eBay Sports Card Selling Guide #5: Best Post-Sale Practices

At CardLines, we get hundreds of monthly inquiries from collectors. Nearly half of them are about the best way to sell sports cards on eBay. The need is apparent, and to help, we’re putting together an eBay guide to dive deep into how to sell sports cards on eBay.

This is the fifth article in the guide. Be sure to look back at the previous article how to price your auction, and next we’ll wrap up by looking at risks 

Start selling cards on eBay!

Enjoy this article, and be sure to read the rest of our eBay selling guides to ensure you’re getting max profit for all your listings. 

If this guide has you excited and you’re ready to start selling sports cards on eBay, just sign up here.

Recap: Selling sports cards on eBay

We’ve come a long ways to get here, and if you’re reading this article, congrats! It means you’ve learned our tips for selling sports cards on eBay and you’ve made your first (at least) sale! That’s a big deal – you now have keys to the biggest sports cards storefront in the world!

From titling your auction to filling out the extra listing details, success on eBay is more about replicating the same process than constantly innovating. While you can certainly tweak your style and experiment to see what yields the best results, you’re well on your way to becoming a successful eBay seller.

To help, today we’re going to discuss the best practices post-sale. These tips will ensure a smooth transaction and help you get the most out of every sell from a brand-building aspect. 

|
A note for your first sports card sale on eBay

I remember, after my first sale, I had a moment that was, basically, “Oh no, what do I do now?”

eBay has improved a lot since then and the process is easier, but it can still be a bit nerve-wracking if you’ve never done it before and you want to make sure the buyer gets a good experience.

So here’s the process for selling a card. 

The buyer wins either an auction or commits to purchase a buy it now. Then, he/she pays. (You do not ship the card or print the label until after the buyer pays, but eBay will remind you of that.)

After the money is received, you’ll be prompted to ship the card. You can either go to your “selling” tab or click on the notification you should get in the alert bar.

From there, you’ll see a prompt to ship your card. Click on the button, confirm your payment details for the postage label, print it, and securely fasten it onto your package.

After that, you should be good to go. Drop it off in your mailbox or with the mail carrier and your card will be on its way! 

Strategies for shipping cards

The shipping and handling is the most important aspect of the post-sale transaction. Your number one priority is getting the card safely to the buyer, but there’s also a fine line between secure and overkill. 

For this, you’ll need supplies: penny sleeves, team bags, top loaders, bubble mailers, and optionally (but highly encouraged) cardboard, too. Need help picking up the best penny sleeves?

Now let’s talk packaging. 

Single cards should always be put in a penny sleeve and top loader, and then put a piece of painter’s tape across the top of the top loader to keep the card from slipping out in transit. 

Additionally, it’s never a bad idea to put cardboard around the outside of your top loader. Get two pieces that are just bigger than the top loader and tape them around your card. 

Of course, you’ll occasionally sell a BIG card. Hundreds or thousands of dollars. If this is the case, you can always contact the buyer and discuss shipping and insurance options. Your buyer will NOT mind spending $15 on insurance to get a $1,000 card. 

Strategies for improving customer experience

As a marketing professor, this section is my time to nerd out a bit and talk about customer experience, the second-most important aspect of a sports card transaction. 

eBay is a marketplace that’s more about offerings than sticky relationships. In other words, most people who want a Ja Morant rookie card are going to search “Ja Morant RC” on eBay than go back to a specific store/seller and look for the card they’re after. 

That said, you’ll significantly boost your chances of getting repeat customers by providing the best customer experience possible, and repeat customers are valuable because they come to you with intent, significantly decreasing the competition to sell cards. 

If you can create a white glove experience for your customers, it will go a long way towards getting customers to buy from you again. Here’s how to do it… 

Become a brand

Branding is important for who you want to be as a seller, and taking a few extra steps to help buyers think of you positively can lead to repeat business.

For example, while it’s an extra cost, it’s never a bad idea to get a business card to include with all the shipping orders. Even if you don’t have an actual sports card LLC, you could simply get a $5 logo on Fiverr.com that features your eBay username and include that with your phone number and email. 

Communicate well with your buyer

Communication is important in a relationship. That phrase is most commonly used when referring to sports card buyers and sellers. 

When you ship a card, it’s a great practice to send a message to your buyer that says something like:

“Thank you for your purchase! I just shipped your card and the tracking number is XXXXXXXXXXX. Let me know if you have any questions or if there’s anything I can do for you.”

Thanks! – username

Not all sellers do this, but by doing it, you’re separating yourself from the pack.

Ask for feedback

Finally, remember to ask for feedback. Feedback is the most important fuel for sales, and especially as a young seller, getting as much as you can is crucial.

Wait for 7 – 10 days after shipping your card and then message the buyer to ask for feedback. There’s nothing wrong with that on eBay.

I’d say something like: “Thanks again for your purchase? If you’re happy with the card, could you take 60 seconds to leave me positive feedback? I’d really appreciate it! If there’s an issue, please let me know.”

It doesn’t take a lot of feedback to earn trust of buyers on eBay, but the early days could be slow when you don’t have many reviews yet. People tend to be distrustful – and understandably so.

Conclusion

While the majority of the legwork goes into listing your cards, not following through with the best post-sale practices is like when a basketball players makes a great move toward the rim and then misses the layup.

From shipping to cultivating a customer experience, every aspect of post-sale work is very important and shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s a way to build a brand and establish yourself as a trusted name on eBay.

Be sure to come back next time as we conclude this series by looking at risks and general bumps in the road. Now go grab your cards, hop on eBay, and start getting the MOST out of each listing. And don’t forget to check out the rest of our eBay Guide articles!

More guides for selling sports cards on eBay

Follow Cardlines.com for all our guides on the best way to sell sports cards on ebay. Here are some of our favorites that we think you will enjoy and profit from selling your cards.

• eBay Sellers Guide #1- How To Title Your Listings
• eBay Sellers Guide #2 – Categories, images, description and more
• eBay Sellers Guide #3 – Auctions vs Buy It Now
• eBay Sellers Guide #4 – How To Price Your Listing
• eBay Sellers Guide #6 – General Tips and Advice