Frequently asked questions
What Cardboard Terminal is, how the numbers are made and what it costs (nothing).
What is Cardboard Terminal?
A free deal finder for graded trading cards and sealed product. It watches live eBay auctions and Buy It Nows, reads the grading label on each slab, prices every listing against recent recorded sales of the same card and grade, and shows the ones below market first. There are card price pages for Pokémon cards and an iOS app with push alerts.
Is it free?
Yes. The deal finder, the card price pages and the iOS app are free to use. Cardboard Terminal earns a commission from eBay when a purchase follows a click through the site, at no cost to the buyer.
Where do the prices come from?
From recorded sales of the same card and grade, mostly eBay sold listings, kept up to date continuously. The headline price on a card page is the median of the newest sales; the number of sales behind it is shown so a thin market is visible.
What does the percentage next to a listing mean?
The listing's current price as a share of the card's recent sold median in that grade. 70% means the auction or Buy It Now is currently at 70% of what the card has been selling for. On auctions the number moves as bids come in, and most bidding happens in the last minutes.
Is there an app that shows cards selling under comps on eBay?
Yes, this one. The deal finder lists live eBay auctions and Buy It Nows for graded sports and Pokémon cards priced under their recent sold comps, and the iPhone app sends alerts for the cards and discounts you choose. Both are free. See <a href="/guides/cards-selling-under-comps-on-ebay">how to find cards selling under comps on eBay</a>.
Which cards and games are covered?
Graded Pokémon cards first, with other trading card games and sports cards in the feed, plus sealed Pokémon product. The card price pages cover Pokémon.
How fast do new listings appear?
New Buy It Nows usually appear within a few minutes of being listed. Auctions are picked up as they are listed and their prices are refreshed more often as the close approaches.
How does the deal finder read a slab?
It reads the certification number from the grading label on the listing photos and checks it against the grading company's record, so a listing is priced against the card and grade on the slab rather than whatever the title says.
Do I need an account?
No. The feed and the card pages are open. An account saves your filters across devices and is needed for alerts in the iOS app.
Is there an app?
Yes, Cardboard Terminal for iPhone on the US App Store. It adds custom alerts: pick a card, set, grade or price and get a push notification when a matching deal appears.
Does Cardboard Terminal sell cards or bid for me?
No. It shows you listings and prices. Every purchase or bid happens on eBay in your own account.
Why is a listing I saw on eBay not in the feed?
The feed only lists graded cards whose label it could read and match, and sealed product it could identify. Raw cards, lots, and listings whose photos hide the label are not included.
How much is my Pokémon card worth?
Look it up on its price page under /cards: value by grade from recorded sales, sales in the last 30 days and three years of history. Identify the card by name, set, card number and printing first; the guide on checking a card's value walks through it.
Can I see Pokémon card prices by set or by Pokémon?
Yes. Every set and every Pokémon has its own page listing the cards with their values by grade, reachable from any card page or from the price pages index.
How do I contact you?
Email professor@cardboardterminal.app. Bug reports with a listing link and a screenshot get fixed fastest.
Still have a question? Email professor@cardboardterminal.app.
Open the Deal Finder →