Collecting cards is fun…but selling them for a profit is even MORE fun—at least in my opinion.
I love having a nice PC (personal collection) to sift through, but when I can turn a card into a nice profit to buy MORE PC cards…that’s hard to beat!
Or using those cards to buy something in the “real” world? Best feeling there is.
So let’s talk about why and when you would sell your sports cards!
5 Tell-Tale Signs You Should Sell Your Sports Cards
The first step before you get too involved in flipping cards is to figure out your endgame.
Where are you going to sell your cards?
If it’s eBay, are you going to consign, or do you have a reputable account to sell from?
When I first jumped back in, I ran into this problem. I bought some cards, and when I wanted to flip them, I hadn’t really considered how.
The people I listened to would say “just list them on eBay.” Little did I know that entire books could be written about selling on eBay.
I answer all those questions and more in another article I put together:
>>The Complete Guide to Sell Basketball Cards for the Most Money<<
Now, here are the top reasons to sell your cards now!
1. You Have Cards Unlikely to to Increase in Value
This is why I sell most of my cards.
I love to open boxes, but most cards you pull aren’t in the “stash them for years and watch them increase in value” category.
You’re going to pull nice inserts, or veteran autos, or perhaps a rare rookie card of someone with a 5% chance to pan out.
For example, let’s say I pulled something like a Deebo Samuel autograph. That’s a fun card, and there are plenty of 49ers fans out there who will buy it. He’s a decent player, but I can say with 99% certainty he’s not going to have hobby staying power. 15 years from now, I don’t really want to be holding his cards.
But, maybe you can list it on eBay:
$30 ain’t bad for a pulled card that you don’t want to keep long-term.
A good example is when a few years ago I pulled a nice RPA (Rookie Patch Auto) of Tyrell Terry (rookie at the time for the Mavericks). I wasn’t confident he would pan out, so I sold it for $30. That card is basically worthless now.
That’s the type of player that will likely be out of the NBA in a few years and his RPAs will be worth $10 or less.
2. Your Cards Take Up too Much Space
I’ve heard some pretty insane stories…
People with 500k cards, or 8 x 10 rooms full to the ceiling, or MULTIPLE storage units full of cards.
At some point, you might just be tired of having it all hang around.
3. You Want/Need the Money
If you’ve never sold a card and bought something real-life useful, then you’re missing out!
In my mind, the fact that you can sell a piece of cardboard with a picture on it and then use that money to go buy a pair of headphones, a gift for the wife, or even a vacation is incredible!
While parting with cards can sometimes be painful, it’s really nice to have a hobby that doubles as a source of cash.
Sure, you can have stocks, bonds, or silver bullion, but where’s the fun in those things?
And while it’s painful, I’ve sold a few cards in my day to help pay some bills. Having that option is one of the single best things about this hobby.
4. You’ve Seen a Significant Increase in Your Cards’ Values
If you’re working to become a card flipper, how do you know the best time to sell your cards?
There are a few different schools of thought, but here’s how I think about it:
- Is this player someone I want to keep for the long haul?
This goes back to my “Do I really want to keep Deebo Samuel for 15 years?” question. If it’s a Luka Doncic, Mahomes, or Trout…I’m totally fine holding those guys for a long time. But if I have a Deebo rookie that spikes 20% after a nice half-season run, I’d unload him fast. - Can this player sustain what he’s doing?
Sam Darnold was the perfect example a few years back. During his run with the Panthers, some collectors jumped on him because he was a high-pedigree QB in a new situation. Then he came out and played extremely well for 3 weeks and prices continue to rise. Then he had 3 weeks where he played like crap and he tanked. Anyone who didn’t sell early got hammered. Did anyone really think Sam Darnold was going on an MVP run? I’d have been off him as soon as that initial spike happened. - “First profit is best profit.”
This is a quote I’ve heard from real estate gurus and I love it. When it’s time to sell a fix and flip property, often that first offer is the best one to take. There’s no guarantee you’re going to get a better offer, so you’re often better taking the money and moving on to your next project. Same with cards—I’ve been burned many a time by waiting too long. I didn’t take a 30% profit because I wanted to wait for the 50% profit…but the card dropped back down in value. Best case scenario, you have multiple of the same card (or just the same player) and you sell off one of them with the initial spike, and hold the rest for a potential runner.
5. You Want to Fund Your PC
Perhaps my favorite reason to sell a card is if I’m going to then go ahead and buy a card for my PC.
Here’s a good example:
My favorite player ever is Kobe. I had a 1996-97 Topps rookie of his…but it was in terrible shape.
So I sold it for $75, and bought a PSA 9 for $200
PSA 9s have dropped a bit in value since then, but he was my favorite player and this is my favorite card. To me, it was certainly worth selling my beat-up version to help pay for a quality one that I’ll have forever.