Shipping Policy

Dispatch times

Orders for in-stock books placed before 2:00 PM Central on a business day are dispatched the same day. Orders placed after that, or at a weekend or public holiday, are dispatched the next business day.

Books that are in the middle of a grading, pressing or storage workflow are marked as such on the listing and ship once that workflow completes. We will always give you a date in writing before taking payment.

How we pack

Every order is packed by hand by a member of the vault team. Without exception:

• Slabs are sleeved, then wrapped in closed-cell foam, then bagged against moisture.
• Raw books are bagged and boarded, then sandwiched between rigid backing boards.
• Everything is double-boxed with a minimum two inches of void fill on all six faces.
• Multi-slab orders are separated so no two holders can contact one another in transit.

Every book is photographed from six angles immediately before it goes into the box. Those photographs are retained for twelve months and are what we compare against if you report a problem.

Domestic shipping (United States)

All domestic shipments are insured to full purchase value and require an adult signature on delivery. We cannot mark a parcel “no signature required” — this is an insurance condition, not a preference.

International shipping

We ship to most countries using fully tracked and insured air services. Transit is typically 5 – 14 business days depending on destination and customs.

Duties and import taxes are the buyer's responsibility and are not collected at checkout. We declare the full purchase value on every customs form. We will not under-declare a parcel or describe a sale as a gift, and requests to do so will be declined.

If a parcel is refused or abandoned at customs, the order is refunded less outbound shipping, return shipping and any charges levied by the carrier.

Loss and damage in transit

Risk passes to you on delivery, not on dispatch — until a parcel is signed for, it is our problem. If a parcel arrives damaged:

1. Photograph the outer box before opening it, then photograph the contents in place.
2. Contact us within 48 hours of delivery at hello@rarecomicscollectors.com with those photographs and your order number.
3. Keep all packaging until the claim is resolved — carriers routinely ask to inspect it.

We file and manage the insurance claim ourselves. You are refunded or made whole by us; you are never asked to wait on a carrier.

A parcel showing no tracking movement for ten consecutive business days is treated as lost and refunded or replaced at your choice.

Local collection

You are welcome to collect in person from 418 Congress Avenue, Suite 210, Austin, TX 78701 during opening hours at no charge. Bring photo identification matching the order. See the contact page for a map, directions and parking information.