eBay offers multiple listing formats for sellers to choose from when listing baseball cards for auction or fixed-price sale. The most relevant listing formats are:
Standard listings – These are the basic listing types available on eBay. For a standard auction listing of a baseball card, eBay charges an insertion fee of $0.35 and a final value fee of 10% of the winning bid amount. For a standard fixed-price listing, eBay charges an insertion fee of $0.35 and a final value fee of 10% of the sale price if the item sells.
Featured listings – For a small additional fee on top of the standard listing fees, sellers can feature their listings prominently on search result pages and category pages to receive more visibility. The insertion fee for a featured auction listing is $0.55 and the final value fee remains 10%. For a featured fixed-price listing, the insertion fee is $0.55 and the final value fee is still 10% of the sale price.
Classified listings – Baseball cards priced under $25 can be listed using eBay’s Classified Ad format. The insertion fee is $0 for a classified ad and the final value fee is a flat rate of $0.30 for items that sell. This lower-cost listing option is best for lower value cards.
In addition to listing fees, sellers also need to factor in PayPal and/or eBay payment processing fees if they accept payment through one of these services. PayPal charges a fee of 2.9% of the total sale price plus $0.30 per transaction. eBay deducts an additional fee ranging from 1% to 2.5% of the sale price if using their managed payments services for checkout.
Sellers may also choose to offer additional features on baseball card listings for an extra fee, such as:
Bold listing – $0.20 fee to make the listing title appear in bold text.
Gallery Plus – $0.30 fee per listing to include up to 25 additional photos.
Shop Explorer – $0.25 fee per listing for potential increased exposure in Search and category pages.
Promoted Listings – Variable fee per click starting at $0.05 for prominent placement in search results through paid advertising.
When determining the total fees for selling baseball cards on eBay, it’s also important to factor in any applicable sales or value added tax requirements. Most countries and states charge a percentage tax on the sale price of the item that the seller is responsible for collecting and remitting.
In addition to listing and payment processing fees, sellers need to understand other non-fee costs involved with selling baseball cards on eBay such as:
Product and material costs for items like shipping supplies, toploaders, team bags for higher value cards.
Labor costs for taking photos, writing descriptions, packing/shipping orders which can each take 5-10 minutes per order.
Costs associated with researching baseball card values, grades, conditions and key identifying details which is important for accurate listings.
Cost of potentially replacing cards if they are lost or damaged during transit. Buyers can open item not received or significantly not as described cases against sellers if issues arise.
By carefully calculating all applicable eBay fees, payment fees, taxes due and other costs involved, baseball card sellers can determine their true profit margins on the platform and appropriately set minimum prices needed to make listings worthwhile. Effective inventory and account management practices are also necessary to minimize fees and sustain an eBay selling business over the long run. With planning and efficient operations, many serious sellers are able to turn baseball card sales into a profitable small business venture on eBay.
While eBay offers very low cost listing options starting at $0.35, sellers need to consider all fees applicable to each transaction as well as their own labor and material costs to determine the full expense of selling baseball cards on the site. Careful accounting is necessary to maintain profitability over many listings and ensure sustainability as an eBay baseball card seller over the long term.
