20+ Best Places to Buy Trading Cards Online (Pokemon, Magic, NBA, NFT, etc.)

The trading card hobby is in the midst of a well-publicized boom.

Capitalizing on the nostalgia of opening a new set of Panini rookie cards or Topps collectible packs, it's clear that the movement of buying and selling trading cards will continue to revive. Trading cards was once a hobby, but it's never been this big. Like most business industries, the sports card trading market has shifted heavily online, and the way people buy products has become increasingly convenient.

What was once a fun hobby has turned into big business, with almost daily mainstream media coverage and record-breaking sales. For those buying and selling cards, it seems like new platforms are popping up almost as often, and the litany of options may confuse some.

• So, to buy a huge selection of sports trading cards - NBA, Soccer, American Football, NFL, UFC, F1 and more, we're going to recommend 10 of the best sports card buying sites below. The three most famous trading card brands are Panini, Topps, and Upper Deck.

• Additionally, there is a huge selection of game cards on the market, including Magic the Gathering cards, Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, Pokemon cards and many other games. From new boosters to out-of-print singles, you'll find everything in our games section!

• The sites for buying or selling a world-class selection of sports cards, baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, game cards, and more trading cards may be the same, but there are also sites that specialize in their respective fields.

What are the Best Places to Buy Sports Cards Online in 2024?

Top 12 Most Popular and Recommended Sites to Buy Sports Cards

#1.                                                        eBay

When it comes to the sports card market, eBay is king as it is the go-to place for most buyers and sellers.

In fact, sports cards are one of the largest product categories on the entire oldest and largest online marketplace and auction site. Selling prices on eBay have become the de facto price guide for cards because there are so many deals on various cards.

There are three different ways you can buy using eBay:

1. Auction: eBay auctions are probably the most well-known buying option for eBay users. Basically, sellers list their items for a timed public auction, and buyers bid. Whoever bids the highest on the item at the end of the auction wins. They then pay the seller and receive the item. Sellers can place "reserves" (the minimum they can accept) on listings to remove some of their risk. You can still haggle at auctions, though—though if you get caught in a bidding war, you'll likely pay a lot more than you'd like. So it's important to do your homework and get the highest price possible with auctions.

2. Buy it Now: Some sellers also have Buy It Now prices on their items. If you don't want to follow the auction for a few days, then you can choose to buy the product directly. Again, do your homework, as it's very common for sellers to list inflated "buy it now" prices.

3. Buy it Now with ability to Negotiate: Similar to the second point, there is a buy option where the seller pays a price to buy the product outright, but with negotiating power. So, if you think the seller is jacking up the price, you can try negotiating. You make an offer and the seller has the right to accept or reject it. If they accept, you can buy at the negotiated price. You'll find that you can sometimes get a card for 30-40% of the "buy it now" price.

If you're unsure of the value of your card and want to know how much to pay, eBay Recent Sold Items is one of the best tools. To see recently sold items on eBay, on the left side of the screen, find the filter labeled "Sold Items", which, as the title suggests, shows all recent sales and can be used as a price guide when looking for When purchasing the card. While there's no guarantee that the card hasn't gone up or down in value, you at least know you're paying the same as the next person.

With thousands of sellers, there's usually a good chance you'll find what you need in one form or another. With dozens of filter and sorting options to narrow your search, including by sport, team, player, card attribute, and grade, collectors can find exactly the sports card they're looking for.

Plus, eBay doesn't discriminate against users' budgets, and there's a range of cards available to every collector, making it a real vortex for those chasing sports trading card bargains.

Another thing I highly recommend when buying on eBay is to check the seller's feedback rating. A high feedback score at or very close to 100% positive also gives you more confidence that the seller is legit and minimizes your potential risk of being scammed.

However, if anything does happen, be sure to contact eBay customer service as they do an excellent job of protecting buyers and ensuring they get exactly what was advertised or their money back. 

Disadvantages of buying on eBay include dealing with sellers yourself, especially if something goes wrong; sometimes high shipping and handling charges; hassle if you need to return an item; and the difficulty of finding truly unusual items.

All in all, though, eBay is still a rock star when it comes to buying sports cards online.

You can check out Sports Cards for Sale on eBay here.

