(This article contains opinions and personal experience by the writer as well as information from other sellers)
TCG Player has raised the cost of standard shipping that most sellers on their platform use. The increase sees the shipping cost raised to 99 cents, up 21 cents from the previous amount of 78.
Since the start of the Covid pandemic, trading card sales have spiked as have the costs associated with them. Often when an order is filled, proper care is taken to ensure the cards arrive in good shape. For this, items like top loaders are used. However, with China feeling the full brunt of the pandemic and plastics being used to create other much needed items like face masks and other PPE, trading card supplies have been understandably put on the back burner.
The average amount for a top loader (wholesale) used to range from 6 cents to about 9 cents. Since then however, that price has spiked all the way up to as much as 45 cents per loader. Some reports show even higher prices, but those could not be confirmed by me.
Postage rates have also increased and the slow down of mail in the US has significantly affected sellers who have had to answer customer complaints as to why their cards are taking so long to arrive.
While this increase does come at a time when inflation is hitting consumers, it is not surprising and to some, long overdue. Most sellers on TCG Player have had to find ways to absorb the higher costs while still remaining competitive on the popular card selling platform. With a large majority of sales coming in under 25 cents, it is estimated that sellers often lose money on up to 70% of their orders.
It is unclear how buyers will react. Seeing that the 21 cents is fairly minimal, most will probably accept it and continue their normal ordering habits while others may seek alternatives such as eBay.
Looking to buy some cards? Check out our store at https://tcgview.com/cards
