Ryan Barone (@ballcardgenius, Card Expert) is a lifelong member of the hobby. He has been quoted in PSA Magazine, and his content has regularly been mentioned in “Quick Rips” (the Topps RIPPED Newsletter) and across other hobby publications. hello@ballcardgenius.com; Last Time Ago LLC dba Ballcard Genius.
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I’ll preface this by saying I’m a firm believer in simply shipping graded cards by sandwiching them between pieces of cardboard and inserting them in a bubble mailer, and I’ve never had an issue.
With that said, I can’t tell you how annoying it is to sell a card and then realize I need to cut up some cardboard before I can ship it out. Thankfully I have kids and there is always an abundance of cardboard, but unfortunately, I have kids, and they’re always taking materials and such out of my office.
So, it’s in those times that graded card mailers come in oh so handy. Already assembled and ready to go, you can have durable and safe graded mailers on hand for
1. Hobby Armor
Putting this one first because it directly solves the headache mentioned directly above. Sure, it doesn’t take a lot to cut out cardboard pieces from old boxes, but it is certainly an additional step. And if you’re someone like me who has about 5 minutes to get a card ready to ship because you always forget to package it up until you’re walking out the door, then Hobby Armor is for you.
Read More: Can You Use Amazon Boxes to Ship USPS?
Right now on Amazon the cost is $19.99 for 100 pieces of the 4×6 graded size, and since you need to use two pieces for every shipment, that means you’re getting 50 shipments for about $.40 a piece, and that’s certainly a price I can stomach.
That’s right—pre-cut cardboard shipping protectors. Now, if you watch the video, you might identify with the fact that it seems silly to be buying cardboard, but again, it’s about convenience.
Another overlooked benefit—it’s not only about cutting up pieces of cardboard, but also where all of that cardboard is stored. I’ve become a cardboard box hoarder of sorts because I never want to not be prepared for shipping. As such, I have small mountains of boxes, and pieces of either cut from or are saving from others stored haphazardly in drawers, etc.
With Hobby Armor, though, the pieces sit nicely in a box you can easily pull from, just like you would a top loader or other grading supply.
3. BarnDoor Boxes
Similar to the Slab Mailers mentioned below, BarnDoor Boxes arrive as constructable cardboard that can be easily folded into boxes to fit and protect your next card shipment. Pricing for this product on the lower quantity is 50 boxes for $27.99, or about $.56 per box.
The BarnDoor boxes are stated to house and protect PSA, SGC, and “in some cases BGS.” Either way, no tape or glue required as these only need to be folded in order to be ready for use.
With that said, one thing I really like about this product is that it offers the cardboard sandwich feel in that the card is tightly enveloped within the folded cardboard. It’s a box that the card won’t be able to move around in.
One thing people overlook when shipping is that yes, you want the card protected from impact, but you also want to minimize movement when in transit. The more something moves, the better chance it has for damage when being tossed around.
3. Slab Mailers
Available in packs of 25 and 50 (and coming out to about $1/per mailer or much lower at about $.73/per), Slab Mailers have a construction similar to that of small priority mail boxes from USPS (more on this below), in that they arrive in a flat bundle and can easily be folded up to form the box (albeit these are much smaller.)
- 1.5mm thick cardboard
- Support arms that can be folded in to strengthen edges
- Fits PSA, BGS, and slabs from other grading companies
- Tab closure mechanism for tight security
In fact, because of their size, there is a note on the site that they “strongly recommend” that the boxes or placed within a bubble mailer (and thus isn’t intended to be used in place of bubble mailers.
So, a good product, but definitely consider adding to it whether that’s bubble mailer or pocket packaging on the inside or outside.
4. Graded Card Solutions (GCS)
Last but not least, there are two options from Graded Card Solutions. The first is the unassembled graded card box, which, because it is similar to some of the products mentioned above, I won’t go into extreme detail.
That said, one big difference with the GCS solution is that it isn’t only a box, but an insert as well. Take a look:
I love the added protection and stability such an insert provides. The price for 50 boxes is $48, so you are approaching a dollar per box. And in the name of convenience, the second product option from GCS is the already-assembled box (and insert), which is available for $77 as a box of 50.
