Collectibles

Trading cards, coins, banknotes, stamps and memorabilia from partner stores, with last-checked prices.

Buying collectibles: condition, grading and fakes

A collectible is worth what its condition and authenticity can prove. Two cards with the same name can differ in price by a factor of ten because of a corner, a centring error or a missing certificate. The checks below help you read a listing the way a collector does.

Trading and sports cards

Graded cards are sealed in a slab by a grading company such as PSA, BGS or CGC, with a grade from 1 to 10 and a certificate number you can look up on the grader's website. Always check that number: fake slabs exist. For raw (ungraded) cards, ask for sharp photos of the front, back and all four corners, because the photos are the only evidence of condition.

• "Near mint" is a seller's opinion unless a grade is attached.
• Sealed booster boxes: check the shrink wrap and the manufacturer's logo pattern; resealed boxes are a known scam.

Coins, banknotes and stamps

For coins, third-party grading by services such as NGC or PCGS adds confidence and resale value; look up the certificate number as with cards. Replicas of rare coins are common and some are sold honestly as "copy" in small print. For stamps and banknotes, condition terms (mint, hinged, circulated) change the price a great deal, and faded colours or repairs should be disclosed.

Figures and memorabilia

For vinyl figures and toys, the box condition is part of the value; "box damage" can halve the price. Signed memorabilia is the riskiest area: a signature is only as good as its authentication, from a recognised authenticator or a documented source, not a seller-made certificate.

• Exclusive or convention editions have a sticker or mark; compare it with known genuine examples.
• Keep the listing and photos after buying; they are your evidence if the item is not as described.

Prices and shipping

Asking prices are not market prices. On eBay, the sold listings for the same item and grade show what people actually paid. Valuable items should be shipped tracked and insured; for buyers abroad, import charges apply to collectibles too.

How this page works

Products from our own partner feeds appear first, in our usual order. Live eBay listings are shown in a separate, labelled section in eBay's own order; commission never changes either order. Prices come from the store at the time shown, and the store page has the final word.