How to Sell Sports Cards
One of the unifying features of boyhood throughout the United States is collecting sports cards. Many kids trade or toss sports cards as they grow into adolescence. A few kids keep their card collections intact as they pass through high school, college and professional life. You can take advantage of diligent collecting skills when you learn to sell sports cards.
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Instructions
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Search for a professional card grader who will authenticate your sports cards without charging high prices. Graded cards receive higher bids and require fewer hurdles before transactions are cleared. The grade appears on a frame or sleeve provided by the authenticator to ease the concerns of buyers.
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Invest in plenty of individual card sleeves to sell cards in mint condition. You can buy packs of card sleeves from online retailers like AD Sports Cards Etc. to save money for additional card purchases (see Resources below).
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Purchase display cases to make your sports cards more appealing to potential buyers. You can buy tradeshow cases, as well as display cases from specialty shops like Pennzoni Display Co., to highlight the prime condition of your favorite cards (see Resources below).
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Track changes in sports card prices from month to month with online pricing guides. Industry leaders like Beckett provide online access to card price guides to help collectors figure out trends in the industry (see Resources below).
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Travel to card shows throughout your region to sell your sports cards to new groups of collectors. Trips to the Michigan Sports Card Show and other regional shows are necessary if willing bidders dry up in your city (see Resources below).
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Complete annual sets of sports cards before your sell your collection. You need to find singles and inserts missing from your collection to boost its selling price among avid collectors.
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Produce clear photos of your sports cards if you plan on selling online. A digital camera with editing software and clear resolution will make online users feel like they are viewing the cards in person.
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Acquire signatures on your highest value cards before selling to motivated collectors. A few card shows and individual signing sessions can drive up the value of your cards. Signatures from MVPs, recent champions and Hall of Fame members create exponential increases in the value of your cards over time.
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Tips & Warnings
Update local shop owners and collectors on the state of your sports card collection. You can drive up the value of rare baseball and football cards by gauging interest from collectors during these updates. Shop owners can refer newcomers to the collecting scene to your sports cards after developing a close relationship with you.
Prevent distrust from buyers by using a lower card grade if you bypass professional authenticators. Bump your cards down 1 grade from your initial assessments to bring in a higher volume of bids.
