G.A.B.'s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Included here are G.A.B.’s accepted guidelines for trading collectable card game cards over the net. We cannot cover every situation here, but if the majority of traders follow these guidelines, everyone will have generally the same expectations. The possibility of mis-understandings and hard feelings regarding transactions will be reduced.

What is GAB?

Randy Johnson founded G.A.B. in 1996 with the purpose of providing tools for online traders to protect themselves from bad traders. He created a comprehensive Bad Trader List  and the team system where G.A.B. members have their trading references verified by their Team Leader. Member rank is based on the number of confirmed references a person has. The more people who join G.A.B. and stand up against bad traders the safer online trading will be for everyone.

G.A.B. is currently headed by Grand Admiral Mortal Q and a High Council

Why join G.A.B.?

First of all G.A.B. does not “discriminate” based on what games you trade, all traders are welcome to join as long a they have one valid reference, also we consider all references to have equal value, regardless of who they come from. Also you will get the assistance of numerous high-ranking veteran traders who volunteer their time freely to G.A.B.

How do I join G.A.B.?

First, carefully read the G.A.B. code of conduct, if you agree with it, you may go and fill out our application at the sign up page. You will need a minimum of one valid reference (a reference is someone you completed a trade with over the net). You will then be promoted to he first rank (Ensign) and assigned to a team and lead by an Admiral who will check your references, to gain rank you must submit more references.

How to trade safely online?

1) DO NOT EVER assume somebody is a good trader just because he/she claims to be a member of a trading organization (this includes G.A.B., STARS, Imperial Navy etc). Most trading groups do their best to make
sure their members are honest, but sometimes someone "sneaks" in with the intention of gaining high rank and then ripping people off.

2) BE WARY of traders who tell you "You MUST send first because I'm in a trading group," but don't have to necessary refs to back up their request. By the way it goes against the GAB code to ask people to send first, unless their is a good reason. (A trader with no references or very few references may be asked to send first.)

3) Obtain the following  information about traders you are considering dealing with :

Real Name - You can do little about a bad trade if you do not know the other persons full name.

Street Address - This must be the complete physical address you are shipping your trade to.

Phone Number - In a big trade you can ask for the other persons phone number and call unannounced BEFORE THE TRADE later to ensure you can reach the trader directly. Bad traders will be very reluctant to provide their direct phone number. We recommend always speaking to a trader over the phone for any transaction in excess of a $50 value.

E-mail - Never conclude a trade/sale in a "chat room" or "irc". You should discuss trades in a "chat room", but always conclude a trade via e-mail

4)Always CHECK references. Just because somebody sends you a long list of references, it doesn't mean he/she is honest. It is EASY to create a long list of good traders who may never have heard of the trader. Take the time to check the references. Every honest trader will understand that it might take a day or two until you get enough positive responses back to satisfy you. If somebody pushes you to send right away without giving you time to check his/her references, be wary. Also, if someone has ALL freemail references, you should be extra careful. If you have any doubts and the person is a G.A.B. Member, it is an excellent idea to contact their Team Leader to ask about them.

If you send a reference check, ask specific questions like:
Did the cards arrive in time?
Were they well protected?
Were they in the condition agreed upon?

Questions like this could spare you a lot of disappointment and trouble later on.


5) Make sure you clear certain things up before your trade. Always ask about the condition of the cards. Make sure your trade partner has the cards he/she is trading "in hand." Occasionally, some people promise cards they have not received yet from prior trades. This can lead to trouble.

6) If you are suspicious about a trade (for example if you got negative feedback, or the refs look suspicious), e-mail the other person to cancel it if the deal. There is nothing wrong with stopping a trade before any party has sent their cards, if you don't feel comfortable with the deal or dealer.

7) Check out G.A.B's Huge Bad Trader list as well as others on the Internet such on the one on this page to keep informed of bad traders online.
Note: G.A.B.'s bad trader list is long, but you can use the search engine to check is a name, e-mail, etc is on the list.

8) If you send cards that are valuable send them certified (with or without return recipe). It will cost you a little more, but if anything goes wrong you have proof that your trade partner received the cards.

