eBay – eBay is likely the largest and most well-known marketplace for selling collectibles like baseball cards online. Selling on eBay gives you access to millions of potential buyers and the auction-style format can generate interest and competition that drives up prices. EBay will also take a percentage of the final sale price as a fee. You’ll need to create a seller account, take high quality photos of your cards, write detailed descriptions, and properly package and ship any items that sell.
Sportlots – Sportlots is a dedicated sports card marketplace. They have a large buyer base and can help you sell individual cards or your entire collection. Like eBay, they take a fee from the final sale price. Selling on Sportlots gets your cards in front of collectors specifically looking to buy cards. They also handle photography, descriptions, payments, and shipping for an added fee. This makes the process simpler but you’ll receive less money per sale.
COMC – Cardboard Connection (COMC) allows you to sell baseball cards through a consignment model. You send your cards to them, they professionally photograph and list them, handle transactions and shipping. For modern cards they typically take a 19-21% commission fee. For vintage/valuable cards it’s lower at 13-15%. Unlike eBay and Sportlots, you don’t have to list items yourself but you also don’t set the prices – COMC handles negotiations with buyers. Shipping is also slower than individually handling sales yourself.
Collector forums/groups – Sites like Sports Card Forum, Blowout Cards Forum, and Facebook groups are platforms where serious collectors congregate. You can sell individual cards or entire collections through want/sell listings. This allows you to tap into collectors specifically looking for what you have available. You need to know current market values, take your own photos/write descriptions, arrange payment/shipping on your own. Scams are also more likely without buyer/seller protections of major marketplaces.
Local card shops – If you live near a collectibles/card specialty shop, they may buy entire collections outright or be willing to consign individual high-value cards through their storefront. You won’t get top recent eBay prices but it’s convenient and secure compared to shipping. Many want first shot at local collections before they go online too. Smaller shops won’t have the buyer demand of larger sites.
Collector/dealer direct – Serious, established collectors and dealers sometimes buy entire collections to later break up and sell individually to maximize profits. While you likely won’t make as much as selling piecemeal yourself, it’s the simplest option since you don’t have to take photos, list items, mail packages. Payment is usually via check or wire transfer. It’s important to do research on potential buyers/their reputation to avoid scams. Meet face-to-face if possible when significant money is involved. You’ll also have less visibility into where items ultimately sell and for how much.
Factors like collection size, card value ranges, preferred involvement level, speed of sale, and goals for maximizing profit all factor into the best fit marketplace. eBay or dedicated websites like Sportlots/COMC are best for average collections, while high-value collections may have more luck seeking an established collector/dealer to buy outright. Researching recently sold cards on sites is also recommended to understand fair pricing wherever you choose to sell. Authenticating/grading valuable cards is another way to potentially boost prices, though involves extra time/cost.
