Sports cards have been around as long as sports league's themselves and are a great way to memorialize some of the best athletes throughout history.
There's also a massive market for sports cards online and locally thanks to the many hardcore collectors out there.
So, if you have some old sports cards laying around your home, you might be sitting on a money-making opportunity.
This guide is covering where to sell sports cards and how you might be able to flip your collection for a handsome profit.
Looking for more quick ways to make money? Checkout:
- Best Match Auto: Save up to $600+ per year with this free car insurance quote tool!
- EarnIn: Borrow up to $750 against an upcoming paycheck without expensive membership fees!
Where To Sell Sports Cards For Cash
If you want to make money online or in person by selling sports cards, you definitely have plenty of options these days.
Going online is also one of the best ways to get the best offers for your card collection since you can reach collectors from all over the world. So, I'm going to start off with some of the best online marketplaces you can use.
Then, I'm going to wrap up the post with some local selling websites and tactics you can use to sell your sports card collection for cash.
1. Beckett
Beckett is one of the best places to sell sports cards because it has pricing guides and checklists that are helpful for anyone looking to sell and trade cards.
Anyone can trade cards on the platform, but the only way you can actually sell your sports cards for cash is becoming a registered dealer on the marketplace.
To do this, you should have an extensive collection with authenticated card grades.
From there, you call the service to register and get started with a monthly membership of $6.99 or an annual one of $64.99.
Registered sellers get access to the real-time price guide, trading platform, wish lists, and they can track selling prices and organize their collections.
Currently, there's over 127 million cards on the marketplace, making Beckett one of the most popular ways to sell sports cards online.
Beckett even has a grading service, and you get free shipping if the order is worth $50 or more.
Because of the registration requirement, Beckett isn't best if you're new to selling sports cards and don't have a very valuable collection.
But, if you have valuable, old sports cards or an extensive collection, Beckett is one of the best online options.
- Best For: Experienced dealers and collectors.
- Pros: Massive marketplace and perfect for serious sellers.
- Cons: Not beginner-friendly.
Extra Reading – Is Rocket Money App Worth It?
2. eBay
Since it’s the home to so many collectible items, it’s no surprise that you can also sell sports cards on eBay.
If you know the value of your cards and are comfortable building your own listings, you can leverage the auction feature on eBay to get the highest price for your cards.
Just make sure your cards are professionally graded and that you have high-resolution photos, otherwise it’s hard to compete with reputable dealers.
You should also be careful with fees when selling sports cards on eBay. You get 200 free listings and then pay $0.30 per listing afterwards. And you also pay a 5% commission per sale.
This 5% commission could be hefty for very rare sports cards, but if you get a higher price through an auction, this extra cost might be worth it.
- Best For: Selling rare sports cards or getting the most value possible.
- Pros: You get higher prices with eBay's auction feature.
- Cons: It takes time to sell cards and eBay fees are high.
👉 Homeowner Tip: Before you shop online, download the free Capital One Shopping extension first. It automatically applies available coupon codes at 30,000+ stores to help you save on autopilot. And it can also help you save on Amazon!
Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up with our partner link.
3. Alt
If you want to buy or sell cards from the palm of your hand, Alt is definitely one of the best places to sell sports cards and to track the value of your collection.
This free app is available for Android and iOS. Once you sign up, you can list your cards across Alt's multiple marketplaces and get offers from other buyers. And the app even have an instant pricing tool that helps you value your sports cards just by taking a photo of any PSA or BGS graded card.
If you sell sports cards with Alt, you get paid within seven days of making the sale. And Alt lists you cards on its own marketplace and eBay to increase the odds you find a buyer.
Plus, you can sell cards in a liquid auction and get a guaranteed cash advance of up to 60% of the value of your cards. Alternatively, you can sell at a fixed-price you set and pay a one-time 5% seller fee.
Overall, Alt is a secure and modern way to sell sports cards for cash. And the auctions are also useful if you want to pick up or flip other cards in your collection.
Try out Alt today!
- Best For: Mobile sports card traders.
- Pros: Easy to use and also crosslists your cards on eBay.
- Cons: The marketplace is mostly for rare and vintage cards.
4. Dave & Adam’s
Dave & Adam’s accepts a wide variety of modern and vintage sports cards, but there some important specifications:
- Modern cards must be professionally graded or valued at $50+
- Graded or raw vintage cards from 1970 or earlier are accepted
You can check Dave & Adam's buy list to see which sports cards and sealed packs the company is currently buying, which is a nice feature for sellers.
