As part of our efforts to improve your customer experience, we’ve launched additional support resources to provide you immediate answers to your questions. Check out the new services we’re offering!
COMC Live Chat Service
Have you tried out our new Live Chat service yet? You may have noticed a new red bubble in the lower right-hand corner of our website that says “Support.” When you have a question or need assistance during our Live Chat hours, we’re available to provide immediate assistance. Our team of Live Chat agents are available Monday through Friday between the hours of 8am to 5pm PST. To connect with an agent, simply click on the chat box, type your question, and hit “Enter.” This will provide the option to view the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to your question or to begin a “Live Chat,” allowing you to chat with COMC staff in real time!
You may have also noticed our email response times are now vastly improved and that you receive a prompt response during business hours. If you have an urgent matter, Live Chat is a great way to get it resolved immediately. We’re thrilled to offer real-time support to answer your questions and we look forward to chatting with you!
COMC Help Center
We recently launched our COMC Help Center to provide you with easily accessible resources to many of your FAQs. We encourage you to check out the Help Center to find helpful information to further improve your experience and knowledge about our services.
You can access the Help Center directly or by selecting the red “Support” bubble on the website to view all of the topics covered by the Help Center.
We will continue adding resources and information, including video tutorials and information on promotions and events, so make sure to check back often!
As we continue to focus on improving your customer experience, we’ll keep you updated on any new changes. We would also love to hear your feedback and suggestions regarding how we can improve our services and your experience. Please contact staff@comc.com if you’d like to provide any feedback or suggestions.
Follow us on social media @checkoutmycards and the COMC blog for the latest updates!
Update: As of January 5, 2022 the Toploader Buyback Program has ended. We are no longer purchasing toploaders.
Toploader Shortage
As the hobby continues to surge, the demand for plastic protective toploaders has also peaked. Due to this unpredicted surge in product demand as well as impacted supply chains, many manufacturers of protective toploaders are currently struggling to meet inventory. Hence, there have been shortages seen across the industry at retail hobby shops, card shows, and even here at COMC.
COMC Response
To address the toploader shortage currently affecting the industry, COMC is launching a toploader buyback program and making the following changes to how we process and ship cards.
Toploader Buyback Program
Starting immediately, COMC will buy new and gently-used toploaders of all sizes for $0.10 each, provided that they meet the following criteria:
Empty toploaders only
New or gently-used
Free of tape, price tags, residue, discoloration, writing, or major scuffing
No toploaders with labels (i.e. “Rookie Card)
All toploader sizes are welcome!
How to Use:
Begin at the Toploader Buyback Program service level in the submission wizard
Print submission paperwork and include it with each submission group
Ship your Toploader Buyback Program submission along with any consignment submissions
COMC will credit your account $0.10 per toploader when we receive your submission
If you have a bulk supply of sealed, new toploaders you would like to sell, please contact us at toploaders@comc.com
Toploader Processing and Shipping Changes
To adapt to the critical shortage of toploaders, COMC is immediately enlisting the following changes:
All raw Elite items and items purchased for more than $50 will ship in a penny sleeve and toploader.
All other raw non-Elite items will ship in a penny sleeve and will be carefully braced with mail stiffeners for safe shipment
Suspension of the “Add Toploader” upgrade on new Shopping Cart purchases and Shipment Requests. If cards with toploaders are desired, please purchase with a COMC account and wait to place a shipment request until we receive more supply.
Toploader Removal Fee Stands
COMC processes thousands of cards a day, which is why we recommend using just penny sleeves when consigning with us so that we can process your cards expediently.
Time spent removing toploaders and other plastic cases beyond penny sleeves has a multiplying effect and restricts COMC’s ability to efficiently process new consignment submissions.
Thus, the Buyback Program Will Not Affect Removal Fees.
There will still be a toploader removal fee of 50 cents per card for cards submitted through our standard service levels.
However, the fee is not in place for the Elite or Auction service levels.
What if I already added toploaders to an order?
Our current toploader supply is sufficient to fulfill existing orders. Orders placed prior to the temporary removal of the “Add Toploader” option will be honored.
We expect our supply to be replenished by Summer 2021, and hope in the meantime the Toploader Buyback program allows you to turn unused toploaders into COMC credit!
