Courtyard alternatives: sites we recommend instead

Why don’t we recommend Courtyard?

We bought three packs at Courtyard: two baseball packs, then the cheapest pack on the site, $15 when we tested it. Shipping one card home cost $10 to $25, the high end with package coverage. A balance below the price of the cheapest pack cannot buy another pack, so it can be left in the account. Our Courtyard review gives each step of the test.

What does Courtyard do well?

It was running promo packs and other promotions when we tested it, and the pack pages we checked showed their value ranges before we paid.

Which sites sell graded packs?

Each of our Courtyard packs gave one graded card. At Phygitals, the site we recommend instead, six of the seven packs our test records gave a graded card, and every pack page lists its value ranges with how often each comes up. GrailCart and Collector Crypt sell packs of graded cards, GrailCart for Pokémon alone. Rips by Triumph sells each card either graded or raw. Our guide to slab packs explains how a one-slab pack and its pool work.

Which sites sell packs for the same games and sports?

• Pokémon. Every card rip site we list carries it, among them Rips by Triumph, GrailCart and Collector Crypt. See Pokémon card rips.
• One Piece. Rips by Triumph, Collector Crypt, Phygitals, Glyde, Ripz, TiltRips, Boxed.gg, Shiny, Packed, Gotya, Drip Shop Live, Packs.com, OpenThatPack, Pullmarket and Slabz carry it. See One Piece card rips.
• Magic: The Gathering. Boxed.gg, Drip Shop Live, Packs.com and OpenThatPack carry it. See Magic card rips.
• Baseball. Rips by Triumph, Collector Crypt, Phygitals, Boxed.gg, Packed, CrownRips, Gotya, Pullmarket, Slabz and PackDraw carry it. See baseball card rips.
• Basketball. Rips by Triumph, Collector Crypt, Phygitals, TiltRips, Packed, CrownRips, Drip Shop Live, Pullmarket, Slabz and PackDraw carry it. See basketball card rips.
• Football. Rips by Triumph, Collector Crypt, Phygitals, TiltRips, CrownRips, Gotya, Drip Shop Live, Pullmarket, Slabz and PackDraw carry it. See football card rips.
• Soccer. Collector Crypt, Phygitals, Boxed.gg, Gotya, Pullmarket, Slabz and PackDraw carry it. See soccer card rips.
• Hockey. Boxed.gg carries it, the only site we list that does. See hockey card rips.
• Mixed sports. Collector Crypt, Phygitals, TiltRips, CrownRips and Slabz carry it. See sports card rips.

Which sites keep your cards in a vault?

Phygitals keeps a card in its vault until you ask for it to be shipped. Our guide to keeping a card in the vault or shipping it home covers what to weigh.

Which sites make an instant trade-in offer?

Courtyard offered to buy each card back as soon as its pack opened, and the screen said a fee was included without saying how much. At Phygitals the offer was 85% or 100% of a card’s listed value, set by pack and shown on the pack’s page. Rips by Triumph offers the app’s own value for the card, set when you buy the pack and good for at least seven days. Each Collector Crypt pack page we saw states an instant offer at 85%, 90% or 93% of listed value, depending on the pack. At Boxed.gg the card a box gave could be sold back for the account balance as soon as it opened, and at Ripz the collection page has actions to sell cards back to the site. Our guide to judging an instant trade-in offer shows how to set one beside a recent sale.

Which sites shipped our cards?

Phygitals and Rips by Triumph are the sites we list whose shipping we tested. At Phygitals, the processing estimate the site showed for its Alt vault was accurate. Rips by Triumph gave us a UPS tracking number within 2 days of asking, and ships each card in its own package to a US address for a $6 flat fee. Our guide to shipping a graded card home covers what to check when a card arrives.

How did we choose the sites on this page?

Every site on this page is one we list that shares at least one game or sport with Courtyard. How we rate sites explains the scores, and the best rip sites gives our full ranking.