What to do with extra Steam trading cards
Short answer
You have five options: craft the badge, sell the cards on the Steam Market, turn them into gems, trade them with other players, or sell them for gems on CardsForGems. If you want gems, selling often gives several times more than Turn into Gems.
What do you want from them?
Sell your spare cards to CardsForGems: you see the price before the trade, often several times what Turn into Gems gives. Turn into Gems is still fine for backgrounds and emoticons.
The five options
Craft the badge
- Best when
- You have the full set, or can finish it.
- You get
- 100 XP per badge level (up to 5 levels), a profile background and an emoticon.
- Downside
- You need every card of the set, and they are used up.
Sell on the Steam Market
- Best when
- You want Steam Wallet funds.
- You get
- The price a buyer pays, minus Steam’s fees.
- Downside
- Listing many cards takes time, and the money can’t leave Steam.
Turn into Gems
- Best when
- Nobody buys the item, or it is a background or emoticon.
- You get
- A fixed amount of gems set by Steam, instantly.
- Downside
- Often the fewest gems, and it can’t be undone.
Trade with players
- Best when
- You want to finish your own sets.
- You get
- The cards you miss.
- Downside
- Slow, and you must check every offer.
Sell for gems on CardsForGems
- Best when
- You want gems, for booster packs or the Shop.
- You get
- A price based on the card’s market, shown before you trade. Sets and foils too.
- Downside
- Trading cards only. Cards with no buyers on the market can’t be priced.
Why you end up with extra cards
Playing a game drops about half of its card set. To finish the badge you trade or buy the rest, so most players keep cards from games they will never complete. Those are the cards worth selling.
See what your extra cards are worth
Paste your Steam profile: what we would pay for your cards, and what Turn into Gems gives for most of them, without signing in.
Questions
Why do I only get half of the cards by playing?
That is how Steam card drops work: a game drops about half of its set. The rest comes from trades, the Market or booster packs.
Can I sell foil cards?
Yes. Foil cards and foil sets are priced like the others, from their own market price.
Is selling to CardsForGems safe?
You see the price first, and every Steam trade offer carries a code you can check on the site before you accept it.