Making Money

Best Places To Sell Baseball Cards – 4 Choices For The Best Price

Many people derive satisfaction from having a baseball card collection. However, for some others, the practice holds more value beyond just being a hobby. Hence, they collect and sell the cards. Both endeavors are valid. But, if you’re looking to sell your collection and get the top price, you’ve come to the right spot.

There are several questions you need to answer if you are looking to sell baseball cards. Baseball cards, like most products, have their worth based on how old they are, where they are sold, and whether it is a star card. People often make the mistake of thinking that all cards have the same value. That is simply untrue. Vintage sports cards may be worth anything from hundreds of dollars to even thousands. Collectors who understand this do their best to stay on top of trends and practices when selling baseball cards.

So, wondering what the best places to sell baseball cards really are? We’ve done the research to bring you the top options so you can get the best deal for your cards!

Selling Baseball Card Collection

The Step-by-Step Process of Selling Baseball Cards

Before moving on to the best places to sell baseball cards, we need to answer the question of how to sell the cards. The steps users take in selling differ from one person to the other. However, some basics remain the same all around. Here are the general steps to take when you are looking to sell your baseball cards.

Selling Baseball Cards

Confirm the Relevant Stats on the Card

As we established in the introduction, the value of baseball cards varies. Someone with vintage basketball cards in mint condition will certainly earn more than a person whose cards are in bad shape. Even beyond that, the year and manufacturer of the baseball cards play an important role, too. Thus, before putting your card up for sale, learn the relevant stats about it.

There are several ways to identify the stats on any collections. One of such is through making an educated guess from the players’ details on the cards. Usually, the card’s year is one year away from that of the player’s. Alternatively, you can run your queries through Google. Pick out some pertinent information from the collections you have and run it through Google. Even if you do not find out the year of all the cards in your set, you would definitely be able to figure out some.

Identify the Star Cards You Have

Star cards refer to the ones with superstars. The idea here is that the more superstar cards you have, the more money will most likely enter your account. Avid collectors typically know most of the best baseball players, including those in the halls of fame. However, even if you don’t, you can still solve this by running a quick check on Google. Star cards go for big bucks in the market. Ensure that no one rips you off of your hard-earned rewards.

Make Sure Your Cards are in Good Condition

This is one area collectors default a majority of the time. You must have the ability to thoroughly examine the cards to ferret out defects and correct them if that is possible. It doesn’t matter if you collect the cards as a hobby and not necessarily for any company. Excellent collectors work with the idea that if they do not keep the sports cards in peak condition, buyers may be put off and rescind their purchase.

Thus, look through the cards carefully. Defects can be in the form of creases or wear and tear. For ancient cards, you may also notice print runs from the machines that were used in the past. Thankfully, if you do not notice any defects, you can then take steps to preserve the cards. Simple measures such as zipping all the cards in airtight bags or into albums could prove effective.

Learn How the Grading System Works

There is a grading system for baseball cards. Bodies such as the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and Sports Card Guarantee (SGC) provide a uniform grading card system. Basically, these bodies assign points to the different cards. The higher the points that accrue to each card, the higher the card will be valued.  It would help if you had a fair idea of how all of that works.  However, you don’t need to have all the cards in your set graded. You may want to factor in the cost of insurance, shipping cards, and the sports cards’ overall market value.

Check the Recent Sales of the Cards

The final thing you need to do is consider the possible price you’d get for the cards. One way to do so is to check the general attitude in the market. eBay is a great place to start. Using the information you got at the start, check out all the cards in your set. You may also want to input the condition of the cards, also, to get a correct estimate. However, do also bear in mind that there may be some slight differences between what you see online and what you actually get. Also, the final price could be affected by the additional costs that accompany opening an account on any of these platforms. In any case, having a fair idea of the cards’ price would be very helpful in the future.

Best Places to Sell Baseball Cards

In this section, we will be looking at some of the best places where you can buy and sell your baseball cards and other sports memorabilia.

One thing you have to know is that you can sell your cards both online (using online marketplaces) and at physical card shops. The latter option would necessitate face to face interaction, so you may want to jettison it if you are uncomfortable with such. An online marketplace would then be your best bet. In any case, if you have no preference, then the value you expect to get from any of the options should be the decider for you.

