How to Sell Your Trading Cards at a Card Show

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Selling your trading cards at a card show as a beginner can be intimidating, but don’t worry! Everyone you see at a card show was a beginner at some point—we’ve all been there. In this blog, I’ll walk you through the necessary steps before selling your cards at a card show. If you want to learn about general card show etiquette as well, we also have a blog on that topic that you can read! But let’s get into what you should do first before you try selling your cards at a card show!

Know Everything About Your Card

If you’re planning to sell a card, it’s important to know exactly what you have. You should be aware of the following details about your card(s):

• The set the card is from (e.g., 2021 Topps Chrome)
• The insert set the card belongs to (if it’s an insert) (e.g., Future Stars)
• The parallel of the card (if it’s a parallel) (e.g., Pink Refractor, Reverse Holo, etc.)
• The card’s value or price

If you didn’t quite catch everything I just mentioned, I have the perfect app for you! Download Ludex from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and create an account (it’s free to try!). Once you’re set up, simply scan your card, and it will provide all the information I just discussed in the previous paragraph. Let’s use this card of the 3x All Star, Yordan Alvarez, as an example.

As we can see in the screenshot above, we now know that my card is from the 2024 Topps set, specifically from the Heavy Lumber insert set, and that it is not a parallel. We also know that this card is worth about $16 to $30, with one recently selling for $28. If we scroll down a bit further, we can see even more sales!

Now that we have all this sales data on the card, we need to set an asking price. With recent sales ranging from $20 to $30, we can set the asking price for this card at $30 (remember, you can always come down in negotiations, but never go up!). So now, when someone asks what card I have and how much I’m asking for it, I can tell them the following:
“It’s a 2024 Topps Heavy Lumber card of Yordan Alvarez. I’ve seen sales ranging from $20 to $30 recently, and I’m asking $30 for it!”

I Know What I Have, Now What?

Now comes the fun part—walking around and shopping your card! I’d recommend starting by looking for a physical sign that says “Buying” at the card show. Take your card to a few dealers, but don’t just sell it to the first one you see—unless they offer you a good amount for your card or even take it at full asking price. If you’re unable to find any dealers interested in your card, try selling it to an attendee! Let’s use the Yordan Alvarez card as an example again. If I see someone wearing a Houston Astros hat or jersey, I’ll approach them and ask if they’re interested in my card. Selling cards is always a game of time and patience, so the hungrier you are to make the sale, the more likely you are to succeed. Trade nights, if your card show has one, are also an amazing place to shop your cards around.

The Ludex app is here to help you track and manage your trading card collection. Click HERE to download the Ludex mobile app for FREE!

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