Cards are one of the easiest things to sell live, because everything that decides the price is visible on camera if you light it properly and hold it still.
The four things graders look at
Centring — how evenly the borders frame the image, front and back. Corners — sharp, soft, or rounded. Edges — chipping, especially on dark borders where it shows white. Surface — print lines, scratches, creases, gloss.
Those four are what the grading companies assess and what your room is assessing whether you name them or not. Name them.
Showing a card properly
- Hold it still; a card waved past the lens tells nobody anything
- Light it from the side so surface marks appear, then straight on for colour
- Show the back, which is where centring problems and staining usually show first
- For a graded card, show the label and the grade clearly
If somebody asks for a closer look at a corner, give it. That request is somebody about to bid.
Raw and graded are different markets
A raw card and the same card in a slab are not the same item at different prices. Say which you have, and never describe a raw card by the grade you think it would get. "I would hope for a high grade" is an opinion; written as a number it reads as a fact.
Measuring
Modern cards are made to a standard size, so a trimmed card measures short. If you are selling something valuable and raw, measuring it on camera is a strong thing to do, and it costs you nothing when the card is fine.
Delivery
Cards bend, and an Indian summer is hard on them in a way that is slow and invisible. Packing cards.
More: how to sell on Metzee, pricing cards.
Questions people ask
Should I get cards graded before selling?
Only when the value clearly justifies the cost and the wait. For most cards it does not. How grading works.
Can I sell cards in lots?
Yes, and lots sell well. Count them honestly, photograph the whole lot, and keep anything notable out of it.
Is it worth cleaning a card?
No. Anything you do to a card's surface is damage or looks like it.