CardTrack data study · Venues · October 2026
Auction house vs eBay: the price spread on the same graded Pokémon card
Matched on card, grade, printing and language across 2,443 graded cards (15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026), auction-house sales cleared at a median 97.9% of eBay auction prices, buyer's premium included (95% CI 97.3%–98.5%). Against eBay buy-it-now the ratio was 81.2%. At the hammer, before premium, it was 80.1%.
House ÷ eBay auction, median
97.9%
−2.1% · 2,443 matched graded cards
House price higher on 43.7% of cards. Interquartile range 87.8%–111.1%.
Cite this study
Free to cite · CC BY 4.0Citation
Source: CardTrack, Auction house vs eBay, October 2026 edition, 17 October 2026. https://cardtrack.com/data/auction-house-vs-ebay/2026-10Permanent URL
https://cardtrack.com/data/auction-house-vs-ebay/2026-10Always-current URL
https://cardtrack.com/data/auction-house-vs-ebay2,443
Matched cards
3+ sales each side
97.9%
vs eBay auctions
CI 97.3%–98.5%
81.2%
vs eBay buy it now
2,200 cards
86.4%
vs every eBay sale
4,059 cards
80.1%
Hammer vs eBay auction
before buyer's premium
Key findings: Auction house vs eBay, October 2026 · 2,443 card-and-grade groups, 39,087 eBay auction and 32,767 auction-house sales (Fanatics Collect, Goldin, Alt), price paid, 15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026
- 1Matched on card, grade, printing and language across 2,443 graded Pokémon cards, auction-house sales cleared at a median 97.9% of eBay auction prices, buyer's premium included (CardTrack, 15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026).
- 2Against eBay fixed-price sales, graded Pokémon cards at auction houses cleared at a median 81.2% (2,200 cards), and against all eBay sales pooled 86.4% (4,059 cards) (CardTrack, 15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026).
- 3At the hammer, before the buyer's premium, auction-house sales of graded Pokémon cards were 80.1% of eBay auction prices across 2,280 cards (CardTrack, 15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026). Seller fees are not in the data at either venue.
- 4By price band, matched auction-house prices for graded Pokémon cards ran from 95.0% to 111.8% of eBay auction prices (CardTrack, 15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026).
- 5The matched sales sat a median 21.5 days apart; compared only inside the same period, the auction-house ratio to eBay auctions was 95.1% (CardTrack, 15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026).
How each auction house compares with eBay· house median ÷ eBay median per card, then the median across cards
Pooled, the auction houses sit below eBay auctions on the median card; each house is in the table.
| Cut | Cards | vs eBay auction | 95% CI | House higher | vs eBay BIN | vs all eBay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All three houses pooled | 2,443 | 97.9% | 97.3%–98.5% | 43.7% | 81.2% | 86.4% |
| Fanatics Collect | 2,053 | 97.9% | 97.2%–98.7% | 44.2% | 80.6% | 85.7% |
| Goldin | 5 | 108.5% | – | 60.0% | 96.4% | 155.5% |
| Alt | 457 | 98.1% | 97.2%–99.5% | 44.6% | 86.4% | 90.7% |
Thin venues: Goldin is shown but not read
Goldin matched only 5 cards in the window.
Alt is named as a venue only.
Auction-house against eBay prices by price band, grader and grade· banded by the geometric mean of the two medians
By price band the ratio ran from 95.0% to 111.8%.
| Cut | Cards | vs eBay auction | 95% CI | House higher | vs eBay BIN | vs all eBay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $25 | 430 | 111.8% | 108.4%–114.3% | 64.9% | 73.3% | 90.9% |
| $25–100 | 774 | 97.8% | 96.1%–99.5% | 45.0% | 77.4% | 80.9% |
| $100–500 | 805 | 95.9% | 94.7%–96.9% | 34.7% | 81.3% | 85.7% |
| $500–2,500 | 302 | 95.0% | 94.2%–96.6% | 29.5% | 84.1% | 88.4% |
| $2,500+ | 132 | 103.6% | 99.1%–107.5% | 55.3% | 93.3% | 100.8% |
| Cut | Cards | vs eBay auction | 95% CI | House higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,605 | 98.8% | 98.2%–99.6% | 46.3% |
| CGC | 825 | 93.9% | 91.9%–95.8% | 38.3% |
| BGS | 13 | 109.5% | 94.0%–116.8% | 69.2% |
| Cut | Cards | vs eBay auction | 95% CI | House higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | 937 | 98.5% | 97.7%–99.1% | 44.4% |
| PSA 9 | 463 | 100.3% | 98.8%–102.3% | 50.3% |
| CGC 10 | 459 | 91.4% | 89.0%–93.9% | 34.9% |
| CGC Pristine 10 | 180 | 91.4% | 87.3%–95.3% | 32.2% |
| CGC 9 | 138 | 107.3% | 99.4%–113.5% | 55.1% |
| PSA 8 | 124 | 101.2% | 97.3%–105.6% | 52.4% |
| Cut | Cards | vs eBay auction | 95% CI | House higher | vs eBay BIN | vs all eBay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 1,861 | 97.8% | 97.2%–98.5% | 43.1% | 82.5% | 87.1% |
| Japanese | 581 | 98.2% | 96.3%–100.0% | 45.6% | 72.9% | 83.9% |
How much the auction-house against eBay result depends on the method· how much the answer depends on the choices
Choices move the answer more than the venue does: 81.2% against eBay buy-it-now, 80.1% at the hammer, before premium.
