✍ The Collector’s Crossroads

by Brews & Breaks

We’ve all heard it (and probably said it):

“Ugh, eBay fees are killing the hobby.”

“eBay’s taking 13%? That’s robbery.”

“Bro I listed my card and it didn’t sell—platform is dead.”

And to that, I raise a lukewarm cup of reality and say:

Maybe the platform isn’t broken… maybe your card is.

💸 The Truth Hurts: Not All Cards Deserve a Buyer

Here’s a wild concept:

Just because you own a card doesn’t mean someone wants it.

I know. Shocking.

That Raw Donruss Base of [Insert QB Who Just Got Benched] isn’t appreciating like crypto. It’s not “underpriced.” It’s just… mid. And mid cards don’t pay for grading, shipping, or your DoorDash tab.

📉 Let’s Do the Sad Math

Let’s say you listed a card for $25.

eBay fee: 13% = $3.25

Shipping: $4–5

Envelope, time, gas, sanity = let’s round up to $10 cost

That’s $15 left in your pocket.

Now subtract the $20 you paid for the card last year.

🥁

You lost $5 to prove a point.

🤔 But What About All the Lowballers?

You mean the people offering market value for a card that sat unsold for 6 months?

They aren’t lowballing. You’re nostalgic for a comp from two playoff runs ago. Or worse—you're listing based on what someone else paid during a Whatnot drunk breakathon.

Newsflash: That’s not real market value. That’s hobby-induced psychosis.

🛑 Your Card Isn't Rare—It's Just Unwanted

You know how many people are trying to sell a PSA 9 Base Ja Morant right now?

More than people trying to buy one.

You know how many 2023 Mosaic Color Match Rookie Parallels of Every Player Ever exist?

Enough to tile a bathroom.

Rarity isn’t a color. It’s demand.

💡 Will’s Real Talk Rule:

“If a card’s been listed on eBay for 90+ days without a watcher, it’s not eBay’s fault—it’s my pricing… or my card.”

🔄 The Fix: Sell Smarter, Not Louder

✅ Check recent sales, not asking prices

✅ List with Best Offer — you’re not too cool for OBO

✅ Price to sell, not to prove a point

✅ Understand seasonal hype cycles

✅ If it’s trash, move it in a $5 bin at a show and smile

You’re not stuck with the card. You’re stuck with your ego.

🙃 eBay Doesn’t Owe You a Sale

It’s a marketplace. Not a magic trick. If your card is fire, priced right, and clean—it will sell.

But if it’s a PSA 8 Silver Prizm of a WR4 with turf toe… well, that’s a you problem, my guy.

🧼 Final Word: The Card Market Doesn’t Care How Much You Paid

Buy smart. Sell smarter.

Blame yourself once in a while—it’s cheaper than blaming eBay.

Until next time,

Keep Sippin’ and Rippin’

— Will @ Brews & Breaks 🍻

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