Where to Sell Baseball Cards for Cash (16 Best Places in 2024!)
It seems that baseball card trading is one that has stood the test of time. And with the Global Sports Trading Card Market expected to grow by $6.71 billion from now up to 2026, this is the right moment to sell your baseball cards collection for cash!
Have you checked the grimy boxes in your attic? You may find some old baseball cards to trade for money – so make sure you check the boxes if you haven’t.
Even though baseball card trading can fetch you a lot of money, there’s no way you’re going to earn a lot if you don’t know the best places to sell them. You’re lucky to have found this post because I’m going to walk you through all the best places you can sell your baseball collectibles.
So without further ado, let’s get going!
What Makes Baseball Cards Valuable?
“In the beginning,” Historian Dan Holmes would write, “God made man. Then, man produced… the baseball cards…” The number of baseball card sets that exist is more than 12,000. So there are over 1 million baseball cards in existence. With so many baseball cards around, what makes them valuable?
The main reason why baseball cards are valuable is because there’s a demand for them. But not all baseball cards are in high demand. Therefore, it’s critical to know if your baseball cards fall in the category that is in high demand.
For you to know, all baseball cards can be grouped under four main eras. The era of your baseball cards will determine the demand, hence, their value.
Here are the four main eras for baseball cards (Source: Dean’s Cards):
- Pre-War Baseball Cards “Early Baseball” (1860s – WWII).
- Vintage Baseball Cards “Golden Days” (1948 – 1969)
- Semi-Vintage Baseball Cards(1970s)
- Modern Baseball Cards (1980s – Present).
Among all the baseball cards, the most valuable are the Pre-War Baseball Cards and Vintage Baseball Cards.
There are several ways to determine the prices of your baseball cards. But those will be discussed later – you can skip to that sub-topic, though. However, for now let’s look at where to sell your baseball cards.
17 Best Places To Sell Your Baseball Cards
Selling baseball cards is similar to selling Funko Pops – baseball cards can be sold either in person or online. You have the chance to decide which option you want. But in all, both places are good for selling your baseball cards.
To make things easy for you, I’ve provided the best places you can sell your baseball cards to make the most money. Let’s dive deep into it!
1. eBay
The obvious reason why you should sell your baseball cards on eBay is that the site gets tons of visitors so you’ll get your products in front of thousands of baseball card collectors and buyers, all at once.
Moreover, eBay makes it easy for sellers to list their items on the site. After creating your seller account – you must scan and take photos of your baseball cards to list them on eBay.
Prior to listing, make sure you are aware of the value of each baseball card to accurately price them. Also, eBay doesn’t cover shipping expenses so it’s important to factor in the cost of shipping.
One downside of selling baseball cards on eBay is that while listing is free, the platform charges a commission of 12.9% on sales up to $7,500. Furthermore, you’re required to take charge of every transaction – which may be draining and time-consuming.
Altogether, eBay is a good place to sell since you can generate high sales if you make use of the flat-price and auction-style listing. Furthermore, in addition to baseball cards, eBay also facilitates the sale of various other collectibles such as Yu-Gi-Oh cards, Pokemon cards, Beanie Babies, Funko Pops, and more. This provides an opportunity to sell a range of collectibles and increase your overall earnings.
2. Dave & Adam’s
Dave & Adam’s is another website that is always buying baseball cards and other sports cards. The site also trades box breaks, comics, non-sports cards, gift certificates, and many others.
Dave & Adam’s made the list because selling baseball cards to the site is more expedient, moreover, the platform charges no seller fees.
But if you want to sell your baseball cards make sure they meet these requirements:
- Vintage baseball cards in their original condition should date from 1970 to the current era.
- The cards must be professionally graded.
- Modern baseball cards must have a minimum value of $50.
You’d receive an offer after you’ve sent photos of your baseball cards to the site. If you’re happy with the offer, you can ship your collectibles to Dave & Adam’s via FedEx or UPS. Once your items arrive, the site will pay you within 24 hours through check, PayPal, or cash.
If items are in bad condition, Dave & Adam’s has the right to return them to you after inspection. So make sure you package your baseball cards with packing foam, bubble wrap, and a durable box before shipping.
