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Collectors' guides

Trading cards

How to spot a fake Pokémon card (2026)

Card stock, holo pattern and edges: the checks that expose a counterfeit, and why Mega Evolution ex cards are this year's main target.

PSA vs BGS vs CGC: which Pokémon grading?

Indicative costs, turnaround and the real differences in 2026: which company suits resale, which suits vintage, and how to read a grade.

Pokémon Base Set: 1st Edition or Shadowless?

The visual signals that tell the three 1999 print runs apart — 1st Edition, Shadowless and Unlimited — and why the price gap between them is so wide.

Storing Pokémon cards: sleeves and toploaders

PVC-free sleeves, toploaders, slabs and the right room conditions, so cards don't lose value after you buy them — especially if they travelled far.

One Piece card codes: how to read them

What OP01-001 means, how to tell a Parallel from the standard card, what changes between Japanese and English editions, and why the price moves.

Dragon Ball cards: codes and rarities

What FB01-001 and BT21-001 mean, the seven Fusion World rarities, how to spot a Secret Rare Alt-Art, and what changes between Japanese and English.

Disney Lorcana: rarities and Enchanted cards

Why Enchanted cards carry a number higher than the set total, how rare they actually are, and how to tell one from a standard card with the same art.

Yu-Gi-Oh: set codes and regional prints

How to read LOB-001 and LOB-EN001, how to recognise a first edition, and why the same card is worth different amounts in North America, Europe and Asia.

Comics and manga

First print of a comic or manga: how to tell

Barcode and indicia for comics, colophon and obi for manga: two different systems, so you don't pay first-print money for something that isn't.

CGC grading for comics and manga: the cost

The Poor to Gem Mint scale, the page-quality and restoration assessments, the real 2026 costs tier by tier, and when paying for it makes sense.

Storing comics and manga: bags, boards, obi

Mylar or polypropylene, the right bag sizes for Current, Modern and Silver Age, and how to keep a manga's obi without removing it.

Books

How to identify a genuine first edition

Where to look on the copyright page, what 'points of issue' are, and why two copies of the same edition can be worth very different amounts.

Rare book condition: the Fine to Poor scale

What As New, Fine, Near Fine, Very Good and Good really mean in rare book listings, and why the dust jacket's grade matters as much as the book's.

Vinyl and music

Grading used vinyl: the Goldmine scale

What Mint, Near Mint, VG+ and VG really mean in used vinyl listings — useful above all when you buy without hearing or handling the record first.

Record Store Day: why exclusives cost more

What Record Store Day exclusives actually are, how few copies are pressed, and how to buy a limited pressing at a fair price — including from abroad.

Buying from abroad: duty, VAT and customs

Import duty and VAT by country (2026)

What you really pay on top of the price — duty, VAT/GST and the thresholds that trigger them — for the EU, UK, Switzerland, US, Australia, Canada, Japan.

Buying from the US into the EU: duty in 2026

Since 1 July 2026 most goods originating in the US enter the EU duty-free. Origin is not where the parcel ships from, and that difference decides if you pay.

UK import duty rates by product (2026)

Every rate read from the official UK Trade Tariff, with the commodity code so you can check it yourself: electronics, books, vinyl, cards, clothing.

Pokémon cards from Japan or the US: EU duty & VAT

What a European collector really pays on a card from Japan or the US since 1 July 2026: 3 € duty per item under 150 €, VAT always, two worked examples.

Saving on your order

Save on shipping: buy everything from one store

Three shops mean three shipping fees. How to find the store that has your whole list, clear the free-delivery threshold, and what changes at customs.

Searching on Crossave

Find a product from a photo: how it works

Photograph the product, the photo becomes text, you confirm it, and the total-cost comparison starts. What works best, and when you need the brand.

Clothing

US, UK and EU clothing size conversion

How to convert clothing and shoe sizes between the US, UK and EU, why the same size varies by brand, and why a return can cost more than the shipping.

Coins and banknotes

Coin and banknote grading: the Sheldon scale

What MS 65, AU 58, VF 30 and EPQ mean in a listing: the 1-70 scale, the designations beside the number, and why a Details grade changes the price.