How to Pack Cards for Grading: Semi-Rigids, Sleeves and Boxes
By Mitchell Taljaard ·
Good packing protects your grade before the card even reaches the grader. Damage in the post can show up in your grade.
We're Cuppas Cards, and we send South African cards to PCG (Premier Card Grading) in the UK. Every card you send us is checked and sent on to PCG, so how you pack it matters from the moment it leaves your hands. This guide follows our shipping and packing guide, with a little more detail on each step.
What do you need to pack cards for grading?
You need a few cheap supplies, most of which you may already have:
- Clear, loose-fit penny sleeves, one per card
- Semi-rigid card savers, one per card
- Small sticky-note tabs, one per card, for pull-tabs
- Two pieces of sturdy cardboard, cut to the size of your card savers
- Painter's tape, to hold the cardboard sandwich together
- Bubble wrap and a small, sturdy box
- Your order confirmation, or a note with your order number
- A tracked courier, such as Pudo or The Courier Guy
Don't buy toploaders for this. We only accept cards in semi-rigid card savers.
Step 1: Submit online and get your order number
Add your cards on our submission page and check out. You'll get an order number in your confirmation email.
Keep it handy. It goes inside the parcel and on the outside of the box, so we can match your cards to your order the moment they arrive.
Step 2: Sleeve each card upside down
Slide each card upside down into a clear, loose-fit penny sleeve.
Use clear, loose-fit sleeves only. Tight-fit inner sleeves, ETB sleeves and sleeves with coloured backs make it hard to get the card out safely.
If you haven't checked the card yet, our pre-grading checklist shows what to look for first.
Step 3: Put it in a semi-rigid card saver with a pull-tab
Put each sleeved card right-side up into a semi-rigid card saver. Stick a small sticky-note tab to the top of the penny sleeve so it pokes out above the saver.
The pull-tab lets the card be pulled safely out of its saver without damaging its edges. PCG itself highly recommends adding a sticky-note tab to penny sleeves for easier removal (PCG UK shipping guide).
Never use sticky tape to seal the top of the saver. Leave it open and let the pull-tab do the work.
Step 4: Stack the cards in your submission order
Stack your cards in the same order they appear in your online submission. Put your printed order confirmation, or a note with your order number, inside the parcel.
PCG asks for the same thing: cards in sequence, top to bottom, as they are on the submitted order (PCG UK shipping guide).
Step 5: Make a cardboard sandwich and box it
Sandwich the stack between two pieces of sturdy cardboard and hold them together with painter's tape. PCG suggests about 5mm thick cardboard cut to the shape of your card holders (PCG UK shipping guide). Wrap the sandwich in bubble wrap and put it in a small, sturdy box. Fill any gaps so nothing moves.
Don't wrap the stack tightly in rubber bands. That can permanently dent card edges.
Seal the box and write your order number on the outside.
Step 6: Send it with a tracked courier
Send the box to our intake address in Swellendam with a tracked courier, such as Pudo or The Courier Guy. The address is on our shipping and packing guide and in your order confirmation. Don't use standard post.
Check that your return address on your dashboard is up to date. Keep your tracking number until your dashboard shows that your cards have arrived.
Your post to us isn't covered by our DHL insurance. That covers the two international legs only: from us to PCG, and from PCG back to us. For valuable cards, check what cover your courier offers.
In Cape Town, you can skip the post completely and hand your cards over at our booth at collector shows. Bring them packed the same way, each in a penny sleeve and a semi-rigid card saver.
What should you never do when packing cards?
Avoid all five of these:
| Don't | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Send cards loose or in toploaders | Put every card in a penny sleeve and a semi-rigid card saver |
| Put tape on card savers | Leave the top open and use a pull-tab |
| Use tight or coloured sleeves | Use clear, loose-fit penny sleeves |
| Wrap rubber bands tightly around cards | Use a cardboard sandwich held with painter's tape |
| Use untracked post | Use a tracked courier like Pudo or The Courier Guy |
Cards that arrive loose, in toploaders or badly protected are re-sleeved for R50 per card before we process them. That fee is added to your return delivery bill. Our list of grading mistakes covers the checking and money mistakes too.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send my cards in toploaders?
No. We only accept cards in semi-rigid card savers. Cards that arrive in toploaders are re-sleeved for R50 per card, added to your return delivery bill.
What should be inside the parcel?
Your cards in the cardboard sandwich, packed in your submission order, plus your printed order confirmation or a note with your order number.
Do I need a box?
Yes. Our shipping guide asks you to wrap the cardboard sandwich in bubble wrap and box it so nothing moves.
Is my parcel insured on the way to you?
Not by us. Our DHL insurance covers the trip from us to PCG and back to us. For the post to us, check what cover your courier offers.
Before you send your cards
New to grading? Our step-by-step guide to getting Pokémon cards graded in South Africa walks through the whole process, and our cost breakdown shows every rand. When your cards are packed, start your submission.