Local Comic Book/Collectibles Stores – One of the best places to take cards and comics to sell locally is your nearest collectibles shop. Most decent sized cities will have at least one store that buys and sells sports cards, comics, and other collectibles. The main advantage here is convenience as you don’t have to ship anything. Store owners are also knowledgeable and can help you fairly evaluate what you have. They are a business too so expect them to offer you slightly less than private sale value to account for their costs and potential profit margins. Store credit is sometimes offered which can be handy if you also want to do some shopping.
Online Marketplaces – Websites like eBay and Amazon have massive collector audiences and provide very good platforms to reach buyers globally. Taking high quality photos and writing detailed descriptions for rare or valuable items is key. You’ll want to research recently sold items to understand fair pricing. eBay in particular charges final value fees on items that sell, so the prices you list at need to factor that in. Shipping costs also come out of your funds, so calculate those estimates into your minimum accepted offers. The audience is large but so is competition, so patience may be needed for the right buyers to find your listings. Positive seller ratings over time help boost future sales.
Online Sports Card/Comic Hobby Stores – Websites like ComicLink, MileHighCards, SteelCityCollectibles are focused exclusively on the collectibles industry. They have authenticators who can review valuable submissions and usually charge consignment fees instead of final value fees like eBay. Getting items authenticated and given official grade designations by the top companies like PSA/BGS/CGC helps maximize value, especially for key cards and comics. The buyers frequenting these types of specialized platforms are very serious collectors seeking particular items to add to long term collections, which means better chances at full market value if you have truly key submissions. Be ready for longer sell times though for the right buyer to come along.
Peer to Peer Selling Groups – Facebook has many active collectibles buying/selling groups organized by geography, team, or category of collection. Posting photos of your items for sale here allows hardcore collectors locally and beyond to find what you have. Deals are often done through PayPal for protection of both buyer/seller. No fees are involved, but you need to handle the packaging and shipping yourself. It’s best if meeting local buyers in person if possible. Scammers do exist, so only deal with established group members with feedback history when transacting online through these groups.
Card/Comics Shows – There are often regional collectibles shows on weekends in major convention centers that attract hundreds of vendors and thousands of attendees. Table/booth space can be rented by sellers to display items and conduct business all day long. Great volume of potential buyers under one roof. But you’ll need to handle your own transportation and spend the full day at the show. Research upcoming dates and see if any overlap with vacations or time off to take advantage. Use shows as an occasion to also buy to build collections at a large selection all in one place.
Online Consignment Shops – Websites like ComicConnect and Heritage Auctions offer secured submission processes to have your items privately vetted, then run through their online auctions. They handle photography, descriptions, auction management/payments and shipping in exchange for fees and/or commission percentages deducted from sale prices. Risk is low as a seller since items don’t move without a paid bid exceeding minimums you set. But waits can be longest of the options as auctions only run periodically. This is the best route for true high-end valuable cards, books, and art that demand serious online auction scrutiny and competition to maximize price realized.
Consider goals, timelines, and item values when deciding the optimum sales outlet from those options discussed. With patience and using a combination of local/online platforms, you’ll be able to sell your baseball cards and comic books to the collectors most eager to add them to their own collections. Let me know if any part of this overview needs more explanation or if you have additional questions!
