First, you’ll want to sort through your collection to see what you have. Take the time to categorize cards by player, team, year, condition, and any noteworthy rookies, stars, or rare inserts. This preprocessing will help maximize your options and returns. With a large unsorted bulk collection, your options will be more limited.
Once sorted, the best option is usually selling the higher value cards individually on eBay. Search “sold” listings to get a sense of recent selling prices for each card. List cards in the 50 cents to $5 range individually with free shipping to maximize your sales. For rookie stars or rare inserts in great condition, set minimum asking prices based on recent comparable sales and let bidding drive the final price.
For the bulk common cards, your next best bet is selling the lots by player or team on eBay. Group common cards from the same year, team, or player into lots of 10, 25, 50 or 100 cards. Provide detailed photos showing card fronts and condition. Expect to get $1-5 per lot depending on desirability, with more valuable lots potentially selling for $10-25.
You can also try selling your lots locally via Facebook Marketplace or online sports card forums/marketplaces. This allows for local cash pickup which some prefer over shipping. Post detailed descriptions and photos. Be prepared to accept lower per lot prices, in the $5-10 range, when selling locally versus online.
Another option for bulk commons is directly contacting your local card shops to see if they need filler cards for sets they are building. You’ll likely only get $5-10 per thousand cards this route but it eliminates the work of listing and shipping individually.
As a last resort if you just want the cards gone, look into donating your bulk cards to local children’s hospitals, youth sports leagues or elementary schools. They may use them for educational purposes or as incentives/prizes and you’ll get a tax deduction. Contact the organizations first to ensure they can accept the donation.
If trying to maximize returns, another route is directly contacting large online resellers that specialize in taking on bulk baseball card collections. Companies like Dad’s Cards or ThirstyGoatCards will make you one consolidated purchase offer, typically averaging $0.01-0.03 per common card. They take on the work of sorting, assessing value, and reselling which is why their per card rates tend to be lower. But it requires no work on your end after the initial sale.
In all cases when selling, be sure to carefully package cards for shipment. Use cardboard or plastic between layers, wrap tightly but not too tight, and include tracking. Also photograph and document condition of valuable cards before sending. Clearly communicate policies like “no returns accepted” to avoid issues after the sale.
The key is researching which option makes the most sense based on the composition, condition and value of your specific bulk card collection. With some effort, you can likely extract over 15,000 characters worth of value for your cards rather than just getting rid of them for a few dollars. I hope these ideas are helpful for determining the best approach! Let me know if any part of the process needs more clarification.
