Hobby 101 · Platform Guide

Where to sell your cards: an honest breakdown of every major platform

Selling sports cards has never been easier. Buying sports cards has never been more confusing. There are more platforms than ever, each with a different fee structure, a different buyer base, and a different sweet spot for what sells well and what sits forever.

This guide covers every major platform honestly — what each one is good for, what it costs, and where it falls short. No sponsored placements. No rankings paid for by anyone. Just what you actually need to know before you decide where to list.

Run the math on your specific sale with the HobbyIQ Fee Calculator before you list anywhere.

My Card Post

Best for Sellers doing consistent volume — ten or more cards per month — who want to keep more of what they earn on each sale. The zero platform fee model rewards active sellers. The community skews toward serious collectors who know what they're looking at.
Not ideal Casual sellers moving one or two cards a year. The monthly subscription cost doesn't make economic sense for low volume. Also a smaller buyer base than eBay, so niche or lower-demand cards may take longer to sell.
Costs $9.99 to $24.99 per month depending on plan. PayPal G&S: 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction. No additional platform fee on the sale itself.
Honest take

My Card Post is a subscription-based marketplace where sellers pay a monthly fee — starting at $9.99 — and list with no platform transaction fee. All payments process through PayPal Goods and Services, which charges 3.49% plus $0.49 per transaction.

The fee math genuinely works in sellers' favor at any meaningful volume. A seller moving $2,000 a month in cards saves hundreds annually compared to eBay. The platform is newer and the buyer base is still growing — which means some cards sell quickly and others sit longer than they would on a larger platform. Worth using alongside eBay rather than instead of it until the buyer base matures further.

eBay

Best for Moving cards quickly, reaching the largest possible buyer pool, selling niche or unusual cards that need a wide audience to find the right buyer. Auction format works well for high-demand cards where competitive bidding drives the price up.
Not ideal Sellers who do consistent volume and want to keep their margins. eBay charges its final value fee on the total transaction amount including shipping and any sales tax collected, not just the item price. Most sellers don't realize this until they check their statements.
Costs 13.25% on the total transaction up to $7,500, then 2.35% on any portion above $7,500, plus $0.30 per order. eBay store subscriptions reduce the rate slightly. Fees apply to item price plus shipping plus sales tax — all of it.
Honest take

eBay is the largest sports card marketplace in the world by volume. More buyers are looking at eBay than anywhere else, which means more competition but also more eyeballs on your listings.

eBay's buyer base is unmatched and probably always will be. For high-value or rare cards where you need competitive bidding to find true market value, there's no better platform. For bread-and-butter sales where you know what the card is worth and just want to move it, the fee load is real and worth calculating before you list.

COMC (Check Out My Cards)

Best for Patient sellers with large collections who don't want to photograph, list, and ship individual cards. Great for mid-range cards in the $5 to $100 range that would take significant time to list individually on eBay. Also works well for collectors who want to buy and sell within the platform using their balance.
Not ideal Sellers who need cash quickly. Cards can sit for weeks or months. The cash-out process takes time and carries an additional fee. High-value cards often do better with active promotion on other platforms. Also not ideal if you want control over how your cards are presented.
Costs Processing fees $0.50 to $2.00+ per card depending on card type, plus ~5% selling commission, plus a cash-out fee. Storage fees apply after 90 days. The total cost of a sale is higher than it initially appears — factor everything in before consigning.
Honest take

COMC is a consignment-style platform where you ship your cards to their facility, they photograph and list them, and you get paid when they sell. You set the price. COMC handles fulfillment.

COMC is genuinely useful for the right seller and the right inventory. If you have 400 mid-grade cards you want to liquidate without spending a weekend photographing them, COMC is a reasonable option. If you're expecting quick cash or strong prices on premium cards, look elsewhere.

Whatnot

Best for Sellers with an existing audience or a personality that translates well on camera. Live breaking — opening packs on stream and selling the pulls immediately — is Whatnot's strongest use case. High-energy sellers who enjoy the performance aspect can build significant followings and move a lot of inventory.
Not ideal Sellers who aren't comfortable on camera or don't want to commit to scheduled streaming. Also not ideal for single high-value cards where you want the widest possible buyer pool rather than whoever happens to be in your stream at that moment. The platform rewards consistency and personality — occasional sellers without an audience struggle to get traction.
Costs 8% seller fee + 3% payment processing = 11% total on the final sale price. Shipping is typically handled by the seller.
Honest take

Whatnot is a live selling platform where sellers run scheduled streams and sell cards in real time to viewers who bid or buy instantly. It's part card show, part entertainment, part marketplace.

