The Field Guide
The auction houses
Every place a serious sports card is bought and sold, side by side: what each one handles, what it adds to the hammer, when its next sale closes, and which of them are the same company. Choose one to see what it charges a seller, when it pays, and who to call.
17places to sell, each profiled
18–28%buyer’s premium at the auction houses
Oct 16next consignment deadline · Heritage Auctions
2pairs of houses that are one company
Auction houses
Listed alphabetically — never by fee, and no house pays to appear or to appear higher.
AltMarketplace that runs auctions · vintage and modernBuyer’s premium 20%Next sale not yet postedRhythm A new two-week auction opens every Friday, so one closes every Thursday — extended bidding from 9 PM ET.Fees, payouts and who to call →
Christie'sAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 28%Next sale not yet postedRhythm No regular sports calendar. Sports sales are occasional single-owner collections, chiefly game-used and historic memorabilia, several presented with Hunt Auctions.Fees, payouts and who to call →
Clean Sweep AuctionsAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 22%Next sale Champions Auction, closes Oct 14+Rhythm Double Play (2-day, 2,000+ lots) plus showcase; monthly print catalogSame company as LelandsFees, payouts and who to call →
Fanatics CollectMarketplace that runs auctions · vintage and modernBuyer’s premium 20%Next sale not yet postedRhythm Weekly auctions run ten days, opening Thursday and closing Sunday from 10 PM ET; a two-week Premier auction each month.Fees, payouts and who to call →
GoldinAuction house · vintage and modernBuyer’s premium 22%Next sale Fall Vintage Elite, closes Oct 10+Rhythm Marketplace; Weekly closes Thursdays 10 PM ET; Elite ($500+ start, $7,500+ estimated)Fees, payouts and who to call →
Heritage AuctionsAuction house · vintage and modernBuyer’s premium 22%Next sale Fall Sports Auction, closes Oct 25Rhythm Platinum Night, Sports Card Signature, Showcase, weekly Sunday selectsFees, payouts and who to call →
Huggins & ScottAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 20%Next sale Fall Auction, closes Dec 3Consign by Nov 1Rhythm Three to four a year — February, May, August/September and November.Same company as Robert Edward AuctionsFees, payouts and who to call →
LelandsAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 22%Next sale Sale name not yet posted, closes Dec 5Rhythm Classic Auction 3x/yr, Pop-Up, Collectors First groupSame company as Clean Sweep AuctionsFees, payouts and who to call →
Love of the Game AuctionsAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 20%Next sale Fall Premier Auction, closes Nov 28Rhythm 3 Premier sales/yrFees, payouts and who to call →
Memory LaneAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 20%Next sale not yet postedRhythm ~3 Rarities sales/yr plus a 21-day fixed-price marketplaceFees, payouts and who to call →
Mile High Card CompanyAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 22%Next sale Summer 2026 Premium Catalog Auction, closes Oct 22Rhythm Summer/Fall Premium Catalog, Extra InningsFees, payouts and who to call →
Robert Edward AuctionsAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 23% *Next sale October Auction, closes Oct 18Rhythm 3 catalog auctions plus monthliesSame company as Huggins & ScottFees, payouts and who to call →
SCP AuctionsAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 20%Next sale 2026 Fall Premier Auction, closes Nov 15Rhythm 3 Premier sales/yr plus standing Buy NowFees, payouts and who to call →
Sotheby'sAuction house · vintage and modernBuyer’s premium 28%Next sale not yet postedFees, payouts and who to call →
Wheatland Auction ServicesAuction house · vintageBuyer’s premium 18%Next sale not yet postedRhythm Approximately quarterly; exact dates are not published in advance.Fees, payouts and who to call →Marketplaces you sell on yourself
A different job: nobody catalogs or markets the card for you, and the fees are lower because the service is smaller.
The deadlines, every Friday
Weekend Reading ends each edition with the consignment deadlines coming up, read from this calendar — plus the week’s most telling sales and the stories behind the cards. One email each Friday. Free; one click to unsubscribe.
Go further
The auction calendar — every sale this season with its consignment deadline.
What a winning bid costs — each premium, with a calculator.
Every house’s fees on one printable page — to bring to the conversation.
Where to sell — what each house charges the seller, when it pays, and who answers the phone.
The Radar — follow any card across all of them, free.
Nothing here is a view on what any card is worth. We also buy cards ourselves; that has no bearing on this page. Where a house is marked with *, its premium is not published and the figure is our own — the fee page explains it.