Baseball and other sports cards ship the same way as any trading card, with one difference: more of them are graded, and slabs need their own packing. Here's how to handle each type.
Raw (ungraded) cards
Penny sleeve, then a toploader (or a card saver for anything you expect the buyer to send for grading: graders prefer semi-rigid holders).
Seal the top with a team bag or a small strip of painter's tape so the card can't slide out.
Stiffen and envelope it. For low-value cards, sandwich the toploader between thin cardboard in a plain white envelope. For anything more valuable, use a bubble mailer with tracking.
Graded slabs (PSA, BGS, SGC, CGC)
- Put the slab in a slab sleeve or team bag to protect the case from scratches.
- Wrap it in two or three layers of bubble wrap.
- Ship in a padded mailer for a single inexpensive slab, or a small box with void fill for anything valuable or for multiple slabs. The slab must not rattle.
- Always use tracking. For high-value slabs, add signature confirmation and insurance.
Envelope, eBay Standard Envelope, or tracked mailer?
A plain white envelope with a stamp is the cheapest option but has no tracking. If you sell on eBay, eBay Standard Envelope is a low-cost option with tracking for raw cards in a letter-size envelope, for lower-priced orders; eBay sets the value limit and size rules, so check its current requirements. Everything else, including every slab, should go in a bubble mailer or box with USPS Ground Advantage (tracked) or a faster service.
For a full cost comparison, see How Much Does It Cost to Ship Trading Cards?
Lots and team sets
Group cards in sleeves, then in a team bag or a small card box, and ship in a box with padding so they can't shift. Big lots are often cheaper to ship by weight with Ground Advantage than you'd expect.
Addressing lots of orders
If you're sending dozens of envelopes a week, handwriting addresses becomes the bottleneck. TCG Speed Shipper prints envelopes, Avery 5160 address labels, and 4×6 labels straight from a TCGplayer export. On Premium, you can also paste addresses from any marketplace (eBay, Whatnot, your own store) and print labels from those.
Mistakes that cause damage claims
- Shipping a slab in an envelope: slab corners break through, and the case can crack.
- A toploader with nothing stiffening it in a PWE.
- Not insuring a card you couldn't afford to refund.
- No tracking on a valuable order, so you can't prove delivery.
FAQ
Can you ship baseball cards in a regular envelope?
Yes, for low-value raw cards: sleeve, toploader, cardboard for stiffness, and a stamp. There's no tracking, and a rigid envelope may be charged the USPS nonmachinable surcharge.
How do you ship a graded card?
Put the slab in a sleeve, wrap it in bubble wrap, and ship it in a padded mailer or box with tracking. Add signature confirmation and insurance for high-value slabs.
Can I ship baseball cards Media Mail?
No. Trading cards aren't eligible for USPS Media Mail. See Can You Ship Trading Cards Media Mail?
What's the cheapest tracked way to ship a card?
On eBay, eBay Standard Envelope is usually cheapest for eligible raw cards. Elsewhere, a bubble mailer with USPS Ground Advantage is the usual choice.