3. Dean’s Cards
Another best place to sell your baseball cards is Dean’s Cards. If you have some baseball cards that are from 1969 and before, you can trade them for money on this vintage sports card platform.
You can get a good offer if your cards are rare, star, or rookie because Dean’s Cards mostly buy those. Besides baseball cards, Dean’s Cards buys non-sports cards, hockey cards, football cards, as well as basketball cards.
To sell to Dean’s Cards, visit the site and fill out a short form telling them about the number of cards you want to sell, the year of the cards, etc.
The site will get back to you later, offering you their quote. You can then ship the cards to the company if you’re okay with the offer and get paid once they arrive.
One compelling reason to sell your baseball cards to Dean’s Cards is that they offer a fair price for your collection. Additionally, the selling process is seamless and uncomplicated.
4. Beckett
Do you still want a place to sell your baseball collectibles? You can go with Beckett. There are two ways to sell with this sports cards collectible website: by selling directly to the site or by selling to card collectors and buyers on the site’s marketplace.
Which one do you want? Think about it. If you want to sell directly to Beckett, then visit the site and submit your baseball cards for grading – this is for the rarest of cards.
Other than that, you can evaluate the cards yourself. Beckett has done a great job by providing price guides on the site to help you.
Alternatively, you can join the Beckett marketplace to sell to buyers. One viable choice, however, it may prove challenging for your cards to gain visibility among the over 128 million listings on the marketplace.
All the same, Beckett is a great option to sell baseball cards. Apart from baseball cards, the site deals in other types of sports cards, ranging from basketball cards, hockey cards, football cards, and soccer cards, to unopened boxes, memorabilia cards, and more – so you can diversify your products to amplify your earnings.
The main payment method on Beckett is PayPal, but another option is a check.
5. Alt
If you want to try out something new in terms of selling sports cards, the Alt platform is for you. Alt has an amazing app that you can download on both Android and iOS devices to begin the process.
With Alt, there are two ways to sell: the fixed price and the liquid auction. Here’s how each of them works.
Alt’s fixed-price option allows you to list your baseball cards on the app’s marketplace to sell to regular buyers. With this option, you pay a fixed seller fee of 5% on each sale with no other hidden fees. One advantage of this option is that sales are quick since your products are put in front of many people.
Alt’s liquid auction is also good. With this selling option, your baseball cards can be sold with a single click, and you are given 60% of the sales price. One advantage of this option is that your money is guaranteed.
During my trial of the Alt app, I found it to be impressive due to the abundance of built-in features. Here are some of them:
- The app can list baseball cards on Alt and eBay simultaneously.
- Alt allows you to upload your cards and build a portfolio that you can manage and monitor its value.
- Alt helps you with every step of the card listing process.
6. Just Collect
Another best place to sell your baseball cards is Just Collect. This online sports card retailer also buys hockey cards, basketball cards, non-sport cards, autographs, original art, coins, and more.
Just Collect has made it incredibly easy to exchange sports cards for cash, which is why the company has traded over $40 million worth of cards since its inception over 50 years ago.
If you have baseball cards to sell to Just Collect, it’s a simple process. Just Collect operates brick-and-mortar stores in New Jersey and New York, providing you with the option to exchange your cards for cash in person.
Alternatively, the selling can be done online. While on the site, submit your collection, and Just Collect will get back to you with their offering quote.
After accepting their quote, you can ship your collection to Just Collect for inspection, and get paid promptly once the assessment is finished!
Just Collect is my favorite choice since they take care of all shipping expenses.
7. COMC
Check Out My Collect or COMC for short is another best place to sell your baseball cards for decent money. So if you’ve been able to find some baseball cards in your attic and want to sell them – COMC is also an option.
To commence, just create your seller account on COMC and upload photos of your baseball collectibles. Also, you must set your asking price, and wait for interested buyers.
A few cool things about COMC are the site covers your shipping costs, plus your collectibles are automatically listed on the COMC consignment store on eBay to help you reach more potential buyers.
Watch this brief video to learn how to upload your baseball collectibles on COMC.
8. SportsCardPro
SportsCardPro is also a place where you can sell all types of sports cards, ranging from baseball cards, hockey cards, football cards, and basketball cards, to wrestling cards, UFC cards, and more.
