How to Sell Basketball Cards

Co-authored by Kyle Hall

Last Updated: February 13, 2022 References

Selling your basketball card collection can be an exciting process, especially if you think you have some rare and valuable cards. Thanks to the Internet and a growing interest in sports card collecting, selling basketball cards is easier than ever. The key is figuring out the value of your cards and then finding the right buyer.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Pricing Your Cards

1
Have a local sports card shop appraise your basketball cards. A reputable sports card collector can tell you what your basketball cards are worth. Most shops will take a look at your cards and give you a quote for free. They can also give you a good idea of what local buyers will pay for your cards since the selling price can depend on where you live.^{[1]
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- To find a local sports card shop, search online for “sports card shop near me” or “sports card collectors near me.”
2
Get your cards appraised online if you don’t live near a card shop. Some online sports card collectors will actually appraise your collection of basketball cards for free. You just need to take clear pictures of your cards, upload them on the collector’s website, and provide some basic information about the cards, like what condition they’re in and if they’re part of a set. Then, the collector will send you a quote and maybe offer to buy some of your cards.
- Before you ask an online collector to appraise your cards, read reviews of them to find out if they're reputable.
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3
Look up the value of your cards online to verify the appraisal. You don’t want to sell your cards based on one collector’s opinion. Once you get your cards appraised, search online for “basketball card pricing guide” or “basketball card values” and compare the listed prices for each of your cards with the prices quoted by the collector. If there are significant differences in the values, you may want to have your cards appraised by a different collector.^{[2]
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- Keep in mind that the difference in value could be due to the condition of your cards. The values listed in some online guides may apply to cards when they’re in mint condition. That's why it's a good idea to consult a professional instead of relying only on online pricing guides.
- Some reputable online pricing guides for basketball cards are the Beckett pricing guide and the Tuff Stuff pricing guide.
4
Learn what makes certain basketball cards more valuable than others. There are 3 main factors that are considered when valuing a basketball card: the condition of the card, the popularity of the player featured on the card, and how rare the card is. Mint condition cards that are rare and feature a popular, well-liked player are the most valuable. Keep this in mind when you’re sorting through your basketball cards. If you’re not sure whether a specific card is rare or not, or whether it features a popular player, look the card up online.^{[3]
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- Keep your basketball cards in a book with protective sleeves to help them hold their value.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Selling Your Cards

1
Try to sell your cards in or near a city that has an NBA team. Cities that have NBA teams tend to generate more interest in basketball cards, which means your cards will be worth more money. If you don’t live in a city with an NBA team, see if you can find one nearby and go there to sell your cards.^{[4]
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- You can find a list of every NBA team and their home cities at http://www.nba.com/teams.
- If you don’t live near a city with an NBA team, don’t worry. You can still sell your basketball cards. You just might not get as much money.
- Your cards don't need to feature players on the NBA team from the city you're trying to sell them in.
2
Sell your cards to a sports card shop for convenience. Sports card shops are a nice place to sell your basketball cards because all you need to do is bring in your collection of cards, have them appraised, and then accept whatever the shop offers. The downside to selling basketball cards to a sports card shop is that they may offer you less money than the cards are worth to make a profit.^{[5]
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- If you have a lot of lower-valued basketball cards, a sports card shop may be an easy way to quickly make some money off them. However, if you have high-valued basketball cards, you may want to hold onto them and sell them somewhere else for more money.
3
Sell your cards online if you want more control over the price. Online marketplaces like eBay and Craigslist are both places you can sell your basketball cards. By selling your cards online, you get to decide how much you want to charge for them. Just make sure the price you’re asking for is reasonable or you may not get any buyers. Do some research to see what other sellers are charging for the same basketball cards.^{[6]
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- Make individual listings for your basketball cards in case people are searching for one specific card.
- In the description for each listing, include the condition of the card, the year it was produced, the card brand, the featured player, and if it's autographed.
4
Sell low-valued basketball cards at a garage sale or flea market. Sometimes, card shops and collectors won’t buy basketball cards that are particularly common or worthless. If you have a lot of low-valued cards you can’t get rid of, try selling them in bulk at a garage sale or flea market. You may have an easier time finding buyers who are looking for cheap basketball cards.^{[7]
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5
Keep an eye out for traveling sports card shows. Sports card shows are traveling events that feature a variety of collectors who buy and sell sports cards. Search online for something like “Sports card shows coming to New York” to see if there are any shows that will be traveling through your area. Since you'll be dealing with serious collectors, sports card shows are a good place to sell valuable cards for a higher price.^{[8]
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- Depending on the show, you may need to call in advance and schedule an appointment to sell your cards.
- Some shows are more like conventions, where you'll need to pay a fee to attend and sell your cards.