Canada & US · Built by traders, for traders
A home for the people who make, trade and treasure small art.
Every ATC and ACEO is a miniature original work of art, 2.5" × 3.5", made by someone who loves the craft. The ATC Hub is where that work is traded, collected and celebrated: trade cards one for one with fellow collectors, collect original ACEOs directly from the artists who create them and, if you're an artist, be paid fairly and promptly for your work.
The Hub is open. Create your account and start trading.
Opening November 1, 2026. Everyone on the waitlist trades with no fees throughout November, and joining by October 31 makes you a founding trader, with 500 loyalty credits waiting for you, or 1,000 when you join through your ATC group's invite link.
Our story
Why we're building this
Because this community deserves better than a post, spreadsheet or DM.
A tradition worth protecting
For almost thirty years, ATC and ACEO artists have kept a remarkable tradition alive: small, original works of art, drawn, painted, collaged, stitched and printed, passed from one person to another. Collectors have filled binders with these cards, and traders have mailed thousands of small envelopes across Canada and the US on trust alone.
A community without a home
Yet the platforms where this community gathers were never built for trading art. Trades get arranged in comment threads and tracked in spreadsheets. A card lost in the mail is simply gone. Artists selling their work wait weeks for a buyer, or compete on sites where small art gets buried. And AI-generated images are now appearing in spaces that were once entirely human-made.
The home it has earned
The Hub isn't the work of a big company or investors. It's built by traders, for traders: people who have packed the envelopes, waited on the mail and chased the no-shows. Every rule here comes from that experience, so trading is simple and safe, collectors find real, original work, and artists are treated with the respect their work deserves.
The basics
What's the difference between an ATC and an ACEO?
ATC stands for Artist Trading Card: a small original artwork, 2.5" × 3.5", made to be traded and never sold. ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions & Originals: the same size and the same spirit, but made to be collected and sold.
The Hub honours that difference. ATCs are only ever traded, collector to collector, card for card. ACEOs are only ever sold, through our shop, after we've bought them directly from the artists who made them. The two never mix, so every trade is a straight swap of art for art.
The tradition has a genuine history. The Artist Trading Card movement is widely credited to a 1997 exhibition by Swiss artist M. Vänçi Stirnemann, who invited people to make and trade small original pieces the size of a hockey or baseball card. ACEOs grew out of the same tradition a few years later, when artists began offering card-sized originals for sale. Much of the format's appeal lies in its size: easy to mail, ideal for a binder or sleeve, and small enough that anyone, from a first-time artist to a seasoned painter, can create something worth keeping.
- Size: 2.5" × 3.5" for both, the dimensions of a standard trading card.
- Medium: anything, from painting and drawing to collage, mixed media and printed digital art, as long as it's genuine art by a real artist, with the artist's name on the back.
- ATCs: made to trade, so on the Hub they're only ever traded between collectors.
- ACEOs: made to be sold, so on the Hub they're bought from artists and offered in our shop.
How it works
Two ways to get involved
Swap cards with fellow collectors, or bring home an original ACEO straight from the artist who made it. Both come down to the same thing: real art, made by real people, finding someone who loves it.
Trade ATCs with other collectors
ATCs are made to be traded, not sold, and that is exactly how they change hands here. Browse cards from collectors across Canada and the US, offer one of your own in exchange for a card you love, and once the other collector accepts, you mail your cards directly to each other. The feed also highlights artists and styles you've enjoyed before, so your next favourite card is easy to find.
- Every trade is one card for one card, true to how ATC trading has always worked.
- Every listing is photographed front, back and in close-up, so you know exactly what you're receiving.
- A trade is complete only once both collectors have confirmed their cards arrived.
- If a card is lost in the mail despite proof that it was sent, our trade guarantee covers you.
- Every trader is rated on condition accuracy, shipping and communication, so you know who you're dealing with.
- A flat $1 fee per trader, regardless of the cards' value, keeps the Hub running and the guarantee funded. It's paid through trade packs, so there's nothing to pay each time you trade. Everyone on the waitlist trades fee-free until November 30, 2026.
Collect original ACEOs
We purchase original ACEOs directly from artists, so they're paid immediately rather than waiting for a buyer, and offer them to collectors in our shop. Every piece is one of a kind and inspected by us in person, and every artist retains the copyright to their work.
- Artists are paid within 2 business days of their card reaching us, whether or not it has sold.
- Artist pay rates are published openly and increase as an artist's work sells.
- Any artist may apply with their best work, and we personally select the artists we work with.
- Collectors can pay in cash, with loyalty credits earned through trading, or a combination of both.
- Every ACEO has a fixed, clearly shown price, with no bidding wars or haggling.
- Orders paid entirely in credits ship free, and ACEOs priced at $100 or more ship with tracking.
- No AI-generated art, ever. Every piece is made by a real artist.
A thank-you for trading
Every completed trade earns loyalty credits, our way of thanking you for being part of the community, and founding traders, everyone who joins the waitlist in October, begin with 500. Credits cannot be purchased, only earned, and trade milestones add bonuses along the way. Apply your credits to any ACEO in our shop, for the whole price or part of it; orders paid entirely in credits ship free.