COMC will be in attendance at the Sportcard Expo – Virtual Edition on June 19 & 20th. Thanks to the sponsors of the show, attendance is free! We will be answering questions you may have on how COMC can be part of your hobby experience. Due to internal system limitations, we will not be able to respond to specific account user questions.
Take Advantage of our Mailbox Service
Use our mailbox service to save time on shipping. Expo sellers can send all of the cards sold to the COMC as one shipment. Cards can be deposited into buyers’ accounts through the mailbox service. Just have your buyers create a COMC account and label their purchases with that name. This will allow buyers to piggyback their Expo purchases with COMC purchases for lower cost per item shipping with buyer protection. Buyers can request shipments to their COMC Mailbox accounts for the above reasons. Read more about our mailbox service at https://www.comc.com/mailbox.
*Mailbox submissions sent to our US office will experience processing delays. Current Mailbox processing times begin when packages are opened.
Virtual Dice Game to Win Real Prices
A COMC member will roll die on account holder’s behalf for a chance to win prizes. Winners will be drawn the week of June 21st and will be announced on our Facebook page. To claim your prize, email csc@comc.com by August 20th, 2020 and we’ll add the card into your account along with store credit to cover shipping. Limit one roll per account.
Free Daily Box Breaks
We will be offering random team breaks to any COMC account holders who would like to participate (limit one slot per household). Winners will receive only the “hits” (no base / commons) and will have to be at the booth the “pick up” their prize. More details will be announced at the show.
Disclaimer & Conclusion
As this is the first show of its kind, we may encounter some technical difficulties, so we add the precautionary disclaimer that the show events are subject to change.
We hope you can attend its event and visit the vendors that would normally set up at the Toronto Expo.
The FAQ has been continually updated by our team over the last few weeks as new questions arise, and new features are added. That being said, we know that with this new auctions feature, there is a lot of new pages and documentation, and sometimes it can be hard to find the answer you’re looking for.
Below you will find the FAQ in it’s entirety. If you have a question that isn’t covered, or something that you think would be a good addition to the FAQ, please leave a comment below with your question(s) or suggestions. We’ll review your responses and update the FAQ as needed!
Auction Submissions
How do I sell on COMC Auctions?
Consigning
your trading cards to COMC Auctions is easy:
Note: Auctions are available for items consigned through Select,
Premium, and Mailbox services and for items upgraded to those levels via the
Item Upgrade Fee. Items consigned through our Basic service or transferred from
Upper Deck e-Pack are subject to the $0.50 Item Upgrade Fee before going to
auction.
I won an auction on eBay. Can I transfer it to my COMC account instead of shipping it?
Yes! The transfer to COMC feature is now live and available within your COMC account dashboard. Please visit our Auctions Won page to learn about this exciting functionality, and how you can link your eBay and COMC accounts.
Once your eBay and COMC accounts have been linked, any items won at auction on eBay will be displayed on this page, giving you the option to pay with COMC Credit and have the item immediately transferred to your COMC inventory.
Please note that using COMC Store Credit to pay for an eBay auction is similar to using COMC Store Credit to pay for a Blowout Cards Gift Certificate. Your winning bid will be adjusted to account for the standard 10% cash-out fee. Example: If you purchase an item for $100 your COMC Store Credit payment would be $110. However, you will not need to pay sales tax or shipping because you are using COMC Store Credit.
Why did an item I submitted for auction get put back into my account and locked?
It is intended for an item submitted to COMC Auctions to be re-deposited into your inventory in a locked state pending the commencement of the next auction. Please review for accuracy any pending Auction items in your inventory and contact us if you discover any errors.
Can I ship my auction consignment along with my other COMC submissions?
Yes, we
encourage you to save on shipping by including your auction consignment in the
same package as your traditional COMC consignment submissions.
Select all the service levels you would like to use in the online Submission Wizard. You will be asked for the quantity and estimated value of each group of items. When you print the submission slips, please detach each slip and include them with the corresponding groups of items so it’s clear to us which items belong to each service level.
If my item is already on COMC, how can I send it to auction?
If you
have previously consigned items in your COMC account and want to send them to
auction:
Review and agree to the auction terms and submit the item.
