SELLING BASEBALL CARDS ON AMAZON

Selling Baseball Cards on Amazon: A Complete Guide

Baseball cards have been collected by fans for over 150 years and remain one of the most popular American hobbies. With the rise of online marketplaces like Amazon, collectors and dealers now have an exciting new avenue to buy, sell, and trade cards. Selling cards profitably on Amazon does require some knowledge of the platform and market. In this in-depth guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to start listing and selling baseball cards on Amazon successfully.

Getting Started

The first step is to create an Amazon seller account. This is free to set up and only requires basic information. You’ll need to provide your legal business name, address, phone number, and tax ID. Amazon also requires a payment method like a bank account. Make sure to read all policies surrounding selling to avoid any issues down the road.

When creating your listings, aim to provide high-quality, well-lit photos that clearly show the front and back of each card. Condition is crucial, so be completely honest in your descriptions. Use specific pop culture keywords that collectors search for help find your listings. You’ll also want to price your cards competitively based on recent sales data from platforms like eBay.

Product Research

Thorough product research is essential before listing any cards. Spend time learning the players, teams, sets, and years that are most sought after and valuable. Focus on star athletes from iconic eras who continue to attract collector interest like the 1950s, 1960s, and late 1980s-1990s. Rookie and unique parallel or serially numbered parallels from those periods usually fetch the highest prices. Resources like Baseball-Reference and online card forums/message boards are great places to research players and values.

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Pricing cards accurately requires tools like the PSA Selling Price Guide, Beckett Price Guide, or eBay’s “Sold Listings” filter. Compare your card’s condition and recent comparable sales to find a sweet spot that will sell quickly but still earn a profit. Repackaging cards into team or player lots allows you to move lots of common duplicates for reasonable prices. Selling individually graded cards authenticated by PSA or BGS usually fetches top dollar from serious collectors.

Inventory Storage & Shipping

Efficient inventory storage and prep is vital to scaling your baseball card business on Amazon. Invest in acid-free supplies like toploaders, magnetic sheets, penny sleeves, and card boxes to safely store and ship your inventory. Always double sleeve valuable cards and use team bags when shipping in toploaders for extra protection. Consider a small inventory management system like Excel to track what you have listed and help prevent overselling.

When it comes to shipping, provide customers with a tracked method like USPS First Class Package for cheaper singles or BMWT/Priority for higher-priced items. Use plenty of padding and don’t overstuff boxes, as crushed cards lead to negative reviews. Consider purchasing shipping supplies in bulk on sites like eBay to save money on labels, boxes, and materials over time. Insuring shipments over $100-200 is also recommended to protect both you and your customer.

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Amazon Fees

To make a profit selling baseball cards on Amazon, you’ll need to factor in their selling fees, which can vary based on the category and price. For sports cards and memorabilia, the “SportsMemorabiliaStore” category charges 15% of the total sale plus a $1 per-item fee. So for a $10 card sale, you’d pay $1.50 in fees. There’s a flat monthly “Pro seller fee” of $39.99. Volume sellers can qualify for lower rates in the Individual Plan as sales increase each month. FBA fees for Fulfilled by Amazon storage and delivery also apply.

While Amazon fees average 15-20% of each sale, the massive marketplace exposure they provide to over 150 million paying customers helps justify these costs. Succeeding requires volume and balancing costs with profit margins through constant optimization of sourcing, pricing, and shipping methods. Always run the numbers to ensure you can earn a profit after accounting for fees at each price point with any cards you consider listing.

Dealing with Collectors

Shipping quickly and staying responsive is key when selling on Amazon. Most collectors expect orders to ship within 1-2 business days. Address issues promptly through messages from your Seller Central account. Being polite, open, and fair will help resolve disputes and leave positive feedback. You may also wish to directly communicate with repeat customers outside of the Amazon platform through emails. This personal touch helps develop long-term buyers.

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Poor condition issues may arise with vintage cards despite following grading standards. In these cases, issue a refund upon return to maintain positive ratings. Never argue with negative reviews publicly, instead contact Amazon for help mediating a private resolution when issues are not fully the seller’s fault. With patience and honesty, even an occasional complaint can be turned into an opportunity to impress buyers and build credibility.

Conclusion

While not for everyone, building a baseball card business on Amazon can unlock access to passionate collectors around the world searching their massive marketplace daily. Success requires due diligence in research, competitive pricing, inventory management, communication and quality shipping. Focus on core eras, autographs, rare variations, and established, in-demand athletes. Be honest, build rapport with buyers, swiftly resolve issues, and consistently optimize your online sports store. With these best practices, dedicated collectors and dealers can find great success buying and selling baseball cards on Amazon for years to come.

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