General Guidelines:

We are purchasing your presented cards for resale and there are several factors that we will need to consider in valuing your cards. The first is demand. If we have a sufficient quantity of a particular card or the card itself is not expected to sell rapidly, we will be less inclined to purchase it from you (refusal or reduced buy price). The second is condition. The better maintained your cards are, the more valuable they are to us and to a potential third-party buyer. Well-maintained cards will have a higher buy price; cards in poor condition are generally not going to sell, especially in an online marketplace–we are unlikely to purchase non-M/NM cards. Third is economics. Sometimes we just are not able to purchase large collections when you present your cards. We have a lot of things that we have to stock in our inventory and we may not be able to make you an immediate offer on your collection as a result of cash needs elsewhere. Finally, realize that like you, we also have a million commons (we actually have several million commons) and are not going to be terribly excited by your six boxes of commons, nor does the nostalgia that you have for your collection impart it with value to us.

The bottom line is this: we will value your collection relative to our needs, which may or may not align with your own valuation. Just as we reserve the right to refuse any purchase, you also have the right to decline our offer.

Submission Process:

You must physically present your cards for evaluation for us to be able to appraise their value—we cannot tell you what they are worth on the telephone or sight unseen. This may (especially with large submissions) mean that you will need to leave them with us for a time period, as we are often busy with other immediate tasks when you physically present your collection. Rest assured that we have never lost a single card and we will be certain to take proper care of your cards.

There are two methods of initating a card submission to us.

The first (and preferred) is by using our BUYLIST function here (search bar above). This will net you the largest value for your submission (and you can see the prices that we are offering for our highest demanded and best conditioned buys). Simply enter the card name in the search bar above, find the right printing and the appropriate grade (NM in most cases, LP for some older sets), and then enter the number that you wish to sell us. At the end of the process, you will send the list to us and then we will approve (or possibly decline) all or some of the cards and then you will bring them in, we will check them off, and then provide you with payment (errors in your submission may require an Handling fee assessment, as below).

The second is by presenting OVER THE COUNTER buys. This category of submission includes all cards presented over the counter without prior approval. All orders submitted this way will be assessed a Handling fee of 20% the offer (so, $1 become $.80, for example). All other considerations of purchasing still apply. Also, keep in mind that higher value purchases will need a manager’s approval, and this might not be immediately available, or there may be too many cards for us to immediately process, so that again, you may need to leave your collection with us for full evaluation.

Condition Standards:

Card conditions are subjective and grading often prone to disagreement. We try to err on the side of caution. We use the following guidelines in grading cards:

• M/NM: Cards rated Mint or Near-Mint will have seen minimal handling. For cards from newer sets, this usually means from pack to binder. It will almost certainly mean they have been constantly sleeved. For cards from older sets, especially white-bordered cards, there may be some aging apparent (discoloration) but the card itself will be in excellent condition (no marks, creases, etc.). Foils in this category should be shiny and without surface wear.

• LP: Cards rated Light Play will have seen some play and/or handling, perhaps with a few nicks or rubbed corners. Surfaces may show some wear and foils may have lost some of their original luster.

• MP: Cards rated Moderately Played will show wear and usage, perhaps with minor damage (a small crease, an abrasion, several nicks, etc.). Foils may be dull or look oily.

• HP: Cards rated Heavily Played will show significant wear and usage, though they are likely still playable in competitive formats.

• D: Cards rated Damaged will have damage that may affect play and damage that can be felt through a sleeve (such as tears, heavy creases, missing text, etc.); they will likely only be playable in casual formats.

As we sell online, we attempt to follow closely the standard for grading used by TCGPlayer. For more details, consult the TCGPlayer grading policy here: TCGPlayer Condition Guide

Bulk Buys:

Bulk Buy refers to unsorted, non-identified cards. It is a quick way to arrive at a value for a lot of cards quickly, based upon average value and handling times. If you think that your cards have more value, you should use our BUY LIST function instead.

The Sage’s Bulk Buy Rates (M/NM):

 Only Cash prices apply to Bulk Rates. Credit will be awarded at Cash prices, if Credit option is selected:

Bulk Magic: the Gathering FOIL Rares: $0.05 each

Bulk Magic: the Gathering FOIL Mythic Rares: $0.12 each

Bulk Magic: the Gathering Rares: $0.04 each

Bulk Magic: the Gathering Mythic Rares: $0.10 each

Bulk Magic: the Gathering Promotional Cards: $0.02 each

Bulk Magic: the Gathering FOIL Commons/Uncommons/Basic Land: $0.01 each

Bulk Magic: the Gathering Commons/Uncommons: $0.00125 each (8 for a penny/800 for $1.00)

Bulk Magic: the Gathering Basic Lands: $0.001 each (1000 for $1.00)

Bulk Magic: the Gathering Distributed Mixed Types: $0.0025 each (400 for $1.00)

 
Bulk Yu-Gi-Oh! Commons/Rares: $0.001 (10 for a penny/1000 for $1.00)

All cards submitted should be in Mint/Near Mint condition. Any card that arrives and is downgraded will receive credit at the lowest rate (or be returned at owner's expense)--please be aware of your cards’ condition when submitting them. Also, please sort all bulk submissions by type (as above) and have them ready for processing; if the Sage’s staff must sort and/or grade to price your cards, our normal handling fees may be applied at our discretion. Please include a note if such would help explain any irregularity in your submission.

Handling Fees:

Handling Fees may be applied to your submission:

• Any collection that is received that does not conform to Buylist instructions for sorting and arrangement will receive a 20% deduction of value.

• Any collection that is received without a Buylist approval will be charged a sorting and appraisal fee at the rate of $25.00 per hour or a 20% assessment of value, as appropriate, to be deducted from final determined value. 

Miscellaneous:

It is assumed that any materials (boxes, binders, sleeves, etc.) submitted with your cards are included at no value added and become the property of The Sage’s Shoppe without further claim. Any item submitted that should be returned to its owner should be clearly noted.

All returns will be made at owner’s expense.