Sports card sellers will have to wait a bit to try it out, but eBay is introducing a new feature they say will make listing trading cards faster and easier.
Beginning late April, sellers will be able to scan their cards using eBay’s mobile apps for iOS and Android, while the eBay back end does most of the manual work normally required to finish a listing. 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 collectible card games later this year.
Last year, over 41 million new trading card listings were created in the trading card category on eBay with an average of 90 sold per minute. U.S. sales of trading cards grew 142 percent from 2019 to 2020.
“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 will be able use eBay’s new image listing feature by following these steps:
*Open or download eBay’s app from an iOS or Android mobile device or tablet. Start your listing by typing the subject 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 the series, card title, card set, card number, rarity, card type, 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.
The new concept will help sellers “create a listing in half the time,” according to the company.
eBay hasn’t released a specific date or month that it expects to expand the scanning option to sports cards but summer or early fall would seem to be a reasonable estimate based on what the company stated Wednesday. A rollout at the National Sports Collectors Convention would not be surprising.
eBay also says it is also reviewing its buyer protection policy for trading cards to ensure it protects both buyers and sellers in a category with high market volatility. Details are expected later this year.
Nearly 45 million trading cards were sold on eBay in 2020, with millions currently listed across numerous categories.
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