Hobby Jargon Breakdown

If you have ever shopped for sports cards or other memorabilia online, you likely noticed several unfamiliar terms and abbreviations. What does BMWT mean? What does it mean to “coin” a listing? I remember years ago when I transitioned from eBay (my old go-to) to groups on social media. It was almost like reading a foreign language! There is so much hobby jargon to learn–and Cardhound is here to help! 

Consider this an introduction to the world of trading card terminology used in buying and selling. There are many common hobby acronyms and abbreviations you might encounter, especially when browsing, buying, and selling online. Understanding the common terms is necessary to buy or sell safely and according to a given group’s rules. (If you aren’t yet buying or selling on social media, a great place to start is a Vintage Baseball Cards group I help administer!).

In the cover image, we are obviously looking at a nice ’57 Brooks. Let’s break down the listing:

• “RC” indicates rookie card.
• SGC is the grader an 5 is the grade–EX means Excellent. I bet you’re with me so far.
• “24 hour auction” usually refers to an auction that ends 24 hours after the last bid (so it is a bit of a misnomer since the auction might go on for days!).
• “SB” is “starting bid,” and $5 is the minimum bid increment.
• I’m not a fan of “Net to Me” language–but in this case, the final price is the seller’s net after sales fees (usually Paypal).
• PPGS = “Paypal Goods and Services,” which is the most common type of payment–and what you want as a buyer for safety reasons.
• BMWT means “bubble mailer with tracking,” but in this case, please spring for Priority shipping for old Brooksy.

Whew! That’s just one listing!

Glossary of Hobby Jargon

The list of terms below is a mix of general online buying and selling terminology, and terms that are fairly specific to sports cards.

A-F

• 24-hour rule: An auction that ends after 24 hours of no new bids. 
• BMWT: “Bubble mailer with tracking” (shipping method) 
• Bump: “Bring Up My Post.” People “BUMP” their posts to bring them back up in the feed so they will get more action. 
• Coining: Coining has nothing to do with coins. It typically refers to the practice of including a picture that includes the card or cards, along with a piece of paper showing the seller’s name and the current date. The idea is to establish that the seller has the card. Watch out for photoshopped “coin jobs”–they are usually obvious, but you need to look closely. Requesting short videos has become more commonplace.  
• DM / PM: Someone might allude to the fact that they are going to Direct Message / Personal Message you, so check your inboxes.
• DOND: “Deal or No Deal,” which basically translates to “make me an offer, and I’ll either accept it or reject it.” Typically all of the negotiations are visible in the thread, for sake of transparency. But it is a very polarizing format, for sure.
• FF: “Friends and family” (payment type offering almost no recourse to a buyer–avoid it when new to buying). 
• FS / FT: “For Sale” / “For Trade”

G-Z

• GS: “Goods and Services” (payment type offering buyer protections against fraud).
• “Net to Me”: Sellers use this phrase to indicate that they expect the buyer to cover any associates transaction fees charged by PayPal, etc.  
• PC/NFS: “PC” stands for “Personal collection” (usually to indicate something not for sale, and NFS further explains “Not For Sale.”
• PSA, etc.: The main grading companies all use 3-letter acronyms. The most credible graders currently are PSA, SGC, Beckett (BGS, BVG), and CSG. Other graders are either new and unproven, or often fraudulent basement operations. 
• PWE: “Plain white envelope” (cheap shipping method–usually not tracked and less protected–use for cheap cards and at your own risk) 
• Raw Cards: Refers to cards in their natural state that have not been professionally graded. 
• RC: Rookie card
• SB: Starting bid amount in an auction. 
• Slab: A “slabbed” card is a professionally graded card–“slab” refers to the plastic grading case. 
• W: “Watching” (making a comment on a facebook post means the member will be notified when new content is added to your post) 

 Anything Missing?

See other terms you are unsure of? Comment and I will add them here! If you enjoy vintage content like this please Join Cardhound and hang out with other collectors in our Collector’s Club Board. 

Now that you know the key baseball card abbreviations and sales jargon, you’re ready to tackle other Cardhound articles, like this one on listing, selling, packing and shipping your cards safely!