Selling trading cards

[samcat]

Does anyone have any experience selling football and baseball cards? I have some good ones from the mid 70s and others from the late 80s/early 90s. I'd like to deal with them now and not make the kids do it. I don't know where to start with selling them.

 

[njhowie]

They're likely not worth what you believe they are worth. The internet and the ease of price discovery and matching buyers with sellers has brought market prices down significantly.

Search for your cards on ebay, that will give you a fairly good idea of how much you can expect.

Unless the cards are graded and have been kept in mint condition, you're likely looking at no more than $5 or $10 tops for any individual card - probably closer to $1 and $2 in general.

 

[RunningBum]

Don't expect much. You could try ebay, but for cards of any real value, you'll have to get them graded, which is a charge. You could try a local shop but for them to take the risk of having to resell what are probably not that much in demand, they are going to give you maybe 10-20% of value. Or you could try selling to a large collector. Here's what one has to say:

https://www.deanscards.com/sell-your-baseball-cards

We buy baseball cards from 1969 and older.*​

* We can buy most 1970s sports cards, especially if they are part of a larger vintage sports card collection.​

* Besides some complete sets, we rarely buy cards newer than 1980, as many do not hold enough value.
​

Here's another site that pretty much agrees with this.
https://www.oldsportscards.com/baseball-card-values-and-price-guide/
I'm not going to bother to quote from it. There is a lot of info on what they look for. It's got a form to fill out if you have cards from 1975 and older.




​

 

[RunningBum]

I've got some from the 50s, a lot from the 60s and early 70s, then some more from the late 80s, early 90s. I decided I would go through them and display some of my best and favorite cards, and put most of the others in pages, 9 sleeves to a page. It's been a fun time for the most part. Much better than having most of them in boxes and my most valuable ones in a fireproof box. It's also more clear for my son or whoever gets these which ones have some value, and which can be unceremoniously dumped.

Maybe some day the values will go back up, but I'm not counting on it.

If you just can't bear the thought of tossing them, you can mail them at your expense to Commons4Kids https://commons4kids.org/ , an organization that gives cards away to kids. I think the intent is incentives for school or ill kids, stuff like that.

 

[6miths]

Yes AFAIK cards from beyond the 80s are not going to be worth much of anything because of the massive amounts of production and collecting that went on. I would think that the situation is similar to that for non-bullion coins - such high production numbers and so many issues that were sold at high prices to lay collectors from the outset.

 

[samcat]

Thanks everyone. I don't expect to get much but I have over 1,000 cards, a lot of them from 1974-1977 with Walter Payton, Jack Lambert, Randy White and other assorted rookie cards.

Even if I got $5 a card for just half, I would be happy. There just doesn't seem to be an easy way for a novice to figure this out!

Trying to declutter!

 

[6miths]

You should be able to get something for some of that vintage as they are still in a sweet spot. Just a matter of taking the time to market them.

 

[RunningBum]

The Payton rookie is a good one, for sure. But when you see values of $1000 or more, these are for mint condition cards with no printing flaws and in pristine condition. My brothers, friends, and I all pawed and shuffled through these cards a lot so I don't have anything even closely resembling mint. The value goes down quite a bit with condition.

Walter Payton Football Rookie Cards looks to be a good site for tracking prices, but you still have to pay attention to condition. And not be discouraged by the low prices of reprints.

Not sure what else from that era is worth much. Lambert and White rookie cards have some value, but nothing close to Payton's. Not sure what this sweet spot 6miths mentioned is. Trading cards in general peaked around the late 80s/early 90s, though some super star rookie cards (like Payton) have stayed strong. Maybe there is a recent revival I'm not aware of.

 

[samcat]

Thanks RunningBum. I know one of my Walter Paytons is not mint but I think it is in really good condition. I'm going to try to call Dean's Cards tomorrow.

 

[RunningBum]

"One of" your Paytons? Wow, that's a great card to have duplicates of! I'd be interested to hear how this comes out. Good luck!

