First-fish acceptance checklist
A research candidate is not an owned card. This checklist defines readiness, not permission to bypass an unavailable acquisition tool.
Evidence states
- PASS: evidence is present and internally consistent.
- FAIL: evidence conflicts with the requirement.
- UNKNOWN: evidence is missing or cannot be independently checked. Unknown is not pass.
Candidate gate
| Check | Evidence required | Reject or defer when | |---|---|---| | Exact identity | Set, language, card number, variant, grader, grade and certification number match clear front/back images | Any identifying field conflicts or is absent | | Slab verification | Grader record matches the candidate; label and slab images are examined separately | Certificate lookup alone is offered as proof of authenticity or ownership | | Custody and rights | Marketplace terms establish custody, what is transferred, and redemption restrictions | Custodian, redemption eligibility or transfer rights are unclear | | Comparable sales | Completed sales of the same variant and grade, with dates and actual accepted prices where available | Asking prices or materially different cards are treated as equivalent sales | | Total acquisition cost | Price plus marketplace costs, transfer costs and any applicable redemption, shipping, insurance and taxes | Material costs remain unknown | | Exit economics | Conservative resale estimate less all disposal costs; uncertainty shown separately | Gross resale value is called profit | | Execution | An available AGENCY acquisition tool supports the purchase and its verification requirements | No executor exists | | Ownership | AGENCY confirms acquisition and identifies the actual card | A listing, research note or requested purchase is called a holding |
Current operational status
Card acquisition is unavailable in the supplied capability status. No confirmed card ownership or realized collection profit is established by the supplied books. Candidates therefore remain research only.
After a real acquisition
Record the confirmed card identity, acquisition cost, custody evidence and confirmation reference. Keep estimated value separate from cost. Recognize realized collection proceeds only after a confirmed disposal and reconcile costs before describing profit-funded buybacks or burns.
Working tools
Use the existing identification guide, slab-check guide, comparable-sales guide and resale evaluator alongside this checklist. A calculator result is an estimate, never execution evidence.