Note: Auctions are available for items consigned through Select, Premium, and Mailbox services and for items upgraded to those levels via the Item Upgrade Fee. Items consigned through our Basic service or transferred from Upper Deck e-Pack are subject to the $0.50 Item Upgrade Fee before going to auction.
What items are eligible for COMC Auction consignment?
COMC Auctions offers support for single trading cards only.
We recognize the following third-party grading companies: PSA, SGC, BGS, BVG, BCCG, and KSA. Cards graded by any other companies are not supported and cannot be listed for sale.
Can I Submit other items such as comic books for COMC Auctions
No. We are currently accepting single trading cards only for auction. Any other items will not be included in auctions, and will be returned to your account.
Can I Submit items to your Canadian Location for Auction
No, our Canadian location does not accept auction consignment submissions at this time. Auction submission originating in Canada will need to be mailed to our United States location specified within the submission wizard.
Can I Submit items that are remotely stored for auction?
Yes, but the timeline for when it will appear in auctions will be different. When you submit an item that is remotely stored, a prompt will appear indicating that an additional two-weeks of time will be needed for that item to make it’s way to our headquarters, where it can begin the COMC auction consignment process.
What is the proper way to ship my auction consignment?
Ungraded cards must be shipped to COMC in card savers, toploaders, or One-Touch magnetic cases to ensure maximum protection during transit and processing. Screw-down cases are not accepted.
Auction consignments must be sent with tracking and required signature confirmation upon delivery via your preferred package delivery service. We recommend one-day shipping such as USPS Express for more valuable submissions.
How long does it take for my item to be listed at auction?
Auction submissions will be listed for auction within 2-4 weeks of being received by COMC. Your items will be included in the following week’s auctions after they enter your account. You can view the status of Auction Consignments on the Processing Status page, and pending Auction items submitted from within your COMC account to the Auction service on the Grading Submissions page.
Can I cancel an auction I consigned?
There are no cancellations on COMC Auctions submissions once we receive them. Please only submit items you intend to list at the next available auction.
Where do I have to live to sell on COMC Auctions?
COMC Auctions are available to sellers worldwide. All auction submissions must be mailed to our US processing facility located in Redmond, Washington. We recommend our Mailbox processing service to customers located outside of the US for having items shipped directly to COMC from group breakers and other marketplaces, which saves you the cost of shipping the items to yourself first, and then to COMC.
Seller Fees
What are the fees involved with COMC Auctions?
There are no upfront processing fees for COMC Auctions. Commission fees for COMC Auctions are a combination of Transaction Fees and optional Store Credit Fees.
Transaction fees are based on the final sale price of each single card listing and are billed when your COMC account is paid via Store Credit for a completed auction.
Store
Credit can be spent on COMC.com with no additional fees. Optionally, you can
cash out Store Credit for a 10% Cash Out Fee or redeem it for a Blowout Cards
gift certificate at a reduced rate.
Please review the Auction and Store Credit Fees for detailed information on all the fees involved with COMC Auctions.
Do I need to pay eBay fees?
COMC takes care of all the selling fees associated with eBay auctions. The only fees you are subject to for auction consignments are the Auction and Store Credit Fees.
When am I paid for an item I sold at auction?
Store Credit payment will be made to your COMC account when we receive payment from the winning bidder. If you choose to cash out your Store Credit, we will send payment to your PayPal account within 4 business days or mail a check within 10 business days, according to your preference.
What are my options for receiving payment for my completed auction?
Your
COMC account will be paid with Store Credit for completed auctions. Store
Credit can be spent on COMC.com with no additional fees. Optionally, you can
cash out Store Credit for a 10% Cash Out Fee or redeem it for a Blowout Cards
gift certificate at a reduced rate.
What happens if my item doesn’t sell? Do I still get charged a fee?
An auction listing that ends with no bids will be relisted up to 2 more times at no cost. If an item doesn’t sell after the third listing, we will charge the minimum Transaction Fee and unlock the item in your COMC account for you to set a fixed asking price.
What happens if my item sells for less than the minimum Transaction Fee?
We recommend each single trading card submitted to auction has a $25 minimum auction value. If an item happens to sell for less than the minimum Transaction Fee, your account will be debited the fee and the item will be sold to the winning bidder.