You don't pay auction fees to sell to Dave & Adam's, and expensive orders can even qualify for free shipping which is another perk.
Once you submit your card list to Dave & Adams, you send your shipment through UPS or Fedex once it's approved for sale.
Dave & Adam's then sends payment within 48 hours of delivery. Payment options include check, store credit, or PayPal cash.
- Best For: Quickly selling individual cards and collections.
- Pros: Quick payment and an extensive buy list.
- Cons: You won't get the full price of your cards.
5. StockX
StockX is an online marketplace for buying and selling collectibles and high-value items. The site tracks prices in real-time and allows you to set your prices for buyers to accept or offer on.
Selling sports cards on StockX is quite popular, and other categories include sneakers, streetwear, watches, and electronics.
Complete series of sports cards are more popular on the site, but you can still sell singles as well. Baseball, basketball, hockey, and football cards are the more popular sports cards categories, which is similar to pretty much any marketplace.
Here's how StockX fees work:
- Transaction Fees: Up to 10% (can be reduced by having 3+ sales of $500+ total)
- Payment Processing Fees: Pay up to 3% depending on the payment method.
This fee structure makes StockX more expensive than other places that buy sports cards unless you're selling high-value cards regularly.
Shipping is also a bit different. StockX deducts shipping costs from your final sale price, and U.S. sellers usually pay $30 which is quite hefty.
Overall, StockX is a viable way to sell sports cards online, but it definitely caters to more expensive collections.
- Best For: Selling rare sports cards and memorabilia.
- Pros: Variety of sports memorabilia you can sell.
- Cons: Expensive fees.
6. OfferUp
OfferUp is another popular marketplace for buying and selling locally or nationally. You can sell sports cards online with OfferUp, but the marketplace has other popular categories like:
- Accessories
- Electronics
- Furniture
- Health and beauty
- Toys, board games, and video games
- Wedding rings, dresses, and decorations
Overall, OfferUp is a very robust online marketplace, and it's also useful for selling less-expensive collections that you might struggle to sell on more premium card marketplaces.
It’s free to list your sports cards but you pay a 12.9% service fee for every sale.
You can negotiate with potential customers in the app and your buyer pays for shipping. But in-person sales for cash are also common on OfferUp.
- Best For: Selling cheaper sports cards in person or online.
- Pros: Can quickly find local or online buyers.
- Cons: Expensive service fees.
7. Kruk Cards
Kruk is another reputable option for selling sports cards, and the company buys baseball cards and other sports trading cards from people.
The company has been in business for over 30 years, and according to its website, “Kruk Cards also specializes in purchasing large lots and accumulations. When we say we buy everything that’s what we mean, everything!”
Kruk even states it sends its team to you if the purchase is large enough which is pretty cool.
Kruk also buys common sports cards in bulk but also lets you sell rare sports cards and collections.
What's nice is that Kruk has an extensive pricing list so you can check how much your collection is worth approximately before selling.
If you have many common cards (like 5,000), you can sell them in bulk for a few dollars. In other words, rare cards are definitely where the money's at.
The website has an active buy list for most wanted items, so you can easily determine which in your collection are highly valuable.
You can also use the site to get an estimate on value, shipping, and to determine your payment options.
- Best For: Selling sports cards in bulk or very rare cards.
- Pros: Kruk buys your entire collection.
- Cons: You won't get the full price for your sports cards.
8. Otia
Otia focuses on buying and selling vintage sports cards from 1975 or earlier, but it does buy modern sports cards and sets as well.
The main perk of Otia is that it often buys your entire collection– meaning you won’t be mailed back any rejected cards.
To receive an offer, you have to contact them with a list of your inventory and photos of your vintage cards.
If Otia likes your cards, they send you a quote which you can accept. From there, you ship your collection and accept your payment through cash, check or PayPal.
Like Kruk Cards, Otia can also send its team to you if you're selling a large or valuable enough collection, which is a perk if you have lots of old sports cards to sell.
- Best For: Selling vintage sports cards.
- Pros: Otia buys your entire collection.
- Cons: This is a slightly smaller card marketplace than many competitors.
9. TonyeTrade
TonyeTrade is another place to sell sports cards, and the platform mostly buys vintage baseball cards, since they have the highest value.