The good thing about this platform is that selling vintage cards is free no matter the value of the cards. Plus, you can upload your cards to SportsCardPro to manage and track the worth of your collection.
List your baseball card collection on SportsCardPro now and make some money. After your collection is listed, you can set your desired asking price and wait for potential buyers.
If someone is interested, they will reach out to you via email, and you can begin negotiations from there. If a sale is successfully made, you get to keep 40-60% of the card’s value.
PayPal is the sole accepted payment method on SportsCardPro.
9. Old Sports Cards
If you have baseball cards that age from 1868 to 1975, you can exchange them for money on Old Sports Cards. Nonetheless, if your cards are iconic or graded, you can still sell them on the platform even if they don’t fall within the mentioned year range.
Old Sports Cards is also capable of auctioning your collection on eBay, which could potentially yield a substantial profit. Overall, I would say this platform is definitely worth considering as they provide competitive rates for your vintage sports cards. Plus, the selling process is seamless.
To sell your cards on Old Sports Cards, simply fill out a brief form on their website that includes your name, contact information, and a description of your collection.
After receiving your submission, Old Sports Cards will provide you with a quote for your collection. If you’re satisfied with the offer, you can then ship your cards to them.
10. Blowout Card Forums
You can also try a sports card forum as a place to sell your baseball collection. And one of them is Blowout Card Forums. On this forum are many vintage sports card collectors, buyers, and enthusiasts.
So this is a great place to learn more about the selling of baseball cards or sports cards in general. Moreover, you have access to a large audience to showcase your baseball collection.
Joining Blowout Card Forums is a straightforward process. Once you’ve joined, you can begin advertising your cards. However, it’s important to exercise moderation, as each ad must be approved by the forum’s administrators before it can be posted publicly.
11. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is also a cool place to sell your baseball cards. The platform has thousands of buyers, hence, a perfect place to showcase your baseball collection to make quick sales.
To get started, create your seller account on the Facebook Marketplace and list your vintage baseball cards. People who are interested in any of the cards will send you a direct message, and you can reply to later complete the deal.
In order to amplify sales, you can join vintage sports card groups on Facebook itself. Groups are good because you’re able to connect with like-minded sports card enthusiasts. Therefore, you can learn from others while you advertise your cards every now and then.
On Facebook Marketplace, you can sell to local buyers, which means you don’t have to worry about the hassle associated with shipping. You can arrange to meet buyers at a safe location nearby to exchange the cards for cash.
12. Craigslist
Craigslist is also another place to sell your vintage baseball cards to locals. Craigslist is free to join and you can list your collection to make sales within a few days, just like Facebook Marketplace.
The good thing about Craigslist is that you don’t pay any selling or processing fees, which means all the money goes into your pocket.
Additionally, this classified platform accepts all kinds of listings – thus, you can also sell other sports cards, furniture, used tires, clothing, video games, LEGOs, and more.
13. Reddit r/baseballcards
You can also sell baseball cards by joining r/baseballcards, a subreddit dedicated to buying and selling vintage baseball cards.
The platform has over 75,000 enthusiastic baseball card collectors and buyers, so you can connect with a large community to market your baseball collectibles.
Reddit r/baseballcards is moderated to ensure transactions are conducted safely and efficiently. Once you have someone who is interested in your cards, you can begin negotiation as soon as possible.
After an agreement has been met, you can then ship the collectibles to the person and get paid via PayPal or any appropriate payment method. On the other hand, if the buyer is a local – you can meet in person to complete the trade.
Other Ways To Sell Baseball Cards – Offline
Below are the best places to sell your vintage baseball collectibles offline:
14. Auction House
If you have a very rare, iconic, or valuable vintage baseball card, that’s when you should consider selling it at an auction house. Simply because you can make a huge sum of money.
Just like the Mickey Mantle rookie card that was auctioned for $12.8 million dollars or the Honus Wagner t206 that was sold for a massive $7.25 million dollars.
Auction houses charge a commission after your card has been sold off, which is somewhere between 10 and 50% of the sale price – depending on each auction house.
If your card is valued above four figures, then you should walk into a nearby auction house and allow them to trade it for huge money on your behalf.
But you must know that selling your collection at an auction house may take a while(it’s not a fast selling process).
