Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Further Listia Wins - This one is a little busted though...

So I've hyped up Listia a few times now, and I still dig it as I continue to win more cool stuff.  But not every service can be perfect, and this post is about one such example.  Keep note that I will definitely still keep using Listia, but I will be a bit more wary about every card collector's most hated enemy - the PWE (Plain White Envelope for the acronym disinclined).

I won a flurry of sweet pieces in a row on the site, and was super happy when I first noticed this PWE in my mailbox, as it was my favorite of the bunch.  But then I saw the other half of the PWE, and um...yikes...
 
Luckily the edge of the PWE caught the card so it didn't fall out, but seeing that much of the card without even touching the envelope is usually a bad sign. I was very surprised that the envelope didn't arrive in one of those "Sorry we destroyed your card" bags that the USPS usually offers in these cases.  But it did show up so I can't complain too much.

The top loader also had a fair bit of damage
and the team bag got cut, so the card actually slid out of the loader a bit to about Brandon LaFell's arm. 
So needless to say, damage did occur.  There's a crease in the top of the jersey window, the bottom right of the jersey window, and then the space near the arm and the back side in that area both have light lines where the loader was pressed against the card.  Nothing real serious but lots of little defects that kill the "value" of the card.


That said, it's still a nice little 2 color "prime" patch of an up and coming receiver numbered 37/50.  And it was totally free when you consider I just used credits for it, so I'm not grumpy about the way things ended up.  I chatted with the seller a little bit about maybe trying tape over the loader next time (to avoid the card slipping out) or putting "non-machinable" on the PWE or even just using decoys, and he says he'll take it into consideration.  So in the end the situation could be all positive - I get a neat looking card in a condition I can live with, and a seller learns a few tips on how to better pacage his cards so that they don't end up looking like this.  Sounds like a good deal to me!

3 comments:

  1. I've been using PWEs when "selling" on Listia myself, though I do always make sure to tape the toploader. Even so, it's stories like that that scare me as a seller!

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  2. I think taping would've helped this one a lot...then it wouldn't have slid and gotten the lines, and the loader may not have snapped if the card was still in there. Also the card is pretty thick which certainly didn't help things. So you're probably still good for now!

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  3. Also remember to attach an index card about an inch down from the top of the top loader with tape as this serves as both a thank you note and as an anchor inside the envelope.
    That card won't be shifting anywhere.

    That's how I do it. I already ship free, there's no way I'm buying mailers for free as well. That's when you make the buyer pay shipping(which means no bids).

    People who buy cards on Listia expect the pwe since they know they are off the hook for shipping.

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