| Comparison | Cards | Median ratio | 95% CI | House higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House auctions against eBay auctions, price paid (the headline) | 2,443 | 97.9% | 97.3%–98.5% | 43.7% |
| House auctions against eBay fixed-price sales, price paid | 2,200 | 81.2% | 80.4%–81.9% | 12.1% |
| House auctions against every eBay sale whatever its format, price paid | 4,059 | 86.4% | 85.7%–87.0% | 22.7% |
| The same, on the headline's own cards | 2,443 | 89.4% | 88.7%–90.0% | 24.1% |
| House hammer, before the buyer's premium, against eBay auctions | 2,280 | 80.1% | 79.5%–80.9% | 14.7% |
| House hammer against every eBay sale | 3,803 | 70.5% | 70.0%–71.0% | 9.5% |
| Every sale at the houses (auctions, fixed prices, accepted offers) against eBay auctions | 2,687 | 99.4% | 98.7%–100.0% | 47.7% |
| Headline, only cards whose eBay and house titles name the same printing year | 2,289 | 98.0% | 97.3%–98.6% | 44.0% |
| Headline with Goldin and Alt only | 468 | 98.1% | 97.1%–99.5% | 44.2% |
| Hammer against eBay auctions: Fanatics Collect | 1,883 | 79.7% | 78.9%–80.3% | 14.7% |
| Hammer against eBay auctions: Goldin | 4 | 83.4% | – | 25.0% |
| Hammer against eBay auctions: Alt | 457 | 81.7% | 81.0%–82.9% | 10.7% |
| Ungraded copies (condition not recorded), house auctions against eBay auctions | 85 | 120.0% | 106.2%–147.3% | 68.2% |
Most-traded graded cards compared across venues· ranked by sales on the thinner side
10 matched cards, led by Mega Charizard X ex (PSA 10), ranked by sales on the thinner side.
| # | Card | Grade | House median | House sales | eBay auction median | eBay sales | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mega Charizard X exPhantasmal Flames #125 · 2025 | PSA 10 | $1,890 | 77 | $1,676 | 233 | +12.8% |
| 2 |  PikachuCrown Zenith #160 · 2023 | PSA 10 | $252 | 53 | $243 | 116 | +3.9% |
| 3 |  Umbreon VMAXEvolving Skies #215 · 2021 | PSA 10 | $3,960 | 51 | $4,000 | 136 | −1.0% |
| 4 |  Mega Gengar exAscended Heroes #284 · 2026 | PSA 10 | $1,920 | 47 | $1,900 | 129 | +1.1% |
| 5 |  Umbreon exPrismatic Evolutions #161 · 2025 | PSA 10 | $4,920 | 42 | $5,200 | 67 | −5.4% |
| 6 |  Mew exPaldean Fates #232 · 2024 | PSA 10 | $2,880 | 41 | $2,950 | 138 | −2.4% |
| 7 |  Charizard VMAXShining Fates Shiny Vault #SV107 · 2021 | PSA 10 | $276 | 39 | $230 | 65 | +20.0% |
| 8 |  Mega Gengar exAscended Heroes #269 · 2026 | PSA 10 | $185 | 38 | $178 | 540 | +4.5% |
| 9 | Mega Charizard X exPhantasmal Flames #125 · 2025 | PSA 9 | $631 | 38 | $665 | 127 | −5.2% |
| 10 |  Mega Charizard X exPhantasmal Flames #109 · 2025 | PSA 10 | $118 | 37 | $121 | 220 | −2.4% |
Graded cards with the widest auction-house against eBay spreads· 5+ sales each side, prices within 3× on each side, medians $25+
The widest spreads run in both directions, so the average hides cards on each side.