#2.                                                        CHECK OUT MY CARDS (COMC)

Finding a platform that is both reliable and well-informed is a real struggle for buyers in any industry, but ComC is bucking the trend in the sports card trading market.

In many ways, it works the same way as eBay. Sellers list their cards on the platform, and buyers can buy or bid directly.

That is, a COMC is a sort of clearinghouse that allows collectors and dealers who hold cards to send them to a central location (yes, COMC) and have buyers find the cards in the same place. ComC's detailed sales history, price checks of similar cards and a variety of buying options make it a true paradise for sports card collectors.

The beauty of ComC is that it's a platform made for card fans. That means ComC has little things you won't find on a marketplace like eBay that serves a more general audience.

Because of COMC's wide-ranging hobbies, you'll find a wide variety of cards available for purchase, and dealing with a large entity gives you some recourse in the event of a dispute.

If you want to quickly buy and flip sports cards, the COMC platform is for you. You can buy cards from multiple sellers and combine them into one low-priced shipment, or with just a few clicks, you can instantly relist them on the platform for a profit.

Or, if you have sports cards in your family that you would like to sell, you can mail them to COMC and they will list them for you. For a small fee, COMC sorts the cards, scans them in high resolution, and lists them for sale on their website. They also list cards sent to them on eBay, so sellers get double the exposure.

ComC has some limitations, mainly the current lack of low value sports cards on the platform, but for collectors with higher financial aspirations, ComC is a good place and you’ll often find a better standard of product because sellers want to deal with other collectors – and there’s a better chance of finding them at ComC.

Check out COMC here.

#3.                                                        SPORTLOTS

Sportslots, often overlooked due to its haphazard website, is an invaluable resource for buying low-end singles, bulk cards and complete sets.

Entering Sportslots, one of the first things you'll notice is the low-key graphic aesthetic. It looks like one of those old Geocities sites. Also, a lot of links don't work. For example, the help and user guide links don't lead anywhere. That's a little unsettling for a 2024 website.

However, cards on Sportlots start at just $0.18, making it one of the top destinations for buyers on a budget.

Sportslots offers buyers the opportunity to purchase cards at low prices to either keep in their personal collection or resell at a profit on eBay, COMC, Facebook and other online platforms.

Buy and sell baseball, football, basketball and hockey trading cards. Choose from over 46 million fixed-price or auction-style cards.

It's worth mentioning that Sportslots has a great selection of vintage baseballs, especially compared to other non-eBay competitors like COMC and StarStock.

It's also a great place to collect tons of undiscovered prospects.

The site has something called "Sportlots Loot Percentage". When you buy from a seller, you get discounts on buying more from the same source. Percentage to be determined by the seller. Many sellers on Sportslots have 10, 20, 50 or more of the same card, making it possible for collectors to buy undiscovered leads in bulk at low prices.

If you want to focus on the sports cards equivalent of micro bets, then Sportlots is the platform you need to explore. It dominates the low-end market that many people overlook.

Check out Sportlots here.

#4.                                                        MYSLABS

My Slabs is an online marketplace for buying and selling sports cards, an alternative to eBay. It has been operating since 2018.

While the folks behind My Slabs "respect eBay and have collectively bought and sold millions of dollars in collectibles on their platform," they're frustrated that the platform charges 13% of the selling price in exchange for a buyer-seller connection.

As My Slabs puts it, For slabbed cards, especially fixed price listings, the fees seemed egregious. Other complaints include eBays permissive return policy, the frequency of non-paying customers, the cumbersome nature of the site for buyers, and the arduous listing process for sellers.”

That question gave birth to the idea for My Slabs: an online marketplace for buying and selling graded sports cards. NO listing fees and a 1% selling fee with a $1 minimum. However, My Slabs doesn't pay the 3% goods and services fee on PayPal, so add that to your calculations.

eBay is more of a buyer's marketplace, while My Slabs is more of a seller's marketplace. They maintain a strict no-return policy (with a few exceptions), and the owners evict buyers who don't pay for their card or violate the guidelines. Sellers, however, are only charged if their item sells.

In other words, My Slab is actively working to eliminate a major problem sellers face on eBay. While that may seem like a lofty goal, the company has done well so far.