Trades with a new partner also earn 10% of your card's Hub value in credits, counted up to your trust tier's limit. Our internal systems work it out from real demand for the artist's work on the Hub (how many people make offers on their cards, how quickly those offers come in, and how many people follow the artist), and then adjust it for the card's condition. New artists start at $5 for a card in mint condition, and the value rises as demand grows. Only you can see your card's Hub value. How Hub values work
We never sell art on someone else's behalf. Either two collectors trade directly with each other, or we own the ACEO outright before we offer it, so it's always clear who's responsible for what.
Trust & safety
Trust & safety, built in from day one
Trading by mail depends on trust. We take that seriously, and here is exactly how we protect it.
Photo-verified listings
Every card requires a front photo, a back photo and an angled close-up of its texture before it can go live. This creates a clear record of exactly what was listed, and is one of our strongest safeguards against AI images and printed fakes.
A dispute process you can see
If something goes wrong, you'll receive an acknowledgement immediately, a real person will review your case within 2 business days, and you'll have a decision within 3. Either party may appeal once. Our timelines are published, so you always know where things stand.
Reputation that means something
Every profile shows a trader's completed trades, how long they've been a trader, and separate ratings for condition accuracy, shipping and communication, so you can see exactly where someone excels before you trade.
Your details stay private
Your email address is never displayed. Your mailing address is shared only with your trade partner, and only after a trade is accepted. Your cards' Hub values are visible to you alone.
No AI-generated art
Any medium is welcome, printed digital art included, but AI-generated art is strictly forbidden. Listing AI art you created yourself results in an immediate ban. If you list another artist's card that proves to be AI-generated, it will be removed and you'll receive a warning, since you may not have known. Every decision can be appealed, and if we made a mistake, we'll correct it.
Trades, guaranteed
If a card you're owed is lost in the mail despite proof that it was sent, we compensate you in loyalty credits you can put toward any ACEO in our shop. Because mail can be slow, a card may be reported missing after 20 business days (about 4 weeks) within Canada or the US, or 30 business days (about 6 weeks) across the border.
For artists
To the artists: thank you
None of this exists without you. Every card on the Hub began at someone's desk, with their time, their materials and a piece of themselves. Selling your work here should leave you feeling valued, never squeezed.
That's why we buy your ACEOs outright and pay you within 2 business days of your card reaching us, rather than leaving you waiting for a buyer. You always keep the copyright, and you remain a trader, free to trade and collect from the same account.
Once you're approved, we work together through commissions: we offer them, or you propose your own ideas, and each one sets how many ACEOs you'll make and what you'll be paid for each. For every commission you accept, we mail you our custom-backed blank cards free of charge, and the front is yours to create whatever you like. When your commission is finished, mail the ACEOs back to us, and we pay you by PayPal within 2 business days of them arriving.
How to sign up as an artist
- Join the waitlist below and tick "I am an ACEO artist".
- On the next page, upload photos of up to three ACEOs you're proudest of, each a different card.
- When the Hub opens on November 1, create your account with the same email address. Your submission becomes your artist application, ready for our review, so there's no need to apply again.
What we pay
Our rates are public, so you know exactly what you'd earn before we ever get in touch.
- TierUnlockedYou're paid per ACEO
- 1Starting outA flat $10
- 2After 5 sales70%, up to $25
- 3After 10 sales75%, up to $50
- 4After 20 sales80%, up to $75
- 5After 35 sales85%, no cap
Percentages are of the shop price: at tier 3, an ACEO listed at $40 pays you $30. Every artist begins at tier 1, and each sale in our shop brings you closer to the next tier.
For ATC groups
Run an ATC group? Let's work together.
Much of the ATC world gathers in groups where swaps are planned, themes are chosen and new traders are welcomed. The Hub is built to sit alongside them, not replace them.
- Your own invite link for members, with extra welcome credits: members who join the waitlist through it in October receive 1,000 instead of 500.
- A place on our Communities page, linking back to your group.
- A safe way to finish the trades your members already arrange, with a record of who's reliable.
Email [email protected] and we'll set it up.
The Hub is open
Trading, the ACEO shop and artist applications opened on November 1, 2026. Joined the waitlist in October? Create your account with the same email address, and your founding credits are added as soon as you confirm it.
Be here from the beginning
Whether you collect, trade or create, join the waitlist and we'll email you the moment the Hub opens on November 1, 2026. No spam, no daily emails, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Everyone on the waitlist trades with no fees for the Hub's entire first month, until November 30. Everyone who joins between October 1 and 31 also becomes a founding trader and receives 500 loyalty credits when they create their account after launch, using the same email address. Joining through your ATC group's invite link? You'll receive 1,000.
Thank you. You're on the list 🎉
We're grateful you want to be part of the Hub. We've sent a confirmation to your inbox, and we'll email you the day we launch.
Add launch day to your calendar, so you don't miss it: