How to Sell Graded Baseball Cards
When it comes to selling baseball cards, the condition of the card is extremely important. A few prestigious baseball card grading services have standardized this process. You send your cards to them, and they send them back sealed in a protective case with a number value rating their condition. When a card is graded, the seller doesn’t need to worry about a misunderstanding about how good the card looks, which makes the transaction easier for everyone. Here are some ways to sell your graded baseball cards.
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Instructions
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How to Sell Graded Baseball Cards
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Figure out how much your graded baseball cards are “worth.” This is a little trickier than it sounds because there are so many variables. You can sell a Derek Jeter rookie card for much more in New York than in Chicago. If a player has had an uncharacteristically great season, then his card may spike in value. Looking at price guides can be helpful, but very few people in the business view these prices as law. It’s all about supply and demand -- and the Hall of Fame.
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Sell your graded cards to a baseball card dealer. Purchasing cards from people who opened the wax packs is how dealers get their inventory. The fact that you had the card graded is a mark in your favor, but you won’t get the full price guide value if you sell the graded card to a dealer. They need to make money too, so you should expect to receive approximately half of what the dealer expects to get upon selling the card.
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Cut out the middleman and sell the card yourself on the Internet. Auction sites such as eBay allow you to be your own seller. You need to emphasize the fact that your card is graded, and give the specific grade. Provide pictures of the card. Be sure to clean the plastic cover so people don’t think that any flaws in the case are on the card.
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Become a dealer yourself. There are numerous baseball card shows around the country, and you can secure a table for a reasonable cost. If you have a nice supply of graded baseball cards, you can make money selling to the people walking the aisles. This method also means you get to make more of a profit.
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Some card companies issue cards designed to be used for investment purposes. Unless you request delivery, you are never sent the card. The company grades the card for you and holds it for safekeeping. You can sell this perfectly pristine, graded card to another baseball fan on the company’s website, kind of like a stock trade. This method markedly reduces any chance of damaging a graded card.
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Tips & Warnings
Don’t be afraid to haggle. The price of a baseball card is not a fixed thing; it’s in the eye of the beholder.
