When selling sportscards on eBay, the two most important things to consider are #1 what you will do with the card within eBay’s rules and regulations, and #2 how much is the market going to pay for the card.
Selling sports cards on eBay is a great way to make money if you know what you’re doing, but it can also cost you if you don’t do your research and make the wrong choices for your items.
How to Sell Sports Cards on Ebay
To sell cards on eBay, first, decide if you want to use an auction-style sale or a fixed price sale (selling “Buy It Now”). Auction-style sales typically gain more money but take more time; on the other hand, a Fixed Price is good for a quick profit but you will never get the full value.
In either case, determine what condition your cards are in and how motivated you are to sell them. In general, your best bet is to ship the card in a top loader, white envelope, and an ordinary business-size envelope for shipping. The two envelopes cost you less than a dollar and that is well worth it. You can also ship the card in a penny sleeve and top loader, but this isn’t as secure.
List Your Card for
To list your card for sale on eBay, you need an account. Go to the eBay home page and click “register as a seller” on the top of the right column. Fill out your personal information, then fill out your business information (type in whatever you want for “business name”). Once that is complete, go back to the main eBay page and log in with your user ID and password.
The next step is to go to the category where you want your cards listed. Click on “sell” and click “Add a listing.” This will bring up an open field where you can list items for sale. The most important part of this page is the first column, which has a drop-down menu that allows you to choose what kind of item you’re selling. Chose “Sports Cards” and “Baseball Cards,” then click Next Step.
Now you will be at the page to list your card for sale. Here, you put in all of your information: the item number, title, description (write whatever), starting price, and so forth.
Take The Best Pictures
When it comes to pictures, take the best ones you can. The more clear, concise, and detailed the picture is, the better your card will sell. You also need to put in your terms of sale (the return policy), shipping guidelines, etc.
Once you have listed all of this information about your card listing, you are now ready to finalize it for selling on eBay. When you are ready, click the “Submit Listing” button at the bottom of that page. In about an hour or two, your card will be up for sale on eBay!
Auction Style vs. Buy it Now
When it’s time to actually sell your cards, you’ll have a few options: auction-style with a starting price and end date/time, fixed price with a starting price and a buy-it-now price, or fixed price with no minimum sale price.
Auction style is going to cost you the most money, but it gets more people looking at your cards. If you choose a fixed-price sale instead of an auction-style sale, list a buy-it-now option so people can still buy them if they want. The last thing you want is for someone to bid on your card and win it for $2, when you could have sold it for $10 with the buy-it-now option.
Be Honest About Condition
Be honest about your cards’ conditions, especially if you are doing online sales, because you might be underselling yourself and not getting what your cards deserve. It’s better to sell them for less than you wanted than to sell them for less than their worth.
Sell cards that are at least SP-NM condition, or better yet, Mint. Anything lower might be okay for selling locally, but you will not get full value on eBay without a high start price.
Research the Market Ahead of Time
For example, take a 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card, in Near Mint-Mint condition. In the past few months, prices have been low on eBay for this item, but just a few weeks ago one sold for over $400! This is because the new Upper Deck Goodwin Champions set was released and there were several 1989 Upper Deck cards included in it (including another Griffey Jr. card), thus creating demand for this set.
Some people also use eBay’s completed listings search to see how much similar items have sold for in the past week or two but be careful with this method because eBay has been known to not show all completed listings.
Be Careful but Flexible
You don’t want to end up selling a card for less than you feel it’s worth, and then something similar sells on eBay the next day for much more! It doesn’t happen very often, but other sellers (known as “snipers”) can get lucky and outbid you at the last second leaving you with no chance to counter-offer.
But if something similar is selling on eBay every day for $20, don’t expect to sell your card for $200; otherwise, you’re only setting yourself up for failure. It might be better to list that same card on Craigslist and sell it locally for $50 or so, and in turn save yourself the trouble of shipping and waiting around all day to receive bids.
It’s also helpful to check the current eBay “hot list” for trending items that are selling well, then list your card on there. The hotlist contains all types of collectibles, not just sports cards.
Don’t Get Discouraged!
Selling sports cards online can be very rewarding if you put in enough time and effort. The key is finding the right types of cards to sell, setting a price that is reasonable, and being creative! The more creative you are with your listings, the higher the chance that someone will bid. Good luck!
