eBay is introducing a new feature that will make listing collectible card games easier than ever before. Beginning in late April, sellers will be able to scan their trading cards using eBay’s mobile apps for iOS and Android to create a listing in half the time. The new selling tool will support Magic the Gathering cards at launch and expand to Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! in May, followed by sports trading cards and other collective card games later this year.
“Among our 185 million shoppers around the world we’ve seen unparalleled demand for trading cards over the past year, with four million more sold than the year prior,” said Nicole Colombo, Head of Trading Cards and Collectibles at eBay. “We’re actively listening to our growing community to invest in new enhancements, including leveraging computer vision technology and building a robust trading card catalog. Our new listing feature will not only create a faster and more convenient experience for our sellers, but will also provide more robust trading card inventory for shoppers – all while ensuring that the information in card listings is more accurate.”
How It Works
Sellers can use eBay’s new image listing feature by following these simple steps:
- Open or download eBay’s app from an iOS or Android mobile device or tablet. Start your listing by typing a game name into the search bar (e.g., “Magic the Gathering”). When prompted, select “Tap to search with your camera.”
- Point your camera at the card and hold to scan the card’s image. A list of possible matches will pop up, showing details that include game name, card title, card set, card number, rarity, card type, power and more.
- Tap the correct (or closest) match to pre-populate your listing with all of the card details.
- Add photos, the card condition, price and shipping to complete your listing.
Additional Enhancements to Support Trading Card Sellers and Buyers
Improving Returns: As of earlier this year, Top Rated Sellers are no longer required to offer remorse returns for their listings to qualify for Top Rated Plus, which gives sellers a 10 percent discount, badging and additional eBay protections.
Low-Cost Shipping: eBay Standard Envelope provides an inexpensive way for sellers to securely ship trading cards. With this new affordable shipping service, sellers in the U.S. are able to print labels and ship raw trading cards (priced at $20 and under, and weighing up to 3 oz.) in an envelope with tracking for less than $1.
Protecting Buyers & Sellers: Also coming soon, eBay is reviewing its buyer protection policy for trading cards to ensure it protects both buyers and sellers in a category with high market volatility.
Trading Cards by the Numbers*
- There are an average of 119 trading cards listed per minute on eBay.
- Last year, over 41 million new trading card listings were created in the trading card category on eBay.
- There were an average of 90 cards sold per minute on eBay over the last year.
- Nearly 45 million trading cards sold on eBay in 2020.
2021’s Most Notable Trading Card Sales:
- 1993 Magic the Gathering MTG Alpha Black Lotus R A AUTO PSA 10 GEM MINT ($511,100)
- 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady ROOKIE RC AUTO #144 PSA 10 GEM MINT ($555,988)
- 1996 Topps Chrome Refractor Kobe Bryant ROOKIE RC #138 PSA 10 GEM MINT ($500,000)
- 1998 Pokémon Japanese Promo Holo Illustrator Pikachu PSA 7 NRMT ($375,000)
- 2006 Pokémon World Championships Promo No. 2 Trainer PSA 9 MINT ($110,100)
Most Popular Trading Card Categories:
- Pokémon Trading Cards
- Basketball Trading Cards
- Baseball Trading Cards
- Magic the Gathering Cards
- Football Trading Cards
Trading Card Growth By State:
- Montana- 482%
- Oregon- 399%
- Florida- 332%
- California- 332%
- Nevada- 326%
- Minnesota- 322%
- New Jersey- 288%
- Massachusetts- 287%
- Michigan- 283%
- Vermont- 270%
*Based on eBay search and sales data from January 2020 - December 2020.