1. eBay

eBay

eBay is one of the best places to sell your cards, especially if it is a hobby for you and you want to do it on the side while focusing on other activities. It is one of the most popular options for baseball cards that are in excellent shape. Thus, if yours have no corner wear, crease, or anything of that sort, you may want to consider putting them up on eBay. Due to the nature of eBay, your selling price could even be way above the usual range. eBay is an excellent place to sell your cards while maximizing profit at the same time.

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2. Card Dealers

Card Dealer

Other options to explore apart from eBay include card dealers and shops.  Card dealers typically purchase pre-war or vintage cards. Thus you are in for a catch if that is your niche. These shops offer a convenient and fast means to dispose of your cards and thus are ideal for those collecting cards as a hobby or a side hustle. However, card dealers are gradually phasing out. You may want to consider other reliable options for selling your sports cards.

3. Auction Houses

Sports Cards

It is a great idea to consign some of your items to auction houses. Typically, you begin to consider this option if your cards and memorabilia are quite expensive. An auction may fetch you a high price, beyond anything you could find on any of the online marketplaces. One of the beautiful things about auctions is that it is impossible to predict how things will turn out. That is, the process is such that it could go or way or another. When you explore having your cards put up for auctions, you then cross your fingers and hope that you get an amazing offer.

4. COMC

Another non-traditional online space you can sell your baseball card is COMC. COMC’s process is different from what you find with any other card shop. You are required to package the cards and mail them. Once they receive it, they will scan and upload them. You then get an email notification requesting that you set the prices for your items. It is best to consider the price range that other people are pegging their products at. You may want to bear in mind the intrinsic value of the cards themselves. If you know that the cards and memorabilia are supposed to be quite expensive, you can push the prices others have set to the side and set yours.

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Tips for Selling Baseball Cards

Apart from the directions given above, here are some tips to bear in mind while looking to buy and sell a baseball card.

Baseball Card Selling

Get Information

It certainly makes no sense to jump into selling baseball cards without learning the intricacies from the start. Information about the process, prices, card show listings, etc., will be pertinent. If you are reading this article, you are on the right track. However, you might also consider speaking to dealers who have some more experience on the subject.

Itemize the Cards in Your Collection

As a collector, one of the first things to do is create a list of all your cards. Your sports card collection may not just contain baseball cards. You could have hockey cards, rookie cards, etc. Perhaps, you may want to sell more than just the baseball cards.

Invest in Good Photography

If you really want to buy and sell sports cards in the long term, you may want to invest in some photography equipment. Part of what you’d do while trading cards is taking pictures of your offerings and putting them up online. Grainy pictures are generally considered tacky and off-putting. Your investors and customers will certainly not be impressed if you start that way. More so, your photos’ quality will influence how much a customer may be willing to pay for any of the cards.

Be Wary of Scammers

The internet is a dangerous place these days. Folks have been ripped off by individuals they met and conducted business with on the internet. It is easy for criminals to adopt new identities, infiltrate online platforms and wreak havoc on users. Yes, sports card dealers are not exempt. In fact, it is possible that you’d be considered an easy target because cybercriminals may assume that you know little about online criminal activities. Thus, if at any point you begin to question the legitimacy of any transaction, kindly call it off. If they are selling you any baseball card, do try to verify their authenticity. Insist also on meeting in public places to minimize the risks you could face.

Conclusion: Selling Baseball Cards

Selling your baseball card should not give you nightmares. There are people like you who collect everything from rookie cards to vintage cards and make money aside from indulging just their hobby. That could be you, too. You simply need to follow the tips and suggestions here to find the best path to follow. That baseball card you have could well be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Kevin Martin

Kevin is an ambitious entrepreneur that is obsessed with all things related to finance. From a young age, Kevin has always been involved with side hustles ranging from online selling to freelance work. Over the years, Kevin graduated from side hustles and started launching multiple online and offline businesses. Kevin is a serial entrepreneur who loves starting new businesses and exploring all things related to business and finance. He is constantly looking for new ways to save money, invest money, and create income streams.

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