Regarding the vault and sales taxes: rules require vendors to collect sales tax on buyers when (1) the item will be “consumed” (used, kept, stored) in a state that has a sales tax (maybe it’s technically a use tax), and (2) the vendor has done a sufficient level of transactions with the state to mandate sales tax collections. This latter reason is why smaller AHs like Sterling, Collector Connection, and even LOTG collect sales tax on items being sent to some, but not all, tax collecting states they send consignments to.
Delaware, Oregon, and a few others do not have sales/use tax. If a card is sent for permanent storage (consumption) to a no-tax state, the vendor will not collect sales tax. I am positive the card must remain in that state for a certain period (1-2 years maybe) after which tax will never be owed even if moved to another state; however, if moved before that period to another state, tax would be due to that other state. If located in a no-sales-tax state, The vault is the permanent storage that allows owners to avoid state tax. But the card absolutely must stay in the vault for a certain period of time. It is no different than buying a boat in Delaware and keeping it at a marina there - no tax due- and then 3 years later taking it to North Carolina.
Unlike the aforementioned smaller AHs, eBay is gigantic. It certainly must now collect sales tax in every state and a zillion times a day and file many, detailed tax returns often. The increased administrative cost to eBay for this new requirement must be massive. Did eBay increase its fees once it was required to collect sales tax? If not, that “tax” they collect on shipping and taxes, and the time value of money and the use of those huge taxes before having to pay them over (30, 60, 90 days) is likely how they are compensated for all of the increased cost they had to absorb.
One last thought- many folks here do not understand NFTs, but they do understand (although may not approve of) the vault concept. Well, they are kind of the same. While you have the right to own and hold a tangible card, when you use the vault, your ownership is really reduced to pictures on your phone and the knowledge that can go see it if you buy a plane ticket. NFTs are just pictures on your phone without being able to visit your card (bc it does not exist in a form you can touch and feel). Whether you agree with this comparison or not- to me, notions like vault certainly feel like gateway drugs to concepts like fractional ownership and NFTs.
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