Sportscards Plus – Located in the Pleasant Ridge neighborhood just north of Cincinnati, Sportscards Plus has been in business for over 30 years and is one of the most well-established and reputable card shops in the region. They buy, sell, and trade all types of sports cards and memorabilia. Their expert buyers can provide fair market prices for individual cards or entire collections. They have an online inventory of thousands of cards available for sale and also regularly hold public card shows and auctions.
Cincinnati Card Show – A large monthly card show that is open to the public as well as dealers. It is held at the Sharonville Convention Center which is about 15 minutes north of downtown Cincinnati. This is a great option to potentially get the highest prices possible for rarer cards or full collections, as you will have access to many professional card buyers all under one roof to find the best offer. Shows are typically the first Sunday of every month.
Card Exchange – Located in West Chester near the Cincinnati-Dayton border, Card Exchange is a large hobby shop specializing in trading cards of all types including sports, non-sports, and Pokemon. They have a very knowledgeable staff that can assess collections and provide cash offers. Their main focus is facilitating trades between customers so you may prefer their consignment option if you are looking specifically to sell cards for cash rather than do trades.
Game Swap – Game Swap has three locations around Cincinnati and the surrounding suburbs – Blue Ash, Mason, and West Chester. While their primary business is buying and selling video games and game consoles, they also purchase individual sports cards and entire collections. Their card buyers have many years of experience valuing various players, years, conditions, and grades. They pay out offers in-store credit which can then be used toward purchase of games, cards, or other merchandise.
Cardboard Express – Based in Lebanon which is about 25 minutes east of Cincinnati, Cardboard Express holds large public card shows on Saturdays providing access to dozens of dealers looking to purchase collections. Admission is free which allows you to shop around and get offers from multiple dealers competing for your cards. They can also assess collections during the week by appointment to provide an offer. This is another great option for getting top dollar from many experienced buyers in one location.
Ebay/Online Marketplaces – Of course, with today’s digital marketplace you have the option to go the online route to sell your cards. Ebay is usually the best general marketplace with the largest potential audience. You will need to carefully package, photograph and describe each item and then ship the sold cards. This often results in less money in your pocket once fees and shipping are accounted. Specialty sites like COMC.com may be a better fit for larger collection consignment sales where they handle photography, grading verification, and deals directly with customers.
When deciding between the various local and online options in Cincinnati, it’s important to consider factors like your collection size, desired payment method (cash vs credit/trade), time commitment and shipping costs. For smaller individual sales or trades, local hobby shops provide a low-effort solution. Auction houses and monthly shows tap into the highest number of serious buyers for top dollar on significant collections. With some research, Cincinnati-area collectors have various good options available close to home to liquidate their baseball card assets. Selling to an established dealer will be the fastest and ensure a fair price but may not maximize profits – while direct person-to-person sales can yield more money if you’re willing to invest more time and legwork.