What happens if an item I sold at auction is returned?
While infrequent, a buyer may return an item after it sells at auction. If we determine the item has been returned to us in the same condition as we received it, we will debit your account the amount of the sale, less the Transaction Fee, and relist the item in the next available auction.
eBay Auction Listings
How do I check the auction start time for my item and auction status?
Scheduled Start – The time/date the auction will begin
eBay Item – Link to the live eBay auction listing (this will only appear after the auction is live)
Current Bid – The current highest bid for the item
Number of Bids – The number of bids for the item
What if an item submitted to auction is misidentified?
We make every effort to ensure your items are represented accurately using our proprietary catalog. If you believe an item added to your account is identified incorrectly, you can submit a Correction Request from your COMC account prior to the auction. Please submit your Correction Request at your earliest convenience to allow us enough time to make the correction before the auction begins.
To submit a Correction Request, find the item in your Inventory Manager that needs correction and click the “wrong?” link to fill out the Correction Request form. We will review your request and make any necessary corrections.
What days do auctions end?
Our eBay auctions list for 7-days, starting and ending throughout the week.
Can I decide when my items will be auctioned or customize the auction duration?
We list all eBay auctions as 7-day auctions. COMC Auctions submissions list to eBay on the week following entry into your COMC account. We list items at a time when they will receive the best bids based on historical data. We do not offer auction day selection at this time.
Can I customize the eBay listing title?
Auction titles are based on our proprietary catalog data, but we edit them to fit maximum character requirements or to provide more information. While our team creates titles that will attract potential bidders, we do not currently accept custom title requests.
Can I set a reserve price or increase the opening bid?
To
attract the most bidding activity, all COMC Auction submissions list on eBay with
no reserve and a $0.99 opening bid.
What should I do if I see a problem with an auction listing?
COMC is the Safe and Easy Way to Buy and Sell. If you see an item listed at auction or bidding activity that you believe to be suspicious, please promptly contact us at auctions@comc.com with detailed information so we can investigate the issue. In some cases, we may need to remove the listing and notify the seller and bidders.
Buying from COMC Auctions
How do I bid on COMC Auctions?
COMC Auctions are hosted on eBay through the COMC eBay Store. To place a bid, sign in to your eBay account and bid on an item in one of our auctions.
What payment options do I have for buying a COMC Auctions item?
COMC customers will be able to save on shipping and instantly transfer items won at auction by checking out on COMC. Details about this payment option will be announced soon.
eBay accepts the following forms of payment through their platform: credit, debit, and eBay gift cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and PayPal Credit.
Can I pay for an item I won with COMC Store Credit?
COMC customers will be able to save on shipping and instantly transfer items won at auction by checking out on COMC. Details about this payment option will be announced soon.
When is payment due for an item I win at auction?
Payment is due within 1 week of auction’s completion. Any buyer who does not pay for an item will be permanently blocked from bidding or purchasing from COMC and reported to eBay.
How long does it take to receive an item I purchase?
Items won at auction are shipped in 1 business day of receiving cleared payment. You may select from multiple shipping options depending on how quickly you would like to receive your items.
How much does shipping cost? Can I combine shipping?
Standard domestic shipping is just $4.99 no matter how many items you purchase from the COMC eBay Store. You may combine any number of items purchased from our auction and fixed-price listings in your shipment. Please note that auction wins you transfer to your COMC account incur a per-item shipping fee ($0.45 for raw, standard-sized items, $1.00 for graded/oversized items) once requested for shipment. Expedited shipping is available for an additional fee.
International customers receive combined shipping on auction and fixed-price purchases. Rates are determined by location.
Both domestic and international buyers will also have the option to save on shipping and instantly transfer items won at auction by checking out on COMC. Details about this payment option will be announced soon.
What do I do if there is a problem with my COMC Auctions purchase?
Please contact auctions@comc.com if you experience any issues with your purchase.
I just bid on an item. Can I cancel my bid?
A bid is a commitment to purchase an item at that price. If you entered an incorrect amount when bidding, you may retract your bid only if you enter the correct bid immediately following the retraction. Any bidder who cancels a bid for any other reason will be permanently blocked from purchasing from COMC and reported to eBay.
