Card trade checklist: what to check before and after meeting

Good trades often feel easy because the preparation happened before the meeting. This checklist summarises the points that most often cause mistakes and lets you review a deal without relying on memory.

Before contacting someone

• Check that the card belongs to the correct game and set.
• Update your available and wanted lists.
• Decide which condition, language and version you accept.
• Take current photos of the main cards.

Before confirming the trade

• Write exactly what each person is giving.
• Agree on place, time and handover method.
• Check guide value and condition defects.
• Confirm whether any card is reserved or pending.

During the meeting

Place cards on a clean surface and check name, number, language, finish and condition. If a card does not match, say so before handing yours over. You can change the proposal or cancel without turning it into a conflict.

Immediately afterwards

Store new cards, remove traded cards from your inventory and record any relevant detail. For remote trades, keep tracking information and confirm receipt after checking the contents.

Use the review to improve

Ask what information was missing and what worked well. Over time, your listings will become more precise, meetings faster and TradeMatches matches more useful.