Tips for selling Sports Cards on eBay

I know a lot of you come across sports cards and all have the same question, how in the heck to I make them sell.

The best way to sell them on eBay is like any other items you sell.  If you want to get top eBay dollar, which is not to be confused with the actual top dollar the card will bring, is to begin with research.

Best cards to sell and the right times to sell them change week-to-week and sometimes day-to-day.  Here are some I can think of with an example of a player’s card:

1.  Rookie cards of draft picks, which had a phenomenal collegiate carrier, when they get on the starting lineup in their rookie year, and are exceptional players.
    
ex - Big Ben Roethlisberger’s auto rookie cards his rookie year.  An auto that year could have had a Beckett Value of $100, and you would see collectors paying upwards of $800 on eBay, and that was for ungraded cards!!!  Try to get $800 for one of those today.  The most expensive completed listing I just saw for his rc auto was an auto patch numbered to 21.  It sold for $265.  In 2004, that card probably would have brought over $1000.


2.  When a player is hot, especially rookie cards of good rookies when they have a blowout year.
      
ex – Miles Austin rookie auto.  I bought one his second year for $2.75 after shipping.  He was a no-body.  Two years ago, that same card was selling for $75 and up.  I didn’t cash in because it was in my personal collection.   Right now they sell between $30 and $45.


3.  When a player breaks a major record that has been held for many years.
  
ex – don’t have an example off the top of my head.  Would have been Barry Bonds, but you know what happened!!!!


4.  When only two teams are in the championship games of the year, especially when they have never made it before.  Will touch more on this at the end, because it is relevant right now!
 
   ex -  Rangers and Giants in the World Series last year.   I majorly cashed in on the Rangers because they have never been to the World Series in the franchise history.


5.  During a championship game or series especially if a team has never made it before and they have the series tied up.
  
 ex – Here is the one that is relevant right now.  Mavs vs. the Heat.  The Heat won the first game.  The Mavs were losing the second game, and they came back at the end opening a major can of WHOOP ASS.  The best part is that the Mavs have never won the finals, so everyone is way freaking excited.


Right now, my suggestion is to grab all the Mavs and Heat cards of the best players on the roster and start listing them.  Now I did not say grab any of the best players that have played for the teams.  The cards have to be of players who are ON THE COURT RIGH NOW.  You will be sounding like a J G Wentworth commercial "ITS MY MONEY AND I WANT IT NOW!"

I am going to try and do that tonight, on 3 day auctions.  Get the bids in before the final game!  I don’t have a lot of those two teams, since I was never much into basketball, but I have some.

So in summary, timing is everything.  Timing, Timing, Timing………

Will keep that in mind.  Just bought my first unit, and had several thousand cards in it, most in mint condition, complete with plastic covers!!  Searched several dozen (got thousands, as I said, no way I can search all of them quickly), and found one that is an active auction and already over 200 bucks. 
   I think I'll make my investment back in relatively short order.