Tips For Listing and Selling Sports Memorabilia

By John Buonaguidi & George Keniston

Choosing a category : Always put yourself in the buyer’s position when listing an item for sale. Try and think about what heading you would think is most appropriate if you were looking for that particular item for sale. You can also do a search on items that are similar to yours, and see where other people have been listing the items. As you list more and more items, it will get easier.

Giving your listing a Title : Be as specific as you can. For example, suppose your title is "1999 Cricket World Cup Final program-Australia vs Pakistan". This gives a potential buyer a good idea of what you have for sale. Again, the rule is to keep it simple but informative. TIP – It is usually a good idea to picture your items. Pictures sell items! The vast majority of buyers want to see what they are bidding on. They can see condition, colours, size, and so on. Scanners are moderately priced and are well worth the investment.

Composing your listing : Be as detailed as you can about what you are selling, especially with regard to condition, colours, and so on. BE CANDID! It is only fair that you be extremely truthful when you are listing an item. Additionally, be objective with your word descriptions. If there is a tear in an item, for example, tell about it and give its size. Buyers deserve as much information as they can get; after all they’re spending their hard-earned money.

Completing your listing : You can set the length of the auction (3, 5, 7 days) and the minimum opening bid amount. It's best to be realistic in setting the minimum opening bid amount so you don't discourage bidders, but be sure to set it at an amount you are comfortable with and really willing to sell your item for.

Follow-up : It is important to check for emails from potential bidders. Answer their questions promptly and completely. This will generate more bids. Also keep in mind that you will be rated on your performance (through eBay’s Feedback system), and once you get 10 positive ratings, you will begin to build a stronger trust among eBay users. Conversely, you can get negative ratings for poor performance. So do a good job! If you are honest and reliable you will build a faithful following of strong bidders.

Completing the transaction: eBay will notify the seller and high bidder at the conclusion of the auction. When your auction has ended, notify winners promptly with all the details they need to remit payment. You may also want to look at feedback the buyer has received. The comments can influence how you handle the transaction. When payments arrive, package items well (especially breakables) and send them promptly. "Thank you" notes or letters are a great rapport builder. Be sure to insure valuable items (always tell buyers beforehand if insurance and/or other charges will be incurred by them).

There are escrow services available for a small fee if the buyer would like to see their item and accept it before payment is released. If the item is not accepted, the buyer must return it quickly and the escrow service returns the funds to the buyer. To ensure the buyer is satisfied, it is helpful to be honest and detailed in your auction description. See the escrow section for more details. If the buyer was prompt and courteous, give positive feedback so that other users will know this person is a good buyer to work with!

Terms for Listing or Buying

By John Buonaguidi & George Keniston

The overall grading system for cards is as follows:

Mint - Just like new.
Excellent - Very strong copy, no creases, minimal edge wear.
Very good - Slightly rounded corners, minor creases, if any.
Good - Rounded corners, some creasing, but a decent copy.
Fair - Very rounded corners, serious creasing.
Poor - A rough card. Very knocked about.

Below are some terms that are used in collecting sports memorabilia.

Bowman - Chicago-based card company that became defunct in 1955.

COA - Certificate of authenticity.

Exhibit cards - Black and white and sepia cards issued in vending machines from the 1920s through 1960s that are post-card size on cardboard stock.

Fleer - Philadelphia-based gum company which still issues cards today.

"Gamer" - Alludes to a game-worn or game-used piece of equipment.

Goudey - Prominent chewing gum company and card issuer of 1930s.

Gum Cards - Refers to cards issued with chewing gum in wax packs.

HOF - Hall of Famer. Used when denoting a special player.

LOA - Letter of Authenticity (used for autograph guarantees).

Mint - Just like new. Denotes condition of card or memorabilia.

PSA - A company in Southern California that grades cards under a rating system (1 is lowest and 10 is highest).

"S.I." - Sports Illustrated magazine.

Tobacco Cards - Cards that were issued with tobacco. Mainly pre-1920 cards but also made in the 1950s.

Topps - Prominent chewing gum company of the 1950s. The company still issues cards today.

The preceding material was written by John Buonaguidi and George Keniston. These are the opinions of the author, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.