edited

[glchen]

I'm not happy at all with the new fee increases at ebay. However, saying that, I would say that my ebay sales are roughly in line with what they were before the ebay site changes. The thing w/ ebay is that you still get your money faster than if you went through an auction house or consignment, and sometimes you can even get better sale prices because you don't have to rely on the randomness of auction sales. However, if I do need to move some items, I will go through an ebay consignment (like PWCC) or an auction house rather than doing a straight 99 cent auction from my ebay userid.

[rube26105]

Originally Posted by glchen

I'm not happy at all with the new fee increases at ebay. However, saying that, I would say that my ebay sales are roughly in line with what they were before the ebay site changes. The thing w/ ebay is that you still get your money faster than if you went through an auction house or consignment, and sometimes you can even get better sale prices because you don't have to rely on the randomness of auction sales. However, if I do need to move some items, I will go through an ebay consignment (like PWCC) or an auction house rather than doing a straight 99 cent auction from my ebay userid.

+1

[mintacular]

I've noticed recently that the fees continue to go up, ie. 15% ebay + 3% paypal and so this should be good for private auction houses or dealers sites like this, etc.

Feel like fees used to be well under 15% TOTAL FEES

Also, think eBay search function updates have clouded everything and made it more difficult to find (or sell) what you need

[dog*dirt]

Originally Posted by mintacular

I've noticed recently that the fees continue to go up, ie. 15% ebay + 3% paypal and so this should be good for private auction houses or dealers sites like this, etc.

Feel like fees used to be well under 15% TOTAL FEES

Also, think eBay search function updates have clouded everything and made it more difficult to find (or sell) what you need

Well said Patrick as I agree completely.

[glchen]

I don't think that fees are 15%, at least not yet, unless there is something in the new Fall Seller Updates for ebay that I haven't seen yet. Fees for most sports items are 10% + 3% paypal. This does not count insertion fees, where if you just list when ebay has listing promotions, you can get for free. Top Rated Sellers receive 20% off final value fees, so for them the fees will typically be 8% + 3% paypal = 11% net. This is still better than many of the large auction houses which have close to 20% Buyer's Premium, and then you still have to pay 15% sellers fee = 35% Net. Therefore, in comparison, ebay is still substantially less. (There are some auction houses like Goodwin that have 0% seller's commission, and most of the smaller auction houses like B&L, I believe, also have 0% and smaller buyer's premium also.) I don't like the fee increases at ebay, especially the last one, but in comparison, it's still better the many of the other options.

[Northviewcats]

Hello Everyone,

In my humble opinion, eBay rocks.

I realize that I'm a small player in the eBay world. I only average about $1,000.00 in sales a month, and I do get frustrated with some of their frequent policy changes, but I'm successful doing business on eBay the old fashion way. I don't have a store. I don't use Buy-it-Now. All my auctions start at .99 cents with no reserve. I still charge a small shipping fee. I think that I first heard of this method from Barry Sloate. Thanks Barry. Obviously, all my auctions sell. Sometimes they sell for a little less than what I expect, but most of the time I'm surprised what people will bid on baseball cards in an auction format. It all averages out.

Ebay rocks because you don't have to spend gas going to a show to sell your cards (if there is a show in the neighborhood). You can find a customer for almost anything that you have, and they provide a relatively safe trading environment.

The BST is great, and I've bought & sold a few cards there, but I've found that I can usually get more for my cards on eBay, even when you add in the fees.

I've always believed the old maxim that you don't make money selling; it's in buying where you make your profit.

I started buying and selling on eBay 10 years ago, and have over 4,000 positive transactions. Never got a negative. There have been a few non-paying bidders, and a few times that customers requested refunds, but overall it has been a pretty smooth ride. I have lots of repeat buyers. I haven't spend a dime of our household earnings on baseball cards. My eBay business has allowed me to build a wonderful collection. I cannot imagine doing this without eBay.

Best of luck with your collections,

Joe

[conor912]

PWCC is a no-brainer for cards over $200. He charges 13.5% off the top, which, as a non top-rated seller, exactly what I would pay if I sold them myself, plus I don't have to deal with questions, returns, etc.