Become A Top-Rated Sports Card Seller At eBay

Thanks to eBay’s Detailed Seller Rating program and the perks that come with it, many sellers now wish to become a top-rated sports card seller at eBay. Aside from qualifying for a 20% discount on final value fees each month, Top-Rated Sellers also have better chances of getting their listings seen in Best Match searches and bagging promotions like free listings.

So, how do you keep bidders happy and score a high eBay DSR? Here are three tips to help get you on your way.

How to Become a Top-Rated Sports Card Seller at eBay 

Describe items accurately

One thing that’s sure to result in poor ratings is customers receiving items that are totally different from what they ordered. No one wants to spend money on something they don’t like, so when describing the items you put up for sale, always make sure that you do so accurately and honestly. 

Now, recent polls show that around 80% of buyers don’t read beyond the auction titles. That means your listing titles should have enough information to make someone decide to buy or not. You can even say “damaged” or “folded corner” in the titles to set expectations regarding the sports cards’ condition right away. It also doesn’t hurt to add “read description” if there’s something important explained in the description, particularly when the title isn’t enough to account for it.

Lastly, add actual pictures. Take a camera and take photos of the sports cards—don’t grab generic photos from the internet. Actual photos are useful in setting buyer expectations especially when the sports cards are not in perfect condition and you need traders to be aware of any damage.

Maintain good communication

This one means easy 5-star ratings. eBay’s latest rating system automatically grants sellers a perfect score if there’s no communication prior to leaving feedback. 

That rule seems a little odd, but nevertheless, it’s still good practice to reply when someone did message you. Be sure to respond to messages as promptly as possible. If you’re getting tons of messages and replying to all of them is difficult at the moment, prioritize the urgent ones. Messages about a sports card listing that is soon to end fall under the urgent category, so be sure to take a look at those.

Ship fast

eBay now requires that for 90% of all transactions, Top-Rated Sellers must ship and upload tracking information within the specified handling time. On top of that, if you want to qualify and earn the 20% discount on final value fees, your handling period must be one day and you must offer a 14-day return policy as well.

Be transparent about your handling time and see to it that buyers are informed of delays. If you’ll be pre-selling sets, make sure that it’s properly indicated in the title or description and that you set your handling time accordingly.

Though most buyers understand that shipping often takes a day or two, they’d still want their orders shipped fast, probably within hours after the order was placed. So, to avoid conflicts, be clear about your handling time, communicate delays with buyers, and aim to resolve issues quickly. 

Browse The Blez website for more handy information on card breaking and trading. Feel free to also check out our online store’s large selection of sports cards or catch us when we do our daily live card unboxing if you’re looking to grow your card collection.