19) If a trade sounds too good to be true, in most cases it is. So, don't be greedy. Think before you trade.

What to do when you got ripped off?

a) If you didn't sent the cards certified, go to the postal office and have a trace put on your letter. It will take a while, but they follow up and find out for you if the letter arrived at its destination.

b) If can confirm that your trade partner received his cards, let him know you will take legal actions against him if he doesn't send your cards back. Contrary to what most people think or say, it is NOT hard to report people for mail fraud; since it is a Federal Crime, it is taken very serious by the postal office.

c) If you think your trading partner is a minor it sometimes helps to send another letter (certified) to his house. Address it to his parents (Mr. or Mrs "whatever his name"). Many parents have no idea what their kids doing, but once they learn about it they take action.

d) And last but not least, don’t be afraid to take legal actions. Maybe you think, “it’s just a few cards,” but it does add up when someone does it a lot. Unfortunately ripping of has become very common and WE NEED TO
STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK. Once some of those bad traders have been punished and word gets around, perhaps we will see a decline in the practice of ripping people off. But as long as those thieves feel safe
and think they can not be punished for what they are doing, they will keep doing it.

e) Report the Bad trader. See below.

Shipping Responsibility

Trading protocol dictates that the sender is responsible for the shipment. In other words, if your cards (or your money) does not reach destination, YOU should and will be considered responsible.

It is for that very reason we HIGHLY recommend you insure your cards/payment as often as possible, a good rule of thumb is to do so every time the cost of insurance is less than 10% of the cards value. Insuring cards (or opting for a certified or registered mail, more expensive alternatives) provides you with written, dated proof and most importantly a verifiable tracking number. This ensures you are a reliable honest trader in the event of a dispute, AND you’ll be covered in the event of a loss.

If you refuse to cover this additional expense remember that if the other trader claims never to have receive your cards/payment it will be up to you to prove they were sent on time and to the correct address, and finding mail without a tracking number will be an arduous process at best.

When buying cards from an individual, pay by check or money order, and be sure to keep written proof. When buying cards from a company pay by credit card (this is the best protection because you can dispute charges much later). We strongly urge against sending cash, since many post offices worldwide (including U.S.) will confiscate cash if they spot it (this happens all the time to novice traders), but if you do always insure the shipment.

Insuring/Return receipt procedures vary from country to country, all the information should be available at your local post office, including who to contact if there is a delay/problem.

Guidelines for new online traders

1) Learn the conditions of cards

You will need to evaluate the condition of your cards and understand the other trader’s evaluation of theirs, by default, all cards are considered to be at least in NEAR MINT condition.

The most commonly used descriptions and abbreviations used to describe cards are from Scrye Magazine (P.O. Box 1627, Troy, NY 12181-1627, scrye@aol.com), which publishes a trading guide.

This is the guide we follow here at G.A.B. Common abbreviations are shown in parenthesis.

MINT (M): This is a card which is perfect in every way.

NEAR MINT (NM): This(probably) unplayed cards that shows almost no wear and may have a few minor scratches or slight marks on the card's edges. In general, collectors seek only Mint and Near Mint cards.

FINE (F): This card has obviously been played, but not heavily. It lacks marks that would make it easily identifiable. It definitely has some minor scratches and/or less-than-perfect edges. It will show less than 1/16" depth of white along one or two edges of one face of the card. It may have a minor crease that is only visible close-up.

GOOD (G): This card has a played look to it. It will have white showing on three or four edges on both faces. This card may also have more than 1/16" depth of white showing on an edge on the back face of the card. It may also be a card that looks like a card that looks like a Near Mint card except that it has one distinguishing wear feature, such as a slight tear, or an easily identifiable crease. It may also have permanent black marks from dirt. It is only acceptable for play if it cannot be easily distinguished from the other cards of the play deck.

POOR (P): Any card in less than Good condition.

Misprints & Errors : If a card is mangled by the factory by being irregularly cut or crunched by the flow wrap machine, it often has no value. If a card has a text/icon/art error that is later corrected, it may have a premium value.


2) Learn the value of cards.

