If you’ve amassed a collection of baseball cards over the years and are looking to sell them, pawn shops can be a good option to consider as they often buy baseball cards. It’s important to do your research to find reputable pawn shops near you that will give you a fair price for your collection.
Most pawn shops are willing to purchase individual baseball cards or entire collections, though you’ll want to shop around to different pawn shops in your area to get the best offer. Pawn shops are retail businesses looking to resell items for a profit, so they won’t offer top dollar for cards but can still be a convenient way to liquidate your collection if you’re not wanting to go through the hassle of selling cards individually online.
When visiting pawn shops, make sure to have your cards well organized in sleeves, top loaders or binders so the pawn shop employee can easily assess the condition and value of each card. Bring any valuable rare cards in a separate sleeve or top loader so they don’t get lost or overlooked in a large binder. You’ll also want to do some research on the general value of your collection using online sources like Beckett, PSA, or eBay sold listings so you have an idea of a fair asking price before visiting shops.
Some tips for finding pawn shops near you that buy baseball cards:
Search online directories and review sites. Websites like Yelp, Google, and local online directories can help you search for “pawn shops near me” and see customer reviews to identify reputable local shops.
Drive or walk around your neighborhood. Sometimes the best local pawn shops may not show up in search results. Drive or walk around commercial areas near you and look for pawn shop signs.
Check coupon books and local advertisements. Local coupon books, flyers, and community newspaper ads can advertise which pawn shops buy certain collectibles like baseball cards.
Ask at local card shops. If you have a local comic book, collectibles, or sport card shop, the employees may know which pawn shops in the area are more reputable buyers of cards.
Search Facebook and Craigslist. Sometimes pawn shops will advertise right on Facebook what collectibles they are currently buying, including baseball cards. Craigslist is another site to check.
Call around before visiting. Once you have a list of potential local pawn shops from your searches, call them ahead of time to ask if they purchase baseball card collections and get an estimate of what they may offer without having to visit in person yet.
When you visit pawn shops that buy baseball cards, here are some tips for getting the best offer:
Bring well organized cards in sleeves, toploaders or binders as mentioned above so cards are easy to assess.
Be prepared to educate the pawn shop employee on the value of any really rare and valuable cards like rookie cards of star players through showing resources like recent eBay sold listings on your phone.
Ask what percentage of fair market value they typically offer for collections and go in knowing you likely won’t get full price but should get 50-75% depending on the shop’s business model.
Let them know if you’re negotiable on price or in a hurry to sell, which could affect the final offer. Going in wanting around 60-70% of market value is reasonable.
Consider selling key valuable cards individually online versus in a lot to a pawn shop if they aren’t offering close to fair value on those.
Get any offer in writing before accepting to avoid misunderstandings later. Most will make you a written offer slip for their buyout amount.
Ask how payment works – usually cash same day but may get a business check if selling for larger amount.
Consider shopping your offer to another pawn shop or two if not satisfied with first offer to use as leverage or get additional estimates.
If possible, bring the offer from the first pawn shop to the second as a starting negotiation point to see if they will beat or match it. But remember pawn shops need to make a profit so the first fair offer made is generally the best you’ll receive unless another shop really wants specific cards in your collection for resell potential.
As long as you do your research to vet reputable pawn shops in your area first before visiting and go in knowledgeably prepared on card values and conditions, pawn shops can provide a hassle-free way to liquidate your baseball card collection for a reasonable price without the effort of selling each card individually online. Just remember pawn shops are a business so while they offer convenience, you likely won’t receive top dollar versus selling your collection to another serious collector. But it can still beat just getting rid of them for a fraction of value otherwise.
