There are several different types of buyers who purchase baseball cards on Long Island. Here are some of the major groups:
Sport card shops – The largest buyers of baseball cards on Long Island are the numerous sports card and memorabilia shops located throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. Some of the major shops include Beckett’s at Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, Jim’s Sportscards in West Islip, and Baseball Card Exchange in Franklin Square. These shops buy collections directly from individuals and also sell individual cards, boxes, and cases of packs to customers. They deal in all levels of cards from common to rare and vintage cards. Most shops pay 30-50% of a card’s Beckett value when purchasing collections to have room to make a profit when reselling.
Private collectors – Many serious collectors live on Long Island and actively seek to buy cards to fill gaps in their collections or obtain cards of their favorite players and teams. These collectors may frequent card shows and shop at stores. Some place “want lists” with shops of specific cards they are looking to obtain. Others research recently sold eBay listings to get a sense of current market values when making offers to buy other collections. Major factors private collectors consider include the condition or grade of a card, its scarcity or serial number if applicable, and if it features players/teams they specialize in.
Online buyers – With the rise of eBay, there are also many individual buyers across the country and world who will purchase collections or individual high-value cards listed on Long Island. While shipping costs tend to reduce final sale prices versus local sales, online platforms allow exposure to a much larger potential customer base. Savvy Long Island sellers researching recently sold listings can often get top dollar or close to it by listing items with accurate descriptions and grading on sites like eBay, Amazon Marketplace, and specialty trading card forums.
Auction houses – Periodically, significant vintage baseball card collections from Long Island owners will be sold in local auctions handled by companies like Nate D. Sanders Auctions, Heritage Auctions, or smaller regional auction firms. These give owners an opportunity to potentially obtain the highest prices, though commission fees usually take a larger cut versus private sales. Serious card investors may bid at these auctions looking to obtain significant rarities that they can later hold or resell.
Resellers – Operators of booths at regional card shows that take place in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania may come to Long Island to buy collections to break up and resell cards individually. The profits come from finding desirable common and star cards to sell to active collectors for a slight markup. Larger resellers may buy entire collections sight unseen online based on a seller’s photos and inventory lists, hoping to turn a profit through their established buyer/seller networks.
There is no shortage of potential buyers for baseball card collections located on Long Island. Serious sellers just need to do their homework to determine what asking prices local shops and private collectors will pay, monitoring recent eBay sales to set online reserve prices, or investigating when the next local or regional card show or auction will take place. With some marketing and patience, collections can usually find new homes and motivate further appreciation of the hobby.
