Scanner Guide
Building a better cardshop: The value of a sports card scanner
Find out the best way to digitize your cards for sales, organization, and preservation
Building a better cardshop: The value of a sports card scanner
Building a better cardshop: The value of a sports card scanner
If you’re looking to sell baseball, basketball, football, or soccer cards, a sports card scanner can be a vital tool. Whether you found a box of vintage cards in a basement or run your own hobby shop, you’ll need to catalogue your cards before you sell them.
Online sports card sales are big business right now, and collectors are more discerning than ever. A good eye isn’t enough to separate a decent card from an outstanding one, which is why good scans can be invaluable for both the buyer and seller. In this guide, we’ll discuss how to find the best sports card scanner to digitize your collection so you can list your cards online, or even just get a better idea of what you own.
Sports card scanners have to meet some unique demands compared to other business applications. Choosing the right model can help your business improve its organization while expanding its reach to customers all over the world.
Potential uses for sports card scanners
- Expanding your online presence
- Documenting your collection
- Insurance documentation
- Condition assessment
Reasons to invest in a sports card scanner
- Time savings: Since a sports card scanner takes better images in one pass, that means less time fiddling with a camera or mini studio setup. Meanwhile, integration with AI-powered software can identify scanned cards and auto-populate their details in sale listings or a database.
- Better accuracy: Smartphone pictures may not capture all the fine details of cards. Choosing a high-quality sports card scanner will help you show the value of your collection. It will also give buyers the detail they need to buy with confidence.
- Safer card handling: Scanners that bend their documents through U-shaped feed paths are meant for flexible paper rather than cardstock. The best sports card scanners have features intended to handle cards gently and preserve their condition while still working quickly.
Read more about the perks of using a dedicated digitization device for your collectibles business in What to Look For in a Hockey Card Scanner.
Did You Know? PCMag reviewed the RICOH fi-8170 scanner, giving it four out of five stars and a coveted Editors’ Choice award. The article praised the fi-8170’s quick scanning speed, simple connectivity, and comprehensive PaperStream Capture software.
Taking your trading card business online means you need to represent your inventory digitally. You could spend hours photographing and processing each card, or you could use a device that’s built for the task to create a better end result in less time. Here are the features that will make the biggest difference.
Key features for sports card scanners
- Resolution and image quality: To show your cards in appropriate detail, you’ll need a scanner that’s up to the task. Look for a model that can capture images of 300 to 600 DPI for the best mix of accuracy and file size.
- Flexible paper handling: Not all cards are the same shape or thickness. Your scanner should be able to handle them all quickly and safely. You shouldn’t have to remove them from protective sleeves to get a usable scan.
- Image correction: Processing large batches of cards only saves time if the resulting images don’t have distracting errors, such as glare from foil elements. Choose a sports card scanner with software that automatically corrects these common issues.
Read more about what makes a high-quality scanner for these purposes in What to Look For in a Basketball Card Scanner.
How Should You Scan Sports Cards?
Once you’ve found the best sports card scanner for your business, it’s time to start scanning. Here’s how to scan sports cards, including a few steps you can take to prepare for an even more effective and helpful end result.
Types of sports card scanners
The type of scanner you get will depend largely on the types of cards you have:
- ADF scanners are the fastest option, best if you’re digitizing a large collection
- Flatbed scanners can fit a broad range of card sizes
- Overhead scanners minimize contact required for scanning, which is best if you’re dealing with delicate cards
How to get better sports card scans
- Clean and prepare your cards: Touch the card as little as possible, taking special care around easily bent edges and corners. Consider using nitrile gloves for especially fragile cards. You can also put cards in penny sleeves or top-loaders before you scan, for extra protection.
- Set up your scanner: 300 DPI is typically a good fit for scanning images you’ll need to store and upload. Pick an appropriate file type and, if possible, set up auto-naming conventions before scanning.
- Scan and organize: If you’re using an ADF scanner, be sure to place the cards in a neat stack for processing in a single batch. Integrating your scanner with card databases such as Collectibles.com, Card Dealer Pro, or Kronozio can make managing your inventory even faster.
Read more about how to scan your cards more effectively in What to Look For in a Baseball Card Scanner and What to Look For in a Football Card Scanner.
Did You Know? Burbank Sportscards addressed its biggest pain point for selling cards online with RICOH scanners. Click here to learn more.
Those in the market for a sports card scanner have no shortage of options. We take great pride in having spent the last 50+ years researching, designing, and developing some of the most advanced and powerful electronics in the world, including our professional grade fi and SP series of scanners.
Built to purpose for the most demanding document handling jobs, fi and SP scanners are capable of processing tens of thousands of pages per day at the highest levels of accuracy. Their intuitive integration capabilities with all existing work suites minimize time-to-value for businesses looking to invest in tools that will pay dividends for years to come.
The RICOH fi-8170 is packed with features that make it, in our view, the best sports card scanner. Its automatic document feeder with adjustable guides allows it to process up to 70 pages per minute. Meanwhile, its manual feed mode allows it to scan documents up to 7 mm thick. It all integrates with popular card management platforms to make your inventory tracking easy and effective. Click here to learn more or shop the rest of our production scanner line.
Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only, and shall not be construed, or relied upon, as legal or financial advice. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings. Please consult with a licensed professional regarding your specific situation as regulations may be subject to change.