Buying Raw Cards on Ebay
 

Being fairly new to vintage I've defaulted to graded cards for a level of certainty (i know this is debatable) vs raw. However, I'd prefer to purchase some cards raw, but am concerned I'll end up with a handful of fakes.

How does everyone feel about buying raw on eBay and anything, in particular, you look for or stay away from?

Thanks!

There are a ton of fake/altered cards in graded holders also. As far as buying raw just like graded you need to make yourself familiar with those cards. The good part is you can return any bad card you purchase on eBay. It is a PIA but you are protected.

Who you are buying from is very important. There are a number of reputable sellers on there selling legit cards. You'll be able to figure out who they are.

Stay away from any key cards unless you really know what you are looking at. Take the time and look at some of the fakes(like nearly all raw 1933 Goudey Ruth cards) and notice the characteristics. Shoddy printing, unrealistic wear, and a lot of fakes are using horrible artificially aged looking paper. Also compare cards to known reprints.

In general you have to become familiar with the issue. Many cards have different characteristics...print quality, paper type, etc. that are good clues.

Besides that, there are deals to be had, just have to find them.

Check other things they have sold in the past to get a feel for what types of cards they comfortably deal in. See if the pictures and descriptions seem to match up fine and are consistently accurate with stated grade or grades, and then read the heck out of their feedback to see if everything was up to snuff with other buyers.

Good luck!!

i stopped buying raw on ebay after I bought a recolored Rose rookie. Need to go with reputable sellers. I would still stay away from high priced raw regardless, grading currently takes too long if questions remain.

I generally only buy raw. I don't buy raw EXPENSIVE on eBay, however. If you want that, stick to the BST on Net54. Plenty of raw cards are being moved on the BST.

First, look at the seller's feedback. A seller with thousands of feedback is going to deal in safe cards for you to purchase.

Then, read the description. If the seller mentions the defects, they are trying to be honest and forward about what you are receiving. I will not deal with someone who says "You get what you see in the pic." Pictures lie.

Buy one card from the seller, determine if you like the transaction, and if you did, buy from them in the future. I deal a lot with Mill Creek Sports for autographs because I trust them, the product, and the easy transaction.

EXP: I am looking for a 1990 Topps Tiffany Griffey Jr. There are a tons of "Topps Tiffany" being sold by individuals with just one feedback. I would never buy from them. There are people who advertise Topps Tiffany with a PSA holdered card. The Flip doesn't say Tiffany at all. They are trying to scam hoping I don't look at details, or I purchase because the price is too good to be true. I will never buy from them. If you pay attention, and focus on the details, you will do okay.

And remember, shit happens. We all have felt swindled or misled on eBay. But you can always return the card if you don't like it.

1- know what you’re shopping for
2- stick to listings with quality photos
3- really scrutinize those photos
4- buy from sellers with a long track record and lots positive feedback for selling raw cards
5- message the seller with specific questions (for example: does this card have any creases or wrinkles...)
6- start with lower dollar cards and compare the items you get with the listings

After a while, you’ll develop an eye for what items are truly worth buying. Along the way, you’ll expand your network of contacts and find people worthy of your trust, and worthy of your business.

"2- stick to listings with quality photos"

Its unbelievable that someone would post a card costing in excess of 10K and not take the time to spend $225 on a scanner and 20 minutes to set it up so they could post good photos.

And don't be this guy

https://youtu.be/5LeFepikQlM

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I have a card in the mail from eBay seller t206cards-com, and they also have a website. They look to be a reputable seller, anyone do business with them before?

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They sell here on the forum. They currently have a massive sale of 100s of cards on the BST.

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I echo the sentiments of many on here. Personally I have changed the way I collect in the last 10 years and I buy a lot more raw cards usually <$3-400 than i desire for my binders. Most likely these cards will never get graded and I am not so concerned about their grade or whether they might have minor alterations. That comes into consideration when I decide my price.

Then I have my collection of Babe Ruth, Ty cobb, and other higher value cards. Most of these are graded... some are not due to inability of the third-party graders to offer the service. But I have been in the hobby for over 40 years and I feel I can judge authentic cards 98% of the time. Additionally Ebay will always favor the buyer and you can always return some thing in a reasonable amount of time.

Sometimes it might be worth it to have to overnight a card to a third-party greater to authenticate just to get back in the window of return on eBay you just never know?

On a slightly different note Ebay is a lot different now than it was 15 years ago as has been said. There is like 100 times more scammers on there now and the quality of material does not compare.

I wouldn't buy any raw cards of real value (>$100) off EBay. But if you do, make sure you study the reputation and rating of the seller. As a general rule, do not buy from a new seller unless they make extremely accurate descriptions of the card you're interested in. Avoid any seller who provides a personal grade of a raw card that is higher than what you would grade the card upon inspection.

For any raw card of any value (and this probably goes for mid-grade slabs as well), write a note to the seller and ask if the card has creases or wrinkles. It's very easy to not show these in a photograph. Pay attention to the way the seller communicates to you in private mails as well as the way they describe the cards.

Good luck.

This is great :)