Lending cards for a tournament: record and return
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Before lending cards for a tournament, identify the physical copies, document their condition and agree the return arrangements. A loan permits temporary use; it does not make your cards available for trades. On return, compare the same copies rather than just the same names.
A name does not identify a physical copy
Cards sharing a name may differ in set, language, finish or condition. Even matching printings can have different existing marks. Record the particular version you are lending before handing it over.
Assign a simple reference such as PRE-01 or PRE-02 to each copy or unambiguous group. Do not write it on the card. Associate it with a photograph or inventory position using a system both people understand.
For a complete deck, record composition and ownership. Specify whether sleeves, deck box, tokens or other accessories are included. Returning all the cards without the borrowed box is not a complete return if the box was also part of the loan.
A usable record
This table is a practical template, not a legal-validity guarantee or tournament policy. It helps make the agreement and later checks clear.
| Field | Information to agree |
|---|---|
| Copy | Game, name, set, number, language and finish |
| Quantity | Actual copies handed over |
| Prior condition | Observable defects and linked photos |
| Permitted use | Event or period and agreed limits |
| Custody | Who holds the cards and whether another person may receive them |
| Return | Date, location or method, and recipient |
| Incident | How to report loss or damage and what has been agreed |
Do not collect personal information unnecessary for the handover. Retain a contact channel and agreed record; a loan sheet need not be public or shared with the entire community.
Download the loan record as CSV. Use real information and retain photos separately.
Separate existing wear from new damage
Photograph front and back in adequate light and retain originals. Describe an already worn corner before lending. “Good condition” alone may be too ambiguous for a later comparison.
Do not ask photographs to prove what they cannot show. Reflections may conceal scratches and sleeves may hide edges. If a particular condition matters, agree a joint inspection before placing the card in its protector.
In a hypothetical loan of two matching copies, one has an existing back mark. Record the distinction. When it returns, that mark does not itself establish new damage; it helps identify the copy and compare its documented condition.
Agree changes before making them
A borrowed deck may need event preparation, but permission to modify it should not be assumed. Ask about changing sleeves, replacing cards, adjusting the list and carrying spare copies. Record changes and who holds any removed card.
Clarify whether the borrower may pass cards to another person. Permission for your use does not automatically permit another player's custody. The owner should be able to identify who holds the cards during the agreed period.
Tournament legality is a separate check. Consult the format and event's official rules. Borrowing does not alter a card's legality; a legal decklist also does not establish permission to modify someone else's cards.
Remove loaned copies from trade availability
Mark loaned copies unavailable in your inventory. Update any public duplicate list so you do not promise a card currently held by a tournament borrower.
Keep ownership, location and availability separate. You can still own a card while it is away and unavailable to offer. These fields prevent “not in my binder” from being mistaken for “already traded.”
Suppose you own three copies, lend one and want to trade another. Identify which is borrowed and which is offered. The total count does not make every copy available, and an older photograph does not necessarily represent the offered one.
Give the return a concrete reference
“After the tournament” can be unclear across rounds, a second day or travel. Agree a date or handover point and what happens if the event runs late. If return shipping is involved, decide who arranges it and how it is recorded.
Confirm both people can meet the arrangement before handing over the cards. If the owner needs them for another event the next day, the margin matters. Review a loan dependent on nobody being delayed before either person needs the cards urgently.
For longer loans, an agreed custody update can help. Keep communication proportionate: a planned confirmation is clearer than repeatedly asking for an unchanged status.
Report incidents without silently replacing copies
Explain what is known promptly: affected copy, approximate time, observed damage or loss, and the location of remaining cards. Do not quietly substitute another copy. Even an apparently identical replacement should be disclosed and agreed.
Photograph damage before attempting a repair. Decisions about repair or replacement should reflect the agreement and actual copy. The template establishes no automatic compensation or universal price merely by including an incident field.
If a card is missing on collection, separate confirmed returns from outstanding copies and compare the inventory. Mixing returned cards with other copies immediately can make their identity harder to reconstruct.
Close against the original list
Count copies and compare identities, finishes and observable condition on return. Check accessories too. Mark each item received and record unresolved issues before closing the loan.
Only then restore availability. A copy with an unresolved incident should not be offered using an old condition description or photograph that no longer represents it.
Reuse the template for later events, but create a fresh record for each loan. An earlier date and photographs do not verify the current handover's condition.
Frequently asked questions
Are name and quantity enough?
Not always. Record edition, language, finish and references identifying the copies actually loaned.
Can I return an identical replacement if I lost the original?
Do not do so without disclosure and agreement. A loan does not authorise a silent substitution.
Does this template establish tournament legality?
No. Check format legality and event requirements separately through their official rules.