PWE - Resurrection is needed!

Wondering what others think about using a plain white envelope (PWE) for shipping of one or two cards?

I think the art of using a PWE has been lost. There was a time when they were used constantly to ship cards back and forth to each other and now it seems no one uses them anymore. I personally encountered two problems with them over probably a thousand plus shipments.

I like them for cards that are cheap (defined as anything that would cost me more to have it shipped than it did for the actual item). I think as a rule of thumb, any card under $2.00 paid, should ship in a PWE.

There are so many cards I would buy on ebay if the shipping were .75 cents in a PWE. Sometimes I will ask a seller to ship that way in order to reduce the shipping charge and they will allow this. I even got into the habit of offering two forms of shipping on my auctions - .75 cents in a PWE or $3.00 in a bubble mailer with D/C, but oddly enough, most people take the $3.00 bubble mailer.

With the cost of shipping getting so high (bubble mailer costs are up, as are postage rates) and ebay charging a fee on shipping charges now, it just seems to make sense to me that more people would revert to PWEs as an alternative, but I don't see it happening as much as I think it should be.


I know the primary reason for not using them on ebay is chargebacks and people claiming they didn't receive anything, but if I could move a ton more cards because of the lower shipping, I'd do it. The few people that would do this (receive the card and file a chargeback) are so minimal and the amount of money made up in cards moved, rather than relisted over and over again, would easily offset the cost of a few .99 cent chargebacks.

Another advantage of the PWE is that they ship faster, at least that's what I've noticed for cards crossing the border up here to Canada. A PWE takes less than a week, a bubble mailer takes 2 or 3.


Sent from my Galaxy S2 LTE using Freedom Card Board mobile app

I use them most of the time when I'm trading a few cards. Unless the value is higher, then I put them in a recycled bubble mailer and mail them out.

I just sent one to Canada- cost $1.35, bubble mailer $6.16.

I request them on many of my deals. Usually, if a card is thick, I want bubblemailer shipping, or if a card is decent value.

I don't see the point in paying an extra $2.50 for a base card or cheap autograph.

If it's an expensive card, I think you have to go with the bubble, but if it was just a couple bucks, I think the PWE makes the most sense. I'd take my chances just to move the card out!

Exposfan said:

I just sent one to Canada- cost $1.35, bubble mailer $6.16.

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olerud363 said:

Another advantage of the PWE is that they ship faster, at least that's what I've noticed for cards crossing the border up here to Canada. A PWE takes less than a week, a bubble mailer takes 2 or 3.


Sent from my Galaxy S2 LTE using Freedom Card Board mobile app

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Really? 3 weeks. Crap. I just bought a bunch of cards from Canada and was expecting I'd see them in a couple of days. Damn.

I ship out all cards $4.99 or lower in a PWE and do not charge shipping to the US. I ship out over 300 envelopes a week this way. I've had 3 instances in almost 2 years where the card was damaged and they were thicker cards. Of course I refunded.

Just put card in penny sleeve, toploader. Tape toploader shut. Use double sided tape to tape toploader to envelope so it doesn't move in transit.

I agree though, not sure why people get offended by PWE for smaller purchases. I'm obviously not going to send a Bryce Harper auto in a PWE. But I also don't want to pay $1.64 shipping for a card I sold for $1.99.

I use them all the time when trading up to about 3-4 cards. I've had trouble with a couple having been cut and the cards removed for ones sent to me but no problems with any I've sent. For selling though I've always used bubble mailers with DC to cover myself. I don't mind if a seller uses them as long as they do so for low or free shipping. Someone who sends PWE and charges $3 for shipping can go fsck themselves

jaydub said:

I use them all the time when trading up to about 3-4 cards. I've had trouble with a couple having been cut and the cards removed for ones sent to me but no problems with any I've sent. For selling though I've always used bubble mailers with DC to cover myself. I don't mind if a seller uses them as long as they do so for low or free shipping. Someone who sends PWE and charges $3 for shipping can go fsck themselves

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I'm gonna cram your packs into a PWE.

I HATE when people do that on ebay. I always ask for a refund in those cases.

I have no problem with PWE, but I charge a flat $2.50 for shipping on all cards sold on ebay (when I sold on there), so I used it as a sales builder. (if I can get 10 cards for $2.50 shipping, it is better than paying 75 cents for 1 card to ship).

But if you do it right, PWE is fine.

Never had issues with properly protected regular-thickness cards in a PWE. Always have problems with thick cards in PWE. Don't do it, they'll get creased.