Selling baseball cards in bulk is a great way for collectors to generate some extra cash from large collections of duplicate, common, or other less valuable baseball cards. While individually selling rare, valuable cards online can earn top dollar, dealing with hundreds or thousands of common cards is simply not practical on a one-by-one basis. Selling in bulk allows collectors to easily turn their extra cards into cash while avoiding the hassle of listing each card separately.
There are a few different avenues collectors can take when it comes to selling baseball cards in bulk. First and foremost, local card shops are always on the lookout for bulk baseball card collections to purchase and eventually break down for resale. Shop owners know the value of common cards far better than individual collectors and can make a reasonable offer for an entire collection based on the overall condition and estimated yearly average for the included players and sets.
Shop owners may pay a collector anywhere from $1-10 per thousand cards depending on various factors like player selection, era, and condition. Cards from the late 1980s-1990s tend to earn slightly less in bulk due to high print runs making even stars from that era quite common. Conversely, pre-1980 cards hold more value in bulk deals since their print runs were smaller, making stars and key players from that vintage tougher to find in commons piles. Condition also plays a major role, with Near Mint to Excellent cards receiving a 25-50% premium versus heavily played cards.
In addition to local card shops, online retailers are always buying bulk baseball card collections as well. Websites like daCardWorld, Craigslist, eBay, and baseballcardbuyer.com allow collectors to easily get offers and ship their entire lot overseas if a better price is available versus a local purchase. These larger online dealers have certain minimum bulk purchase amounts, often starting at $500 worth of cards or higher to make nationwide shipping affordable. Payments are made promptly via PayPal or check once the cards arrive and are inspected.
An increasingly popular option for selling baseball cards in bulk is through group break websites like BlowoutCards.com. Here, collectors can send in their entire collection to be “broken” with other collections and evenly distributed in team/player specific random team/player assignments during a live video group break event. Dozens or even hundreds of participants “buy in” to the break for a small fee of $10-20 and receive random allotments of the cards pulled. It’s an exciting way for collectors to liquidate entire collections with a single shipment.
When preparing a collection of commons for bulk sale, the first step is to carefully sort the cards. Remove all valuable singles first, as these are best sold individually on eBay or through PSA/BGS grading and auction sites. Sort the remaining cards by sport, set, player, year, team, etc. Remove all damaged or compromised cards from the lot. Consider organizing the cards into set-specific boxes or wrapping stacks in team/year rubber bands to make sorting easier for the prospective buyer. Clearly communicate collection details and ask any questions up front.
Condition is key when selling baseball cards in bulk. Take the time to sort the cards into condition categories like Near Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, and Poor. Weight the bulk offer more towards the higher grade cards. Poor condition cards may only be good for ten cents per thousand, while Near Mint could add a premium of fifty cents per thousand or more to the bottom line. Providing condition specifics allows the buyer to make a fair offer reflecting the true resale value of the cards.
Beyond local shops, online dealers, and group breaks, another option is to list the collection directly on eBay in bulk lots. Cards can be sorted by team, year, set, etc and sold that way in lots of 500, 1000 or 5000 cards with a starting bid. While the potential per card return may be lower versus an outright bulk sale offer from a major retailer, eBay presents the chance to reach a worldwide buyer base through competitive bidding. Just be prepared to deal with packaging, shipping and eBay/PayPal fees which can eat into overall profits versus a simple one-time bulk sale deal.
Selling baseball card collections in bulk is a smart option for collectors drowning in commons. With a little preparation and diligence in sorting, the right avenues like local card shops, national websites, online group breaks or eBay can help collectors get fair prices for entire collections versus piecing them out card by card. Consignment is preferable to storage, so analyzing the best bulk sale method is a wise investment of time for converting cards back into cash.