 

[samcat]

I have two! Probably 25 years ago, I bought a Becketts and was looking through it for prices. I literally let out a "whoop" when I read it was worth $295. I know I will never get what I think I should get but my husband and I have decided when we are gone, the fate of the cards rests in our boys' hands. If the youngest finds them first, he will throw them away as he is very decisive and doesn't keep anything. If the older one finds them, he will hold on to them forever because he cannot make decisions to save his life. This is 80% in jest but a little part of us believes this to be true. I'm thinking of saving a few meaningful ones, maybe framing them and then trying to get money for the rest. I have a ton of cards from 75-77 mainly football but some baseball.

 

[easysurfer]

I would keep the Payton card as I'd rather have that than the cash it's worth.

 

[scrabbler1]

I collected Topps cards for a few years in the early 1970s, mainly baseball. I nearly had complete sets for the 1973 and 1974 cards but it took until 2007 until I got the last few cards for the 1974s and 2010 for the 1973s. I used some of my surplus football and basketball cards from those years as trade bait to get a few of the remaining 1973s. I was too far away from a full set of the NBA and NFL cards to try to complete those sets. Among the loose football and basketball cards I own are Erving, Frazier, Robertson, and Jabbar, while I also have NFLers Csonka, Tarkenton, and Biletnikoff.

 

[easysurfer]

I have two! Probably 25 years ago, I bought a Becketts and was looking through it for prices. I literally let out a "whoop" when I read it was worth $295. I know I will never get what I think I should get but my husband and I have decided when we are gone, the fate of the cards rests in our boys' hands. If the youngest finds them first, he will throw them away as he is very decisive and doesn't keep anything. If the older one finds them, he will hold on to them forever because he cannot make decisions to save his life. This is 80% in jest but a little part of us believes this to be true. I'm thinking of saving a few meaningful ones, maybe framing them and then trying to get money for the rest. I have a ton of cards from 75-77 mainly football but some baseball.

I have a noobie question. When you say you bought a Becketts, do you mean a card that's been graded by Beckett?

Other than just stashing away some old cards (some bought, some found) as a kid and later as an adult buying some less costly (non-graded, I guess) cards off ebay, I really haven't collected.

Going back to my original question, I've been eyeing a Kris Bryant rookie card. I attached a photo. I see on ebay what looks like a seller with a Beckett's grading. Does that mean the card is legit?

As to my untrained eye, I really can't tell the difference between a graded card and one that doesn't look wrinkled as a non-graded one.

 

[samm]

check the completed (sold) listings on eBay to see value

I suggest that you check the completed listings on eBay to see how much these
have sold for in the past. Also check current listings to see competition.

go to: https://www.ebay.com/sch/ebayadvsearch
check box for completed listings

You will have to learn to sell on ebay...which may or may not be worth effort.

I sold my old phone this week using this process. I checked the past sales, the current selling, then listed mine BELOW current competition. Sold in 4 hours.

 

[PatrickA5]

I've got a baseball/football card collection from the mid 60's to early 70's. Always figured I'd pass it down to my son, but I doubt he has any interest. I'll probably be trying to unload it at some point.

My most valuable group is a full set near mint 1963 Fleer AFL set that I bought in 1968 from an offer on the back of a Kellogs box ($9 per set). The only problem with it is like a fool I decided to make sure I got all of the set by checking off the checklist. (Ha!). Apparently, I'm not the only one as Ebay usually shows that card around $300.

 

[brokrken]

I have a noobie question. When you say you bought a Becketts, do you mean a card that's been graded by Beckett?

Other than just stashing away some old cards (some bought, some found) as a kid and later as an adult buying some less costly (non-graded, I guess) cards off ebay, I really haven't collected.

Going back to my original question, I've been eyeing a Kris Bryant rookie card. I attached a photo. I see on ebay what looks like a seller with a Beckett's grading. Does that mean the card is legit?

As to my untrained eye, I really can't tell the difference between a graded card and one that doesn't look wrinkled as a non-graded one.

