IN THIS GUIDE
Check the card before you agree
Ask for fresh photos of the front, the back, all four corners and each edge, in clear, neutral light. For a bigger trade, ask for a new photo with the card next to a handwritten note showing the date and the other person's username. It won't stop a determined scammer, but it connects the person to the card today. Keep the original image files, not just chat screenshots, which get compressed.
Match the set, card number, language, finish, edition and variant. Ask directly about bends, dents, creases, whitening, scratches, stains and print lines, and whether the card has been trimmed or altered. For a slabbed card, type the certification number into the grader's official lookup yourself and compare every detail. References and past feedback are useful context, but they're about other trades, not this one. Grading Basics has a fuller condition check.
Put the whole deal in writing
Keep the conversation in one thread you can come back to. Spell out exactly what each side is sending, with card details and any condition issues already disclosed. Agree the ship-by date, the carrier and service, tracking, whether you'll insure, and who pays for what. Decide ahead of time what happens if a card is late, damaged, or not as described. Both of you should reply to the same final summary before anything goes in the mail. Tedious? A little. It also settles most arguments before they start.
Insurance follows the carrier's own terms, exclusions and proof rules. It doesn't guarantee a claim will be paid, so read those rules before you rely on it.
Stay on the platform, and share less
If the app or marketplace you're using offers trade or purchase protection, keep the messages and the deal inside it. Check the protection rules yourself on the official site. Ship only to the address attached to that transaction. A logo in an email or a screenshot of a receipt doesn't prove anything has settled. Open the official app and look.
Share only what the trade needs. A shipping name and address? Yes. Passwords, one-time codes, ID documents or your full birth date, no. Use a unique password and turn on two-factor sign-in wherever it's offered.
SLOW DOWN WHEN YOU SEE
- Pressure to decide now, skip the photos or move off the platform.
- An overpayment, a refund story, or a request to send part of something elsewhere.
- A link asking you to sign in or "verify" details outside the official app.
- An address change after the deal is agreed.
- A screenshot offered in place of something you can check yourself.
Pack it so it can't bend or slide
Put the card in a clean soft sleeve that fits, then into a toploader or a semi-rigid holder. Seal that inside a team bag so the card can't work its way out. Sandwich it between two pieces of clean cardboard cut bigger than the holder, and put it in a padded mailer or small box. Fill any empty space so nothing moves around.
Never tape the card or the sleeve opening. If you tape the holder shut, fold a pull tab so the adhesive can't reach the card. Keep the package dry and follow the carrier's rules.
Keep a paper trail
Before sealing, photograph the card, then each layer of packing, then the closed package and its label. Don't post the label publicly. Keep the receipt, tracking number and any insurance papers together. Packing photos support your timeline, though they can't prove what happened outside the frame.
Ship on time and add tracking to the deal as soon as you have it. Watch for delivery exceptions yourself. When a package arrives, look at the outside before you open it. If it's crushed, wet or looks opened, photograph that and the unboxing. Compare the card with the agreed description and photos while the reporting windows are still open.
Meeting in person
Pick daylight and a busy, staffed public place. Some police stations and community spaces have marked exchange spots, so check what's near you. Tell someone where you're going, bring a friend if you can, and get yourself there and back. Someone suggests a home, a car or somewhere quiet because it's "faster"? Say no.
Look the card over at a table with good light and don't let it leave your sight. If anything about the card, the person or the terms has changed, walk away. You don't owe anyone a trade that no longer matches what you agreed.
When a trade goes wrong
- Stop sending anything else and keep talking in the original thread.
- Save everything: the agreement, messages, photos, receipts, tracking and the packaging.
- Write a short, factual timeline while you still remember the details.
- Open a case with the platform or carrier inside its deadline, and follow its evidence rules.
- Report suspected fraud to the platform. Contact local police if there's theft, a threat or a safety issue.
Stay factual. Hold off on public accusations while a case is open. A tidy record gives whoever reviews it something concrete to work with.
Trading in HoloHunt
HoloHunt trades are card for card between collectors, in the Trade tab. There are no listings and no cart, and HoloHunt has no selling. Every trade shows where it is: proposed, accepted, in transit, received, complete. Each trade also shows a balance score, which is a ratio of quoted values. It's information, not advice. The terms ask both sides to ship what they agreed, when they agreed, and misrepresenting a card or its condition can get an account removed. Everything above still applies. If you need help with a trade, email support@holohunt.app. See How HoloHunt Works for the rest of the app.
Questions
What photos should I ask for before a trade?
The front, the back, all four corners and each edge in clear light. For a bigger trade, add a photo of the card next to a handwritten note with the date and the other person's username.
How should I pack a single card for the mail?
Soft sleeve, then a toploader or semi-rigid holder, sealed in a team bag, between two pieces of cardboard, in a padded mailer or box. Never tape the card itself.
How do trades work in HoloHunt?
Card for card between collectors in the Trade tab. Each trade moves through proposed, accepted, in transit, received and complete, and both sides ship what they agreed.