Cardinal
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Notes from behind the counter

We're Ben and Tom — collectible dealers who got tired of pricing cards from memory and spreadsheets, so we built Cardinal. This is what we're learning along the way.

Pricing seriesSeptember 2026 · 8 min read · Ben & TomPricing series, part 1: reading card market trendsLevel tells you today, direction tells you next month — the four price shapes and what each one does to a buy offer.Read the post
Pricing seriesSeptember 2026 · 9 min readPricing series, part 2: how grading changes valueRaw and graded are separate markets. What the graders reward, and the maths to do before you send a card off.
Pricing seriesSeptember 2026 · 8 min readPricing series, part 3: spotting undervalued cardsWrong printings, Japanese names, bad photos and untriaged bulk — where mispriced cards actually hide.
Behind the counterSeptember 2026 · 6 min readWhat we pay for Pokémon cards, and whyOur cash and trade percentages, out in the open — and the reasoning behind every point of the gap.
Behind the counterSeptember 2026 · 7 min readA weekend card show, by the numbersFloat, takings, buys and the close-out — how a show day actually adds up when you track it properly.

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