Interest in baseball cards has soared over the past few years, as both casual and hardcore collectors race to snag the rarest cards in the hopes that their new asset will skyrocket in value. It's led to a gold rush of sorts, and loads of people have been able to transform their cards into a sizable chunk of change.
If you just stumbled across an old shoebox full of the Topps you picked up as a kid, you're probably wondering how you can cash in. Read on to learn where you can sell baseball cards near you.
eBay, Mercari and Offer Up Let You List Online and Deliver in Person
Just because you're not shipping your baseball cards across the country doesn't mean you can't use one of the many online marketplaces to sell them to people nearby.
eBay is one of the best places to sell baseball cards, boasting a massive collection of listings from thousands of sellers. While known for allowing people from around the world the opportunity to buy collectibles from other people around the world, eBay also provides local pickup options. You can even limit your sales to local pickup entirely, so you can make sure you don't need to ship your super-rare Mickey Mantle card to someone halfway across the globe.
Mercari and Offer Up are both excellent options as well, and provide more of an online rummage sale vibe compared to the more formal auctions you'd find on eBay. Both offer local pickup options, and Mercari partners with Uber and FedEx to provide local same-day delivery, so you don't even need to leave the house!
While these options will take a cut of your final sale price as a fee for using the platform, usually this comes with a few benefits, such as acting as an intermediary for payment or disputes, in addition to putting your rarest cards in front of baseball card buyers near you.
Online Classifieds Provide a Free Opportunity to Sell Baseball Cards Near You
Yes, Craigslist is still around, and it's a great place where you can sell your baseball cards to local buyers. Simply visit the hub to find the directory for your city, set up an account, and list your cards online. Canadians have access to Kijiji, which offers a similar sort of no-frills experience for listing and selling your baseball cards. And while both Craigslist and Kijiji have fee structures in place, baseball cards and other collectibles are free to list (though Kijiji does have a limit on the number of free ads you can place).
Of course, the biggest classified section these days is Facebook Marketplace, mainly because there's a good chance that most of the people in your city are on Facebook. It's super easy to create a listing and instantly start receiving messages from interested baseball card collectors.
Local Card and Hobby Shops Will Appraise and Buy Your Cards
If you’d rather not bother with the risks associated with online marketplaces, check to see if there's a local hobby shop or sports collectibles store in your city.
While these shops will likely offer you less than you would if you sold your cards on your own, you'll be dealing with professionals who can properly appraise the value of your cards. Plus, you don't need to deal with the hassle of a sketchy parking lot meet-up.
If you're looking for a hobby shop to sell your baseball cards near you, Beckett and Just Collect offer interactive store locators that will let you filter by location as well as other search parameters.
Flea and Farmer's Markets Draw a Wide Range of People Collecting or Buying Gifts
Flea markets and farmer's markets aren't just for homemade arts and crafts, they're also a place where you can sell baseball cards locally. For a small fee, you can set up a table or booth to display your cards for interested customers. Maybe pick up some kettle corn, too. That's always worth it.
FleaMarketMalls.com manages a database of flea markets and swap meets across the country, along with contact information so you can get more info.
Conventions and Events Bring Large Crowds of Baseball Card Buyers
There's nothing quite like attending a local convention full of like-minded baseball card collectors, and while it may be a great way to find out just how many cards is too many to buy, you can also use it as an opportunity to offload any you'd like to sell.
Local shops and collectors will often have booths set up to take cards off your hands, or if you have a bunch to sell, you can always open your own booth for a fee (as long as you register by the event's due date).
If you're looking for a local event near you, Beckett keeps a running list of upcoming events on their website.
Find a Meetup Group and Make Some New Friends
Chances are your city has at least one group of baseball card fans who meet on a regular basis to hang out, show off their collections, and trade and sell cards. Getting involved in a local meetup is going to be different for every group — some may require direct contact or even an invitation to attend, while others may be open to the general public. Either way, if someone in the group doesn't want to buy your cards, they likely know someone who will.
Meetup.com keeps an online database of active local baseball card collecting groups. And of course, Facebook is a great way to find online and local groups as well.
Yard Sales and Classified Ads Are an Effective One-two Combo
People are always looking for a good deal on a unique treasure, and they'll wake up at the crack of dawn and drive across the neighborhood to find them. Pairing a yard sale with a classified ad in Craigslist or your local paper can ensure you draw in the right crowd, as well as set expectations on the kind of offers you're looking for.
