

Luckily the Fleury was in great shape.

[kerryandbeth]

Agreed ... I just know I would never not put a card in a toploader or at least a Card Saver II before I sent it.

Luckily the Fleury was in great shape.

Right.  My cut-off is now $6 or more goes in a toploader, whether shipped out or kept in a box.  Once the backorder of toploaders goes away I might return to the $5 cut-off.

[ricelynnevans75]

I can't say that I've ever expected a top loader in a trade, only that my card arrives in the condition that it was described as that is what I traded for.  Had some unusual methods, to me, in which cards arrived but they were safe and sound.  Seems everybody has a different method of doing so and it's pretty unreasonable to expect everybody to do what we think is the proper way.

I don't really see what the problem is if the card arrived in the condition you expected.  Unless part of the trade was that they said it would be in a top loader.

[kerryandbeth]

I can't say that I've ever expected a top loader in a trade, only that my card arrives in the condition that it was described as that is what I traded for.  Had some unusual methods, to me, in which cards arrived but they were safe and sound.  Seems everybody has a different method of doing so and it's pretty unreasonable to expect everybody to do what we think is the proper way.

I don't really see what the problem is if the card arrived in the condition you expected.  Unless part of the trade was that they said it would be in a top loader.

I think RJ is disappointed that the sender did not consider it important enough to make reasonable effort to ship safely.  The photo tells the story...insurance is required but only necessary when something happens.  That sender did not insure the safety and security of that item.

I disagree with RJ that the only proper method is to use a toploader, but definitely would irritate me if I got a package like his.

[rjcj2017]

(rubs forehead, sighs ...)

I never said it HAS to be shipped in a top loader, my friends.

My point was, I would prefer not to spend 10 nerve-wracking minutes trying gently to remove some extremely tight and sticky packaging tape from the flimsy surface of a penny sleeve whilst also not trying to damage an 18-year-old trading card from the equally porous and slightly damp cardboard surface upon which it is mounted.

Regardless, I’ve never not had a card that I purchased shipped in anything other than rigid plastic of some type ... top loader, card saver II, plastic team box, magnet holder, etc.

That’s in 20-plus years of eBay and Amazon purchases.

Now it’s happened about half a dozen times in the last month or so on both outlets.

Put it this way ... you get drunk at a bar ... you drive home ... you make it home safely without incident.

Still, was it a good idea to drive home drunk?

[PhoenixRisen]

Yeah, the issue here is the type of tape used. Two pieces of cardboard will protect a card just as well as a toploader. The problem is you need to use painters tape when shipping cards so it easily peels off the plastic.

[jmhorn]

Best Practices:

• Bubble Envelope
  
• Penny Sleeve, Toploader, AND Team Bag
  
• Masking tape over the top of a Toploader (better yet, Post-It over top held down with masking tape on non-sticky end)
  
• Slightly oversized Toploader
  
• Surround properly secured cards (above best practices) with cardboard before placing them in a bubble envelope (or box)
  
• Surround properly secured cards (above best practices) with Packing paper or bubblewrap if packed in a box
  
• First Class Mail (includes tracking)
  

Not Best Practices (or Shenanigans):

• Plain White Envelope (PWE)
  
• No penny sleeve, Toploader, or Team Bag
  
• Scotch tape or Packing tape ANYWHERE inside the packaging (box or bubble envelope)
  
• Wrapping (or "protecting") card with a paper towel
  
• Postage without tracking or insurance
  

Feel free to agree/disagree, or add to this.

[rjcj2017]

Best Practices:

• Bubble Envelope
  
• Penny Sleeve, Toploader, AND Team Bag
  
• Masking tape over the top of a Toploader (better yet, Post-It over top held down with masking tape on non-sticky end)
  
• Slightly oversized Toploader
  
• Surround properly secured cards (above best practices) with cardboard before placing them in a bubble envelope (or box)
  
• Surround properly secured cards (above best practices) with Packing paper or bubblewrap if packed in a box
  
• First Class Mail (includes tracking)
  

Not Best Practices (or Shenanigans):

• Plain White Envelope (PWE)
  
• No penny sleeve, Toploader, or Team Bag
  
• Scotch tape or Packing tape ANYWHERE inside the packaging (box or bubble envelope)
  
• Wrapping (or "protecting") card with a paper towel
  
• Postage without tracking or insurance
  

Feel free to agree/disagree, or add to this.

Words to live by right here

[ZSDOne]

People are now selling individual used top loaders, not including a card, for $4-5 apiece.

The lunacy has to stop eventually ... right?

You mean that when I recently found a fresh shipment of top loaders at non-marked up prices at the LCS near my house I could have been able to flip them for a huge profit?   Although maybe with them being new and shrinkwrapped, they would have not been worth as much

But then I wouldn't have had top loaders and the entire purpose of buying the top loaders when I found them at the LCS was to have top loaders being that I had some cards I wanted to put in them and it was too much effort to move cards out of top loaders (I have a bunch of cards I paid $1 or $2 a piece for in top loaders, what a concept - I even have paid $3.95 for at least card in a One Touch before

Retail Sharks R Us is ruining everything

[rjcj2017]

You mean that when I recently found a fresh shipment of top loaders at non-marked up prices at the LCS near my house I could have been able to flip them for a huge profit?   Although maybe with them being new and shrinkwrapped, they would have not been worth as much

But then I wouldn't have had top loaders and the entire purpose of buying the top loaders when I found them at the LCS was to have top loaders being that I had some cards I wanted to put in them and it was too much effort to move cards out of top loaders (I have a bunch of cards I paid $1 or $2 a piece for in top loaders, what a concept - I even have paid $3.95 for at least card in a One Touch before

Retail Sharks R Us is ruining everything

Yeah, still trying to wrap my head around the toploader thing.