Safest way to buy cards not through eBay
 

So I bought some cards through a seller on eBay. I asks him to send me a list of other cards he had from the set I was looking for. He sent me 4-5 that I would like to buy that are not listed on eBay. I'm sure I can get a better deal if I buy them without him listing on eBay, but what's the safest way to do so and protect my purchase? He has a great eBay rating so I have absolutely no reason not to trust him, but I prefer not to find out the hard way since the sale with be a few thousand dollars.

I would have him invoice you through PayPal ( itemized) then pay with a credit card in case there is a problem

Double protection. Nice way to do it. Credit card companies generally take care of their customers very well on anything fraud related, in my experiences.