We know of course that every step counts, in any endeavor, and Cardmarket already does count every step. You can indeed see the total sales for every seller on the marketplace, next to their name and country flag on each offer, no matter whether theirs number in the single digits or in the thousands. But some steps deserve bigger recognition.
Unlike literal milestones, figurative milestones and goalposts often tend to get placed somewhat arbitrarily: You basically just pick a nice, big, round number and run with it. Or run toward it. In this case, of course, we have looked at a lot of sales data and tried hard to find thresholds that make sense, that indicate an impressive level of commitment, that offer a good mix of being aspirational as well as attainable. In the end, we decided on the following nice, big, round numbers for our seller milestones:
- One hundred thousand sales ⇒ Bronze
- Three hundred thousand sales ⇒ Silver
- Five hundred thousand sales ⇒ Gold
- One million sales ⇒ Diamond
As you can see above, and even better further down, reaching each of these milestones comes with a physical plaque to commemorate the achievement. You can hang it in your office or proudly display it in your store, and it will show everybody that you're a big deal on Cardmarket. Being one of the most accomplished and trusted sellers here apparently carries quite some weight within the larger TCG community—a fact that makes us feel incredibly honored by the way.
Reaching a milestone also comes with a digital plaque that sellers can put on their own website, print out, put on their business card or letterhead, et cetera. Corresponding badges will likewise accumulate on a seller's Cardmarket profile. You can see below how the full lineup would look in both light and dark mode—if "The Sneaky Eagle" were a real account and really had one million sales.
When we ship a plaque to someone, they can also look forward to a personal letter of thanks from our CEO, but ideally we like to get more personal than that. This is why Robert has packed a big bag full of upcoming milestones and has arranged to visit a few powersellers in the coming weeks.
It is also part of the reason Cardmarket organized a little get-together on the side and occasion of MagicCon Amsterdam this summer. A bunch of our sellers were attending the event as vendors, so it was the perfect opportunity to unveil and hand out the first batch of plaques. Below you can find photos of and a few words from the happy recipients.
cernyrytir (Gold)
"Being part of Cardmarket gives us the option to compete with Europe's best sellers. As former competitive players, we gladly take this as a challenge and motivation to work hard and grow. Getting to 500,000 sales was a nice milestone, but our true goal is to reach one million!"
JK-Entertainment (Silver)
"I still remember 2007 when Matthias and Luis had their booth at the Essen Game Fair, where we were convinced to use Cardmarket as a selling platform. In 2009 we had our first big presale, opening and sorting 200 displays to sell single cards. It took us four days to complete everything back then. This continued for several years until COVID made us shift our focus fully toward selling online. Today, fifteen people in the office list single cards, ship Cardmarket orders, and answer support requests. What we had in orders for the whole year of 2009 is now a quiet month for JK Entertainment. We owe a lot to Cardmarket. Being able to sell single cards to customers without our own online shop has significantly helped us grow and move forward."
BB-Spiele (Bronze)
"Reaching over 150,000 sales on Cardmarket is a significant confirmation that my team and I have been doing our job right for over a decade. Collectible cards are our passion, and our secret to success is simple: We want to be the dealer where we, as players, would most like to shop and sell ourselves.
"Our award plaque has a place of honor in the BB-Spiele store, the heart of our company. Here, we feel a daily connection with our loyal Cardmarket customers and our local gaming community. Without their support, our success would be unimaginable.
"Thank you to everyone who has walked this path with us.
"Warm regards, Bernhard Breit"
Dobi-trading (Bronze)
"When I was touring GPs with a few binders around 2017 and started trading MTG, I had no idea how much this game would grow, just like our business. Huge thanks for the support, trust, and undying interest in the game to all our customers over the years! We appreciate it very much, as well as the opportunity to be part of the Cardmarket community!"
Galactus-Roma (Bronze)
"This recognition is truly an honor. Since the beginning, Cardmarket has played a fundamental role on our journey. From our very first sales, we have watched our business flourish thanks to this remarkable platform and the community it has cultivated. This achievement is not just proof of our hard work but also a reflection of the constant support and opportunities Cardmarket has provided us along the way. We especially appreciate the platform's support during the COVID lockdown, which helped us immensely in those challenging times. We are so happy we could meet players and make new friends all across Europe. If we wanted to give a recipe for our success, its ingredients would be: dedication, a genuine passion for what we do, always listening to our customers, adapting to their needs, and constantly striving to learn and to innovate.
"We're grateful to Cardmarket for this milestone, and we hope to continue this journey with this amazing team and our customers straight to the next achievement."
MagicBarcelona (Bronze)
"From starting back in 2011 in a small room with two shelves to opening our physical store in 2017 in the heart of Barcelona in a two-storey space of more than 300 square meters divided between the store and the warehouse—we can say without any doubt that Cardmarket has been and is a key part of the growth of Magic Barcelona.
"This recognition is the result of the daily work and effort of more than twenty people who make up the team of Magic Barcelona and always strive to provide the best possible service. We are very proud to have achieved this milestone and look forward to the next one!
"From all of us at Magic Barcelona, we want to thank the team of Cardmarket for this recognition and our customers for trusting us day by day."
ManaTrust (Bronze)
"When we started selling on Cardmarket in 2012, we were just passionate Magic: The Gathering players, eager to trade a few rare cards with the community. We never imagined that, just over a decade later, we would reach such an important and meaningful milestone. Achieving 100,000 sales is an extraordinary result, and it has only been possible thanks to the trust of our customers and the passion that drives us every day.
"Cardmarket has been instrumental in helping us grow to this level, and being among the top sellers on the platform fills us with pride. We look forward to continuing to serve the community of players and collectors with the same dedication and commitment, and hope to celebrate 300,000 sales soon!"
Mazvigosl/Mazinger (Bronze)
"At the dawn of time, in the northwest of Spain, a group of friends united by their passion for Magic cards decided to set up a small geeky shop called Mazinger. The small shop later reached unknown heights thanks to Cardmarket. Back in 2010, customers started to talk about this platform, how it worked, the future it had … So we put everything into a safe bet and were rewarded with great success thanks to which we have grown: increasing the staff and sending cards to all corners of Europe that, if it weren't for this opportunity, we wouldn't have been able to reach.
"We didn't put up the plaque yet, but here's a photo of it with all of the Mazinger team."
