Mercari vs TCGPlayer: Which Platform is Best for Selling Pokemon Cards?
This is one of the most common questions I get from sellers just getting started: "Should I sell on Mercari or TCGPlayer?" After years of selling on both platforms at Break Check Barragan, my honest answer is that it depends on what you're selling, who you're selling to, and where you are in your business journey. Let me break it down with real numbers.
Platform Overview
Mercari: The Casual Marketplace
Mercari is a general-purpose mobile-first marketplace. Think of it as a digital garage sale that happens to have a strong Pokemon card community. Buyers browse casually, often looking for deals, bundles, and unique finds.
Best for: Bundles, sealed product, lot sales, and cards under $10 where TCGPlayer's per-card effort isn't worth it.
TCGPlayer: The Dedicated TCG Marketplace
TCGPlayer is purpose-built for trading card games. Every Pokemon card ever printed has a listing page, and buyers come specifically to find cards they need. It's the reference price source for the entire hobby.
Best for: Individual singles, competitively priced inventory, and building a reputation as a serious seller.
Fee Comparison: Show Me the Money
Let's compare what you actually net on a $50 sale.
Mercari Fee Breakdown ($50 card)
- Sale price: $50.00
- Mercari fee (10%): -$5.00
- Payment processing (2.9% + $0.50): -$1.95
- Shipping (prepaid label, PWE/bubble): -$5.50
- Card cost (what you paid): -$25.00
- Net profit: $12.55
TCGPlayer Fee Breakdown ($50 card)
- Sale price: $50.00
- TCGPlayer fee (10.25% + $0.50 Pro plan): -$5.63
- Payment processing (included in fee): $0.00
- Shipping (you ship, PWE): -$1.50
- Card cost (what you paid): -$25.00
- Net profit: $17.37
The difference: $4.82 more profit per sale on TCGPlayer for this example. Over 100 sales a month, that's an extra $482 in your pocket.
Important caveat: Mercari shipping can vary. If you use your own shipping, costs drop. And Mercari sometimes runs promotions that reduce seller fees. But as a baseline, TCGPlayer typically nets you more per individual card sale.
Audience Differences
Understanding who shops on each platform changes your strategy completely.
Mercari Buyers
- Casual collectors looking for deals and bundles
- Gift buyers who want sealed product or cool-looking cards
- Bargain hunters who expect to negotiate (offers are part of the culture)
- Impulse buyers who browse for fun and buy what catches their eye
- Less TCG knowledge on average, which means they're less condition-sensitive but more photo-dependent
TCGPlayer Buyers
- Serious collectors completing specific sets
- Competitive players building tournament decks
- Price-conscious buyers who comparison shop across dozens of sellers
- Condition-aware buyers who know exactly what NM means and will return LP cards listed as NM
- High-volume buyers who might buy 20+ cards in one order from your store
What this means for you: On Mercari, great photos and creative bundling drive sales. On TCGPlayer, competitive pricing and accurate grading drive sales. Your approach needs to be different for each platform. Our guide to building an online presence covers platform strategy in depth.
Listing Process Comparison
The time it takes to list matters when you have hundreds of cards to sell.
Mercari Listing Process
- Photo-first: You take photos, then fill in details
- Pricing: You set your own price and decide if you accept offers
- Time per listing: 3-5 minutes for a good listing with photos and description
- Bulk listing: No built-in bulk tools; each card is listed individually
- Inventory management: Manual; you manage stock yourself
TCGPlayer Listing Process
- Database-driven: Search for the card, select the printing, set condition and price
- Pricing: Market-driven; you see what others are charging and price accordingly
- Time per listing: 1-2 minutes per card (faster because photos are optional for non-featured sellers)
- Bulk listing: CSV upload available for large inventory batches
- Inventory management: Built-in tools for tracking stock across your store
Time comparison: Listing 50 singles takes roughly 2.5 hours on Mercari vs 1.5 hours on TCGPlayer. That hour difference adds up across a year.
