Sportlots.com – This is one of the largest and most trusted online marketplaces for buying and selling all sports cards, including baseball cards. They have a huge network of buyers and sellers and can help you get top dollar for even single rare cards or full collections. They make the process easy by having you send in your cards to be authenticated, graded if needed, and then listed for sale online where their buyer base can find them. This is a great option if you want to sell cards from the convenience of your home.
Lelands – This historic auction house located in New Jersey just outside of NYC is a great place to get baseball cards professionally appraised and sold at auction. They handle consignments of all sizes, from single cards to full collections. Their seasoned experts can help you get a sense of the value of your cards and get them marketed to their international buyer network. Consignment fees are usually around 20% but their auction process brings transparency and competition which can maximize prices.
Golden Age Collectibles – This is one of the largest and oldest brick and mortar card shops in NYC, located in Greenwich Village. They buy and sell cards daily and have an in-depth knowledge of the NYC collector market. You’ll get cash offers on the spot for cards or collections, though you may not get top dollar like through a national auction or consignment sale. Still, for a quick sale without shipping it’s very convenient to stop in.
Baseball Card Exchange – Located in midtown Manhattan, this store has a buyer on premises each day who can make you a cash offer for your baseball cards. You’ll avoid any fees unlike with a consignment sale. They market aggressively through their storefront and website to a national collector base to resell your cards for top dollar.
NYWCC Shows – The New York Winter Card Convention and New York Summer Card Convention are two of the biggest and highest profile card shows in the country that happen annually in NYC. Thousands of collectors from across the northeast come to buy, sell and trade. Table space to sell directly to collectors ranges $100-300 depending on the size. This is a great way to meet collectors face to face and network, but logistically it requires sorting your whole collection and transporting it. Major dealers are also in attendance to buy entire collections.
Manhattan Sports Collectibles – Situated in the heart of Midtown, this large local shop has collectors and resellers stop in daily. You can consign individual rare cards or smaller collections and they’ll market them on your behalf through their shop and website, charging around 20% commission plus shipping costs if sold. For quick singles sales they may purchase cards on the spot for cash as well.
Card Wax Cards + Collectibles – Located in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, this store hosts regular vintage card buying days on weekends where you can trade or sell your collection to the buyers they bring in. They’ll also provide free consignment services and host them on their busy online marketplace. No fees, just a generous 30% commission if your items sell. And if they don’t move in 3 months they’ll return them to you.
Local Card Shows – Dozens of smaller local card shows happen annually across NYC and the whole tri-state area on weekends. Look up venues on collector calendars and Facebook event pages. These are hit or miss quality wise compared to the big conventions above, but it’s still extra optionality to potentially find the right buyer for your needs.
Hope this overview provides you with some top reliable options for evaluating, marketing and selling your baseball card collection right from NYC. Let me know if you need any other recommendations or have additional questions.
