Information
How we classify our products (Part 2)
In the first article, we looked at Comics and Funko Pops…. You might have noticed that we have recently started listing TCG cards (Trading Card Games) and more specifically those relating to the Pokemon game. this is a fascinating industry spanning more than 30 years since first release, going through ebbs and flows in the collecting world. Recently making a comeback in the last couple years by some well-known Youtubers paying ridiculous $$$ for graded cards.
We stay away from sealed product due to the fact that we are not licensed to sell this within South Africa but also the outlay is significant and you have to trade volumes to make reasonable margins. What we have focused on is buying singles and bulk deals on singles to assist other collectors in finding hard to come by single cards to complete sets.
When grading singles it is very difficult as we are not certified grade experts but have a fair understanding of the criteria to look out for on a card namely:
- Card surface – is it scratched of show visible marks of damage or wear or dents
- Card Edges – are they crisp, unbent and does the print/colour cover the edges (no white spots)
- Back – again print coverage and appearance of damage
- Centering – the cards have a border and does this border look uniform all the way around?
Most of the singles we have at NM (Near Mint) which means they have been pulled from a pack and then sleeved in a plastic cover to ensure that there is no damage. If a card does show some wear and tear, we would then mark it as LP (Lighly Played) and if clearly evident damage the HP (Heavily Played). As a last resort we will refrain from listing DM (Damaged) cards on the site unless they are vintage and still hold some value event though they look a bit rough. We will then mark these down significantly as fair warning. You are always able to contact us and request close up pictures of the cards if uncertain and before making the final choice to pay at check out.
As for pricing, TCG cards are based on moving indexes linked to demand and supply along with rate of exchange. The price of cards change daily and as we are not linked to a price tracking service, we list the prices based on our current understanding of the market. If this changes significantly we might reprice the cards or be open to negotiation if you feel the price listed is unfair or way out of market range at the point of sale.
Hope this helps you in navigating this new addition to our site and as always Happy Collecting!
