How to read a Pokémon card: what each detail means
Pokémon 6 min read
What each printed detail on a Pokémon card tells a collector, from the set code and number to the illustrator credit, regulation mark and copyright line.
Guides, page 12
Older guides
How to read a CGC label: grades, colors and codes
Grading 7 min read
What each part of a CGC Cards label means: the grade name, the letter codes, the label colors, the back of the label, and how older CGC and CSG labels read.
How to price cards for a show, a shop or online
Offline and retail 7 min read
Set three numbers for each card, what it sells for, the least you will take and your asking price, then use them at a card show, a local shop or online.
How to photograph cards to sell online
Buying and selling 6 min read
What TCGplayer, eBay and Whatnot require in listing photos, the shots every card needs, and how to light and frame a card so buyers can judge its condition.
How to organize a card collection, step by step
Safety and fakes 7 min read
Sort cards by a rule that fits how you collect, give every box and row a location code, and keep an inventory that also serves as your insurance record.
How to look up a Pokémon card's value by set and number
Pokémon 7 min read
Find a Pokémon card's set, number and printing, then read its dated price on Rip.fan's lookup and card pages, plus what those prices do not cover.
How to judge an instant trade-in offer
Platforms 6 min read
How to judge a rip site's instant trade-in offer: what it is based on, its fee and deadline, how it pays, and how it compares with today's sold price.
How to insure a card collection
Safety and fakes 8 min read
Homeowners cover, a personal articles policy, a collectibles policy or a vault's own cover: what each pays for, what it excludes and what to ask.
How to handle trading cards without damaging them
Safety and fakes 6 min read
Bare hands or gloves, what may touch a card, how to sleeve one without damage, and how to carry slabs and binders to a card show.
How to find what a card actually sold for
Buying and selling 6 min read
A method for finding a card's real sale price: match the exact printing and condition, use sold prices rather than asking prices, take the middle sale, date it.
How to display trading cards without fading them
Safety and fakes 8 min read
Holders, frames, stands and cabinets compared, what a UV label on a holder covers, and where to hang a display so light and heat do the least harm.
How to complete a Pokémon set: numbered to master
Pokémon 6 min read
What a numbered set, a complete set and a master set mean in Pokémon, how many cards each takes for recent sets, and how to track the gaps on Rip.fan.
How to check Magic card prices by printing
Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece and Lorcana 6 min read
Price a Magic card by matching its exact printing first: set code, collector number, language, finish and treatment. Then read sold prices and date them.
How to check an autograph card before you buy
Safety and fakes 6 min read
Check a signed sports card against the maker's checklist, holograms and certificates, then decide whether it needs JSA authentication through CGC.
How to check a Yu-Gi-Oh! card's value by printing
Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece and Lorcana 6 min read
Price a Yu-Gi-Oh! card by its exact printing: set code, rarity, edition and condition, then a dated sold price. Why one card name can carry several prices.
How to check a rip site before your first purchase
Platforms 7 min read
Six things to read on a rip site's own pages before you buy: who holds the cards, card rates, trade-in terms, fees, shipping and how support works.
How to check a One Piece card's value by version
Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece and Lorcana 6 min read
Price a One Piece card by its exact version: number, rarity label, alt-art star, SP or TR mark and language, then a dated sold price for that version alone.
How to check a Lorcana card's value by printing
Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece and Lorcana 6 min read
Price a Disney Lorcana card by its exact printing: set, collector number, rarity and finish, then a dated sold price. Why one card name can carry three prices.
How to check a card before grading: a checklist
Grading 7 min read
Check centering, corners, edges and surface against the CGC and SGC grading scales before you send a card in, using a loupe, a ruler and our table.
How to buy raw cards online: condition and refunds
Buying and selling 7 min read
What a raw card's condition label means on TCGplayer, eBay and Whatnot, which photos to ask for, how seller ratings work, and the window to report a problem.
How to buy graded cards online safely
Buying and selling 5 min read
What to check before you buy a slab online: photos, the cert lookup, the holder, the return window and the seller, with CGC and eBay rules.
How to build a card binder: pages and capacity
Safety and fakes 6 min read
Which pocket pages fit which cards, side-loading or top-loading, ring albums or zip folios, and how many cards each binder holds.
How serial-numbered sports cards work
Sports cards 6 min read
What the stamp on a numbered card tells you, what it does not cover, and how to check a /99, a 1/1 or a jersey-number card against the maker's checklist.
How online pack opening works, step by step
How ripping works 6 min read
What happens when you buy a pack on a rip site: how your card is picked, where it is stored, and the choices you have after the reveal, site by site.
Card images from Scrydex.