Realize that if there were unanimous agreement on the prices of cards, there would be no need for about 95% of the traffic in the trade groups!
Price will depend on quite a few factors, but common ones include: card rarity (within the print run), size of the print run, edition of the print run (including language), playability of the card, tournament restrictions on particular cards, location of the person(s) offering the card, and card condition.

That said, there are still variables specific to individual situations. Someone looking for a single card to complete a collection or play deck might pay significantly more for a card than might otherwise be expected. Likewise, another person may discount the value of a card well below the typical value because they already have one or more, or don't play that color/type of card, or are looking to make a quick sale.

Finally, card values are affected by decisions of the game manufacturer. A previously out of print card might be reprinted by the manufacturer in a new edition, or the manufacturer could announce that a particular card will never be reprinted. A new edition card will generally be equally acceptable to players as the original edition, although collectors and/or differences in play between new and old cards will generally cause some price differential. Obviously if a manufacturer announces that they will never reprint a card, that card is likely to increase in value.

Still, several good price guides are available and revised monthly. The most commonly referenced are the magazines Scrye and Inquest, commonly found at any large bookstores or gaming stores.
These magazines "poll" card stores for current prices. In general, as long as you use the same source for both side of the trade, you can be fairly certain that the trade is fair.

Much like real estate, a card is worth what a willing seller and a willing buyer agree upon of their own free will. This will necessarily vary from transaction to transaction.


3) Mail your cards properly protected.

You should protect the cards you are sending, do not think for a second that an envelope (no matter how thick) will do the trick.
When mailing cards, place them inside "penny sleeves" - soft plastic that will not scratch cards. After no more then 3 card(s) are in the "penny sleeve", place them inside "top loaders” - hard plastic sleeves that will protect the cards from almost anything.
Then cover the top loader with a piece of tape to prevent the cards from slipping out, remember to insert your penny sleeved protected cards in the top loaders with the top edge first (facing inside) as to prevent glue from the tape from ruining the card edges.
Wrapping the top loaders with a sheet of thick paper will prevent anyone from "scanning" your package. Then place the top loaders in an envelope.

"Penny sleeves" and "top loaders" are available from any card dealer, both retail and online.

Sleeves and top loaders are fine for small numbers of cards, but when sending moderate to large numbers they are expensive and not feasible. If sending enough cards to require a box, make sure the box is well padded. The cards should not be able to move at all in any direction - if cards can move, they will likely be damaged while in transit. Wadded newspaper and/or plastic comic book bags should do.

See http://postcalc.usps.gov/  for information on weights and postage.


4) Identify fake cards.

Fake cards are sometimes a problem with high value cards and foils.   Magazines like Scrye can be helpful resources in helping in identifying these cards.  Also more experienced traders may have good tips.  


5) Get references.

If you do not have references, you will probably have to send first, but if you take the proper precautions (see above : how to trade safely online), and trade a small value of cards at first, the risks are very low you will be scammed.
Make sure the cards are sent in a timely fashion and in the promised condition.

After every trade, ask the other trader for his/her permission use him as a reference (wait for confirmation before you do so !) and offer to do the same in return.

It is G.A.B.'s policy to only accept trade references. Bought the cards do not count as references : a reference must be able to tell the condition of the cards as well as how well and promptly a person shipped them.


6) Report a Bad Trade.

If the alleged bad trader is a current G.A.B. member, please fill out the Internal Affairs investigation request form.

If the alleged bad trader is not a current G.A.B. member, please fill out the Inquisitor investigation request form.

Note : you will be asked to submit documented archives of all of your correspondence with the other parties, this is why we recommend you keep all your e-mails intact until transactions are fully completed and acknowledged on both sides.

As an additional measure against Bad traders, we suggest you to seek justice by sending a claim to your nearest City’s Attorney General’s office with a detailed explanation of your claim.
Bad trading is a federal offense punishable by law under the statutes of Mail Fraud and Misrepresentation. You can find the appropriate information at the following location :
http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/fraud/welcome.htm
The section we believe they are violating is:
http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/usc18/
You can make a fraud report here:
http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm