1. Shop around! Get information and prices from a bunch of different lists and sites. This will help
you save money.
2. Allow sellers to use you as references so that they can get more business. This only requires
you to answer emails from others about your experience with a certain seller.
3. Know what you want before you email someone. There is nothing sellers like less than having
to look through all their cards because you only want the ones with a certain character or something.
Learn about the different sets and so on so that when you do email a seller you can tell them
exactly what you are looking for.
4. Many sellers are individuals and not stores so they can ignore you if they choose to. They don't
have to put up with people being rude or unagreeable. All buyers should remember this because
sellers do talk to each other and if you get a bad reputation than everyone will know and you will
be restricted in who you can buy from!
5. Don't go crazy over condition unless you really plan to spend the time and money required to
get every card in perfect condition. With the age of some of these cards and so on they are very
hard to find in factory sealed condition. Not only will they be hard to find, they will cost a lot more.
Many rare mint regular cards can cost up to $3.00 or more. However this does not mean you have
to settle for poor quality cards. Many collectors who want perfectly mint cards will sell off the cards
that have the smallest problem with them. Scratchs that you can't see unless you look at the card
just right with a magnifing class might bother them, but it can save you a lot of time and money.
Plus the card is still in near mint/excellent condition.
1. First and foremost, do not email others and say you have cards to sell them. This is rather rude
as most people who buy cards do so only when they have the money, not when someone says
"hey I know you need these cards so buy them from me". Remember it is not about you needing
the money, it is about them having the money! *Note that this does not apply between friends as
many make friends in the card community and will offer needed cards to a friend before they offer
them to others. Giving friends a chance to get them first is always a nice jesture.*
2. In order to avoid doing number 1, get the message out about your site or your business by
posting on forums and in groups dedicated to Sailor Moon cards. Make others aware of the cards
you have and give them a way to get in touch with you. By doing this, people can find you whenever
they have money to buy from you.
3. If for some reason you do do number 1, than don't just tell people you have cards they want.
Tell them the prices and the shipping. Give them a little more than just "I have these cards you
need, if you want them email me back." Just doing that can really turn a buyer off to you.
4. Keep your list of cards updated as much as possible. Even if you don't do any selling for months
at a time, still update the "last updated" date on your page or list so that others know that what their
seeing is current. Many people will not even bother with pages or lists that say they have not been
updated in four months or more.
1. With most traders I have come across it is customary for the person who asks for the trade to
send their cards first. This is done to prevent the other trade from being screwed over and to show
that you are serious about the trade. *Note that this does not apply with friends who usually send
the cards at the same time.*
2. If you stay in the business of trading for awhile you are going to run into a bad trader, it is inevitable.
They will try to screw you over in one or more ways and you should always take measures to stop
them. Number 1 is a very good way to avoid a big trap of bad traders who start the trade. If you
plan to start the trade then ASK FOR REFERENCES! If they won't give them to you or you can't get
an answer from any of them than something is probably wrong.
3. Make friends! The trading community is best with friends as this opens opportunities to many
things. Friends tend to mail cards at the same time which saves time. Friends also tend to offer
needed cards to their friends frist before others and they also offer more deals.
4. Keep a list of all those you have traded as references to others so they can find out what kind
of trader you are. Having a more indepth list can help you as well. I keep a list of references that
includes website url's and addresses so if I do trade with them again, things will move more quickly.
5. Don't be stingy with the way you package your cards for shipment. Toploaders, card holders,
and 9-slot protective sheets are and should be common place when mailing cards. These items
are a part of the trade and you should be reimbursed for yours by the ones the other trader sends
to you. I have over 100 toploaders and have never paid for any because I got them all in trades
and I use them all the time.
1. Handle the cards as little as possible, this keeps the moisture and oil on your hands from
getting on the cards.
2. Place the cards inside protective sleeves as soon as possible. These will protect the cards
from getting bent corners and will protect sticker cards from peeling off their backings.
3. Keep the cards out of reach of pets, children, and the elements (smoke included). All of the
above can damage cards and make them worthless.
4. For fragile cards, like Kanebo Cel's and Floral Scent Lami's, keep them in sleeves at all times
and handle them with great care. This might not keep them from getting damaged (as they are
fragile), but it will protect them longer then leaving them out would.
