In my previous post in the series, I talked about what NOT to do when looking to sell baseball cards. What you SHOULD do, if you want to sell high end cards, is consider selling these cards through a sports card auction house.
Auction houses work in much the same way that eBay or SportsBuy auctions work. However, the sports card (or sports collectible) auction houses carry a reputation for providing high end material and for providing seamless transactions for their clients.
If you do have a high end baseball card to sell (let’s use a book value of $500 or more for this purpose), there are a handful of auction houses, which specialize in sports collectibles and sports cards, which you’ll want to consider. In no particular order, here are some of the top sports card auction houses around.
There are several additional auction houses. Those listed here are just some of the most prominent ones.
When you sell a baseball card through an auction house, you first need to consign your card. When you consign your card, you are delivering and entrusting that card to the auction house. You trust that they will care for the card while it is entered for sale, that they will ensure payment is received from the bidder, and that they will deliver the card to the winning bidder. The auction house will also take pictures of the card (or scan it), list it for sale, and advertise it (usually if it is a very high profile item only).
In return for the consignment services, you are generally required to pay a consignment fee to the auction house. The consignment fee is generally a percentage of the sale price which will go to the auction house. This is how they make their money. You can generally sell your items for much more through an auction house than you’d be able to on your own. So both the auction house and you make out well on the deal.
Take a look at a few of the sports card auction house websites mentioned above, and check out their terms of service, rules and frequently asked questions. This will give you a better understanding of what you are entering into when you consign, as well as the advantages and any potential disadvantages.
Auctions can be done over the internet, in-person, by phone, or through all of those methods. Auctions are often performed multiple times a year by each auction house, and there is a deadline to consign your cards prior to each auction start date. Make sure you are aware of that deadline before attempting to consign your cards.
Several of the auction houses, and all of the most reputable ones, will offer insurance for your consigned item as part of the consignment rates you will be paying. Make sure you read the terms of service to be sure whether the auction house you are dealing with is providing insurance as part of your consignment.
