Beginner’s Guide to Sports Card and Memorabilia Marketplaces
As the sports card hobby continues to grow, collectors have dozens of different platforms to dive into when searching for cards and memorabilia. But ultimately, there are a few platforms that hobbyists focus on due to reliability, authenticity, variety of listings and other features.
Whether you’re a seasoned hobby veteran looking for new platforms to explore or a newbie entering the market for the first time, below you’ll find some of the most popular marketplaces and reasons why they should be on your radar.
This isn’t a comprehensive list of every marketplace worth trying, but these are good places to start.
Any discussion about sports card marketplaces has to start with eBay, a platform that has long been trusted as a reliable place for both used and new goods — and this remains true for its selection of sports cards and memorabilia.
As of Feb. 1, eBay touted by far the largest selection of any platform with over 45 million different listings for sports cards.
Reputable sellers are easily identifiable with sales counts and buyer reviews, making it easy to find the established members and consignors. The platform also offers extensive filtering and search features, giving visitors easy navigation when trying to find rare or specific items.
The platform is also helpful when trying to price items on the secondary market, as you can use filters to identify the exact prices of sold items that match what you’re currently looking for.
The introduction of the Authenticity Guarantee and vaulting service has also given buyers additional protections while improving the buying and selling experience.
The second-largest marketplace, COMC — short for Check Out My Cards — had around six million different listings in early 2024. COMC has established itself as a trailblazer for vaulting services, which have now become a popular feature for other platforms.
Most associated with raw cards, COMC allows collectors to buy and sell cards that are stored with COMC until a shipment is requested. While it’s possible to have COMC ship a single item, many collectors choose to send cards in bulk to save on shipping costs.
While MySlabs doesn’t offer an auction feature, hobbyists can place offers on items in the fixed-price marketplace. A relatively-new platform, MySlabs offers lower transaction fees than other platforms as well as a more curated selection of sellers, which is likely why the platform gained so much traction early.
MySlabs had close to 150,000 active sports card listings at the beginning of 2024, and while this is just a fraction of some of the other marketplaces, it’s an ideal place to build a network of reputable buyers and sellers as you look to create connections.
A smaller marketplace can also mean it may take longer to sell your cards, but the lower fees and additional buyer/seller protections has made it a popular place for serious hobbyists.
PWCC Marketplace features an impressive variety of features that most collectors can utilize, which makes it stand out from smaller platforms.
Despite having less than 50,000 active auctions on Feb. 1, PWCC features a robust fixed-price marketplace and vaulting service that should make up for the smaller selection.
Featuring everything from vintage to ultra-modern cards, PWCC also provides weekly and monthly auctions for more expensive items. Popular among high-end collectors, PWCC has either sold or helped broker the sale of some of the most expensive cards.
You can find reasonable prices on PWCC, but it’s worth monitoring what the additional fees will be before purchasing.
Founded roughly 20 years ago, Max Steiner has built a network consisting of thousands of members that list millions of cards.
Focusing on both sports and TCG cards, Sportlots showcases auctions, new releases, popular sets, as well as hot cards to help buyers narrow down their search to find desirable items.
Top sellers on Sportlots earn a “preferred seller” title which has four different ranks. Each rank offers different levels of buyer protection, making Sportlots a marketplace to find reputable sellers.
Packed with features like live auctions, a fixed-price marketplace and a vaulting service, Alt attempts to be a stock market of sorts for sports cards.
Alt also features transaction history for cards, giving collectors some comfort and transparency when trying to accurately price items. As with any pricing tool, it’s recommended that you confirm accuracy by examining the specific auctions cited in the data.
Other platforms
While official sports card marketplaces are popular among hobbyists, it’s worth mentioning that other platforms can be used. Places like Facebook, Discord and other social media platforms are very common places to buy, sell and trade.
While search features are limited and you don’t have easy access to seller transparency, these places offer direct contract. There’s pros and cons here, as direct communication can be nice for sorting out trades, you can also run into scams or dishonest collectors.
Because of this, it’s recommended that you use extreme caution on these platforms. Consider using the Goods and Services features if using online payment platforms — fees will be higher but you’ll receive additional protections if something goes wrong.
Live Auction Marketplaces and Breaking Apps
In addition to traditional marketplaces, there are a handful of platforms dedicated to live auctions and box breaks. While platforms like eBay do offer experiences like eBay Live, these marketplaces are dedicated to the feature.
It’s worth noting before moving forward that all collectors should use caution when joining box breaks. Consider the value proposition offered and research the sellers you plan to do business with to ensure the experience is a good match for your expectations.
Whatnot is a powerhouse in the live-auction marketplace space. With sellers structured and separated via different rooms, visitors can search for like-minded collectors offering live listings of items. Whatnot also offers a wide variety of sellers and products for consumers beyond sports and trading cards.
Powered by Fanatics (naturally), Fanatics Live is another dominant force in the live auction and breaking space. Fanatics Live lets you shop in real time for sports card breaks and offers a similar interface to other top streaming platforms such as Twitch for simple navigation.
While not necessarily an industry leader, Loupe is another live auction platform that offers auctions as well as group breaks for those looking to add some risk and excitement to their hobby experience. Loupe has been associated with a more curated lineup of sellers to ensure a better user experience.
Drip is another platform to find verified sellers for live auction bidding and selling that does its own authentication to make sure customers are protected. Streamers are vetted and Drip claims to offer some of the most affordable prices in the space.
