Buying and selling Magic: the Gathering cards online has never been easier. There are numerous platforms to peruse and millions upon millions of cardboard squares up for sale. You often find the best deals on marketplaces like TCG Player and Mana Pool where individual sellers and small stores can list their inventories. However, those purchases often come with some risk since many small sellers ship cards in a plain white envelope (PWE) to lower their costs. For bulk cards, this isn’t that big of a deal. But when a $50 card gets lost in the mail and the customer says it never showed up, both sides are in a tough spot.
Enter Card Pathfinder.
Co-founder Brent Clark has an extensive background in supply chain logistics and a passion for buying and selling Magic cards. He was disappointed with existing PWE tracking platforms when fulfilling orders and knew there had to be a better way. Now, trading card sellers can use Card Pathfinder to track PWE orders through USPS with ease for as little as $0.15 per shipment.
Bolt the Bird had a chance to talk to Brent about Card Pathfinder and learn more about how both buyers and sellers can benefit. Keep reading to learn more about this awesome new service for the trading card industry and how you can use it to start tracking your PWE shipments and gain valuable peace of mind.
Q: Where did the idea for Card Pathfinder come from? What made you want to get into this business?
Brent: I was using another PWE tracking platform on the market and had a poor experience. It was clunky to use and consumed one of my free credits when I accidentally refreshed the page. As a frequent shipper and software engineer who cares deeply about user experiences, this really bothered me. I knew I could make a better experience for all of us.
Q: If I’m a seller who wants to use the tracking, what does the process look like from end to end?
Brent: The process couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is create an account, create a shipment, print the address and barcode on your envelope or Avery label, and drop the envelope in the mail. Check the tracking status and events in a day or two to see the results.
Q: How do you add the label to the envelope? Print it directly on? Sticker?
Brent: The destination address and Intelligent Mail barcode can be printed directly on the envelope or onto one of the Avery labels we support. Envelopes and larger Avery labels will also print your return address which means you’ll never have to write an address by hand again.
Q: How does the tracking system work? How often do you get updates? Does only the seller get them, or does the buyer get updates as well?
Brent: We leverage the Intelligent Mail system which can read the barcodes we print and report back with scan event data as the USPS goes about their normal processing. It’s common to see your first update the day after pickup and one or more per day until the envelope is delivered.
Q: Who can use Card Pathfinder?
Brent: Anyone and everyone who wants to track something sent in a PWE can use Card Pathfinder, but we are primarily focused on the collectible and trading card markets. This allows us to create features and experiences other systems wouldn’t find useful for a general audience.
Q: What are the benefits of using Card Pathfinder to track PWE shipments for sellers? For buyers?
Brent: For sellers, the benefits are large. You can increase your customers’ confidence that their cards are successfully on their way. This service used to require a $6 expense and a trip to the post office. Now you can offer something similar for $0.15 – $0.30 without a trip to the post office. You’ll also never have to hand-write an address again, allowing you to focus on other tasks.
For buyers, you get increased confidence that your cards are shipped and visibility into any issues if they arise. As an example, a recent shipment was missing the apartment number and failed to deliver. The sender was able to track down where the cards were stuck, inform the buyer, and get them a refund quickly while they worked with the post office to get their cards back.
Q: What are your goals for the company? Any plans for the future you want to share?
Brent: Both founders have extensive supply chain experience and a passion for quality user experiences. Our primary goal is to become the go-to PWE shipping solution for the collectible and trading card markets. We have a long roadmap and have been stockpiling enhancement ideas for months.
The next few big features we’re considering are:
- Buyer-facing tracking pages so buyers can see the status of their shipment without asking
- Printable postage so sellers no longer need to mess with stamps
- Optional insurance
We’re always listening, though, and want to hear from you! Hop into our Discord server and tell us which features you’d like to see next!
Try Card Pathfinder for Your Next PWE Shipment
Card Pathfinder is an ideal solution for trading card sellers (and buyers!) who want some peace of mind before shipping an order. When you’re ready to fulfill your next shipment, head over to CardPathfinder.com and sign up for an account. When you do, you’ll get five credits for free to try out the service.
Affiliate Disclosure: The writer and/or Bolt the Bird received compensation in return for sharing an honest article about Card Pathfinder and its services.