Whatnot has a real and active community and live breaks genuinely sell well there. If you enjoy the live format and are willing to build an audience, the platform economics work. If you're just looking for the highest net payout on individual cards, the 11% fee puts it behind MCP and close to or above eBay depending on the sale.

Goldin

Best for High-value graded cards — PSA 10 rookies, vintage hall of famers, significant 1/1s. Cards where the right buyer will pay a meaningful premium and where auction-style competitive bidding is likely to drive strong results. Goldin's buyer base includes serious collectors and investors who have the budget for premium pieces.
Not ideal Anything under $500. Goldin's audience and fee structure don't make sense for mid-range cards. Also not a platform for quick sales — the auction cycle takes weeks and consignment approval is not guaranteed.
Costs ~10% seller commission on the hammer price. Buyers pay a separate buyer's premium on top. As a seller your cost is 10% of what the card sells for at auction.
Honest take

Goldin is a premium auction house focused on high-value sports cards and memorabilia. Think auction house, not marketplace. The typical Goldin buyer is looking for PSA 10 vintage, high-grade rookies, and significant memorabilia — not modern raw commons.

For genuinely significant cards Goldin is one of the best options available. The buyer base is real, the auction format drives competitive prices on premium pieces, and the platform's reputation adds credibility to high-value sales. For anything outside the premium tier it's not worth the time or the wait.

Fanatics Collect

Best for Buy Now sales on mainstream modern cards, particularly Fanatics and Topps products where the platform has natural synergy with the manufacturer. The 6% fee tier on items at or below $120 is competitive for lower-value cards.
Not ideal High-value cards where the 12% fee on items above $120 is expensive relative to other platforms. The buyer base is still developing and sell-through on niche or vintage cards can be slow. The platform has been in flux — fee structures and features have changed multiple times since launch.
Costs 6% on items sold at $120 or below. 12% on items above $120 in the Buy Now marketplace. Auction format: sellers receive 100% of hammer price with potential bonuses on items over $50.
Honest take

Fanatics Collect is the marketplace arm of Fanatics — the sports licensing giant that now also owns Topps. The platform is still finding its footing but carries significant resources and distribution behind it.

Fanatics has the resources to build something significant here and the manufacturer relationship with Topps gives them a natural advantage in the modern card space. Right now the platform is still maturing. Worth listing on for mainstream modern cards given the competitive fee on lower-value items. For premium cards or vintage, better options exist until the buyer base develops further.

CollX

Best for Collectors who want an integrated scanning and selling experience. CollX's visual recognition technology lets you scan cards to identify and value them, then list directly to the marketplace. Works well for mid-range cards and sellers who want to manage collection and sales in one app.
Not ideal High-volume sellers who need multi-platform listing tools or sellers expecting eBay-level buyer traffic. The marketplace is growing but smaller than eBay. Non-Pro listings may receive less visibility in the feed.
Costs 10% commission on the sale price excluding shipping and taxes — payment processing is included in this rate. No separate payment processing fee. CollX Gold members may have a different fee structure.
Honest take

CollX has built something genuinely useful — the scanning technology is good, the app experience is clean, and the 10% all-in fee is simpler and more transparent than eBay's complex structure.

The marketplace is smaller and still maturing, which means some cards move quickly and others sit. Best treated as a complement to eBay rather than a replacement, particularly for mid-range cards where the integrated scan-and-list workflow saves real time.

Alt

What it is A graded card marketplace and vault platform where sellers store cards with Alt before listing them for sale. Offers both fixed price and auction formats.
Best for Serious collectors and investors with graded cards — PSA, BGS, or SGC 8 or higher — who want a dedicated graded card buyer pool and are comfortable with the vault model. Alt's auction format is genuinely competitive for premium pieces and the platform has been gaining traction with high-value card sellers.
Not ideal Raw cards or lower-grade slabs. Alt's vault requirement means you need to physically ship your cards to them before listing — not suitable for sellers who want to list and ship on their own timeline. Also not ideal for quick sales — the consignment and listing process takes time.
Costs Fixed price sales — 7% at the Base tier, with lower rates for higher volume sellers. For auction sales sellers pay no fee — Alt charges buyers a 20% premium on top of the hammer price and sellers receive the full hammer price. No monthly subscription required.
Honest take

Alt is one of the more interesting platforms to emerge in the hobby in recent years. The vault model is a genuine differentiator — once your cards are in, listing and selling is frictionless. The 7% fixed price fee at Base tier is competitive, and the zero-seller-fee auction model is uniquely attractive for high-value pieces where competitive bidding is likely.

