Ballcard Genius Podcast

Here we go again:

Another relatively obscure parallel, another cheap pickup on CollX, and another quick flip for nearly $180 in profit.

I’ve explained the process plenty of times, and I’ll explain it again. Because clearly, it still works.

I bought this card for under $30 and sold it within a day of listing. And it’s no secret how I make flips like these. It never has been, and it’s even less of a secret with this exact type of card.

The Flip: Dan Marino, Mirror Gold /25

A 1999 Leaf Certified #164 Dan Marino Mirror Gold, numbered to just /25. I found it on CollX for $27.85. It sold within a day of listing for $250 and netted $207.78, a $179.93 profit.

Didn’t We Just Do This?

Yes. Not even a month ago, I wrote about a Mo Vaughn Mirror Gold that I bought for $7.29 and turned into a $199.77 profit.

A few weeks later, here’s another Mirror Gold. This one is numbered /25, and this one is football. I had to pay a little more for it, but it all comes back to the same process. Between the two, that’s about $35 in and nearly $380 in profit.

The Process (Again)

Set up saved searches.

Check them regularly for the cards you think are sneaky valuable.

That’s it.

And if you need inspiration, I’m really only checking a few players and a few types of cards. I do very little football checking. I found this Marino because I was searching for Leaf Certified, not Marino.

When it comes to players, 99% of what I check is baseball.

So if you’re a football fan, collector or flipper (or basketball, hockey, et cetera), you’re not competing with me. There’s a lot of opportunity out there.

The best advice I can give comes in three steps:

* Learn. Know the sets, the parallels and the numbering that make one card worth ten times another.

* Build the habit. Once you’ve learned, set up processes to go back and check for those cards, and check them regularly.

* Know how to comp. It’s not just what has sold recently, it’s what sold years ago. And it’s not just what has sold, it’s what’s currently listed.

Cards this scarce don’t sell every week, so the full picture matters.

Takeaway

I share these flips because I want people to see how repeatable the process can be. Not every card is going to work out, and there are plenty of searches that turn up absolutely nothing.

But the more you learn, the more opportunities you can recognize. And once you build a process around that knowledge, you give yourself more chances to find them.

I’ve now made nearly $380 in profit on two Mirror Golds in less than a month. Same process, different cards, and hopefully plenty more to come.

And seriously, if you have questions about any of this, ask away. I’m happy to share what I know.

Here is how you can use comps to your advantage when scouting cards to buy and sell. Better comping helps eliminate risk and increase your confidence in making the right moves.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As I am a part of the eBay Partner Network and other programs, if you follow these links and make a purchase, I’ll receive commission (at no cost to you). I appreciate your support!

This is not buying or investment advice. I’m simply reporting the data I’m seeing. Please do your own research and make your own decisions. Just because cards have increased in value up to this point, it doesn’t mean they will continue to do so.

Here is the card I bought/sold on eBay

BaseballCardPedia Resource

To access the free eBay research tool, on the eBay app, go to “Selling” and then under “Jump to…” select “Research. On a computer, go to “My eBay” and then “Selling.” Hover over “Research” and select “Product Research.”

This episode is about grading, and specifically, tips and considerations for assessing a raw card before grading. Hint: It's not only about the condition!

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As I am a part of the eBay Partner Network and other programs, if you follow these links and make a purchase, I’ll receive commission (at no cost to you). I appreciate your support!

As always, do your own research and make your own decisions—this is all for informational purposes only, and how I personally approach different card situations!

RESOURCES:

PSA Population ReportMarket Movers

Some valuable cards look like a million bucks while others look like nothing more than run of the mill. Either way, with the knowledge comes the chance to capitalize when you see such sneaky valuable cards priced below where they should be!

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As I am a part of the eBay Partner Network and other programs, if you follow these links and make a purchase, I’ll receive commission (at no cost to you). I appreciate your support!

This is not buying or investment advice. I’m simply reporting the data I’m seeing. Please do your own research and make your own decisions. Just because cards have increased in value up to this point, it doesn’t mean they will continue to do so.

Card Examples:

1999 Topps MVP Promotion

1994 Mothers’ Cookies Bo Jackson

1998 Pinnacle Epix

1996 Upper Deck Diamond Destiny

1997 Bowman’s Best Mirror Image

Other Mentions:

SABR's Baseball Cards Research Committee on Mothers’ Cookies

BaseballCardPedia 1999 Topps

BaseballCardPedia 1998 Epix

Today's episode is the third main strategy I use to buy hot and trending cards at yesterday's prices and then sell them for profit at today's market value.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As I am a part of the eBay Partner Network and other programs, if you follow these links and make a purchase, I’ll receive commission (at no cost to you). I appreciate your support!

This is not buying or investment advice. I’m simply reporting the data I’m seeing. Please do your own research and make your own decisions. Just because cards have increased in value up to this point, it doesn’t mean they will continue to do so.

I mentioned the Market Movers platform. It’s not my platform, I’m simply a user and affiliate. If you want to do your own research, you can grab a free trial to Market Movers with code BALLCARDGENIUS. You’d also get 20% off of your membership forever if you wanted to continue once your trial has been completed.

Resources/Sites Mentioned:

Buying Cards:

CollX (app)

Comc.com

BuySportsCards.com

Learn More:

How to Find Deals on Trending Cards (That Aren't on eBay)

Sports Card Search Engine

Connect:

@BallcardGenius on TikTok

Ballcard Genius Substack

Flipping sports doesn't need to involve hundreds of dollars and/or chasing hype. Here are two strategies I use every single day to find undervalued and flip undervalued sports cards.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As I am a part of the eBay Partner Network and other programs, if you follow these links and make a purchase, I’ll receive commission (at no cost to you). I appreciate your support!

This is not buying or investment advice. I’m simply reporting the data I’m seeing. Please do your own research and make your own decisions. Just because cards have increased in value up to this point, it doesn’t mean they will continue to do so.

I mentioned the Market Movers platform. It’s not my platform, I’m simply a user and affiliate. If you want to do your own research, you can grab a free trial to Market Movers with code BALLCARDGENIUS. You’d also get 20% off of your membership forever if you wanted to continue once your trial has been completed.

Resources/Sites Mentioned:

Buying Cards:

CollX (app)

Comc.com

BuySportsCards.com

Research:

Baseball Card Pedia

Trading Card Database

Connect:

@BallcardGenius on TikTok

Ballcard Genius Substack