posted on October 11, 2003 12:38:03 PM new
A friend has asked me to help him liquidate his personal sports card collection. He's got teenage daughters who have no interest in the cards, so he's ready to move on. He's unfamiliar w/ eBay and doesn't have a digital camera, so I agreed to help him. Almost all of my eBay buying and selling has been computer and electronics stuff - never any collectibles.
Since we're not going into business, just trying to cash out his collection, I thought I'd see if anyone would be kind enough to offer any general pointers. Specifically, my question involves how to best present them. What I mean by that is, should we sell them as one huge lot? (seems the least good option for maximizing revenue) Should we package "all '88-91 basketball" or "all 1985 Fleer baseball" as lots? I'm trying to find the right balance (between listing every single card individually and one huge lot), if there is one...
posted on October 11, 2003 01:43:11 PM new
Sports cards are one of the most difficult things to see on ebay. Check out what the other ebay sellers are doing to sell their cards. The rare cards are doing okay but the common stuff rarely even gets listed.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on October 11, 2003 01:49:30 PM new
You will lose your mind and go broke on individual cards. Rares should be listed as individuals but commons should definately be in large lots. The idea of by sets (year, maker) is a very good one if your friend kept his collection organized. One of my neighbors dropped off a large Rubbermade bin filled with card that were literally tossed in after his sons went thru them. I keep trying to get him to come get the dam thing because I have no desire to do battle with that beast but I think he's hoping I'll get bored and start listing one day.... Hrmphhh!!!
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on October 11, 2003 03:32:38 PM new
It depends what you have. What I've done in the past is that for cards that book at $20 or higher, sell individually (You will get a LOT less than $20 for them, book value is a joke with sportscards) - For superstar players, I have put them in lots of 50, and watched them go pretty low, Commons I tend to in different sports (all football, all baseball) and lot them out in lots of 5000 or so. My own collection, which I was active with collecting from 1981 until 1987, then again from 1992 til 1995, is pretty much long gone. I stay far away from sportscards these days, unless I find a huge collection really cheap. I picked up a 50,000 card lot of mostly commons for $20 at a garage sale, and did okay with that. My guess is your friend will be VERY disappointed in what his collection goes for on ebay, 10% of book value is not that uncommon.
posted on October 11, 2003 06:27:32 PM new
I recommend avoiding ebay all together. The sportscard market is dim, unless your cards have been graded by a professional appraisal company, and even then it seems to be flooded with 9.5 and 10's for stuff made after 1989. If you are talking cards made pre-1980, I highly recommend getting the valuable ones that are in NM-Mint condition appraised. That is where you will find the true collectors willing to pay good money for the vintage stuff in near perfect condition.
posted on October 11, 2003 09:06:57 PM new
Don't waste your time with the commons. Find the few with value and put them on. Then find some young kid for the worthless commons and brighten his day.
posted on October 12, 2003 03:16:56 PM new
How big an area are you from? I would suggest that your friend go to a sports card show or even a flea market. That's where the kids are and that's who the collectors are. Who said girls don't like sports cards. My daughter has many of Paul Molitor and lot of them autographed. That's one collection she won't get rid of.
posted on October 12, 2003 03:20:52 PM new
I collect Molitor too! While I have not added anything in the past couple of years, that is one part of my collection that I won't sell either. I am glad he is not an active player, could not imagine collecting in the current environment of the sportscard market.