As a result, MySlabs has quickly made a name for itself, even though it's only a relatively new player in the online card market. Due to its low selling fees and rigorous screening process, MySlabs is ideal for buyers and sellers alike.

MySlabs is a true peer-to-peer marketplace designed for collectors looking to avoid high auction and consignment fees. MySlabs lets sellers quickly transfer cards and buyers browse competitively priced sports cards.

#5.                                                        BECKETT PLACE

The longest established and most trusted price guide maker in the hobby also offers one of the largest online marketplaces for buying, selling and trading sports cards of all kinds - new and used, the Big Four sports and more, from all manufacturers.

The online site also allows you to trade cards with registered members. Unfortunately, individual collectors cannot sell their cards for cash.

However, if you have an extensive collection and can verify your card grade, you can call on the service to become a registered Beckett Marketplace dealer.

$6.99 per month or $64.99 per year after a 30-day free trial.

Registered sellers have access to real-time price guides, marketplaces, wish lists, where they can track selling prices and organize collections.

Currently, there are over 127 million sports cards on the market, making Beckett's one of the most popular ways to sell sports cards online.

Because of the registration requirements, Beckett's isn't the best option if you're new to selling sports cards and don't have a very valuable collection.

If you're still collecting cards, you can also join a loyalty program. You'll receive rewards points that you can redeem for discounts on future orders.

Once you find a seller you like on the site, you can also visit their Beckett storefront to view their other products, and also have the option to compare prices from sellers and cards across different products.

Beckett even offers a grading service where you get free shipping on orders worth $50 or more.

Check out the Beckett Marketplace here.

#6.                                                        Facebook

Bad things happen with buying and selling via Facebook, but in the world of sports trading cards, it's a viable option for most levels of collectors.

In fact, I think it works because there’s a lot of potential to get a good bargain. There are actually two top options for buying sports cards on Facebook.

1. Facebook Groups: There are many Facebook groups where members can sell their cards and packs. This is an attractive option for sellers as they do not charge any selling fees. No sales fee also means you're likely to get a bargain. Make sure you pay with PayPal though - and don't pay anyone as "family or friends" so you're protected if things don't go your way. After all, you are literally sending money to strangers on the Internet.

2. Local MarketPlaces: Depending on the city you live in, your local market may have an active poker scene. You're unlikely to buy a premium card, but you might find some good deals from local sellers.

There are countless Facebook groups dedicated to the sports card hobby, some of which focus on specific eras, teams, players and types of cards. However, be cautious when dealing directly with other parties as there are very few protections for transactions.

The limitation of buying through the Facebook Marketplace is mainly the lack of very rare cards, which is a turn off for high end collectors, but serves as a resource to maintain collections, especially if collectors release their collections in large numbers.

#7.                                                        TWITTER

As strong as the community of collectors is on Facebook, Twitter may be an even greater hotbed of hobby activity.

Here it is easy to interact with other buyers and sellers to close deals.

Different people do this in different ways - some show photos and link to listings on other sites from this list, some ask for DM bids, others start running threads on a certain time of day on a certain night of the week.

As with Facebook, buyers and sellers always have to watch out on Twitter because you’re pretty much going it alone when it comes to vetting the other party.

#8.                                                        INSTAGRAM

Instagram is arguably the best social media platform to showcase your collection because the entire platform is dominated by images.

There's a huge community of sports card collectors on Instagram, and it's easy to connect and buy cards.

As with Facebook and Twitter, collectors and dealers quickly figured out how to use Instagram to buy, sell and trade cards.

You're sure to find plenty of fun cards, and plenty of cardboard eye candy, but again - be careful with deals initiated on any social media platform. Make sure you only trade with other reliable and trustworthy collectors.

#9.                                                        StockX

Having originally burst onto the scene in the sports apparel market, StockX now trade sports cards online and they are a decent option for buyers.

StockX is a stockmarket style marketplace where you can buy and sell your sports cards, by bidding and asking. It is not only limited to sports cards but also other collectible items, such as sneakers, watches, and other stuff.

Buy and sell StockX Verified trading cards on StockX, and expand your collection with rare Pokemon, Panini and Sports cards.