Easy, yes if in Beckett holder and the seller seems legit (lots of good feedback) you are safe to buy. The two main graders are PSA and Beckett, so anything from them will bring a premium over a non-graded card in the same condition. PSA probably a tad more. When OP said "bought a Beckett's) he was referring the price guide that Beckett used to produce. Before the internet that is where you had to go to get your prices.

 

[RunningBum]

I think samcat means they bought a Beckett's price reference guide. It's been awhile since I looked at one but I think the prices listed are for mint or near mint condition.

What you're looking at is their card grading service. Someone sent the card to Beckett's, who graded the card and "slabbed" it, meaning they sealed it in the acrylic(?) case with the grade. This means it should be legit, with caveats.

First one is that cards can be reproduced. A professional grader *should* be able to catch this, but I see a couple stories about ones they missed.

Another is that someone may go as far as creating the grading label and slabbing it themselves. I don't know if that really happens, but it seems like it could.

I don't know that anyone would bother with a recent card like the one you're looking at. I'd probably buy that as long as the seller doesn't have a rep (bad rating) for doing this.

https://goldcardauctions.com/psagrading-or-beckettgrading/ has a good description of the card grading services.

 

[easysurfer]

Thanks for the answers. I find this quite interesting. Back in the day as a child, to pay something like $20 for a rookie card of a favorite player was way too much. But now, that's well, more affordable .

This brings me to a follow up question. How would one get a card graded/appraised? Are the legit places you just walk into with a card in hand? Or do you send it to a place? I'd be kind of nervous sending a card though as what's not to say anything can happen to the card sent? I'd assume there's an appraisal fee? Or is there not?

Of the cards I own, one that I'd expect has more value than the paper it's printed on is a Rookie Robin Yount card.

 

[brokrken]

Easy, you would have to send it off. If I remember correctly you declare the value of the card and that determines not only the price of the grading but also the insurance for shipping. The Robin Yount rookie you are referring to can be found for $25-$50 in what I would call a range of normal conditions, PSA 5-8

 

[easysurfer]

Easy, you would have to send it off. If I remember correctly you declare the value of the card and that determines not only the price of the grading but also the insurance for shipping. The Robin Yount rookie you are referring to can be found for $25-$50 in what I would call a range of normal conditions, PSA 5-8

Thanks for the info. I'm not that involved at this point about selling and trading. But interesting nevertheless. $25-$50 is pretty good though considering I got the card randomly the old fashioned way buying a pack of cards at a store.

 

[bloom2708]

I cherry picked 100 cards from my big collection from 78 to 85. Football, baseball, complete sets.

I sold the rest of the collection for $250. It was taking up a lot of space and we had 3 girls. Nobody was interested in them and they were not worth much of anything except as a whole batch for a collector to again cherry pick.

I was a little sad, but they gave me joy collecting. I have not missed them and still have 100 cards. Anyone need 3-4 Joe Montana rookie cards?

 

[RunningBum]

easysurfer, look at the link in my post just above yours for details on how to get them graded.

I haven't had any cards graded myself.

 

[easysurfer]

easysurfer, look at the link in my post just above yours for details on how to get them graded.

I haven't had any cards graded myself.

I just took a quick glance at the link. It looks very interesting. Will have took read closer when I have a bit more free time.

 

[easysurfer]

Think I may go for the ungraded cards as I'm happy just to take the card out every so often and look at instead of thinking of the card as some kind of investment.

Too often, we have seen people - that have inherited collections - spend far more on grading fees than the collection is actually worth! Many collectors feel that professional grading is a racket, as it is not uncommon for someone to send a borderline Mantle card off 9 times and have it come back ExMt (or maybe even EX) and send it off that 10th time and get a NrMt grade. In that example the process takes about a year and costs the owner thousands of dollars for that card alone! PSA does not seem to mind....
Please understand that we are totally "agnostic" and unbiased when it comes to professionally graded cards. We buy and sell both graded and ungraded cards - so it really does not matter to us. We make money either way. If you insist on getting your cards graded, please do yourself a favor and send only few to test the results. PSA, SGC and Beckett are main grading companies that I recommend. The rest do not carry any value.

https://www.deanscards.com/Should-I-get-my-cards-graded-by-PSA