Am I charged customs fees if I’m purchasing from outside the US?
When a package ships internationally, it may be subject to import taxes, customs duties, and other fees imposed by the destination country. These charges are typically due once the package arrives in the destination country.
Buyers are responsible for paying these additional costs. COMC is unable to predict which of these fees, if any, will be applied, and we do not calculate or collect these fees or taxes.
Can I return or exchange an item I purchased?
Returns are only accepted on the rare occasion that an item was misrepresented in the auction listing. Please carefully review the item’s full description and high-resolution images to ensure your satisfaction prior to bidding.
Buyer’s remorse is not a valid reason for returning an item.
Returns made within our stated policy must arrive back in the same condition they were received.
If I win an item on eBay, can I have it transferred to my COMC account instead of having it shipped?
COMC customers will be able to instantly transfer items won at auction by checking out on COMC. More information will be announced.
Other Questions?
How do I contact COMC Auctions if I have more questions?
Email us at auctions@comc.com with any questions you have and we will be happy to assist you.
Last year, the Supreme Court voted to remove the requirement that online retailers must have a physical presence in a given state in order for that state to impose sales tax obligations on a retailer. Since then, states have individually begun to adopt and implement this legislation. While these laws are in their infancy and will continue to expand and evolve over time, COMC will comply with any states requiring us to collect states sales tax on incoming payments from customers that reside within that state.
In accordance with this new legislation, COMC will calculate, collect, and remit sales tax for all incoming payments received from customers residing in the following states starting on April 1st, 2019:
California
Colorado
Connecticut
D.C.
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
We expect that more states will continue to be added to this list in the coming months and will continue to provide updates as needed.
For tax-exempt and non-profit organizations with a sales tax exemption certificate, or businesses with a resellers permit, please contact staff@comc.com with your documentation so that our team can ensure that your account is not charged sales tax going forward.
Make a Trade! Sell Items to Earn COMC Credit to Buy the Cards You Want Without Additional Sales Tax
With this new Sales Tax Legislation, COMC is only required to collect sales tax on incoming payments from customers in states that have adopted these new laws. Store Credit earned through selling items on COMC is not taxed.Whether you’re selling items that you submit for consignment, or flipping items you bought on the COMC Marketplace, sales tax is not applied to purchases made with Store Credit you earned from the sale.
This is an enormous added benefit that you’ll only find on COMC to the already abundant reasons that you should be selling your trading cards and comic books through our service. By doing so, you’ll not only save the time and hassle of doing the work yourself, but you’ll now save by not paying sales tax for the items that are purchased on COMC.
If you have any questions or comments regarding these changes, our friendly Customer Service Team will be more than happy to assist! Thank you.
We hope that you had a fantastic Holiday Bonus Sale! Now that 2019 is here we want to tell you about some changes that have gone into effect today on COMC. Some of these changes were already covered in our previous announcement regarding changes coming in 2019.
Cashing Out COMC Credit for
Paypal/Check:
Our 20% Cash-Out Fee has been replaced with a 10% Cash-Out Fee and a 5% Transaction Fee. The specific details of this change can be found in-depth in our earlier blog post.
Cashing Out COMC Credit for Blowout
Cards Gift Cards:
Our rates for redeeming COMC Store Credit for a Blowout Cards Gift Cards have changed as well. Out with the old, and in with the new:
Legacy COMC Credit Explained
To qualify for cash outs under our new commission structure, COMC credit must either be earned after January 1st, 2019. Store credit earned prior to this date is considered Legacy COMC Credit. While this credit will spend the exact same as new COMC credit earned in 2019 and beyond, the key difference between Legacy COMC Credit and new COMC Credit earned after January 1st is that it Legacy COMC Credit cannot be cashed out until it has been converted to new COMC Credit via the Request Refund page.
When Legacy COMC Credit is converted to New COMC Credit, a 5% conversion fee is assessed, and the credit is now eligible to be cashed out under the new commission structure. Alternatively, if you have Legacy COMC Credit in your account, you can simply choose to wait until January 1st, 2020 when the concept of Legacy COMC Credit is retired, and any existing Legacy COMC Credit still in your account will be automatically converted to new credit without the 5% conversion fee.