Being able to identify a card and directly negotiate with the seller is hugely appealing with StockX and their status within the sports trading card world is growing rapidly.

One element that StockX has that I like is the double buy/sell element.

Complete series of sports cards are more popular on the site, but you can still sell singles as well. The site tracks prices in real-time and allows you to set your prices for buyers to accept or offer on.

#10.                                                        StarStock

Founded in November 2019, StarStock enables amateurs to buy and sell graded and raw (ungraded) cards instantly. The process is actually quite simple.

Sellers ship their cards to StarStock to be listed on their website. These cards are stored in StarStock's secure vault. When a buyer purchases a card, they can choose to keep the card in the vault, or have it sent to them.

Some say it's a modern version of COMC, but it's more than that. Here you can also send cards or buy cards and they will be transferred to your library. After that, you can decide to keep or ship them.

The seller's card will be added to your "Collection". Once a card is in your collection, you can "list" it, which means you can put a sale price on it.

When you buy a card, it transfers from the seller's collection to the buyer's collection - meaning the transaction is instant.

StarStock is similar to StockX in some ways. The instant buy and sell model is what makes StarStock so much fun. For example, fans can buy players' cards before games start. If a player has a big game, they can sell the card for a profit within hours of buying it.

StarStock has some perks like fast turnaround time and low fees – when it comes to fees, StarStock charges sellers 5% per transaction (minimum $0.05).

To date, StarStock has sold over 750,000 cards and an additional 1,000,000+ cards are currently stored in their vault. For buyers looking for investment cards however, StarStock has a proven track record, specialising in rookie card trading.

We like StarStock because you can find deals on the specific players you want. You can search by sport and player.

#11.                                                        DEALER WEBSITES

Hundreds of card dealers maintain their own websites and most of those allow you to buy cards online.

A simple Google search will turn up tons of these sites, but here are some of the best online dealers with the most trusted reviews and least negative customer experiences.

• Dave and Adam’s Card World

• Blowout Cards

• Larry Fritsch Cards LLC

• Dean’s Cards

• Burbank Sports Cards

• Steel City Collectibles
  

• Charm City Cards

• Kruk Cards

#12.                                                        FORUMS

Forums are a great alternative to e-commerce sites like eBay and COMC because you have the opportunity to make personal connections with other sports card enthusiasts. They have a dedicated discussion board for buying and selling sports cards.

One of the nice things about sports card forums is that if you're trying to finish a set and have it listed in a thread, collectors will reach out to them if they have the missing card you're looking for.

The two most popular sports card forums are:

• Blowout Forums

• PSA Card Forums

These are all places I've personally purchased from and highly recommend for personal sports cards, hobby boxes, leisure items, and high-end items.

The 7 Best Online Sites to Buy Pokemon and Other Popular TCGs!

In addition to sports card options, some of these sites can also buy or sell game cards, such as auction sites, social platforms, etc.

Next we intend to list a few of the best sites that are more suitable for game card collectors.

There's no denying that interest in trading card games (TCGs) is on the rise, especially when it comes to the Pokemon trading card games. More and more people are looking not only for new collectibles, but also for rare and hard-to-find cards. 

Aside from Pokemon, TCGs on Digimon, Vanguard, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards, and even virtual cards like Steam’s Dota 2 trading cards are also popular among players. 

What are the Best Places to Buy Gaming Cards Online in 2022?

#1.                                                           eBay

eBay is probably one of the safest sites to buy used Pokémon cards because eBay offers a money-back guarantee. eBay states that the guarantee applies to almost everything on the site (yes, cards) and if for some reason you don't receive what you ordered or as described, they will refund your money, which is great for you (the buyer) very useful.

eBay also recently implemented an Authenticity Guarantee. Any Pokémon cards (and other trading cards) purchased above $250 will be sent from the seller to a certification body for certification.

However, eBay is for collectors, so you'll find those hard-to-find cards, but they'll be more expensive for collector's prices.

But they also do offer affordable options, so if you want to get into the game, they do have the basic package to get you started.

Second, eBay also hosts auctions for major trading card sellers, and every day sees fans dumping their collectibles into empty slots—meaning you can bargain or get a surprise when you buy in bulk.

