Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal experiences and opinions on using COMC for buying and selling sports cards. I am not affiliated with or sponsored by COMC, and this is not financial advice. Always do your own research before using any sports card marketplace.

As part of my ongoing effort to test different sports card marketplaces, I recently completed my first full buy-and-sell cycle using COMC’s auction listing service on eBay. My goal was to see how smooth the process was, how the final sale price compared to expectations, and whether COMC is a viable platform for selling cards.

Here’s how it went—from purchase to auction, and ultimately, my final payout.

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Buying the Card on COMC

On February 17th, I purchased a Victor Wembanyama 2023-2024 Panini Select Base Blue PSA 10 for $43.50 on COMC. I wanted to use Wemby as a test case because he’s one of the hottest-selling players in the hobby, making his cards a strong benchmark for evaluating auction performance.

One thing I liked about COMC’s buying experience was the ease of purchasing and vaulting. Unlike eBay or other platforms, I didn’t have to worry about shipping—the card was instantly available in my COMC account, ready to be sold whenever I wanted.

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Listing the Card for Auction

To test COMC’s eBay auction feature, I submitted the card for auction on February 17th, paying an initial $0.99 listing fee. The actual auction was set to run for seven days starting from February 21st (unfortunately, you do not get to choose what day the auction starts through COMC).

On February 20th, it was announced that Wembanyama had been diagnosed with a blood clot and would be out for the rest of the season. This was an unlucky break, as the injury news likely lowered demand for his cards right before my auction went live.

Another drawback of COMC’s auction system is that once a card is submitted for auction, you cannot remove it, even if market conditions change dramatically. If I had full control, I may have waited to list the card at a better time.

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Auction Results & Payout Breakdown

The auction ended on February 28th, with the card selling for $40 (plus $5.99 shipping). While not ideal, I was actually relieved, as other copies of the same card had sold for less that day—showing that COMC’s auction format might have provided better exposure than if I had listed it myself.

Here’s how the final numbers broke down:

• Final Sale Price: $40.00
• Shipping Charged to Buyer: $5.99
• Total Sale Amount: $45.99
• Payout from COMC: $41.00
• Auction Fees (5% of $40): -$2.00
• Submission Fee: -$0.99
• Final Payout from COMC net fees: $38.01

Since I originally paid $43.50 for the card, that means I took a net loss of $5.50 on the transaction.

But that’s not the full picture—there’s also the store credit purchase tax to factor in:

• When I initially deposited $100 in store credit into my COMC account, I paid $108.63 due to tax.
• This means my real cost for the Wembanyama purchase was actually $47.25
• Adjusting for this, my actual net loss was $9.24 (~20% loss).
• Also, there is a 10% fee if you withdraw your store credit, which would bring my net loss up to $13.04 if you factor that in (~30% loss)

While this isn’t ideal, it’s still an important learning experience in understanding how COMC’s fees and auctions work. It also shows the importance of buying cards at good prices, as even if it doesn’t seem like you are losing a lot of money on the surface, with the fees it can really add up.

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Final Thoughts: Would I Use COMC Auctions Again?

Overall, I was satisfied with the selling experience on COMC, even though I lost money on this specific card. The process was smooth, the auction had good visibility, and my final sale price seemed competitive compared to other sales on the same day.

✔ Pros:

• Easy buying experience with instant vaulting—no need to worry about shipping.
• Lower auction fees than selling directly on eBay.
• Strong visibility and credibility from selling through COMC.

✖ Cons:

• Once a card is submitted for auction, you cannot unlist it, even if market conditions change.
• Fees greatly reduce profit margins.

Would I use COMC again? Yes—but with better timing. Next time, I’ll be more strategic about when I list and ensure I’m comfortable with the risk of being locked into an auction.

This experience reinforced an important lesson: timing matters, especially with auctions. It’s always a gamble when you list a card, and external factors like injuries or market swings can have a major impact on final sale prices.

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What’s Next?

I plan to continue experimenting with COMC, possibly testing how directly listing a card for sale (instead of auctioning) compares. I also want to try shipping a card to COMC to see how the submission process works from start to finish.

If you’ve used COMC for buying or selling, I’d love to hear your experience! Have you had success with their auctions, or do you prefer selling another way? Let me know in the comments!