[ricelynnevans75]

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.

Anytime I send out a card it's always in a penny sleeve, top loader that fits the thickness of the card, and a team bag.  Before I knew team bags were a thing I'd wrap a piece of paper around the top loader.  Then into a small rigid bubble mailer and off it went. 

While the cardboard aspect in the pic above is of no concern, I do agree that the tape should not have been applied like that.  Only thing I put tape on is the bubble mailer around all the edges of the package and over every part of the mailing label.  Tape, regardless of type, has no business near a card IMO.