(Card) Flipping into 2025 With the Best of 2024 & More: Resources, Tips, Guidance
Now that (hopefully) all of the “end of 2024/hello 2025” marketing has passed through your inboxes, I’m sending along a few things to help you make the most of your cards, my brain, and this platform.
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.
Now that (hopefully) all of the “end of 2024/hello 2025” marketing has passed through your inboxes, I’m sending along a few things to help you make the most of your cards, my brain, and this platform.
Plus, we have a number of new subscribers, and baseball is right around the corner, so now is as good of a time as any!
My Card Philosophy and the Content I Create
The sports card landscape is riddled with risk. Of course, that’s what makes things exciting as well. Breaks, ripping new product, grading. There is a lot of chance.
When I first returned to cards, I was quickly sucked into breaks, but learned the hard way that it just wasn’t sustainable for my personal collection or my card business.
On the PC side, I now only buy singles (I collect A’s; mostly Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, and Lawrence Butler. I’m also a huge 90s-early 00s insert card collector, which has branched off into a mini Ken Griffey Jr. PC as well.)
On the business side, I try to minimize risk as much as possible. This means staying away from breaks, ripping, and grading.
Of course, there are exceptions.
I’ll break if Fanatics sends me a hefty promo code; I’ll rip new product for TikTok content, and I’ll grade when I feel I’ve eliminated a lot of risk.
But in terms of turning profit, I like to flip singles, and I eliminate a lot of risk by either:
1. Buying underpriced cards that can be resold “right now” for more money
2. Buying trending cards at “yesterday’s” prices and selling them at today’s market value
Sharing my knowledge above is why I started this platform. Through my articles, chats, emails, podcast, etc. I’m doing my best to show you how I utilize these methods to make money with cards.
That includes:
“Hot” card reports where I point out the cards that are on their way up
Articles on recent flips including where I found cards and why I bought them
Tips on finding comps/card values
Other “sticky” resources you can use to improve your personal card ways
Not everything will apply to every person here. It’s impossible.
My goal is to give you all the info and then have you figure out what type of approach works best for you, your collection, card buying/selling, etc.
Oh, and in terms of cadence, I try not to go more than a couple of days without publishing. Of course, I’m human and have a family, job, etc., so sometimes things happen.
I sincerely want to provide as much value as possible here, and publishing is a huge part of that, so just know I’ll never forget about you.
I truly appreciate you all and look forward to another great year. I started this in July of 2024 as a bit of an unknown/Hail Mary, and it has turned into a big success thanks to all of you on the receiving end. -Ryan, Ballcard Genius
Finding What You Need
To say it bluntly, the Substack app could be a lot better. It’s good for reading newly-published content thanks to push notifications and mobile-friendliness, but it’s awful for revisiting older content and permanent resources.
For that reason, I highly suggest you use the browser-based platform instead of the app from time to time.
In doing so you’ll be able to easily access that main menu that includes links to:
Podcast
Chat
Sneaky Valuable Cards List
Sports Cad Search Engine
Genius Insights Service
My Purchase/Profit Tracker
Card Tracking Spreadsheet Template
My Card Stack (Tools/Recommendations)
Post Archive
If you have questions on any of the above, please let me know!
Card Flipping Methods/Strategies/Tips
I put a lot of time into every post I publish, but these I feel are especially useful when it comes to flipping sports cards.
Flipping a $5 card purchase into $1,500 (Know & Seek Method)
Flipping an $8 card purchase into $800 (Right Place, Right Time + a Little Knowledge)
Most of the takeaways from the articles above have been summarized in episodes 1 and 2 of my podcast, but “Know & Seek” is basically learning that a sneaky valuable card exists and then going out and finding it while “Right Place, Right Time” is coming across a card that is a good flipping opportunity.
Know & Seek Resources
How to flip $5 (or sometimes less) cards into $40 profit (or sometimes more!)
Flipped for $44: Here is Where I Found the Card & How I Knew it Was a Good Price.
Sneaky-Valuable Cards to Check for & to Know About When Searching Value Boxes
I Bought a Card for $20 Last Week & Just Sold it for $100 ($85 After Fees)
Right Place, Right Time Resources
Comping Resources
Flipping a $20 Baseball Card Purchase into a $200 Sale—Lessons In Comping for Profit
Comparing Card Values, Grades & More: A Tribute to Rickey Henderson
3 Tips to Find (Better) Comps So You Can Buy Cards With Confidence
You Found a Potential Flip But Also Know the Market Changes Quickly—What to Do?
Grading Resources
I Just Graded 14 Cards with PSA—Surprises, Shocks, and What the Hecks
PSA 10 or Bust? Comparing Graded Values vs. Raw (And Other Grading Thoughts)
Comparing PSA, SGC, and BGS Prices for 10 of the Market's Hottest Modern Cards
Specific Sets/Card Knowledge Resources
Tips to Recognize Valuable Cards in a Complex Set Like 1998 Pinnacle Epix
5 Sports Cards/Sets I Just Discovered Are Worth a Lot of Money
This Mother's Cookies Baseball Card is Worth a Lot More Than Most Others
Piecing Together the 1995 Upper Deck Predictor Card Puzzle (for Profit?)
Data & Research Resources
With all of that, I truly appreciate you all and look forward to another great year. I started this in July of 2024 as a bit of an unknown/Hail Mary, and it has turned into a big success thanks to all of you on the receiving end.