Shipping and Fulfillment
Mercari Shipping Options
- Prepaid labels: Mercari provides labels at fixed rates ($4.99-$11.00+ depending on weight)
- Ship on your own: Use your own labels for potentially cheaper rates
- Packaging: You handle everything yourself
- Tracking: Required on all orders
TCGPlayer Shipping and TCGPlayer Direct
- Self-fulfilled: You ship directly to buyers using your own packaging and labels
- PWE (Plain White Envelope): $1-2 for cards under $20 (most common)
- Bubble mailer with tracking: $3-5 for cards over $20
- TCGPlayer Direct: Ship your inventory to TCGPlayer's warehouse, and they handle fulfillment. You give up some margin but save massive time on shipping.
TCGPlayer Direct is a game-changer for high-volume sellers. I send about 40% of my TCGPlayer inventory to Direct. It costs me a few percent extra in fees but saves 10+ hours per week in packing and shipping. That time is worth far more than the fee difference.
Which Platform for Which Cards?
This is where my experience really comes in. Here's what I've learned:
Cards Under $10 (Singles)
Winner: TCGPlayer. Mercari's minimum shipping cost eats your margin on cheap cards. A $5 card on Mercari nets you almost nothing after fees and shipping. On TCGPlayer, buyers add multiple cheap singles to one order, making each card profitable. I sell $3-8 singles all day on TCGPlayer that wouldn't be worth listing on Mercari.
High-Value Vintage Cards ($100+)
Winner: Both, but differently. TCGPlayer reaches serious collectors who will pay market price. Mercari attracts deal-seekers who might offer $350 on your $400 card but buy quickly with less hassle. I list high-value cards on both platforms and see which sells first.
Sealed Product (Booster Boxes, ETBs, Tins)
Winner: Mercari. Sealed product sells very well on Mercari because casual buyers love it. Gift buyers especially. A $45 Elite Trainer Box is an easy sell on Mercari. TCGPlayer has sealed product too, but the audience skews more toward singles.
Bulk Lots and Bundles
Winner: Mercari by a mile. "100 Pokemon cards for $15" or "Complete Scarlet and Violet base set for $40" performs excellently on Mercari. TCGPlayer doesn't really support bundle listings the same way. I move all my bulk through Mercari bundles.
Competitive and Meta Cards
Winner: TCGPlayer. Players building tournament decks go straight to TCGPlayer. They need specific cards, they need them in NM condition, and they want the lowest price. This is TCGPlayer's bread and butter.
Running Both Platforms Successfully
I use both, and you should too. Here's how to manage it.
Cross-Listing Strategy
- List high-value singles ($20+) on both platforms
- List cheap singles exclusively on TCGPlayer
- List sealed product and bundles exclusively on Mercari
- For cross-listed items, remove the listing from one platform immediately when it sells on the other
Inventory Sync
This is the biggest challenge of multi-platform selling. Overselling (selling the same card on two platforms) will tank your reputation.
- Manual tracking: Use a spreadsheet with columns for each platform and mark items as listed/sold
- Digital tools: Apps like Seller Toolkit can help sync across platforms
- My system: I photograph every card with a unique ID number. When it sells on one platform, I immediately delist on the other. It takes discipline but prevents overselling.
Time Management
- Morning (30 min): Check overnight sales on both platforms, print labels, delist sold items
- Midday (1 hour): List new inventory, starting with TCGPlayer (faster process)
- Evening (30 min): Respond to Mercari offers, ship orders, update pricing
For more on platform compliance and policies, check out our guide on platform rules for Pokemon sellers.
My Recommendation by Business Stage
Just Starting Out (0-50 sales)
Start with Mercari. It's simpler to get going, the listing process is intuitive, and you can sell bundles and sealed product quickly. Build your confidence and cash flow first. You can also read our guide on creating great listings to maximize your early success.
Growing Your Business (50-500 sales)
Add TCGPlayer. Once you have consistent inventory and understand card conditions, TCGPlayer opens up a much larger singles market. Get approved for a TCGPlayer seller account and start listing your individual cards there while keeping Mercari for bundles and sealed.
Established Seller (500+ sales)
Use both platforms strategically. List singles on TCGPlayer (consider TCGPlayer Direct for volume), keep Mercari for sealed, bundles, and high-value cross-listings. Explore adding eBay for maximum reach. For eBay strategy, check out our eBay selling guide.
There's no single best platform. The best sellers use multiple platforms strategically, matching their inventory to the right audience. Start where it makes sense for your current inventory and scale from there.
Next Read: Learn how to optimize your listings with our guide on Creating Great Listings That Sell to maximize your results on any platform.