Has your old sports card collection been collecting dust in a closet?
If so, it's time to get rid of them and make some extra cash in the process!
Today, there are many options for collectors to sell sports cards online or offline.
I've had decades of experience buying and selling sports cards, so this guide will help you avoid some of the same mistakes I have made in the past.
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Top Places To Sell Your Sports Cards
Below, I've listed the top 12 best places to sell sports cards for top dollar.
So gather up those cards and read on for the best tips.
1. eBay
First up: eBay. If you're looking for a place to sell your sports cards and get top dollar, then eBay is where you want to look first.
With over 130 million active users, finding someone who will pay top dollar for your sports cards is easy.
eBay is the easiest and most effective way to sell your cards due to the massive number of users that visit the platform daily.
eBay's mobile app has come a long way in recent years; thus, a listing can be live on the platform within minutes.
The key to success on eBay is building and maintaining good feedback.
The tricky part is that everyone starts at a feedback of zero. So, if you plan to sell many cards, I would slowly build up your feedback by selling smaller items first.
The negatives for eBay are that they take a 12.9% final value fee for any sale amount up to $7500. It's a high fee but well worth it, considering eBay's large audience.
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2. Auction Houses
A W600 Wagner recently sold at the REA Spring Auction
An auction house can be a great option if you have a highly valued sports card collection. Most auction house sales today are completed online, although some have combined in-person and online auctions.
The benefits of working with an auction house are that they handle all steps of the selling process for you. Some good ones will also help you grade certain cards if it makes sense.
The costs of working with an auction house will vary depending on what you have to sell. Auction houses often charge sellers a commission fee; however, if the card is likely to attract attention, the auctioneer might offer the seller a 'no fee' commission sale.
If you are considering the auction route, please speak to a minimum of three auction houses. Ask about the commission rate, when you will get paid following auction completion, and what advertising they do to attract buyers.
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3. Online Card Dealers
There are plenty of online card dealers that buy cards from collectors to resell online. All Vintage Cards (this website) is an online card dealer. Thus we are constantly buying cards from collectors.
I can provide perspective from an online dealer's point of view. We typically offer around 75% of what we believe we can sell a card at retail.
Pricing can vary based on how long it might take to sell something. A low-demand card probably will earn a lower return. Bulk collections are usually also bought at a higher discount, based on the time it takes to sort, organize and realize value for the cards.
The negatives to working with an online dealer are that you don't receive the card's total value. The positives are that you know the amount you will receive, and the transaction usually happens quickly.
In our case, a client will mail us cards. We review and send payment on the same day of receipt.
We compete with many online dealers, but there are many that have a great reputation, including Dean's Cards, Kruk Cards and Dave & Adams Card World.
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4. Local Card Stores
George Pep's Card Store Quincy Massachusetts
If you don't feel like mailing your cards to an online dealer, there are still plenty of local card stores that purchase baseball cards.
The key, of course, is finding a trustworthy card shop.
I encourage anyone considering working with a local dealer to look up any reviews on Google and Facebook.
I've worked with many collectors who have been taken advantage of by local sports card dealers. So, be careful and do your homework.
Visiting a local card show is also an option and nowadays there are more and more popping up. This can be a good way to visit multiple dealers at once to see if you can arrive at a best offer.
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5. Net54 Buy/Sell/Trade Forums
I've found some great deals as a buyer on the Net54 Buy/Sell/Trade forums. Most cards listed are vintage, but there are also several areas for more modern graded card sales.
As a seller, it can be a bit intimidating since there is no personal information for the buyers (or sellers). I recommend looking back through a person's posts to look at their activity. They are likely reputable buyers and sellers if they have been around for a while.
Importantly, Net54 has seen an influx of scammers, so use your best instincts before completing a significant deal.
Be sure to use Paypal Goods and Services for added protection.
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6. Blowout Cards Buy/Sell/Trade Forums
Like the Net54 Buy Sell Trade forums, Blowout Cards also has its own collector marketplace. It is more modern-focused, although there is a small contingency of vintage buyers and sellers.
Many power users will provide a link to their eBay profiles, which can help confirm their identity. As with Net54, be sure to use PayPal Goods & Services as payment, which protects the Buyer and Seller.
There is a 3% fee for PayPal G&S, but it is well worth it. It is not allowed to ask a buyer to pay with PayPal F&F (no cost) at Blowout Forums.
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7. PSA Card Forum Buy/Sell/Trade
There's a vibrant community of sellers over at the PSA aka Collector's Universe Forums. Membership to the forums is free and there's also an Autograph Buy/Sell/Trade forum as well.
The only reason I prefer Net54 or Blowout is for the fact that the PSA forums aren't categorized by sport or era, making it hard for a potential buyer to search. As a seller, I'm sure there's the possibility of selling at the PSA forums, but I haven't tried it yet.
8. Facebook Groups
Some of my best purchases and graded card sales have happened through Facebook Groups. The key is to find the groups that most apply to what you're buying or selling.
There are groups for each sport (Baseball Cards, Basketball Cards, Football Cards, Hockey Cards), groups for different sets, groups for different eras (Pre-War, Tobacco, etc.), and groups for sports memorabilia and even autographs.
However, if you recently inherited a collection and want to sell a bunch of cards, there are better methods than FB Groups. Most FB groups are private and based on trust. Some will only let you join if another member recommends you.
But, if you're in this for the long game and want to find good groups to sell cards at no fees, FB Groups can be a great option.
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9. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is also a good option for selling cards. FB Marketplace offers the ability to sell to local parties or advertise your cards to a broader audience that requires shipment.
If sold locally, FB does not collect a fee but does if you sell it to someone where the transaction is not a local meetup. I recommend using something other than FB Marketplace for any cards of significant value. Meeting someone, you don't know for a transaction like this brings about many risks.
If you decide to make a deal with someone locally, I highly recommend meeting someone at your local police station. Most have a meeting spot where buyers and sellers can make a deal safely.
10. COMC
COMC provides a unique model in which collectors send their cards to COMC, which handles all of the selling and fulfillment of the cards. Cards are then listed at COMC.com and on their account at eBay.
COMC's fees can be confusing, but based on the level of service you desire, there is a fixed per-card transaction fee (average of $0.50-$1) plus an additional 5% fee on the final value of the card sold. If you decide to cash out from COMC, there is an extra 10% cash-out fee.
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11. MySlabs
MySlabs.com is a newer entrant to the space but has been gaining in popularity in recent years. MySlabs.com allows collectors to upload images of cards and lists on their website.
Sellers pay only a $1 listing fee and a 1% final value fee for slabbed cards. Raw cards get assessed at a 3% fee. Since PayPal handles payments, there is also a 3% processing fee for PayPal Goods and Services.
Overall, MySlabs is a very cost-effective method for those that have mostly graded cards. After processing costs, the total 4% fee is well below eBay and COMC.