Card Shops: There are several dedicated card shops in the San Jose area that buy, sell, and trade sports cards. Some highly reputable options include:
Sports Card Trader – Located in downtown San Jose, this shop has been in business for over 30 years and buys and sells a huge variety of cards from the 1880s to present day. They pay some of the highest prices in the area and have thousands of cards in their inventory available for purchase as well.
Game Changer Cards – With locations in Campbell and Santa Clara, Game Changer is another longstanding Bay Area card shop known for fair prices and a large customer base. They focus mainly on baseball, basketball, football, and hockey cards.
Collector’s Cache – A smaller operation in San Jose but with a strong online presence as well. The owner is very knowledgeable and can provide valuations and connect sellers with interested buyers.
Card Shows: Periodically throughout the year, various card shows are held in the South Bay where dozens of vendors come together to buy, sell, and trade cards. Some of the major annual shows include:
San Jose Sports Card & Memorabilia Show (held 2-3 times per year at the DoubleTree Hotel) – One of the largest and most well-attended shows in Northern California with tables from collectors and dealers from all over the state. Great place to sell high-value baseball cards to knowledgeable buyers.
Santa Clara Monthly Sports Card Show (held monthly at the Santa Clara Convention Center) – A smaller and more localized show but still a good option for selling mid-to-lower valued cards to other collectors.
Online Marketplaces: If you want maximum exposure for your cards, listing them for sale online through established marketplaces is a smart option. Some of the most popular sites for baseball card sales include:
eBay – As the world’s largest online auction site, eBay gives you access to collectors all over the world. Listing on eBay requires paying small transaction fees but cards generally sell for the highest prices here due to the massive audience. You’ll need to carefully package cards for shipping.
COMC (CardboardConnection.com) – Similar to eBay but focused solely on sports cards, COMC specializes in modern graded cards. They don’t take any listing/selling fees but their cut from completed auctions is on the higher side around 13%. COMC handles all photography, grading verification, and fulfillment after a sale.
Twitter – While less formal than eBay or COMC, many active collectors use Twitter to buy/sell cards. Follow hashtags like #CardSale to find interested buyers, then transact payments/shipping directly. Requires more effort than marketplaces but no platform fees.
Auctions: If you have especially rare and valuable baseball cards in your collection, submitting them to public auctions can potentially realize the highest prices. Some top auction houses for cards include:
Heritage Auctions – One of the largest and most respected auctioneers of vintage cards worldwide. Consigning rare high-dollar cards to a Heritage auction gives them maximum exposure to serious collectors/investors and gets a certified market value for the item. Expect to pay 5-10% in seller’s fees.
SCP Auctions – Another globally recognized auction house specializing solely in sports collectibles. SCP has broken numerous world records for most valuable baseball cards sold at auction.
Local Consignment Shops: As a last option, some San Jose antique stores, thrift shops, and memorabilia resellers may buy higher-end baseball cards on consignment as well. Places like Vintage Posters Co. (downtown SJ) or Traders Post (Santa Clara) occasionally deal in cards if they have valuable vintage inventory to sell through their existing customer networks. Consignment involves less effort than running your own sale but seller cuts tend to be on the lower side.
Doing proper research on current baseball card prices and market trends is essential before deciding how to liquidate your collection. A combination of online listings, local shops/shows, and auction consignments (for best cards) will typically realize the highest possible return and reach the widest audience of serious collectors. With its large population and proximity to Silicon Valley wealth, the South Bay offers many reliable outlets for selling cards locally in San Jose.