However, TonyeTrade still accepts other sports cards and memorabilia, so it's a fairly diverse marketplace.
TonyeTrade gives you an instant offer on extremely valuable sports cards, while other cards get accepted on consignment.
The fees you pay will vary based on the arrangement, so you can determine this after you share your inventory and card condition and get your quote.
TonyeTrade is a slightly smaller company, but they ask you to call or contact them to discuss pricing and also state they won't be outbid by anyone else, which is quite a bold claim!
- Best For: Selling rare and vintage sports cards quickly.
- Pros: You get instant offers.
- Cons: Fees can be steep and this is a smaller company.
10. COMC
Check Out My Collectibles (COMC) makes it easy to sell your sports cards online since it handles the appraisal process, customer support, card scanning, advertising, and shipping of your cards.
However, COMC only accepts individual cards, and you have to pay a processing fee of $0.50-$2.00 per card.
The higher fee will speed the processing time from 6 weeks to 2 weeks, so you can have your cards listed and sold in less time. However, because of fees, it means you have to sell valuable sports cards with COMC if you want to turn a profit.
If you have cards in your collections with high values, COMC can also list them on eBay.
Ultimately, if you want to sell your sports card collection fast, going through COMC is one of the best options since they do the advertising and cross listing work for you.
Sellers don't pay shipping costs either. You get store credit for your sales but can also convert store credit into cash if you prefer.
- Best For: Selling individual rare sports cards.
- Pros: COMC handles all of the work for you.
- Cons: High fees.
11. PSA Card Forums
PSA Card authenticates and grades the cards you upload to the forum, which expedites the sale process since buyers know exactly what they are getting.
This is one of the main advantages of selling on PSA Card's forum, and this is one of the more active marketplaces for buying and selling sports cards.
As a seller, you can negotiate prices and shipping directly with the buyer, which can help you get the best price.
Overall, selling through PSA Card Forums is best for extremely rare and high value cards since its fee structure is pretty steep.
The company even has an autograph authentication service and also accepts other sports memorabilia, so this is definitely a market for extremely rare and valuable collectibles.
- Best For: Authenticating and selling very rare collections.
- Pros: PSA Cards specializes in valuable sports cards and other trading cards.
- Cons: Not useful for selling cheaper cards.
12. Facebook Marketplace
The Facebook Marketplace is basically the king of local buying and selling, and this holds true for selling sports cards for cash. And if you don't want to deal with the hassle of shipping and online sales, Facebook is one of your best options.
The process is also very simple: just create a Facebook account, list your cards on the marketplace, and start negotiating with buyers.
I've sold plenty of things on Facebook Marketplace before. Overall, it's a nice way to get quick money while getting rid of things you don't need anymore.
You can upload numerous photos and a description of your collection. Just be prepared for some haggling with local buyers.
The main downside to selling sports cards for cash is that you need to do a lot of research to ensure your cards are graded and valued appropriately so you don't get ripped off.
But, you can also join local buy and sell groups that are focused specifically around sports cards, which will put you right in a community of buyers who are interested in your cards.
You can also try out other selling marketplaces, like Craigslist, to try and find more local buyers.
- Best For: In-person cash sales.
- Pros: You can sell cheaper sports cards and collections.
- Cons: You probably have to haggle with buyers and arrange meeting up.
👉 10+ Actual Ways To Make Money With Your Home.
13. Pawn Shops
If you're still wondering where to sell sports cards, you can always try selling your collection at a local pawn shop.
Big cities and smaller towns alike will usually have a local pawn shop or hobby shop that accepts sports cards. You won't get the best price for your sports cards at pawn shops since the owners still need to turn a profit.
But, if you’re looking to sell a lot of cards, you can usually get a pretty good bulk deal and get some common cards off your hands while you’re at it.
Once again, it’s important that you do your research and make sure you know the value of your cards. You don’t want to accept a super low price on what could be a rare and valuable card.
- Best For: Quickly getting cash for your sports cards.
- Pros: Most cities have pawn shops and many deal in sports cards.
- Cons: You won't get anything close to full price.
14. Hobby Shows & Conventions
Another way to sell sports cards for cash is to visit local hobby shows and conventions to see if you can find buyers.
Most major cities have some sort of sporting convention where collectors gather to buy and sell various memorabilia. So, if you can book a table at a convention and sell your sports card collection, this is a very effective way to find serious buyers in person.
