Hobby-related items such as trading cards are very popular on eBay. They are easy to display, pack and ship, and there is a wealth of resources to determine their value. A new tool from eBay will make it even easier for trading card sellers to list their wares. We have the details on how this can help you bring in some additional income.
From Magic to DiMaggio
A press release from eBay introduces a scanning tool that should cut the time it takes to list trading cards in half. You can find the feature in the eBay app for both iOS and Android. The e-commerce giant says it will work with Magic the Gathering cards at launch and add support for Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards in May. Functionality for sports and other trading cards will follow later in 2021. According to the release, eBay saw sales of trading cards increase by 4 million in the past year. The new scanning tool uses computer vision technology to not only streamline listing creation but make eBay’s trading card inventory better for its 185 million purchasers. The news about Dr. Seuss’s books being pulled from publication led to some outrageously expensive listings on eBay. Tap or click here for more about the rush for these suddenly rare books.
Numbers don’t lie
Trading card sales have been huge. Now more than ever, you can find buyers for your collectible cards. Here are some statistics from eBay:
119 trading cards are listed every minute, with 90 sold per minuteMore than 41 million new trading card listings were created in 2020Nearly 45 million trading cards were sold last yearOne Magic the Gathering card sold for $511,100 in 2021A Pokémon card went for $375,000 this yearA Tom Brady rookie card sold for $555,988 this year
Get the app and start scanning
If you don’t already have the eBay app, you can find it in Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. Once the update is implemented, here’s how it works:
Open the app and type a name into the search bar. Since Magic trading cards will be the first to work with the tool, we’ll use that as an example. Type “Magic the Gathering” and then select Tap to search with your camera. Point your smartphone camera at the card and hold to scan it. A list of matches will come up, showing details such as the name, card title, rarity and more. Tap the closest match to automatically fill your listing in with the details. Add photos, condition, price and shipping costs to complete your listing.
While you can make a nice profit selling trading cards, eBay can also help you save money on certain electronics. Tap or click here to read about the certified refurbished program.