House above eBay
| Card | Grade | House | eBay | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Entei ☆Unseen Forces #113 | PSA 9 | $5,640 | $2,925 | +92.8% |
 BudewAscended Heroes #221 | PSA 10 | $75.80 | $46 | +64.8% |
 Suicune ☆Unseen Forces #115 | PSA 9 | $6,300 | $3,878 | +62.5% |
 Mega Diancie exAscended Heroes #267 | CGC Pristine 10 | $39.60 | $26 | +52.3% |
 Deoxys (Japanese)Sword & Shield (S12a) #185/172 | CGC Pristine 10 | $41.50 | $28.50 | +45.6% |
 Steven's Metagross exAscended Heroes #289 | PSA 10 | $276 | $193 | +43.4% |
 Mewtwo (Japanese)Sun & Moon (SM11) #029/094 | CGC 10 | $49.80 | $35.08 | +42.0% |
 M Venusaur-EXEvolutions #100 | PSA 9 | $60 | $43 | +39.5% |
 Gengar (Japanese)Mega Evolution (M2a) #230/193 | PSA 9 | $44 | $32 | +37.5% |
 Lugia (Japanese)Sword & Shield (S12) #110/098 | PSA 10 | $1,200 | $883 | +35.9% |
House below eBay
| Card | Grade | House | eBay | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Pikachu (Japanese)Sword & Shield (S8b) #046/184 | CGC Pristine 10 | $28 | $53 | −47.2% |
 Growlithe (Japanese)Mega Evolution (M6) #078/076 | CGC Pristine 10 | $31.20 | $56 | −44.3% |
 Kyogre (Japanese)Mega Evolution (M6) #080/076 | CGC Pristine 10 | $42.50 | $75 | −43.3% |
 Mega Darkrai exPitch Black #116 | CGC 10 | $348 | $598 | −41.8% |
 Misty's LaprasDestined Rivals #194 | CGC 10 | $51.70 | $84.11 | −38.5% |
 QuagsireHidden Fates Shiny Vault #SV10 | PSA 10 | $93.60 | $150 | −37.6% |
 Mega Greninja exChaos Rising #122 | CGC 10 | $234 | $374 | −37.4% |
 Charizard (Japanese)Scarlet & Violet (SV2a) #185/165 | CGC Pristine 10 | $54 | $86.16 | −37.3% |
 Team Rocket's Mewtwo exDestined Rivals #213 | CGC 10 | $38.40 | $60.99 | −37.0% |
 Mega Dragalge exChaos Rising #118 | CGC 10 | $40 | $62 | −35.5% |
The cut a card must pass to be named here
- Auction against auction, 5+ sales on each side.
- No side's highest sale more than 3× its lowest.
- Both sides' titles name the same printing year, and no title names a lot or sealed product.
Chart: Auction house vs eBay
For media
Free to cite · CC-BY 4.0- Updated
- RefreshesMonthly; each edition is kept at its own URL
- SourceCardTrack's sold ledger: eBay (trawl, SoldComps, Scrydex, eBay's feed), Fanatics Collect, Goldin and Alt, price paid including buyer's premium.
Source: CardTrack, Auction house vs eBay, October 2026, 17 October 2026. https://cardtrack.com/data/auction-house-vs-ebay/2026-10Charts and tables may be reproduced with the attribution above under CC-BY 4.0. How the numbers are built: methodology. Press enquiries, corrections and custom cuts of the data: jd@cardtrack.com. CardTrack is a market measure, not investment advice.
Frequently asked questions: Auction house vs eBay
Do graded Pokémon cards sell for more at auction houses than on eBay?
Auction-house sales (Fanatics Collect, Goldin, Alt) cleared at a median 97.9% of eBay auction prices for the same graded card, buyer's premium included (15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026), so not on the median. The house price was higher on 43.7% of 2,443 matched cards.
How do auction-house prices compare with eBay buy-it-now?
Auction-house auctions cleared at a median 81.2% of eBay fixed-price sales of the same graded card, across 2,200 cards (15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026).
Does the buyer's premium make auction-house Pokémon cards cost more than eBay?
With the buyer's premium in, auction-house sales cleared at a median 97.9% of eBay auction prices; at the hammer, before the premium, 80.1% (2,280 cards). Matched graded Pokémon cards, 15 Jul to 14 Oct 2026. Seller fees are not in the data at either venue.
Method: how CardTrack built these figures
How the figures are built: what is counted, where the prices come from, thresholds and caveats
The comparison
- A group is one card, grade, printing and language, with 3+ sales of known price on eBay and 3+ at the house.
- Its ratio is the house median ÷ the eBay median.
- The headline is the median of those ratios, so each card counts once however often it sold. The interval is a 95% bootstrap over cards (2,000 draws).
Prices
- Price paid, buyer's premium included: Fanatics Collect weekly auctions at hammer × 1.2, Goldin at hammer × 1.22, Alt as reported.
- eBay is the item price. Postage is in neither, and no seller fee is estimated for any venue.
eBay's format
- Each eBay sale's format is read from the raw feed rows that carry it: auction, fixed price, accepted offer, unknown, or conflicting between feeds.
- The headline compares house auctions with eBay auctions; the fixed-price and pooled comparisons sit beside it.
Window and coverage
- 15 Jul 2026 to 14 Oct 2026 (92 days).
- eBay coverage ramps through July and dips 16 Aug–31 Aug; the Scrydex feed stops on 30 September; Goldin is thin.
- Within-period comparisons are in the sensitivity table and the CSV.
Edition
October 2026 edition, published 17 Oct 2026.
Editions of the Auction house vs eBay study
- October 2026
Each edition keeps its own page, CSV and chart at /data/auction-house-vs-ebay/<edition>, so a citation of one month's figures keeps pointing at them.