Just contact the convention to book a stall and then prepare your card collection for the trip!
Here are a few popular sports cards conventions you might want to check out:
- Dallas Card Show – Texas
- Memorabilia Card & Autograph Show – Kansas
- Las Vegas Card Show – Nevada
- Wisconsin Dells Card Show – Wisconsin
- The Chantilly Show – Virginia
- GT Sports Marketing – New Jersey
- Hofstra University – New York
- Chicago Sports Spectacular – Illinois
You can also search for card conventions in your state to find even more opportunities to sell your collection.
- Best For: Serious card sellers and collectors.
- Pros: You can sell directly to hundreds or thousands of collectors in person.
- Cons: You usually have to pay for entry or to rent a table to sell sports cards.
What Influences Sports Cards Pricing?
Now that you kow some of the best places to sell sports cards, it's important to understand what influences card prices in the first place.
There are many factors that influence how valuable sports cards are beyond card appearance or rarity.
After all, since sports cards are based on real teams and real games, real world events relating to players and teams can also impact prices.
Here are some of the factors that can influence the value of your sports cards:
- Condition: Just like Pokemon cards and Yugioh cards, cards in mint condition are worth more than cards in poor shape.
- Rarity: Overproduction drives down the price of any given card, while more exclusive sports cards are usually more valuable
- Player Accomplishments: Think MVPs, broken records, Hall of Famers, etc. For example, a Tom Brady rookie card sells for much higher than most other sports cards.
- Team Accomplishments: When teams win, the players win too. Every player on a championship team usually sees a boost in their card’s value, while great players on losing teams can miss out.
- Unexpected Retirements And Deaths: This can drive down the price if the player doesn’t yet have an extensive body of work or if they haven’t had the chance to win additional awards, championships, or break records. It can also drive up the price if the death or retirement limits the number of available cards or if the player suffers a tragic passing (R.I.P. Kobe).
- League Popularity: Fencing and curling won’t be as valuable as sports cards from the NBA, MLB, NFL, and NHL because the fan base and collector base is smaller for those sports.
Now that you know the factors that influence pricing, let's dive into how you can sell sports cards to make extra cash.
Tips For Selling Your Sports Cards
Now that you know what places buy sports cards, here are some selling tips you can keep in mind:
- Focus On Research: If you have valuable sports cards, you really need to do your research so you have an accurate idea of how much your cards are truly worth.
- Consider Selling Time: Selling on markets like eBay or at auctions helps you get the best price. But this also requires more time versus selling sports cards to companies like Beckett or Dave & Adam's, so consider the trade-off between time and value.
- Get Appraisals: For rare sports cards or anything autographed, you should consider getting an actual appraisal so you know the value and authenticity of your cards.
This YouTube video from CardBusters also provides a step-by-step guide on how to sell sports cards and some tips for maximizing your profits with this side hustle.
Extra Reading – The Best Debt Consolidation Companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Buys Sports Cards Near Me?
You can sell sports cards to local card shops, pawn shops, or to fellow collectors you find on marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Hosting a garage sale can also be a way to find local buyers.
However, selling online can likely fetch higher prices since you access a larger, more competitive pool of buyers.
What's The Best Place To Sell Ungraded Sports Cards?
If you're selling ungraded sports cards, general marketplaces like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and OfferUp are some of your best options. You can also see if any card shops are willing to buy your ungraded cards in bulk if you want a fast sale.
Final Thoughts
The world of sports cards is exciting when you get involved and if you’re starting out in the business of buying, selling, and flipping, you could eventually turn some major profit.
Even if you’re just trying to get an old collection off your hands, who knows which rare and valuable cards you could be holding on to.
Whether you want to sell sports cards online or you're more comfortable making the transaction in person, finding the right platform or service to do this is key to getting the highest price on your collection.
Make sure you have a good understanding of the fees and process involved in getting your cards sold.
Many services like COMC and TonyeTrade are great for getting you the most appropriate value and sale price, but their listing and vetting processes take a long time– so it could be a while before you see any cash for your cards.
On the other hand, eBay and Facebook Marketplace let you have full control over your pricing and selling process, plus you’ll incur little to no fees.
But of course, there’s a lot of research you’ll have to do to make sure you’re not underselling your cards.
No matter where you end up, you might discover a new hobby or passion, on top of being a pretty lucrative side hustle!
Looking for more selling side hustles? Checkout:
