How to price a card lot
A lot turns cards that aren't worth selling one at a time into a single sale. Price it from comps, take a fair discount, and check it against what singles would really net you.
Start with comps
A comp is what the same card recently sold for. Search sold listings for each card, matching the year, set, parallel and condition, and use a recent typical price rather than the highest sale. Add them up: that's the lot's full value if every card sold on its own.
Take a discount
Lot buyers pay less per card than single buyers, because they're taking every card in the bundle, including ones they may not want. Common discounts run from 10 to 25% off total comps:
- Smaller discount when the lot has a chase card, a full team or player run, or a complete set.
- Bigger discount when the lot is mostly base cards or cards with little demand.
Lot or singles?
Each single sale on eBay carries a per-order fee, shipping and supplies. On a $3 card, those fixed costs can take more than half the price. A lot pays them once. That's why a lot often nets more than selling the same cheap cards separately, even after a discount, and always takes far less time.
Expensive cards are different. A $40 card loses a much smaller share to fixed costs, so it usually does better as a single, and it can anchor its own listing. A good rule: sell the cards worth more than about $10 on their own and lot the rest.
The card lot calculator works out the exact break-even: the lowest lot price that still beats selling every card individually.
List it so it sells
- Put the best player names and the card count in the title, such as "25 card lot, Rookies and Inserts".
- Photograph every card, or the front of every card in rows, so buyers can see exactly what they get. The listing photo maker helps with single cards.
- Ship the lot in a box or a padded mailer with tracking. See how to ship trading cards.
Questions
How much should I discount a card lot?
Usually 10 to 25% off the total comps, less for lots with a card people are chasing and more for lots of low-demand base cards.
Are lots good for cheap cards?
Yes. Cards worth a few dollars lose most of their value to fees and shipping as singles, so bundling them is usually the best way to get anything for them.