Most new flippers fail because they ignore details. Shipping costs, eBay fees (13%), and income tax will eat your profit alive if you don't do the math before you buy.
The 3 Proven Strategies
1. The "Raw to Graded" Arbitrage
Difficulty: Hard
Concept: Buy raw cards on eBay that look clean. Grade them with PSA. Sell the PSA 10 slabs.
Risk: If it gets a PSA 9, you often lose money.
2. The "Cross-Over" Play
Difficulty: Expert
Concept: Buy old SGC or BGS 9.5 slabs. Crack them open. Resubmit to PSA hoping for a 10.
Risk: You might crack a BGS 9.5 and get a PSA 8 back.
3. The "Prospecting" Bet
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: Buy 50 Bowman Chrome autos of a 17-year-old player (e.g., Ethan Salas). Wait 3 years for him to debut. Sell into the hype.
Risk: He might never make the majors.
The Profit Formula
Stop lying to yourself about your profits. Use this formula.
Tools of the Trade
1. Thermal Printer (Rollo)
Never buy ink again. Prints 4x6 shipping labels in 1 second.
2. COMC Account
Send bulk cards here. They scan and list them for you. Great for cards under $20.