How to sell sports cards on eBay

1. Identify the card exactly

Buyers search for specific cards, so you need every fact printed on it: year, brand and set (Topps Chrome, Panini Prizm), player, card number, and whether it's a parallel (Silver, Gold Refractor), an insert, serial numbered (/99), a rookie (RC) or autographed. The back of the card has the number and the year; the parallel is usually in the finish or the border color.

2. Price it from sold listings

Active listings show what sellers hope for; sold listings show what buyers pay. Filter eBay by sold items for the exact card: a base card and its Silver parallel, or a PSA 9 and a PSA 10, are different markets. See how to see sold items on eBay.

3. Write a title buyers search for

Use the 80 characters for facts, in this order:

Year, brand and set, player, card number, parallel, print run, RC or Auto, grader and grade.

For example: 2018 Topps Update #US285 Shohei Ohtani RC PSA 10. Skip filler like L@@K or HOT. Check yours with the free title checker.

4. Fill in the item specifics

eBay's filters (sport, player, team, season, set, parallel, autographed, graded) only show listings that have those item specifics filled in. A listing with an empty "Player/Athlete" never appears when a buyer filters by player. Make sure they also agree with the title: a title that says RC with "Rookie: No" in the specifics confuses search and buyers.

5. Set the condition correctly

eBay asks graded cards for the grader, the grade and the certification number, and raw cards for a condition such as Near Mint or better. Buyers filter by grade, and a mismatch between the title and the condition is the most common reason cards come back.

6. Photograph front and back

Two clear photos, front and back, on a plain background. Show the corners; for slabs, show the label and cert number.

7. Ship cheaply and safely

Raw cards under $20 can go by eBay Standard Envelope for $0.78–$1.36 with tracking. Slabs and anything over $20 go in a padded mailer or box by Ground Advantage.

8. Know what you keep

On a $10 card with $1 shipping, eBay's fees, the label and supplies take about $3, more than a quarter of the sale. The fee calculator shows your take-home before you list, so cheap cards can go in lots instead.