Consigning
If you decide to sell some of your cards, you don't have to become a vendor yourself. SlabTrack lets you consign cards to a vendor's storefront — they handle listing, customer service, shipping; you get a check.
Two paths to selling
| Path | You do | You get back | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY storefront | Apply for your own storefront, list, ship, support | ~93% of sale price (3% platform + 3% Stripe) | You control |
| Consign | Send cards to a SlabTrack vendor + sign agreement | ~70-85% of sale price (vendor takes 15-30%) | Vendor controls |
Most casual collectors consign. Setting up a storefront is overhead that doesn't pay off unless you're moving 50+ cards a year.
How to consign
- From your collection, select cards you want to consign → Consign
- Pick a vendor from the SlabTrack consignment marketplace (filter by sport speciality, fee structure, reviews)
- The vendor reviews your selection and either accepts or counters
- You ship the physical cards to the vendor (pre-paid label provided by them)
- The vendor confirms receipt → cards become live on their storefront under their listings (with a "consigned by [your handle]" footer if you opt-in)
- When a card sells, your share is computed automatically and shows up in your Consignment dashboard
- Payouts happen monthly via direct deposit (you set up bank info via Stripe Connect, just like a vendor would)
The consignment agreement
Each vendor has a standard agreement. Typical terms:
- Fee — 15-30% of gross sale price
- Pricing authority — usually shared (you set a floor, vendor sets the actual asking price)
- Listing duration — typically 90 or 180 days; if unsold, you can take it back or extend
- Insurance during transit — vendor covers in-transit, you cover at-rest if you want
- Return clauses — when can the vendor send a card back to you (e.g. dispute, market collapse)
Check the vendor's storefront before consigning. Are their listings polished? Photos clean? Do they have positive reviews? Are their other cards selling? If a vendor's storefront is dead, your card will sit dead too — pick someone with traffic.
Tracking your consigned cards
Your Consignment dashboard shows:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Card | Player + identification |
| Vendor | Who's holding it |
| Status | shipped / received / listed / sold / returning |
| Listed price | What the vendor is asking |
| Days listed | How long it's been live |
| Your floor | Minimum you'll accept |
| Estimated payout | Listed price × (1 − vendor fee) × (1 − Stripe fee) |
What happens after a sale
- Buyer pays the vendor's storefront → Stripe holds the funds for the rolling-reserve window (2 days default)
- Vendor ships the card
- Funds settle → vendor's Stripe Connect account credits
- Vendor's payout schedule kicks in (daily/weekly/monthly)
- Your share is computed and queued for the monthly consignment payout (roughly 30 days after the sale)
- You get a deposit notification + the funds hit your bank
Even if your card sells today, your check doesn't come tomorrow. Vendors batch consignment payouts monthly to keep accounting sane. Plan accordingly — don't consign cards if you need cash this week.
Pulling cards back
If you change your mind:
- Consignment dashboard → click into a card → Request Return
- Vendor has 7 days to ship it back to you
- If the card has an active sale-lock (someone is mid-checkout), the return waits until the lock resolves (10 minutes max)
- You pay return shipping unless vendor agreement says otherwise
Tax implications
Consignment sales count as income to you. Stripe will issue you a 1099-K if you cross the threshold ($5K gross at current law). The vendor's fee is a deductible expense; track your basis (purchase price + grading + shipping in) so you only pay tax on the gain. SlabTrack does NOT give tax advice; talk to an accountant for anything substantial.