Dealer Cash Offer Estimator
Before you walk into the card shop — know what they're likely to offer. Velocity, grade tier, and brand all move the number. See the expected offer range and the math behind it.
Card Profile
Expected Dealer Offer Range
$500-$2,000 zone: dealer $275 vs eBay net $425. eBay net usually wins on raw math, but dealer gives instant cash. Auction consignment (PWCC/Goldin ~15% fee) nets ~$400 but takes 3-6 months.
The Math
4 Ways to Push the Dealer Offer Up
- 1Bring verified comps. Three recent sold comps on your phone turns a 45% offer into a 55% offer. Dealers respect sellers who do their homework.
- 2Bundle cards. 10 cards together gets a higher per-card percentage than 10 individual transactions. Amortizes dealer due-diligence time.
- 3Time your sale. End-of-month dealers run their P&L. They may stretch offers to hit inventory or cashflow goals.
- 4Show your alternative. "I can get 55% on eBay once fees come out, so 58% cash today works" frames the negotiation. Dealers know which sellers are desperate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of retail will a dealer pay cash?
Typical dealer cash offers run 40-65% of verified retail. Fast-moving modern cards (current rookie stars, top brand releases) hit the top of that range at 55-65%. Slow-moving commons, vintage non-stars, and off-brand cards fall to 30-45%. Dealers pay more for cards they can flip within 60 days on eBay or Whatnot; they pay less for inventory that will sit in a case. The estimator above applies a velocity multiplier + grade multiplier + brand multiplier to generate a realistic offer range.
Why do dealers offer so much less than retail?
Dealers carry three costs you do not: (1) Platform fees if they resell — eBay 13.25% + payment processing eats ~14% of any resale. (2) Inventory time cost — if they hold the card for 90 days waiting for a buyer, their working capital is tied up. (3) Overhead — rent, show tables, insurance, staff. A dealer paying 60% of retail on a $1,000 card nets roughly $240-280 in profit after all costs, assuming the card flips within 60 days. If it takes 6 months, they break even. This is why dealers discount hard on slow movers.
How do I get a better cash offer from a dealer?
Four leverage points. First, bring verified comp data (three recent sold comps on your phone). A dealer offering 45% can be pushed to 55% if you can prove the card sells fast. Second, offer bulk — a dealer paying 55% on one card may pay 60% on a 10-card lot because the per-card due-diligence time is amortized. Third, time your sale — end of month, dealers are running their P&L and may stretch to clear inventory goals. Fourth, be willing to walk — the best single move in any negotiation is showing you have a better alternative (direct eBay sale, different dealer). Dealers know which sellers are desperate and price accordingly.
Is a dealer offer better than eBay for high-value cards?
Usually no for cards over $500. eBay's 13.25% fee is lower than the 35-45% dealer discount, and high-value cards find the right buyer regardless of exposure. For cards under $100, dealer offers can be competitive with eBay once you factor your time to list, ship, and handle buyer questions. Under $25, dealer bulk offers often beat eBay net proceeds because eBay's fixed $0.40 per-transaction fee eats too much of the margin.
What is the velocity multiplier in the estimator?
Velocity is the rate at which a card typically sells. Fast = sells within 30 days on eBay (current rookie stars, top-graded modern, current-year product). Medium = 30-90 day typical sell cycle (most modern non-rookie base, mid-tier vintage). Slow = 90+ days (commons, unloved sets, off-brand cards). Dealers offer about 10-15 percentage points more for fast cards than slow. The estimator applies a baseline offer percentage of 55% and adjusts ±10% based on velocity.
Does the card's grade change the offer percentage?
Yes. Graded PSA 10 / BGS 9.5+ / SGC 10 cards get higher offer percentages (55-65% of retail) because they are easier to resell — the grade commands buyer confidence. Raw cards get lower offers (35-50%) because the dealer absorbs grading risk. Graded-but-sub-10 cards (PSA 8-9) sit in the middle. The estimator applies a grade multiplier of 1.15 for top-pop grades, 1.00 for mid-grade, 0.85 for raw.
Should I take a dealer offer or consign to an auction house?
Depends on card value and time horizon. Cards under $500: dealer cash offer is usually faster + simpler and the consignment fees eat the delta. Cards $500-$2,000: toss-up — auction consignment (10-20% commission at PWCC, Heritage, Goldin) nets roughly the same as a 60% dealer cash offer but takes 3-6 months. Cards $2,000+: auction consignment usually wins by 10-25% because major auction houses drive competitive bidding that dealers cannot match. Rule: above $2K, take the wait. Below $500, take the cash.
Does this tool work for sealed wax too?
Yes but with caveats. Dealer offers on sealed wax run lower percentages (35-50% of retail) because wax is capital-intensive to store and pricing is volatile. Sealed boxes of current-year product get the highest dealer offers (45-55% of retail). Vintage sealed (1980s-1990s) often gets bulk-rate offers (30-40%) because dealers cannot vouch for the contents and graded pack economics take over. Use the "Slow" velocity setting for most sealed wax and reduce the offer estimate by another 5-10 percentage points.