If you've got TCG cards you want to sell and someone's mentioned "checking the buylist," you might be wondering what that actually means and whether it's the right option for you. Buylists are one of the most common ways players convert unwanted cards to cash or credit in Australia, but they work quite differently to selling on eBay or Facebook.
This guide explains the whole process plainly — what a buylist is, how stores set their prices, what you can expect to receive, and how to decide whether a buylist sale is your best option.
A TCG buylist is a list of cards a game store is willing to buy from the public, with the price they'll pay for each card. You bring in or send your cards, the store assesses condition, and pays you the listed price in cash or store credit. Buylist prices are typically 30–50% of the card's current market value in cash. It's the fastest way to convert cards to money, but not the highest-returning method.
What Is a Buylist?
A buylist is exactly what the name suggests: a list of cards a store wants to buy. Game stores that sell individual TCG cards — called singles — need a consistent supply of those cards. Rather than only buying collections from players who walk in, most stores publish a public list of cards they're actively seeking, with the price they're willing to pay for each one.
You can think of it like a job listing, but for cards. The store is saying: "We need these specific cards. If you have them and they're in acceptable condition, we'll pay you this amount."
Buylists are updated regularly — sometimes daily — as store stock levels change. When a store sells its last copy of a card and has buyers waiting, the buylist price for that card goes up to attract sellers. When they're well-stocked on a card, the price drops or the card disappears from the list entirely.
How Do I Use a Buylist?
The process varies slightly between stores but follows the same basic structure:
1. Check the buylist. Most stores with a singles section have their buylist published on their website. Search for the cards you want to sell by name and set. You'll see the cash price and often a store credit price listed for each card.
2. Assess your card condition. Buylist prices are quoted for Near Mint condition. If your card has any wear, the price will be adjusted down. Be honest with yourself about condition — submitting Moderately Played cards as Near Mint creates disputes and delays.
3. Choose: in-store or postal submission. Many stores accept postal submissions, meaning you can sell cards to a store in Melbourne or Sydney from anywhere in Australia. You package your cards carefully and send them with a submission form. Some stores are in-store only.
4. Receive your payment. For in-store visits, payment is usually immediate once the store assesses your cards. For postal submissions, allow 1–2 weeks from posting to payment, including transit time and store processing.
Cash vs Store Credit: What's the Difference?
Almost every Australian game store offers two buylist payment options:
Cash: Paid by bank transfer, cash in person, or occasionally PayPal. This is real money you can spend anywhere.
Store credit: A balance held with that store you can spend on products. Store credit offers are typically 10–20% higher than the cash offer for the same card.
Example: a card might have a cash buylist price of AU$12 and a store credit price of AU$15. If you plan to buy more products from that store anyway, taking the credit is effectively a 25% bonus. If you have no intention of buying from them again, the cash offer is more useful despite being lower.
What Price Will I Actually Get?
Buylist prices in Australia are typically 30–50% of the card's current market value for cash. That means if a card sells on the market for AU$40, a buylist cash offer of AU$12–$20 is typical. The exact percentage varies depending on:
- How much the store needs that card right now
- The card's condition
- The store's margin requirements and sales volume
- Whether competing stores are also buying the card
This is the main trade-off with buylists: they're fast and convenient, but you're accepting a significant discount in exchange for that convenience. The store needs to make a profit when they resell the card, and the spread between what they pay you and what they sell it for is how they do that.
For comparison, selling the same AU$40 card individually on eBay AU would typically net you AU$34–$35 after fees — roughly double the buylist cash offer. The additional AU$14–$15 is compensation for your time photographing, listing, packing, and posting the card.
Is a Buylist the Right Option for Your Cards?
A buylist makes sense in these situations:
You want cash quickly. eBay sales can take days to weeks to complete. A buylist — especially an in-store visit — can convert cards to cash the same day.
You have a bulk collection. Listing 100 cards individually on eBay is a significant time investment. If the total value is under AU$200–$300, the time cost of individual listings may not be worth the premium.
You're trading up within the same game. Store credit at 40–50% of market value is much more attractive when you're going to spend it on sealed product or singles from the same store. You're effectively buying future products at a 50–60% discount from market.
The cards are low value. Cards worth less than AU$5 are often not worth listing individually anywhere. Buylist them in bulk or sell in lots.
A buylist is probably not the right option if:
- You have high-value singles (AU$30+) and you have time to sell them on eBay
- You need the full market value and aren't in a rush
- The store's buylist prices for your cards are zero (they don't want them)
What Happens If the Store Downgrades My Card's Condition?
This is the most common source of friction in buylist transactions. You submit a card as Near Mint, and the store assesses it as Lightly Played and offers you less.
Reputable Australian stores will contact you before adjusting a payment or give you the option to accept the lower offer or have your cards returned. Confirm this policy with any store before sending cards by post. If a store's policy is to simply pay the downgraded amount without notice, that's worth knowing in advance.
Grade your cards conservatively to avoid this. If you're not sure whether a card is Near Mint or Lightly Played, call it Lightly Played. The difference in buylist price is smaller than the inconvenience of a dispute.
Can I Sell Cards from Any TCG Game to a Buylist?
Most buylist-active stores in Australia focus on the major games: MTG, Pokemon, Lorcana, One Piece, and Yu-Gi-Oh. Not every store buys every game. Smaller or newer games like Star Wars Unlimited, Dragon Ball Super, and Riftbound have fewer active buylists in Australia.
Before spending time compiling your sell list for a particular game, check that your target store actually has a buylist for that game. Most stores display which games their buylist covers on the same page.
Buylist vs eBay vs Facebook: Quick Summary
| Method | Return Rate | Speed | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buylist (cash) | 30–50% of market | Fastest (same day in-store) | Low |
| Buylist (store credit) | 40–60% of market | Fast | Low |
| Facebook TCG groups | 75–90% of market | Medium (1–5 days) | Medium |
| eBay AU (individual) | 85–90% of market after fees | Slower (days to weeks) | High |
There's no universally correct method. The right choice depends on your card values, available time, and financial urgency.
Related guides:
C3 is building a buylist comparison tool for Australian TCG sellers. Join the waitlist and be first to know when it goes live.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does buylist mean in TCG? A buylist is a published list of cards a game store is willing to purchase from the public, along with the price they'll pay for each card in cash and store credit. Sellers check the buylist, submit matching cards, and receive payment once the store assesses condition.
Do Australian game stores buy all TCG cards? No. Stores only buy cards they expect to resell. Common cards, heavily reprinted bulk rares, and cards with no current demand typically won't appear on any buylist. Only cards with active buyer demand get a buylist entry.
How do I find game stores with buylists in Australia? Search for the store's website and look for a "Sell Cards," "Buylist," or "Trade-In" section. Most stores with an active singles section will have this. You can also ask in local Facebook TCG groups — other players will know which stores in your area have active buylists.
Is it safe to send cards by post to a buylist? Yes, provided you use a reputable store with a clear postal submission process. Use bubble mailers, sleeve your cards in penny sleeves, and place them between rigid cardboard to prevent bending. Use tracked postage for anything worth more than AU$20 total. Confirm the store's lost-in-transit policy before sending.
What is the difference between a buylist and a trade-in? A trade-in typically means exchanging cards for store credit or other cards in a one-on-one swap. A buylist is the store's purchase programme — they're buying cards from you for cash or credit at their listed prices. Some stores use these terms interchangeably, but most larger stores treat them as distinct programmes.