Click here to check out eBay

#2.                                                          CCGCastle

CCG Castle is a hidden gem in the trading card game industry and they are well known as a reliable source for buying Pokémon cards online.

The first thing you'll notice when you visit a CCG castle is that they're very reasonably priced.

CCG Castle is similar to Troll and Toad, and their prices are indeed similar, but their options vary. They sometimes sell vintage packs, but they do specialize in newer items.

On top of that, they update their prices and availability on a daily basis, making it easy for you to get cards at the right price in no time.

CCGCastle offers some collectible card games that you can't usually find online, as well as the typical big name titles. If you're having trouble finding a card, you'll want to check out this site.

CCG Castle also offers pre-orders for new Pokémon items, so you'll get cards as soon as they're released.

They also offer a great rewards program that gives out 2% store credit on every purchase.

#3.                                                          TCGPlayer

TCG Player has a solid reputation in the Pokémon card industry and is probably second only to eBay when it comes to used card sales. As the gaming industry's leading online collectibles site, TCG connects buyers and sellers globally.

Serving as a middleman means that the cards you order usually do not go through TCG Player, but directly from the seller to you, the buyer. That means fast shipping, but it raises two problems.

First, TCG Player does not require images to be uploaded along with the list. This means you can't double-check the cards beforehand.

Another problem is receiving fake cards. This is not common on TCG Player, but it does happen. Many Redditors reported receiving fake cards, but also said that TCG Player would issue a full refund immediately.

TCG Player is really good at card selection. You can find Magic, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Cardfight, Dragon Ball Super, Star Wars, Flesh and Blood, and many more cards; you can even find jumbo-size Pokemon cards here. You can also find supplies like card protectors, playmats, and memorabilia.  

Due to the sheer number of products offered on this site, if you can't find a card anywhere else, the next thing you'll want to look at is here. For each listing on the site, you can also check the current market rate for that card to see if you're getting a good deal.

#4.                                                          Troll and Toad

Troll and Toad has served the industry for over 25 years and is one of the OGs in the online trading card world.

They're not too different from eBay or TCG Player, but they do have "Troll Cash" - their store credit system has no restrictions on what products you can spend it on.

Troll and Toad is also a site with a huge selection of cards. Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pokemon are the main card games on the site; however, you can also find Final Fantasy, Dragon Ball Super, and even sports cards here.

If you're looking for sports cards, they have many, including MLB baseball cards, NFL football cards, and NBA basketball cards. You can find them from brands like Topps, Panini, and Upper Deck.

Prices tend to be a bit high on the site, but you might be able to find cards here that you won't find elsewhere.

You can send them your card and they will pay you based on the current market rate.

Overall, Troll and Toad is one of the most trusted trading card sellers online today, and one of the most reliable Pokémon card resources.

#5.                                                          Collector’s Cache

collectorscache.com

Collector's Cache has been in business for over 30 years and has been a reliable and trusted online retailer of Pokémon cards. They do have a physical location in Lenexa Kansas, but have been operating online for over 25 years.

Collector's Cache is not a middleman service, it's a breath of fresh air in the modern Pokémon era. Within the community, Collector's Cache has a strong reputation, as many collectors choose to use CC over big marketplaces such as eBay. 

Collector's Cache also guarantees that all of its products are 100% authentic. They also offer tracked shipping and a very reasonable return policy.

#6.                                                          Game Nerdz 

Apart from popular trading card games from Pokemon, Digimon, One Piece, Battle Spirits Saga, the site has TCG accessories for sale such as deck boxes and card sleeves!

They also do what's called Pokémon Breaks, which is a cool little extra that lets you watch a livestream where they pick a random person to get a card based on the type they mentioned.

Click here to check out Poke Nerds

#7.                                                          Cool Stuff Inc

This is another retailer that lets you choose cards from a variety of card games, including Magic and Pokémon.

For each big card game, you can use the site’s advanced search option to find exactly what you’re looking for. 

The cool thing is, there is no specific value for everything.

This means it's out there and you can check to see if the price is good, however, you might not find the best deal on this site.

The site's prices are reasonable, and you can often pre-order through the site when a new card game is released.

Click here to check out Cool Stuff Inc.

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