15. Pawn Shops
Selling your baseball cards can also fetch you money. A local pawn shop may pay less than the value of your collection but it’s still a great place to sell, especially if you want an instant cash.
I would advise you to know the value of your collectibles before you take them to a nearby pawn shop – this will help you demand a fair price for your items.
Moreover, pawn shops trade a lot of things including DVDs, power tools, electronics, game consoles, as well as other sports cards – so you can also sell off such items to amplify your earnings.
16. Flea Market or Collector Event
A flea market or collector event is also a great place to sell your large collection of vintage baseball cards. This is because you get the opportunity to meet many sports card enthusiasts, as well as collectors.
In case there’s a collector convention scheduled to take place in your city, it could be worthwhile to attend. All you need is a table and a booth at the convention.
If you have some rare baseball cards, you could potentially make a significant profit by the end of the event.
How To Know The Value Of Your Baseball Card
There are many factors that determine the worth of a baseball card – so if you have some vintage baseball collectibles but don’t know how much money you can fetch when you sell them off, here’s the way.
With these factors, you’d be able to price your cards accurately.
1. The player on the baseball card
One factor that raises the value of a baseball card is the player on the card. Is this player a star player or one of the legends of the game?
If you said yes, then there’s a high chance that the card is valuable – because baseball fans celebrate these stars hence many will be willing to pay huge money for their cards.
Some of the best players ever to play baseball are Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson.
2. Current condition of the card
The condition is one pivotal factor when it comes to deciding a card’s worth. Baseball card collectors always want to buy the best cards. So you have to check if your card is in good condition or not, talking about “appearance”. Look for conditions like:
- Card edges: The edges have to be straight and clean.
- Image centering: The card’s image must be centered with equal spacing on the left and right, as well as on the top and bottom.
- Card surface: The surface shouldn’t have any stains, scratches, or color fading.
3. Graded baseball card
A graded card simply means the card has been examined and judged as authentic by a professional grader.
The reason why graded cards sell for higher prices is that buyers and collectors know the exact condition of the cards since the cards have been graded, unlike ungraded cards which have not been examined and judged by professional graders as authentic or in good condition.
Therefore, if you’ve found some ungraded cards in your attic – the only way to raise their value is to get them graded by a professional. You can send your ungraded baseball cards to professional grading companies like Beckett, Professional Sports Authenticators, and Sportscard Guaranty.
Once your cards are graded, collectors and buyers will readily pay the full asking price without hesitation, because they’ll be certainly aware of the cards’ worth.
In fact, you can refer to the comprehensive guide to explore various additional factors that can help you determine the value of your baseball cards.
Insider Tips for Selling Your Baseball Cards
Here are a few tips to help you sell your baseball cards:
1. Learn from your competition
Before you upload your first card online, try and visit the various platforms for selling baseball collectibles and learn from other sellers.
Check sellers who are crushing it in the business and analyze carefully the basic yet crucial ideas they’ve implemented.
Pay attention to key aspects like such as card pricing, compelling descriptions, and more. Gaining insights from this analysis will greatly help you enhance your own selling approach.
2. Know your cards inside out
Another tip is that learn much about your cards. This will help you with the pricing. Plus, by knowing your cards inside out, you can easily determine whether an offer from a buyer is significantly below the cards’ actual value or not.
3. Buy cards from other sellers
This may seem counterintuitive because your main goal is to sell out your vintage baseball cards for profit rather than adding up to the numbers.
But I certainly believe that engaging in card shopping can provide valuable insights into pricing and the transaction process, etc.
Final Words – Where To Selling Baseball Cards
All the platforms that have been mentioned above are the best places to sell your baseball cards.
So I hope that you finally examine your cards to know their worth and get graded if they are not – to finally jump on these platforms to start making money selling out the cards!
I wish you success with this business. Cheers!
Manuelo is an entrepreneur and a personal finance nerd. He is the founder of Dollars And Freedom. An expert in side hustles, online gigs, and everything about making money. His works have been featured on major financial publications, like Business Insider, GoBankingRates, Investopedia, Entrepreneur, and more. When he’s not busy with his blog or writing for others, you’ll catch him hanging out with loved ones or reading books on stoicism and self-development.
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