The Execution
The Execution
We've gone over quite a bit so far in Sports Card School. The do's and don'ts, the guidelines, strategies and plays, tons of buying and selling tips, but we haven't gotten down to the nitty gritty of executing the sale.
Executing the sale is unique to each individual situation. It comes down to these facts:
When Selling On eBay
You have massive fees deducted
When Selling On Other Marketplaces
You have barely a fraction of the audience (prospective buyer pool) that you do on eBay
When Selling At Card Shows
Everyone wants to pay 80% of comps, which is fine, because you get cash in hand, but make sure you know what you're into each card for, and make decisions accordingly. If they fall in the "slight L" range, but you can get the cash and reinvest, that's fine, but ideally you would have bought the card originally with a card show flip in mind, and have that margin built in on the backend.
When Selling On Social Media
Negotiations take longer, things fall through, and you have the same problems as card shows other marketplaces.
Punch Line
Selling cards for a profit is hard. There's no perfect scenario that works every time. It's a bit of a moving target. It's a macro long game, but it needs to be managed daily, as the profit is in the daily details. We're not in a "set it and forget it business." We're in a grind it out business.
The Execution
We're now ready to get into "The Formula." The Formula-Based Sports Card Rankings are built for you to make money simply by prioritizing the sports cards that are most likely to return the highest ROI, whether on a quick turn Raw To Grade play, or an already-graded play dependent on sniping low with a selling marker in mind.
While using the Formula-Based Rankings is the best possible start to making money flipping sports cards, buying is only part of the equation.
Selling is why we're here. The Execution of The Sale.
Start with BIN/OBO
Here is what I have learned. When selling a card, it is already presumed that you're aware of your upcoming selling markers for said card.
That said, when you're approaching that selling marker (like 2-3 months ahead of time), it's important to follow the market for said card. As soon as the card has approached 20%-30% net profit land (meaning after transaction fees, etc., you'd net 20%-30%), it's a great idea to list in a Buy It Now Or Best Offer (BIN/OBO) format on eBay at 2x profit (100% ROI) and field offers.
Accept anything that would net you your 20%-30% and wash, rinse repeat.
If your card doesn't move in this format as the selling marker approaches, you'll need to start to consider taking the listing down and relisting it in a 7 or 10 day auction.
The art of the auction
Meant to not only ensure the card actually moves out of your portfolio and gets you back liquid cash, but also meant to pit people up against each other to raise the price of the card during a hype cycle, the risk is that the card doesn't sell for what you thought it could, but the reward is extremely high upside if the stars align - meaning the player performs well during the hype cycle (i.e., Anthony Edwards during the 2024 NBA Playoffs or Shedeur Sanders during the start of the 2023 College Football Season).
The reality is that auctions are how you want to sell most of your cards. I get that it can be scary, but our entire strategy is built around auctions and moving cards quickly in and out of your portfolio.
The only real decisions to make are when to list and what the opening bid should be.
The when is easier. Generally, 7 day auctions starting on Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. ET, and 10 day auctions starting on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET are always going to put you in a position of optimal performance.
Starting an auction after a big player performance during a hype cycle is the best recipe for success. If the player then performs well 1-2 more times during that auction, you should do very well. But remember, we're not trying to be the top comp, and we're not relying on performance spikes, because we bought the right card for the right player at the right time using our Formula-Based Rankings. This means the player performance is a bonus.
Ultimately, eBay is the preferred way to sell. Despite the rise of other marketplaces, eBay is where the highest number of buyers are, and that's what you need when you're listing a desirable card in a 7 or 10 day auction.
Whether you decide to sell on the way up, sell on the way down, or hold for a future selling marker until you get the money you want, that is all your preference and prerogative. Our methods are proven to work. For specific questions, ask here, and for more on navigating The Formula, continue to our High Roller Course.