Standard Card Shipping Weights

Standard Card Shipping Weights Guide

Use this guide as a quick reference when you're configuring marketplace templates for eBay, CollX, Whatnot, and Shopify, or any time you're applying a card-level shipping weight.

**What does the CDP weight actually represent?

** The number you put into CDP is the weight of the card inside whatever holder it ships in — nothing more. Think of it as the card plus its top loader, one-touch, slab, booklet holder, magnetic holder, or whichever protective case you're using.

It is not the weight of the finished, ready-to-mail package. That comes later, at fulfillment, and includes everything you add on top: the envelope or mailer, cardboard, bubble wrap, label, and the rest of your shipping supplies.

**What weight should I enter in CDP?

** Use these recommended weights as your starting point for raw and specialty cards:

• 0.5 oz — Standard raw card in a penny sleeve and top loader

• 0.5 oz — Chrome or premium stock card in a penny sleeve and top loader

• 1 oz — Slightly thicker insert or parallel in a standard holder

• 1 oz — Thick relic card in a thick holder

• 1 oz — Patch card in a thick holder

• 2 oz — Very thick patch card in a thick holder

• 3 oz — Booklet card in a booklet holder

• 3 oz — Encased auto

• 3 oz — One-touch or magnetic holder card

• 4 oz — Higher-value card in a protective holder

**What weight should I enter for slabs?

** Graded slabs vary in thickness by company, so the recommended CDP weight changes accordingly:

• PSA slab — 2 oz

• BGS / Beckett slab — 3 oz

• SGC slab — 3 oz

• CGC slab — 3 oz

**Best practice

** For the bulk of your standard raw cards, you can simply leave the card-level weight empty and let your default marketplace template do the work.

Reach for a card-level weight override when an item ships differently than your usual setup — this is most often the case with slabs, relics, patch cards, booklets, encased autos, one-touch holders, and anything noticeably thicker than a standard raw card.

**What happens once the card sells?

** When an order comes through, lean on the marketplace's standard fulfillment flow to determine the final shipment weight. At that stage, you'll need to layer in everything that wasn't part of the CDP value:

• Shipping supplies — Include the weight of the envelope, mailer, box, cardboard, bubble wrap, team bag, label, and any other supplies.

• Combined orders — Add up the weight of every card going into the same shipment.

• Extra protection — Account for additional cardboard, bubble wrap, or a box when the card calls for it.

• Marketplace postage rules — Round up to whatever weight tier your marketplace or carrier requires.

**The simple fulfillment rule

** If you remember nothing else, remember this:

• The weight you enter in CDP is the card weight.

• The weight you buy postage for is the final packed shipment weight.

**Choosing the right shipping service

** For inexpensive raw cards, marketplaces like eBay, CollX, and Whatnot often offer a tracked standard envelope option. These shipments are typically rated at 1 oz, 2 oz, or 3 oz, must stay under 0.25" thick, and usually run about $0.75–$1.25 for tracked delivery.

For anything thicker — slabs, one-touch cases, booklets, or any package that can't safely meet standard envelope requirements — step up to a package service such as USPS Ground Advantage. Ground Advantage generally starts in the $5.50–$6.50 range for a 4 oz package depending on distance, and scales up to roughly $10 for packages weighing as much as 15.9 oz.

**USPS Ground Advantage weight tiers (under 1 lb)

** For Ground Advantage, package weights below one pound are generally rounded up into these tiers:

• Up to 4 oz → 4 oz tier

• 4.1–8 oz → 8 oz tier

• 8.1–12 oz → 12 oz tier

• 12.1–15.999 oz → 15.9 oz tier

• 16 oz or more → 1 lb+ tier

When you're ready to print a label, weigh the fully packed shipment and round up to the next tier on the chart.