A trading card consignment agreement should clearly identify the cards, confirm who owns them, define the consignee’s authority, disclose every potential deduction, allocate risk at each stage, and explain payouts, disputes, withdrawal, and the return of unsold cards.
Identify the cards, ownership and authority to sell
Start with the parties and an itemised inventory. Each card should be described precisely, with condition notes, photographs where practical, and a signed receipt for cards delivered in batches. These records help establish what was handed over and its recorded condition.
The agreement should then say who retains ownership and when ownership changes. In the published DASC example, the consignor may resume possession until a third party or DASC has purchased and paid for the cards. CCA’s agreement likewise says the consignor remains the owner until a buyer purchases the card, while CCA acts as a limited agent and does not guarantee a sale or price.
Selling authority also needs boundaries. Check who selects the marketplace or auction format, combines cards into lots, sets starting prices, approves reductions, and accepts offers. DASC’s example describes its sale methods and gives the consignor the final decision on lot composition, auction type, and starting bid. These provider-specific arrangements illustrate questions to ask, not universal rules for every consignee.
Calculate fees, deductions and payout terms
Do not assess a card consignment contract from its headline commission alone. Ask for a complete list of amounts that may reduce the payment, including commission, listing and relisting charges, marketplace or service fees, shipping adjustments, return costs, and any other permitted deductions.
The DASC example separately identifies listing and starting-bid fees and says they may be charged again when a lot is relisted. CCA defines payout as the sale price minus commission, adjusted for the shipping difference and other amounts owed under its agreement. It also defines marketplace fees, service fees, commission, and the shipping difference. These are examples of how deductions can interact; they are not standard charges for the wider market.
The agreement should state how net proceeds are calculated and provide a payment schedule. Before signing, work through a written example using the proposed sale price and every potentially applicable deduction. Also check what triggers payment, when it is due, which payment method is used, and whether a buyer return or chargeback can delay or alter the amount.
Allocate loss, damage, returns and dispute responsibilities
Risk should be mapped across the full journey: shipment to the consignee, sign-in, storage, listing, sale, delivery to the buyer, and any return shipment. For every stage, the agreement should identify who bears loss or damage, what value or coverage limit applies, what evidence is required, and how quickly a problem must be reported.
CCA’s example allocates transit risk according to who arranges shipping. It says the consignor bears risk while sending a card to CCA until sign-in, while CCA covers cards in its care and shipments it arranges, subject to its covered-value terms and limits. That allocation is specific to CCA and should not be assumed elsewhere.
Buyer disputes require similar detail. Check the process for notifying the consignor, reviewing evidence, approving a return, issuing a refund, and handling a chargeback. The agreement should also address errors attributable to the consignee. CCA’s terms discuss responsibility for losses caused by its own packing, listing, or handling error. Return shipping responsibility and applicable limits should be stated rather than inferred.
Conclusion
Termination terms should explain when either party may end the arrangement, how a card can be withdrawn, what happens to an active listing, and when unsold cards must be returned. Confirm who pays return shipping, whether withdrawal or relisting charges remain due, and when the consignor can resume possession.
The cited materials are US-based guidance and provider-specific agreements. They do not establish UK statutory requirements or determine whether a term is enforceable for a GB collector. Verify the governing-law clause and obtain appropriate legal advice if its effect is unclear.
Before handing over cards, prepare an itemised condition record and obtain written answers covering every fee, selling authority, risk-transfer point, payout deadline, dispute process, withdrawal condition, and return cost.
Disclosures and limitations
- This article was prepared with AI assistance from the supplied research package, using a general consignment guide and published DASC and CCA agreements as sources.
- The cited agreements are provider-specific US examples, not endorsements, universal standards, or UK legal advice. No product or service recommendation is made.