Online marketplaces and auction sites are very popular places to sell baseball cards as they allow you to potentially reach a large audience of interested buyers. Some good sites to consider include eBay, Comc.com, TradingCardDB.com, and Sportlots.com.
eBay is the largest online marketplace and gives you access to millions of potential buyers worldwide. As the top site for collecting and sports cards, it will provide you the best chance of getting the most money for your cards. You will need to take good photos of your cards, write detailed descriptions including condition grades, and be prepared to ship orders. eBay takes a 10% cut of final sale prices.
Comc.com is specifically for comic books, trading cards, and collectibles. While smaller than eBay, it has a very active community of card collectors. They charge slightly lower fees than eBay at 9% plus 30 cents per order. Photos and descriptions are still important to sell your cards effectively there.
TradingCardDB.com focuses solely on sports cards and allows users to create a want list so sellers can search for matches. They charge no listing or transaction fees which is appealing to sellers. The smaller user base means less potential buyers compared to the larger auction sites.
Sportlots.com is another sports card marketplace that caters specifically to buyers and sellers in this hobby. Their fees are similar to Comc.com’s model. A benefit is they verify all sellers so buyers can shop with more trust. Like the others, detailed photos and full disclosures are needed in descriptions.
In addition to online selling, local card shops are a good option to consider as well. Here are some pluses and minuses to selling cards at local shops:
Pros:
No fees taken out of sale price like the online marketplaces charge
Quick cash in hand since you don’t have to wait for payments to clear
Shop owners know the local market and collectors so may fetch a fair price
Can avoid shipping hassles by doing an in-person transaction
Cons:
Smaller potential buyer pool than online selling
Shop owners want to resell for profit so may offer you less than their expected selling price
Condition issues are harder to verify without photos so pricing factors that in more
Not as many local shops as there used to be in some areas due to declining hobby
Would need to find a shop that specializes in the sport/era your cards are from
Card shows and conventions are another good option if any are held regularly in your area. Here the pros are similar to a local card shop- quick cash sale, large in-person attendance. Cons can be booth rental fees, travel required to get to the events. Sellers typically get a table to display their items and chat with potential buyers browsing the show. Research local dates and verify attendee numbers.
Consignment selling through certain shops or some experienced individual collectors can work as well. Here the seller avoids all fees but risks getting a lower price since the consigner takes a cut when the cards eventually sell. It may take longer to move large inventory this way. Thoroughly vet potential consigners ahead of time.
For maximizing exposure and sale potential, online marketplaces like eBay provide the best chance due to their massive reach, though fees are involved. Local shops offer convenient in-person local selling as an alternative. Just be sure to provide thorough photos and descriptions no matter where baseball cards are listed in order to attract buyers and get top prices. Researching sold prices on the various platforms can help price cards competitively too. With the right research and listing strategy, collectors have many viable ways to potentially profit from selling off cards.
