How to Pick a Local Sports Card Dealer

Find a Sports Card Dealer in Your Neighborhood

• 1

  Collect contact information and locations for local sports card dealers in your area. Collectors can flip through their phone book's business section under the appropriate heading. Card websites like Beckett offer a quick research tool for the organized collector (see Resources below).

• 2

  Visit each sports card dealer in your area to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each business. Every collector has different needs when it comes to sports cards. A sports card enthusiast should look for a dealer that is honest, knowledgeable and connected in the sports card industry.

• 3

  Attend sports card and hobby events in your area to pick reliable card dealers. Card dealers may be more helpful or offer better products than they would in their store. These events help collectors determine who is at the forefront of the local sports card scene.

• 4

  Maintain regular contact with your favorite sports card dealers to stay updated on local card news. Sports card dealers can impart information on frequent shoppers, including new shops that are opening or new sports cards arriving in the near future.

• 5

  Inquire to local sports card dealers about any certifications they possess. Leading sports card dealers often have experience in archiving rare materials or possess a license to grade sports cards from a sanctioning body. The products at stores with a dynamic card dealer may be more expensive but include assurances of quality and authenticity.

• 6

  Utilize different sports card dealers in your neighborhood for different purposes. A collector may find that a smaller dealer has connections to rare cards while another dealer has access to information on the future of the sports card market.