FAQ

We're local vendors — we sell at card shows around Florida and beyond, and on rare occasions a card or sealed item sells in person before the site can update. Every order is reviewed before we charge or ship. If we can't fulfill an item you ordered, we'll reach out the same day and either refund the order, swap for something comparable, or hold for the next restock — your call. This only applies to graded slabs / sealed / singles. Apparel and merch are print-on-demand and never go out of stock.

At checkout on our shop, we accept credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay (via Square), plus Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App. For direct payments outside the cart, use Venmo (@sakekittycards), PayPal (paypal.biz/sakekittycards), or Cash App ($SakeKittyCards). Orders through our TCGPlayer store accept all major payment methods via their secure checkout.

Yes, we ship! All cards go out in penny sleeves, top loaders, and bubble mailers so they arrive safe. Free shipping over $50 — flat $5 under $50. Same rule applies to apparel, merch, anything we list direct. Card and sealed packages ship insured at $1 per $100 of card value, added at checkout once the insurable subtotal hits $100 (apparel and merch are not insured). TCGPlayer orders have their own checkout-calculated rates.

We use standard TCG condition grading: Near Mint (NM) — essentially perfect with minimal to no wear; Lightly Played (LP) — minor wear not visible during normal play; Moderately Played (MP) — visible wear but card is still tournament-legal; Heavily Played (HP) — significant wear. Every card is graded conservatively — when in doubt, we grade down. 📄 View the full condition guide (PDF) →

We personally inspect every card we sell and do our best to catch any fakes, reprints, or proxies before listing. On the rare chance one slips through, reach out immediately — we'll make it right with a full refund or replacement, no hassle.

If a card arrives damaged due to shipping, or if it is significantly different from its listed condition, contact us within 3 days of delivery with photos and we'll make it right — either a full refund or replacement. Buyer satisfaction is our priority. For TCGPlayer orders, their standard buyer protection policy applies.

Yes! Check out our Sell / Trade page — you can build a list of singles, sealed, graded, or bulk and get an instant rough estimate. Don't see your card listed? Reach out anyway — we buy many cards not on the list. Contact us via the Contact page or Instagram DM to get started.

Yes! We attend local card shows, tournaments, and pop-up markets. Check our Events page for upcoming appearances, or follow @sakekittycards on Instagram for announcements.

Follow us on Instagram @sakekittycards for new card drops, restocks, and special deals. We post new inventory regularly.

Possibly! If you're looking to buy multiple cards at once, reach out to us directly before purchasing and we can discuss bundle pricing. We love helping collectors build their collections.

Yes! Digital gift cards are available at our gift cards page. Pick any amount, get a code emailed instantly. Works at our pop-up booths and the online cart, no expiration, no fees. Great for gifting Pokémon TCG fans, or just stocking up on store credit ahead of an upcoming drop.

Trade-in credit and purchased gift cards are both Sake Kitty Cards Square gift cards. Check your balance any time at the gift cards page — just enter your card code. The same code works at our pop-up booths and online checkout. No expiration, no fees. Lost the code? Email nick@sakekittycards.com from the address that received it.

We work with PSA, CGC, and Beckett. We pick the best fit for each card based on value, condition, and turnaround time. More on the Grading Prep page.

Most screening orders are completed within 2–3 business days after we receive your cards.

You'll get a pass/fail result by email. Cards that don't pass can be returned right away or held and shipped back with your graded cards — your choice.

Yes — Detailed Screen orders include written notes and photos explaining why a card didn't pass.

We keep the process simple and controlled:

1. You submit your cards for screening.
2. We evaluate each card against grading standards.
3. Cards that pass are approved for submission.
4. We confirm your grading costs before moving forward.
5. Payment is collected before approved cards are submitted.

Grading fees apply only to cards you approve for submission — no grading charges on cards that don't pass. If you added Card Prep, that fee is refunded for any card that doesn't pass screening.

Cards stay with us until grading fees are paid in full — and you'll see your grades when the cards return to you, not before.

No. You can have us prep your cards and send them back so you can submit them yourself.

The prep fee is fully refunded. We only charge prep on cards we'd actually submit.

We carefully package and ship everything back once your order's complete. Non-submitted cards can ship right away, or be held and returned together with your graded cards — your call.

Yes — hand off cards at one of our events. Just submit your request first so we can review and approve it.

Screening takes 2–3 business days after we receive your cards. Grading at PSA, CGC, or Beckett typically runs 3–8 weeks for standard tiers (express tiers are faster, premium tiers can take longer). We share an estimated timeline before submission and you can follow progress on our order tracker.

You cover inbound shipping (your cards to us) — we strongly recommend insured shipping with tracking and signature required for valuable cards. Once we receive them, we cover all shipping to and from the grading house, including required insurance. Return shipping back to you is included with your service, insured based on declared value with signature required on delivery. Risk of loss transfers to the carrier upon shipment, and we’ll help you file an insurance claim if anything goes wrong in transit.

Every card is photographed front and back at intake and again before return. Cards graded by PSA, CGC, or Beckett come back in tamper-evident slabs with a unique cert number — you can verify the cert directly on the grading house's website, which independently confirms the card's identity.

If a grading house determines a card is counterfeit, altered, trimmed, or otherwise can't be authenticated, the card is returned without a grade. The grading house typically refunds its grading fee in this case — we pass any refund through to you. Screening and Card Prep fees are not refunded, since that work was already performed in good faith.

Yes — after you receive screening results, you can choose not to submit any card for grading. Just tell us by email and we'll return your cards according to your shipping preference. Once you authorize a card for submission to PSA, CGC, or Beckett, it's locked in — grading houses don't allow withdrawal mid-grading.

You provide the declared value at submission, and you're responsible for its accuracy. If a grading company determines a card's value is higher and upgrades the service tier, the escalation fee is passed through to you at cost — it becomes part of the grading fees due before return.

We'll work with you in good faith to resolve any payment issue first. By submitting cards, you grant Sake Kitty a possessory lien on them for any unpaid amounts. If fees remain unpaid 45 days after invoice, we may sell the cards in a commercially reasonable manner to recover outstanding fees and storage costs. We provide at least 15 days’ notice before any sale, and you can redeem (pay in full) any time prior to sale. Any proceeds in excess of fees and costs are returned to you. Full details in our Grading Prep Terms.