In sports cards, comps (short for comparables) are recent sale prices of the same card, in the same condition, that collectors use to work out what a card is worth.
The term is borrowed from real estate, where comps are recently sold homes of a similar size in the same neighborhood. Collectors also use it as a verb: to “comp” a card means to look up what it has sold for. When someone in a Facebook group asks “what are comps?”, they want to know what the card has actually sold for, not what sellers are asking.
What makes a good comp
- The exact same card. Same year, set, card number and parallel. A base card and its /99 refractor are different cards with different prices.
- The same condition. For raw cards, compare with raw sales in similar shape. For graded cards, match the grading company and the grade. A PSA 10 and a PSA 9 of the same card can be far apart (see the PSA grading scale).
- Sold, not listed. Asking prices tell you what sellers hope for. Only completed sales tell you what buyers paid.
- Recent. Prices move with a player’s form and with the market. A sale from last week beats one from last year.
When there’s no exact comp
When the exact card has no recent sales, collectors use similar cards as comps. These might be:
- Sold cards from the same set with the same rarity and in the same condition, but featuring a different (though similar) player.
- Sold copies of the exact same card, but in slightly worse or better condition. The comp price would be adjusted to account for the difference in condition.
- Sold copies of nearly the same card in the same condition, except the rarity differs (for example a /50 parallel when you have the /25). The comp price would be adjusted to account for the difference in rarity.
For true one-of-ones and pop 1 cards, there may be nothing close. Then the price is whatever a buyer agrees to, and an auction is often the fairest way to find it.
Where to find card comps
- eBay sold listings. Search the card, then turn on the “Sold items” filter. It shows about the last 90 days. Sellers can see up to three years of sales with Terapeak, which is free in eBay’s Seller Hub.
- 130point. Free. Its main use is showing the price a seller actually accepted on an eBay Best Offer, which eBay’s own sold listings hide. It also searches sales from Goldin, Heritage, Fanatics Collect and other auction houses.
- PSA Auction Prices Realized. A free database of sold PSA-graded cards, useful for comparing one grade with the next.
- Card Ladder. A subscription service that pulls together sales from eBay, Goldin, Fanatics Collect, Heritage and others, with charts. It’s owned by Collectors, the company behind PSA.
- SportsCardsPro. A free price guide from the team behind PriceCharting. It shows ungraded and graded values (PSA, BGS and others), based mostly on eBay sold listings.
For Pokémon cards, TCGplayer’s Market Price, based on recent TCGplayer sales, is the usual reference for raw singles. Make sure you have the right card first: the Pokémon set symbols page helps you pin down the set.
How to comp a card
- Identify the exact card, including the parallel and any serial number. If you’re not sure, see how to identify your sports cards.
- Search eBay sold listings and 130point for that card in the same condition or grade.
- Throw out the odd ones: damaged copies, lots, and sales far above or below the rest.
- Take the middle of the last few sales, leaning on the most recent.
- If you’re selling, subtract fees and shipping to see what you’d actually keep. Our guide on where to sell your cards online compares the platforms.
Comps are also how you decide whether a card is worth grading. Compare raw sales with graded sales at the grade you expect, then plug those numbers into the card grading calculator. It works out whether grading pays, using current fees and the odds of each grade.
Why comps change
Comps give you a sense of value, but the market moves with how the player is doing (hot vs. cold), how the hobby is doing (bull vs. bear market), how recent the set is and more. Cards will often sell above or below comps, and those sales become the new comps.
Be wary of a single high sale, too. An auction pushed up by shill bidding, or one the winner never paid for, can make a card look worth more than it is.
FAQ
What does “under comps” mean?
A card listed “under comps” is priced below its recent sales. Buyers look for these as deals, and sellers use the phrase to move a card quickly. Check the comps yourself, because the seller may be comparing with an older or higher-graded sale.
Why doesn’t the eBay sold price match 130point?
When a seller accepts a Best Offer, eBay’s sold listings still show the original asking price. 130point shows the price that was accepted, which is often lower. For any sale marked “Best offer accepted,” trust the 130point number.
Are price guides the same as comps?
Not quite. Comps are individual sales. Price guides like SportsCardsPro or Card Ladder turn many sales into a single estimate. A guide is a good starting point, but look at the sales behind it before you buy or sell.
