Comps are how collectors know what a card is really worth. Here is how to pull real sold prices and a daily value estimate on any graded card with Alt.
Trading card comps are the recent sold prices of the same card in the same grade, and they are how collectors decide what a card is actually worth before they buy or sell. The fastest way to pull comps is a tool that aggregates real transactions across marketplaces instead of eyeballing one listing. On Alt, our Instant Pricer shows every recent PSA and BGS sale for your exact card, and Alt Value adds a daily updated estimate of its current market price.
What are trading card comps?
A comp, short for comparable, is what a similar card has recently sold for. Collectors use trading card comps the way home buyers use recent home sales: to measure real market value instead of guessing from a single asking price. The key word is sold. A card listed at $500 tells you what someone hopes to get. A card that sold for $320 tells you what the market actually paid.
Good comps match three things: the same card (player, year, set, parallel), the same grade (a PSA 10 is a different market than a PSA 9), and a recent date so the price still reflects today's demand.
How do you find comps for a graded card?
You pull them from sources that report actual completed sales, not asking prices. The tools collectors lean on most:
🔎 eBay sold listings
The biggest pool of raw sales data, though Best Offer prices are often hidden and Buy It Now listings can inflate what you see.
📊 130Point and Card Ladder
Price aggregators that surface true eBay comps (including accepted Best Offers) and longer sales history for cards that trade less often.
🃏 Alt
Pulls recent PSA and BGS sales for your exact card and pairs them with a daily Alt Value, so you get the comps and an estimate in one place.
What is the fastest way to get comps on Alt?
Our Instant Pricer is the fastest way to get comps for graded PSA and BGS cards. It shows all the recent transactions for the PSA and BGS versions of your card, plus Alt Value when the card is covered by our model. Here is how to use it:
1️⃣ Open the Alt app and tap Browse.
2️⃣ Tap the camera icon in the upper right corner.
3️⃣ Take a photo of your card (or upload one you already have), and Instant Pricer returns recent sales and Alt Value in seconds.
Instant Pricer lives in the Alt app and covers PSA and BGS cards. It does not include SGC graded cards.
What is Alt Value, and how accurate is it?
Alt Value is a computer generated estimate of a card's present market value, updated daily. We gather transaction data from a number of auction houses and marketplaces to assess what a card is worth. When there is a lot of data, Alt Value tracks close to the average of recent sales. When data is sparse, our model leans on comparable cards as anchors, the same way a hobby expert would.
Every Alt Value carries a confidence level so you know how much to trust it:
🟢 High confidence
Extensive data available, providing a precise valuation estimate.
🟡 Medium confidence
A moderate amount of data, offering a more defined value range.
🔴 Low confidence
Limited data, suggesting a broader range of possible values.
One note: Alt does not provide Alt Value for SGC or CGC graded cards valued under $500.
How does Alt build its pricing data?
Two things make Alt comps cleaner than scrolling raw listings. First, asset collapsing: PSA and Beckett often use different names for the same card, so we merge those names into one record. That means you see the full PSA and BGS sales history in a single view instead of two fragmented ones. Second, population data, updated weekly, because how many copies exist at a given grade is one of the biggest drivers of price.
Want the deepest history? Our full sold history subscription is $15 per month and unlocks comprehensive sold data from all major marketplaces, with Alt marketplace data going back to January 2023.
Frequently asked questions
What does "comp" mean for trading cards?
A comp is a comparable sale, the recent sold price of the same card in the same grade. Collectors use comps to judge fair market value before buying or selling.
What is the fastest way to get comps for a graded card?
On Alt, Instant Pricer is the fastest way. Snap a photo of a graded PSA or BGS slab and it returns recent sales for that exact card plus Alt Value in seconds.
How accurate is Alt Value?
Alt Value is updated daily and carries a confidence level (Low, Medium, or High) based on how much recent transaction data supports it. More data means a more precise estimate.
Does Alt show comps for SGC or CGC cards?
Instant Pricer covers PSA and BGS graded cards. Alt does not provide Alt Value for SGC or CGC cards valued under $500.
See your card's real comps on Alt
Stop guessing from a single listing. Pull real, recent comps and a daily Alt Value on any graded card, then buy or sell with the full picture. Find your card's comps on Alt.
