Keeping your cards safe in the postal system is crucial. Whether you’re buying or selling, condition is key. Learn more about some basic shipping terms in our article that explains the difference between BMWT and PWE.
A huge part of the fun with collecting and investing in sports cards is actually purchasing them. And being able to physically hold the collectibles once they reach your door.
Here are the two primary key terms to pop up that every new card collector should know when buying or selling a sports card.
What Does BMWT Mean?
BMWT refers to the shipping method of the card. Specifically that the card will be delivered in a Bubble Mailer With Tracking from USPS.
So if you see the BMWT term displayed after the price at the checkout. It usually means that the price of the card will have BMWT shipping included
Benefits Of Shipping With BMWT
A bubble mailer is padded with a soft and interior. So no matter how rare your cards are they less likely get damaged the same way they can if you order with a regular envelope.
It also helps to ensure that the edges of the card don’t get damaged. This is incredibly important when it comes to purchasing cards that you want to grade or hold for investment.
Grading is all about assessing the current condition, quality and authenticity of a card. Nothing hurts more than finally getting your hands on a card, especially if it’s rare and low in quantity. Only for it to drop in quality from the shipping.
Tracking is also a great benefit that lets you keep an eye on where your card is. This is important as a buyer or seller. If you can give a purchaser an eta for how long it’s going to take to arrive it instills confidence. Especially for higher value items.
What Is PWE And What Does It Mean?
Shipping a card in a PWE is a little cheaper than BMWT and refers to the card being sent in a plain white envelope as opposed to the spongy bubble mailer.
This still is not a bad option to go with. Especially if the card is of lower quality and you don’t want to spend what can be quite a bit more. It can sometimes be hard to justify a big packaging or tracking spend for low ticket items that you are selling ungraded on Ebay for example.
Therefore while you may not want to risk it for the higher value cards. It’s still a reliable option and cheap for the amount of protection it does offer. Even more so if you line your envelope with card.
Should I Go With BMWT Or PWE?
This really depends on both the value of your card and how many you are buying at once.
If you intend on buying a batch of cards in one go, it can be a good idea to choose BWMT shipping so that you get that extra protection.
Additionally, we all know things go wrong in the mail and especially when you’re eager to get your hands on a new card.
Nothing is worse than being left in the dark on when it’s actually going to be at your door, so the tracking is a great bonus which definitely makes it worth the extra cash for those rarer cards.
The usual rule of thumb is that if your card is less than $10 or around that price range then it can just be worth sending it in PWE as this is a still a reliable way to deliver the card and definitely does not mean it’s likely to be damaged.
If you are buying a card directly from an independent seller or you are buying a RAW version. Always make sure what shipping you’re getting from them as it can sometimes be hidden away in the small print. Or not mentioned when in discussion with potential buyers or seller.
Many sellers will prefer to ship their cards to the buyer in best condition. They themselves are probably also a collector and therefore will often insist on BMWT.
Sports card shipping summary
When it comes to buying a card it all comes down to condition, and price, at least for a lot of collectors.
So always make sure you choose the right shipping option for you. If you’re aiming to get your hands on an exclusive and heavily sought after card or you plan on buying multiple at once.
We highly recommend choosing BMWT. However PWE will work just fine for cards with less rarity and value.
When I was just starting out with my card collection, I had lots of questions about authenticity, trading, and card conditions. But with not that much information available online, I felt quite alone in my queries. Some questions still haven’t been answered to this day.
This site aims to rectify this, and now, I am passing on my knowledge!
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