Flipping vintage baseball cards

glchen · #1 10-13-2010, 03:43 PM

It's not easy to flip because ebay/paypal take ~20% cut, and auction houses are similar with the buyer/seller premiums. So basically, when you buy a card, you need to allocate that % when you sell the card in order to just break even. And cards are not nearly as liquid as CD's, stocks, etc. When you sell the cards on ebay, you can run into buyer problems like they don't pay, they open cases, return cards, etc.

Saying all of that, it is possible to flip and make money. You just have to be very selective in what you buy and the prices that you are buying at. And you should be in good financial position where you shouldn't be forced to sell these cards you bought when the timing or prices aren't right.

bbcard1 · #2 10-13-2010, 04:08 PM

I don't think you can do it on a big scale, but I think you could parlay $1k into $2 k every now and then.

I don't get the complaints about ebay taking 20% as fees. By the time I accounted for table fees, travel and lodging in my show days, I'll bet I had more than that in it, percentage wise.

rhettyeakley · #3 10-13-2010, 04:30 PM

Most of the complaints about the ebay fees are because in the beginning days of ebay the fees were so miniscule that it was almost an afterthought. Now, however, the above poster is correct that you do have to take into consideration their fees but I've never paid anywhere close to 20% fees on ebay items, more like 8-15% depending on the size of the purchase,etc.
-Rhett

Matthew H · #4 10-13-2010, 04:36 PM

I think that if you have enough money to purchase complete sets and break them apart, you have a better chance of positive return. I have seen good deals on complete sets over the years. You have to be patient though.

If you have a wide knowledge of collectibles, you also have a better chance. I know a couple here in Los Angeles that pays for their BMW just by selling stuff they find at garage sales on the weekend. They call it their hobby.

Rob D. · #5 10-13-2010, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glchen

And you should be in good financial position where you shouldn't be forced to sell these cards you bought when the timing or prices aren't right.

I bet the above fact will be the most important -- and sadly quite often is the most ignored -- posted in this thread.

vintagetoppsguy · #6 10-13-2010, 05:27 PM

If dealers are making money in this economy, so can you. After all, isn't a dealer the same thing as a flipper?

The profit margin may not be what it once was, but it's probably better than that CD that's only paying 1% (or less).

I like the idea that was posted above about buying complete sets and breaking them up. It's a lot of work, but there's definitely some money to be made. You may even run across a few high grade cards within a set that you're able to grade and make even more money.

glchen · #7 10-13-2010, 06:17 PM

If you break up sets into singles on ebay, be aware that you have different options, each with its own pros and cons. (1) consign to a top seller with a large following such as prewarcardcollector or just_collect. (2) sell lots with starting price at 0.99 (3) start lots with starting price of your reserve amount (4) do a reverse auction, starting with the highest price that you hope to sell the lots for, and reduce it each time the cards don't sell (5) BIN

Matthew H · #8 10-13-2010, 06:29 PM

I don't really think that you need to consign to an eBay seller. As long as you categorize correctly and make sure the auctions end at a good time. Your listings search the same. Just Collect seems to pay less attention to when auctions end. Not everyone uses snipes. They don't get as much for cards as PWCC. I've had good success selling lots timed with 3-5 minute gaps in ending on Sunday evening. (I hardly sell anything though)

smtjoy · #9 10-13-2010, 11:08 PM

I think its very possible to make some money by flipping cards and if you make anything its more than what CD's are paying these days.

I think its important to pick an area/niche you know very well and focus on it. As someone suggested start small maybe find something around 1k to give it a try. I like the set/lot breakup idea as I have done very well over the years doing the same thing. Be patience and only sell when you feel the market is right, if you cant do that then you should probably avoid flipping.

Leon · #10 10-14-2010, 07:58 AM

It is very difficult, but not impossible, to flip and make some money. You need to usually stay in your niche and try to find great buys. Not good buys, but great buys. Good buys will net you a loss more often than not. Just my experiences....and they are fairly vast, especially in the last 5 years. I applaud anyone that can buy and sell and make money doing it. It is no where near a "gimmee".....Good question.

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