Selling Baseball Cards in Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana has a rich baseball history being located just 90 minutes from the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. As such, baseball cards have long been a popular collecting hobby for many Evansville residents young and old. While some collectors choose to hold onto their cards for their personal collections, others may decide they want to sell their baseball cards. There are a few good options available in Evansville for those looking to sell their baseball card collections.
One of the longest running and most well-established card shops in Evansville is Evansville Cards and Comics, located on the city’s west side. Operated by owner Phil Nelson, Evansville Cards and Comics has been in business buying and selling sports cards since 1990. They have a large retail shop where people can browse cards for sale as well as bring in their personal collections for purchase. Phil and his knowledgeable staff are always happy to provide collectors with valuations of their collections and to make competitive cash offers. The large selection of reasonably priced vintage and modern cards also draws buyers.
Another card shop that has been an Evansville baseball card selling staple for many years is Showplace Comics and Cards, situated close to the city’s east side. Owner Greg Smith and his team have decades of experience evaluating collections. Sellers can feel confident their cards are in good hands and will receive a fair price. While a smaller store than Evansville Cards and Comics, Showplace Comics and Cards has a highly rated buying and consignment selling program that has worked well for many collectors over the years. Their customer service and expertise is top-notch.
An option for those looking to obtain the highest possible prices for valuable baseball cards is to consign them to an online auction house. Steiner Sports Memorabilia Auctions and Heritage Auctions are two industry leaders that take consignments from sellers around the country, including in Evansville. Sellers can expect their prized cards to reach an international buyer audience through online auctions. Both Steiner and Heritage Auctions charge seller commissions but handle all aspects of promotion, description, photography, shipping and payment processing to provide an easy transition for sellers. Graded cards frequently achieve excellent prices through such established auction companies.
For collectors whose baseball cards make up sizable valuable collections, it is worth considering sending them to a major card grading company like PSA or BGS first before putting them up for sale. Getting cards professionally graded helps validate authenticity and condition which can have a big impact on realized prices. Once cards return from being graded, sellers have the option of marketing them themselves online through individual sales on platforms like eBay, setting up a store on a site like COMC, or sending them to one of the premier auction houses.
A uniquely Evansville option is to sell one’s baseball cards directly to the owner of pastime collections, Kyle Eifler. As a knowledgeable local collector and dealer with over 25 years in the hobby, Kyle is keen to buy collections that fit his inventory needs, especially those with vintage cards from the pioneer era to the 1980s. He travels frequently to card shows across the Midwest and can frequently give sellers competitive offers on collections in person or sight unseen, with payment via check or PayPal. This provides a convenient local selling solution without any fees.
For baseball card collections that don’t warrant being sold to a specialty shop or via major auction, another route is online sales through peer-to-peer marketplaces. eBay is the largest but other options like Mercari have grown in popularity as well. Sellers can individually list cards with Buy-It-Now or Make Offer options. While slightly more work, online peer-to-peer selling allows sellers to set their own prices, ship worldwide and take advantage of a global pool of buyers. In today’s digital age of collecting, it’s a good way to potentially maximize card values.
In terms of in-person events to sell baseball cards locally in Evansville, the city hosts several card shows annually that provide outstanding opportunities to meet with buyers and move collections. Two of the biggest and best organized are the Wesbank Card Show held in February and September at Loyal Bartonville Elementary and the yearly Tri-State Sports Card and Collectibles Show, traditionally scheduled in July. These Evansville-area shows commonly see attendance by local experts and collectors as well as vendors traveling from surrounding Midwestern states. With tables typically $20-30 each, they offer great exposure and potential for seller success.
So whether it’s through a local card shop, consignment to national auction companies, Craigslist and online peer-to-peer marketplaces, or area card shows, Evansville provides several viable options for collectors serious about selling their baseball card collections. With a little research and reaching out to trusted buyers, sellers can feel confident obtaining fair prices that reflect the time and money invested into their baseball card collecting over the years. And with Evansville’s rich baseball heritage, there will surely continue to be local fans and collectors ready to purchase new additions to their personal Evansville baseball card collections.
