Best Ways to Ship Your Pokemon Cards

Buying, selling, and trading Pokemon cards is a huge part of the Pokemon card hobby. It’s fun to get into and can even be profitable if done correctly but many people don’t realize it’s not easy. Properly shipping your cards is just as important as protecting them while you’re collecting. If you’re not careful, you can end up with damaged cards or lost packages. Here’s how to avoid that with the best ways to ship your Pokemon cards.

PWE vs BMWT

There are two types of shipping methods that are popular in Pokemon card trading, PWE and BMWT. To determine which method of shipping is right for you, you’ll need to take a couple things into consideration. Things such as weight, thickness, tracking, value, and more. Here’s the difference between PWE and BMWT and how to choose the right one.

What is PWE?

PWE stands for Plain White Envelope. This means you’ll be shipping your cards in a thin envelope with a stamp. The good thing about using this shipping method is it’s quick and cheap. But there are many things you should be aware of before shipping useing PWE. These envelopes are required to be less than 3 oz and less than 1/4in thick. If you meet these requirements, then you may use this method but there are other cons to this as well. This form of shipping has no tracking, meaning you nor the buyer will be able to track this package. These are also susceptible to damage because there’s no protection around the card. If you’re sending some cards only worth a couple bucks, this shouldn’t be a problem but if it’s something valuable, you should consider other options.

What is BMWT?

BMWT stands for Bubble Mailer with Tracking. This is thicker than a PWE because it has a protective layer of bubble wrap or padding. This layer will protect the cards or whatever you put inside it. This also has the advantage of a tracking number, so you know exactly where your package is, and it won’t easily get lost. This can be used for all sorts of things as long as you package the contents well. Here’s some tips on how you can do that.

Packaging Pokemon Cards

Packaging and shipping Pokemon cards are a little different than normal packaging. There are specific materials that are great for this. Card savers particularly are great for packaging cards because they can be sealed and prevent the card from moving around. Top loaders are another good alternative but aren’t as ideal because cards can move around inside top loaders and sometimes cause damage. You can also cut up some extra cardboard boxes you have lying around and sandwich the cards between two pieces of flat cardboard for extra protection. Wrap it in a rubber band or bubble wrap, but make sure it’s not wrapped too tight, so the cards aren’t being crushed. This will ensure your cards are properly protected from the mailman tossing your package around but there are endless possibilities. If you have any recommendations you want to share, let us know in the comments below!