HoshinoHELP CENTER
Help & FAQ
Straight answers on how Hoshino works — how scanning works, where our sold prices come from, how the cross-border spread and grading math are built, plus plans and selling. Can't find it? Contact us.
GETTING STARTED
The basics
What is Hoshino?
Hoshino is a cross-border price and arbitrage terminal for trading cards. Scan any card to see real sold prices across the US, Japan, Europe, China, Korea, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, the profit gap between markets net of every fee, whether it's worth grading, and your whole portfolio's P&L — in one place. Buy in Japan, sell in the US, know the spread.
How do I scan a card?
Open Hoshino, point your camera at the card or upload a photo, and it resolves the exact card, set and number — then pulls sold prices for it automatically. No manual typing or set-code hunting.
Do I need to download anything?
No. Hoshino runs in your browser and installs like a native app. On iPhone, open it in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen; on Android, open it in Chrome, tap the menu, then Install app / Add to Home Screen. Dedicated App Store and Google Play apps are on the roadmap.
PRICES & DATA
Where the numbers come from
Where do prices come from?
Real completed sales — never listings — pulled from 35+ marketplaces across 7 regions. We show the median sold price per region, recency-weighted so the latest sales count most. Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan and SEA have no clean public price API, so Hoshino collects that sold data first-party — depth that US-only tools structurally can't match.
Do you show sold prices or asking prices?
Only sold prices. Asking prices tell you what a seller hopes to get; completed sales tell you what a card actually clears for. Hoshino never presents an asking price as value.
How fresh is the data?
Prices are recency-weighted and refreshed continuously, and the biggest-spread board updates as new sales land — so you're acting on where the market is now, not last season.
Why do prices differ between markets?
Local demand, supply, currency and buyer base all move independently, so the same card clears at different prices in Tokyo, New York and Shanghai. That gap is the opportunity — Hoshino lines up every region's sold price side by side so you can see it.
What is the cross-border spread — is it net of fees?
Yes. The spread is the buy-market versus sell-market gap after roughly 10–13% marketplace fees, shipping and live FX — the real money left after costs, not a raw price difference.
Can I get alerts when prices or spreads move?
Yes. Set alerts on price, spread and population changes, and Hoshino pings you when a card or gap crosses your threshold. Edge includes up to 200 alerts.
GRADING
Should I grade this?
What does "Should I grade this?" do?
It answers grading in dollars, not vibes. Using real graded sold comps, population gem-rates and current 2026 grading fees, it computes your expected net profit and tells you whether to grade, which grader wins and by how much. Try it free on the Grade check page.
Which graders do you compare?
PSA, CGC, Beckett (BGS) and SGC. Each carries different fees, turnaround and resale premium, so Hoshino weighs fee against premium and gem-rate for all four and shows the best route — and won't dead-end on "not enough data."
ACCOUNT & BILLING
Plans and access
Is there a free plan?
Yes. The Free plan lets you scan cards and check sold prices at no cost, so you can try the core terminal before paying. Paid tiers add deeper spread tools, more alerts, and portfolio and seller features — compare them on the Pricing page.
How do I upgrade or cancel?
Upgrade, downgrade or cancel anytime from Plan & billing in the app — the cancel button is right there on the page, no email required, no lock-in and no long-term contract. Annual billing runs about two months cheaper than monthly. See the Pricing page for every tier.
Which languages does Hoshino support?
Eight: English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese. Switch language anytime in the app.
SELLING
Listing, showcase and offers
How do listings and the repricer work?
The seller hub gives you card-native listings with a cross-market repricer, so you can list your inventory and keep prices in step with real sold data instead of re-checking every card by hand.
What is the public showcase?
Your showcase is a shareable public page for the collection or inventory you want seen — send the link and buyers can browse exactly what you hold.
How do offers work?
Buyers can "make an offer" on your cards, and every offer lands in your inbox inside the app, so you can negotiate and close without leaving Hoshino.
STILL STUCK?
Still need help?
Can't find your answer here? Message the team — a human replies, usually within one business day. You can also reach support right inside the app.
✉️
Contact us
Questions, feedback, press or partnerships — send a message and we'll get back to you.
Contact Hoshino