In today’s world, everything is done online. Although this makes our lives easier, that also means that there are more scams to watch out for. When it comes to selling baseball cards, we’ve probably all heard that we need to be careful when we sell online. Aside from just hearing that, most of you probably wonder what exactly you must watch out for. Let’s look at 2 common scams that can happen when we sell sports card collections online.
Counterfeit, Reprint, and Reproduction Cards
One of the popular scams involves counterfeit or altered cards. Many buyers think that they’ll be able to notice when a card is fake. However, scammers are professionals at what they do, which is why you must be extra careful. Counterfeiters can reproduce cards that look very much like their real counterparts. It is important to look for paper quality and other defects that would be a red flag that they are fake. Counterfeit cards may also be placed in graded cardholders to make them look more authentic. In addition to fakes, card companies such as Topps have produced reprint and reproduction cards of popular players and sets.
An example would be a Mickey Mantle card printed for a recent release. These cards are not “fake,” however being that they are printed many years later, they don’t hold remotely the same value as the originals. Some ways to tell if a card is a reprint or reproduction is to look for the year the card was printed or any special markings that indicate it is part of some type of anniversary collection. There are also products such as Topps Archives where they take an old style of card but print it with today’s players.
Payment Scams
Whether you’re the buyer or seller, you must be careful about the payment. For instance, maybe you sell your cards online, ship them to the buyer, but then the buyer claims that they never received the cards. If they report you to the online platform, then you could be left with no money and no cards. Also, ensure that the buyer is providing legitimate credit card information.
Although selling baseball cards online isn’t always bad, you do have to be careful. If you’re wondering where to sell baseball cards, then stop looking online and give us a call at American Legends. With our experience and reputation, you can feel confident that your collection is in good hands.
