Vintage groups continue to grow and flourish online. The largest group I administer has grown from 2,000 members to over 50,000 in the last few years. And it still picks up hundreds of new members weekly! Many of those members are new to the hobby, or returning after a long break. And there’s a lot to learn if adapting from the old Beckett days. Learning how to buy / sell / trade online can be overwhelming, but Cardhound is here to help! Here are the Top 5 Things You Need to Know to Buy / Sell / Trade online safely and effectively.
Cardhound has written on all of these topics, but researching them individually can be tough. So here’s an article with quick links to the main “need to know” resources in our archive:
1. Understanding Value
Obviously, understanding card values is of the utmost importance. Whether buying or selling, you don’t want to get ripped off or short-change yourself. Here’s our comprehensive Guide on Vintage Card Values.
2. Grading and Condition
Values and condition go hand in hand. And in the era of graded cards, the difference between “excellent” and “near mint” can mean hundreds of dollars or more. Cardhound has assembled a Comprehensive Guide on Card Grading that answers all of your questions about grading.
Cool Davey Concepcion cards in PSA and SGC slabs.
3. How to List / Pack / Ship Cards
Once you have a handle on value and condition, it’s time learn the best practices for listing, packing, and shipping. Again, we have you covered with a comprehensive List / Pack / Ship tutorial.
4. Staying Safe and Avoiding Scams
Unfortunately, online safety is a really important topic. From choosing a safe platform, to vetting buyers and sellers, there’s a lot to learn and a lot to lose. Our Guides on Online Safety and Understanding Common Scams will help keep you safe.
5. Avoiding Counterfeits
Good groups on social media have members who sniff out counterfeits quickly, but they are still out there–especially on less-vetted platforms like Facebook Marketplace and eBay. Our Guide on Counterfeits will help you avoid a costly mistake. And yes, that ’52 Mantle on Marketplace for $2,500 is a fake. Always.
Of course, there are dozens more topics to learn about–and all of these have much more depth. But a good working knowledge of these areas will help make your online buy / sell / trade experiences safe, fun, and rewarding. Happy hunting and Cardhounding!
