The Black Cat Exchange: A Curated Book & Deck Program - Full Policy

The Black Cat Exchange

A Curated Book & Deck Program

The Black Cat Exchange is a curated trade-in program for select used books and tarot/oracle decks that align with the focus of our shop. It is designed to keep meaningful books and spiritual tools in circulation through intentional reuse, thoughtful selection, and community care.

This is a curated intake program, not a general drop-off or donation system. All items are reviewed for condition, relevance, resale potential, and available capacity within the shop.

We are unable to accept all items, and we are not a general donation drop-off location. All materials must go through the intake and registration process to be considered.

📚 What We Accept

We are currently accepting a curated selection of gently used books and decks that align with the focus of our shop, including:

  • Witchcraft, folk magic, and occult studies
  • Esotericism, mysticism, and metaphysical subjects
  • Tarot, oracle systems, and astrology
  • Herbalism, plant medicine, and natural healing practices
  • World religions and cultural spiritual traditions
  • Healing, self-development, and personal transformation
  • Young adult fantasy with mythological or spiritual themes
  • Select children’s books centered on folklore, mythology, nature, or spiritual themes

We may also accept a limited number of tarot and oracle decks.

Items that closely reflect the current focus, collection, and inventory needs of the shop are more likely to be accepted.

📦 Intake Limits

To maintain a thoughtful and sustainable review process:

  • Maximum of 5 books per person per calendar month
  • Maximum of 2 tarot or oracle decks per person per calendar month
  • Maximum of 7 total intake items per person per calendar month unless otherwise approved

Intake beyond these limits must be approved in advance.

Please email the shop at info@cosmicblackcat.com for larger collections or special circumstances.

Intake categories, limits, and availability may change based on shop capacity and seasonal needs.

✅ Item Requirements

All items must be:

  • Clean
  • Complete (no missing pages or components)
  • In good, resaleable condition
  • Aligned with the themes and energy of our shop

The following conditions may result in automatic decline:

  • Water damage
  • Mold or mildew
  • Smoke or strong odors
  • Excessive highlighting, writing, or markings
  • Torn covers, loose bindings, or major wear
  • Missing cards, guidebooks, or components

⏱️ Trade-In Availability

Trade-ins are accepted only during designated intake times while the store is open:

  • We accept items any day we are open, subject to a limited daily intake capacity.
  • Please arrive no later than 30 minutes before closing if you are bringing items for review.
  • Items may need to be left for later review and processing.

This schedule may change in the future.

We do not accept trade-ins outside of designated intake times.

📦 How It Works

The Black Cat Exchange operates on a first come, first served basis.

We maintain a limited daily intake capacity so each item can be reviewed thoughtfully and with care. If intake capacity is reached, we may invite you to return another day.

All trade-ins and donations require registration at intake, including:

  • Name
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • A list of all submitted items

This applies whether items are intended for store credit or donation.

We cannot accept anonymous drop-offs or unattended items.

📚 Small Trade-Ins

  • Bring items in during designated intake hours
  • Items may be reviewed while you shop
  • During busy periods, items may be left with an intake form for later processing
  • Processing time may take up to 2 weeks
  • If accepted, you may choose store credit or donation

📦 Larger Collections

  • Please contact the shop in advance for approval or scheduling
  • Email us regarding larger collections or special circumstances
  • Larger collections require prior coordination
  • Review and processing may take several days to 1–2 weeks

🃏 Tarot & Oracle Decks

  • Limit: 2 decks per month
  • Must be clean, complete, and in good condition
  • Reviewed separately from books
  • Not eligible for immediate processing

💳 Store Credit & Donation Options

For accepted items, you may choose one of the following:

  • Store credit toward in-store or online purchases
  • Donation to local animal rescues, including All About The Cats

No cash is offered for trade-ins.

Accepted items typically receive approximately 10–40% of estimated resale value in store credit.

example: If a book originally retails for $20 and the shop determines it can be resold for $10, you would typically receive $1–$4 in store credit or donation value for that item.

Please note: for multi-item intakes, we do not provide item-by-item valuations or breakdowns. Accepted items will be assessed as a whole, and store credit will be issued as a single total amount for the entire intake.

Store credit amounts are determined at the discretion of the shop based on factors including:

  • Condition
  • Current resale demand
  • Completeness
  • Existing inventory
  • Alignment with the focus of the shop

Submission of items does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Store credit does not expire.

To help maintain a sustainable exchange program, store credit balances may not exceed $25 at any given time unless otherwise approved by management.

Donation options apply only to approved intake items.

📋 Items Left for Review

Items left for later review or processing remain the property of the customer until a store credit offer is accepted or the pickup period expires.

Customers who leave items for evaluation will be contacted by email once review is complete and a store credit offer has been issued.

If a customer wishes to decline the offer, they must notify the shop via email at info@cosmicblackcat.com within 24 hours of the email notification.

If no response is received within 24 hours of the offer email, the store credit offer may be considered accepted and processed to the customer account or profile on file.

If a customer has selected in advance that they do not wish to have their items returned under any circumstances, any unaccepted items will be made available immediately for store use, donation, recycling, or responsible redistribution at the discretion of the shop.

Declined or unaccepted items must be picked up within 7 days of notification unless other arrangements are approved in advance.

Due to limited storage space, items not picked up within the stated timeframe may be considered abandoned and may be donated, recycled, or responsibly discarded at the discretion of the shop.

By leaving items for evaluation, customers acknowledge and agree to these terms.

⚖️ Valuation & Final Determinations

All intake, acceptance, and store credit determinations are made at the discretion of the shop based on condition, relevance, resale potential, inventory needs, and market demand.

Customers are under no obligation to accept a store credit offer. However, all accepted offers are considered final once confirmed.

We reserve the right to accept or decline items for any reason consistent with the goals and capacity of the program.

🌙 Program Guidelines

This is a carefully curated intake program designed to maintain a cohesive and intentional collection within the shop.

Because of this, we selectively accept items based on condition, relevance, demand, and available capacity.

All items must be registered through the intake process and follow program guidelines.

Items left without registration or outside of these guidelines may be declined, donated, recycled, or responsibly discarded at the discretion of the shop.

We are unable to operate as a general donation drop-off location.

Please do not leave unattended items in or outside of the shop.

Program details, intake limits, accepted categories, valuation ranges, and store credit policies may change over time as the program evolves.

Please review current guidelines before visiting.

⚠️ Important Notes

  • Submission of items does not guarantee acceptance
  • This is a curated program with limited intake capacity
  • No unattended or after-hours drop-offs are permitted
  • All items must be registered through the intake process
  • Items not accepted or not approved for intake must be picked up within 7 days
  • Due to limited storage space, we may not be able to hold items beyond the stated pickup period
  • Unclaimed items may be donated, recycled, or responsibly discarded
  • Abandoned or unregistered items may disqualify individuals from future participation in the program
  • Repeated violations of program guidelines may result in refusal of future trade-ins

🌙 Our Approach

This program is built around care, intention, and respect for the items shared with us.

Each book and deck is considered thoughtfully so that what enters the shop contributes to a meaningful, aligned, and intentionally curated collection.

Thank you for sharing your books and decks with us—we look forward to seeing what finds its way here.

Browse our current selection of used books, tarot & oracle cards in-store & online.
Click here to see our selection of Used Books
Click here to see our selection of Used Tarot & Oracle Cards
Our website is updated in real time, but our in-store collection is even larger with fresh additions arriving regularly.