I have been a member of an online trading card group for nearly 25 years now (OBC) and have rarely had a problem (maybe one or two in that entire time consisting of literally thousands of cards traded). Trust is key and knowing who you are trading with and their reputation is very important. Even before trading within this group, I trusted and traded with people via the mail (Gar Miller, Lew Lipsett, Frank Frisch come to mind) and the internet (Len Mederios, Solomon Cramer). It was all about trust and reputation. I try very hard to protect both and my end and make sure that I do the same for my trading partners.
A few things I do to ensure the trade is legit and goes smoothly.
Start off small. Do not send your $1,000 card to an unknown. Start with a smaller trade and you can work your way up.
Ask for references. Many traders who still trade through the mail have been around for awhile. Get ebay, auction house, and other trade references that you can check on.
Send to a physical address with del. confirmation at the very least, no PO boxes for me UNLESS I know the person and trust them completely.
Ask to get your end of the trade first. Many honest traders and even some dealers will send your item first for inspection...be prepared though...they might turn the tables and ask for your references.
Hope this helps...
Joshua
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