Legacy COMC Credit only needs to be converted to New COMC Credit if you wish to cash out. Otherwise, it spends exactly the same as credit earned after January 1st on COMC. When you use COMC Credit to consign items, make offers, buy items, request a shipment, or pay for any other COMC services, we will use up your Legacy COMC Credit first. When you Cash-Out COMC Credit, we will use the new COMC Credit first. We will always use the credit that is most advantageous for you.
Regardless of how you use your Legacy Store Credit, you will ultimately be better off than before with our previous 20% cash-out fee. If you wish to maximize your cash out earnings, the best option would be to wait until January 1st, 2020, when all COMC credit, regardless of when it was earned, is eligible for the new commission structure. Waiting until this date to cash out Legacy COMC Credit will allow you to circumvent the 5% conversion fee, putting that savings directly into your pocket.
If you still
have questions, our Customer Service Team is here to help! Simply send an email
to staff@comc.com and our team will get
back with you shortly. Happy New Year and here’s looking forward to a great
year of collecting!
*** BLACK FRIDAY / CYBER MONDAY DEALS ARE NOW LIVE ****
Black Friday Kickoff Sale – November 23rd Black Friday Weekend Sale – November 24th & 25th Cyber Monday Last-Chance Sale – November 26th
Get ready to finish building your sets, add those missing pieces to your player collections, and find incredible savings over our four-day annual COMC Black Friday – Cyber Monday Sales Event! The sale kicks off this Friday (November 23rd) and the savings don’t end until the final minutes of Cyber Monday (Nov 26th).
We want to help you get the cards that you want at the prices that you want to pay! Our sellers will be cutting prices on items from your favorite teams, players, and sets all across the COMC Marketplace! Not only do we want you to find good deals, we also want to help you on the cost of shipping. With that being said….
Free Shipping All Weekend Long!
All orders of 25 or more items placed on COMC from November 23rd through 26th will be eligible to receive free shipping. Orders can be placed from a COMC shopping cart or from your COMC account. Orders that qualify for our Free Black Friday shipping promotion will ship on or before December 17th.
If using your COMC account, items must be purchased in Simplified Shipping Mode to qualify. All non-qualifying shipments of 25 cards or more will still receive free shipping, but will also incur regular per-item S&H fees (i.e. items purchased in Advanced Reseller Mode, transferred from ePack, or items consigned and being returned to the seller). Orders shipped to Canada will still be subject to the delivered duties paid fee.
The Advantages of Using Your COMC Account!
There are many advantages to using your COMC account, but perhaps the biggest advantage for COMC members during Black Friday is our buy now – ship later functionality. While you’re shopping on COMC, items in your shopping cart are not reserved, and can be purchased by other shoppers before you complete the checkout process for your order. Using your COMC account to instantly purchase items with store credit will prevent other shoppers from snagging those too-good-to-be-true deals before you can.
By using your COMC account and purchasing items using COMC Credit, you get to decide when you want your items shipped to you! This key feature is also perfect for pooling items together until you have enough items to qualify for our free shipping promotion!
With COMC Credit, you can buy a few items on Friday, a few more on Saturday and Sunday, and come back on Monday to scoop up a ton of last-minute deals. All of those items will stay safe within your COMC account until you’re ready to place a shipment request for them. You can place a shipment request for those items the next day, the next month, or even the next year! As long as you own them, and they’re in your COMC account, they’ll stay safe in our warehouse until you’re ready to take possession of them via a shipment request.
Don’t have a COMC account? Click Here to check out why you should have one and then create an account. It only takes a minute!
Three Free Sales Promotions for COMC Sellers!
Once again we’re giving COMC sellers not one, not two, but THREE free sales promotions to run throughout the Black Friday – Cyber Monday Sales Event. Starting with Black Friday (Nov 23rd), sellers will also be able to run sales throughout Black Friday Weekend (Nov 24th & 25th), and finally offer buyers one final chance to save during Cyber Monday (Nov 26th).
The best way to stay informed and up-to-date on COMC news and happening is by following our blog and social media pages! Throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday we’ll be offering our social media media followers a chance to win one of FOUR contests for some very cool cards & prizes. You’re not going to want to miss these giveaways! The only way to get involved in the action is to follow all three of our accounts above!