The buyer pool is smaller than eBay but is meaningfully focused on serious collectors and investors who know what they're looking for. Worth considering for any graded card worth $200 or more where you're comfortable with the vault process.

Mercari

What it is A general peer-to-peer marketplace covering a wide range of categories including sports cards. One of the largest general resale platforms in the US with a simple, transparent fee structure.
Best for Sellers with mid-range raw cards in the $20 to $150 range who want a simple fee structure and a large buyer pool. The 10% flat fee with no payment processing charge makes the math easy. Works particularly well for casual sellers who also sell other items alongside cards.
Not ideal Premium graded cards or high-value singles where a hobby-specific platform with a targeted buyer pool will reach more serious collectors. Mercari's audience is general — card buyers are there but they're not the primary user base. Also not ideal for sellers who want hobby-community features like deal negotiation, player-specific feeds, or collector-focused tools.
Costs 10% flat seller fee on the total the buyer pays — including buyer-paid shipping. Payment processing fees were removed for sellers in January 2026. Standard direct deposit payout is free. No listing fees.
Honest take

Mercari's fee structure is genuinely simple and competitive — 10% flat with no hidden payment processing is easier to calculate than eBay and comparable to CollX. The buyer base is large and active. For mid-range raw cards that might sit on a hobby-specific platform, Mercari can move inventory faster simply because of the volume of general shoppers.

The tradeoff is that buyers are less hobby-literate, which can mean more questions about condition and more friction on higher-value or more nuanced listings. Use it as part of a multi-platform strategy rather than a primary channel.

Facebook Marketplace

Best for Local sales where you can meet in person and avoid shipping entirely. Also useful for selling directly to collectors in player-specific or set-specific Facebook groups where the buyer is already interested in exactly what you have. Zero platform fees on local cash transactions.
Not ideal Anything requiring shipping to a stranger without protections in place. PayPal Friends and Family — common in Facebook group transactions — offers no buyer or seller protection. Chargebacks and scams happen. If you're shipping cards to someone you don't know, use PayPal Goods and Services or another protected payment method regardless of what the buyer requests.
Costs No platform fee for local cash transactions. PayPal G&S fees apply if processing payments through PayPal. No fee for Facebook itself.
Honest take

Facebook Marketplace and hobby-specific Facebook groups are where a significant volume of peer-to-peer card transactions happen, particularly at the local and regional level.

Facebook groups are genuinely useful for moving cards quickly to targeted buyers and for building relationships with collectors who share your specific interests. The lack of platform protection on payments is a real risk — always use protected payment methods for shipped transactions regardless of how trustworthy the buyer seems.

Local Card Shows

Best for Moving bulk lots and collections quickly, buying and selling in person where condition can be verified face to face, and connecting with the local collector community. Shows reward sellers who price to move and buyers who know what they're looking at.
Not ideal Premium single cards where you need a national buyer pool to find the right collector willing to pay top dollar. Local show traffic is limited and the buyers who attend are often looking for deals rather than paying full market value.
Costs $50 to $200+ table rental depending on the show. No transaction fees on cash sales. Your time is the primary cost.
Honest take

Card shows — local hobby shops, convention center events, regional card fairs — are where the hobby started and they still serve a real purpose for the right seller.

Card shows are underrated by online-first collectors. Moving a collection in person, getting immediate cash, and talking cards with real people who love the hobby is a genuinely good experience. For premium individual cards, online platforms reach more targeted buyers. For bulk, collections, and commons — shows are often the fastest and most efficient option.

The Bottom Line

No single platform is right for every card or every seller. The collectors who do best use two or three platforms strategically — listing where the buyer for that specific card actually lives, not just where they're most comfortable.

Run your specific sale through the HobbyIQ Fee Calculator before you list anywhere. The math often tells a different story than intuition does.

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