Requirements for Private Sale Approval

What is a Private Sale?

A "private sale" is an arm's length transaction for a trading card between credible participants in good standing in the trading card community that has occurred in a venue other than a reputable online marketplace with published sales.

For example, suppose a card is advertised for sale on Instagram by a collector.  Another collector sees it, messages the seller directly, and they agree to a price.  The buyer sends payment via PayPal, the seller ships out the card, and the buyer receives it as described.  This is an example of a private sale.

Why Track Private Sales?

Occasionally, a card with a limited public sales history is transacted privately.  If the parties to a private sale would like to publish it, knowledge of this sale may be beneficial to other collectors and market observers, as the facts surrounding that sale may be relevant to their own collecting and research.

There are safeguards in place to increase the likelihood that a private sale is accurately disclosed and transparently reported.  They are described below.  However, notwithstanding these verification procedures, private sales warrant heightened scrutiny from the public and should be treated with caution.

Which Private Sales Should Be Submitted to Card Ladder?

A private sale should only be submitted to Card Ladder if the card has a limited sales history.  There is no need to submit a private sale of a card that regularly transacts in public marketplaces.  The purpose of a private sale submission is to help shed light on the market for a card in situations where the existing sales history is lacking.  Please consult Card Ladder's Sales History feature to research how frequently a particular card has sold prior to submitting a private sale.

For example, a private sale of a rare card that has not logged a sale in the last year is an eligible candidate for a private sale submission.  By contrast, a private sale of a common card that sells multiple times per month is not.

Please note that as of 10/29/2024 we are currently limiting private sale submissions to sales of $1,000 and up.  We are imposing this temporary restriction due to our limited research resources available for vetting private sale submissions.  This policy may be revised in the future.

How Are Private Sales Submitted?

From within Card Ladder's Sales History feature, click the "+" symbol to begin the submission.  Submitters must meet the following criteria:

1. A high quality scan/picture of the front side of the card must be provided.  No part of the image should be obscured, including the slab certification number or the card's serial number.
2. The exact purchase price and date of the transaction must be provided.
3. The sale must be fully consummated, completed, and delivered.  Sales that have only received partial payment, or that have been agreed to but not yet fulfilled, or in which the card has not yet been shipped/transferred, are ineligible.
4. All parties to the transaction, including the buyer, seller, and, if applicable, broker, must be in good standing in the sports card community.  The names of all parties to the transaction must be provided, and any potential issues related to their reputations must be disclosed.
5. All parties to the transaction must have consented to the private sale submission.
6. The reporting party must provide their contact information, such as their social media account, and consent to it being publicly displayed with the sale.  Typically, it will be credited in the sale's notes and hyperlinked.
7. The reporting party must supply proof of the transaction.  Examples of proof include: (a) an invoice or receipt, (b) a screenshot proving transfer of funds, (c) the executed sale contract or a screenshot of text messages indicating the agreed upon price and method of payment, and (d) confirmation of delivery of the card to the buyer.  These items will not be made public.
8. The sale price must be reasonably consistent with the current market price for the card, if such a determination can be made.

Is a Partial Cash/Trade Private Transaction Eligible?

As a general rule, partial cash/trade transactions are ineligible.  However, in exceptional circumstances, such as in the case of a private deal involving a card with an exceedingly small or non-existent sales history, a partial cash/trade transaction may be submitted.

Submitters of partial cash/trade private sales must fulfill all of the ordinary submission criteria; they must also provide:

1. A list detailing the full title of all cards included in the transaction.
2. The trade value assigned to each card.
3. The method by which that value was determined.
4. The evidence supporting that valuation.  For example, a common method of determining value is using the most recent public sale of another copy of the card in the same grade/condition.  Screenshot proof of those sales must be provided.

The details of the transaction, including how much was cash and trade value, as well as a list of each card included in the transaction and its trade value, will be detailed in the private sale's notes section.

How Are Private Sales Displayed?

Private sales will appear in Card Ladder's Sales History tool.  If the card has a profile in Card Ladder's Ladder feature, the sale may be included there as well.

The following information from a private sale is permanently displayed:

1. Image of the card.
2. Sale price and date of transaction.
3. The name of the reporting party, their role in the transaction (buyer, seller, or broker), and their social media contact information.
4. Other notes pertaining to the sale may be included as well, such as the names of other parties to the transaction and the type of proof submitted.  The proof itself (such as screenshots of the transaction) will not be displayed.

Are Private Sales Ever Removed?

Circumstances under which a private sale may be removed include:

1. Information comes to light casting doubt on the veracity of any of the facts reported involving the private transaction.
2. The reporting party's contact information becomes inactive.  For example, if the reporting party provided their Instagram account as their contact information, and then that Instagram account is subsequently deactivated, that may trigger removal of a private sale that they reported.
3. A party to the sale subsequently loses their status as a member in good standing in the trading card community.
4. Any other information comes to light that retroactively disqualifies the sale from satisfying the private sale submission criteria.