Need Help? We’re Here For You!
Any questions? Our friendly Customer Service Team is always ready to help out! In order for us to most efficiently and effectively handle the increased volume of requests over the Black Friday weekend, please send an email to staff@comc.com and allow for up to 48 hours for response. Please note that our offices will be closed on November 22nd in observation of the Thanksgiving Holiday. To best accommodate the increased number of customer service requests, our customer service phone lines will not be available from Thursday – Monday. Phone service will resume on Tuesday, November 27th.
Rookie cards are among some of the most coveted cards in the trading card hobby. Unfortunately, the hobby does not have a fool-proof system for conveying what is and isn’t a true rookie card. What some collectors might consider to be a true rookie card, others would not. One of the most commonly asked questions that our Customer Service Team receives is the following:
“What is the difference between the Pre-Rookie Card, Rookie Card, Rookie Year, and Rookie Related search filters on COMC?”
Today, we seek to answer that question by explaining our search filter designations for rookies in detail, using examples and cards that you’re probably familiar with, and some that you might not be.
Rookie Card
The red-colored ‘RC’ tag on COMC is reserved for cards that are recognized as true rookie cards. To satisfy the designation of RC, a card must:
Depict a player in their pro uniform
Be licensed by both the league and players association
Come from a standalone nationally distributed set
Come from a base set
Be released after the player’s top-level debut
Some of the sets that we see as producing true rookie cards include Topps Base Set, Topps Chrome, Panini Prizm Basketball, and Upper Deck Hockey to name a few. These sets are considered to contain a player’s true rookie cards because they are commonly accepted as major annual releases that have high relevance in the industry.
Rookie Year
With defined criteria necessary to earn RC status, our yellow rookie year tag is applied to any other card released of a player during the same year as their rookie card. These cards can include parallels of rookie cards, inserts cards from sets that feature a rookie card, cards that are licensed by a player’s association but not a league (i.e. Panini Optic Baseball), stadium giveaways, and many more cards that do not meet the qualifications of a rookie card.
Pre-Rookie Card
A pre-rookie card is any card that was printed prior to the year that a player made their debut at the top level of their respective sport. The most common pre-rookie cards are included in prospect-heavy products such as a Bowman Draft, Topps Pro Debut, team-issued minor league baseball cards, football rookies depicted in college uniforms in sets released prior to the start of an NFL season, and junior league hockey cards.
Rookie Related
The Rookie Related designation is really quite simple – it’s a catch-all filter of all the cards that have received a rookie card, rookie year, or pre-rookie card designation. If you’re still a little bit confused over rookie card vs rookie year vs pre-rookie card, simply choosing the rookie related filter will show you ALL of those cards.
The Politics of the Rookie Card
One of the most common misconceptions on COMC is that the red rookie card symbol represents the most desirable cards belonging to a player. That isn’t true at all. While these items are considered that player’s true rookie cards, there are many instances where a pre-rookie card or even a rookie year card can be a substantially more desirable card than a flagship RC. Don’t believe us? We’ll let you decide which of these cards you would rather have in your collection:
Have any questions? Feel free to post in the comments below, or email our Customer Service Team at Staff@comc.com and we’ll be more than happy to look into your concerns. If you disagree with any of our assessments pertaining to these rookie designations, you are more than welcome to submit a correction requests for rookie years that you would like to dispute. However, please note that while we will not agree with all requests, we will review each one.
In observance of the Holiday, we will have limited customer service support by email only next Monday, September 3rd. Our team will not be available to answer phone calls, though you can always leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
We will return to the office on Tuesday (9/4/18) fully staffed and ready to help with any questions or concerns that you might have requiring our Customer Service Team’s assistance.
Thank you very much for your consideration and have a great weekend everyone!
In observance of Independence Day, our Customer Service Team will be operating on a very limited schedule on Wednesday, July 4th. Our team will be unavailable to answer phone calls throughout Independence Day. Phone support will return to our normal 9am-5pm PST schedule on Thursday, July 5th.
If you need to contact us over the holiday, please email us at staff@comc.com or leave a voicemail message at 1-800-517-3540.
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