Selling baseball cards online can be a great way to make some extra cash, especially if you have a large collection taking up space. With so many different online marketplaces and sellers, it can be difficult to determine the best places to sell your cards. In this in-depth guide, we will explore some of the top options for selling baseball cards online and provide tips on how to get the best prices.
eBay – Without a doubt, eBay is one of the largest and most popular marketplaces for buying and selling all types of sports cards and memorabilia. With millions of active buyers, eBay gives you access to a huge potential customer base. Listing on eBay is free and they only charge final value fees, which are 10% for sports memorabilia up to $250 and then decline from there. eBay also has robust seller protection policies. Some tips for selling on eBay include taking high quality photos, providing detailed descriptions, pricing your cards competitively, and offering combined shipping discounts on multiple purchases.
COMC (Cardboard Connection) – COMC (Cardboard Connection) is a dedicated sports card marketplace that caters specifically to buyers and sellers of cards. They have a large active user base and provide professional grading and authentication services. With COMC, you send your cards to them and they photograph, list, and store the inventory in their online database. They take a small commission percentage on completed sales (usually around 13%). COMC has built a reputation for safe and secure transactions. The main benefit is they handle all the photography, listing, and fulfillment so you don’t have to deal with shipping and packaging individual orders.
Sportlots – Sportlots is another dedicated sports card marketplace. They have been around since the 1990s and have a large database of buyers. Like COMC, you ship your cards to Sportlots to have them professionally photographed and listed for sale. They take a commission percentage on completed sales (around 13% as well). Sportlots has a simple interface for browsing inventory and also offers a consignment service where they promote and display your cards at major card shows and events.
Facebook Groups – In recent years, Facebook groups dedicated to sports card collecting and trading have grown exponentially. Some of the largest and most active include Sports Card Collectors, Sports Card Buy/Sell/Trade, and Baseball Card Marketplace. Within these groups, you can take photos of your cards and make “For Sale” posts directly to an engaged audience of potential buyers. The benefit is no selling fees, but you have to manage shipping and payments yourself. It helps to build a reputation first through confirmed trades. Scammers do attempt to take advantage, so only deal with established members that have positive references.
Reddit – On Reddit, the sports card trading subreddit r/sportscardtracker has over 130,000 members for buying and selling all types of cards. Similar to Facebook groups, you can make individual “For Sale” posts with photos and descriptions. Again, there are no transaction fees but you are responsible for shipping, payments, and any disputes. Stick to trusted members with a history of positive reviews. Other niche baseball card subreddits are also active marketplaces.
Twitter – Twitter has emerged as another social media platform for connecting buyers and sellers of cards. Follow hashtags like #cardcollectors, #baseballcardsforsale, and #sportscardmarketplace to find potential customers. Engage with others in the community and build a following. Then you can make “For Sale” tweets with photos that interested buyers can direct message you about. As with Facebook and Reddit, there are no fees but you handle the transaction logistics.
Direct to Local Card Shops – If you have valuable vintage or star rookie cards, your local independent card shop may be willing to purchase collections outright or take individual high-dollar cards on consignment. They have existing customers and better promote inventory than an individual seller. They will likely only offer 50-60% of estimated market value as they need to earn a profit when reselling. Bring well-organized records of your collection’s contents for evaluation.
PSA/BGS Consignment – Professional grading services like PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) and BGS (Beckett Grading Services) also accept cards on consignment. They will grade, slab, and promote your cards at major conventions and on their websites where collectors actively browse. Like local shops, they will deduct a percentage (usually around 30%) when your cards sell. The benefit is access to their established customer base of serious collectors. It may take months for some rare items to find a buyer.
EBay, COMC, and Sportlots are usually the best marketplaces for reaching the largest potential buyer pool and maximizing sales prices due to high traffic and competitive bidding. Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter groups are good lower-cost alternatives but require more work on your end. Consider grading services or local shops for valuable vintage cards. With so many online selling venues, start listing on multiple platforms to cast the widest net for interested collectors.
