eBay is RAISING FEES again!

theo934

among other changes coming, they are raising the Final Value fee from 2.75 to3%



http://pages.ebay.com/sell/announcement/overview/index.html

carew4me

God, please, NO!

envoy98

They reduced the insertion fee by a nickel for items that start for <1.00. Which is nice if you list a lot of items and many get no bids. But as southsider pointed out on a different thread, the raising of th FVF .25% gives them that nickel right back + some. Feebay is holding true to it's name.

Are the big auction houses eventually going to be the only place (or at least a bigger player) to buy and sell high end items? If the fees are comparable and theres little to no risk of non paying bidders etc wouldn't it make more sense? I realize ebay has a huge user community and we all check it often, but for selling... Everytime I list a hundred cards or so, I'm selling at least 2 $100 cards just to fund the sales of the rest of them. One reason why I love doing shows. I usually get the same or more money than on ebay and I pay less.

SDavid

<< <i>I realize ebay has a huge user community and we all check it often, but for selling... Everytime I list a hundred cards or so, I'm selling at least 2 $100 cards just to fund the sales of the rest of them. One reason why I love doing shows. I usually get the same or more money than on ebay and I pay less. >>



I guess it's different if you have a store, but I think ebay auctions are a terrible way to sell low end items. Like you say, a lot of stuff doesn't sell and it's a PITA besides. Also, I don't know about you, but I always found that the buyers of cheap items on ebay were the least likely to pay and the most likely to complain about anything imaginable.

As for high-end items going to auction houses vs. ebay, it probably depends upon how high end the item is. If it's really high end, you can probably negotiate the consignment fee down, making it a no-brainer (unless you need the cash quick). I haven't researched it, but I'm assuming they get some premium due to increased consumer confidence...and shill bidding probably doesn't hurt either.

mj23kg21

Overall, I think Ebay is a great place to sell. I figure it cost around 10% to sell something on Ebay if you accept Paypal. I can't set up at a show and do 10 times the table fees (at least not anymore). I have done Twinsfest numerous times but with the cost of two tables being $800.00 plus motels and other expenses I would have to sell $12,000 to have my expenses be comparable. The big advantage in doing a show is the chance of buying items from walk-ins and making contacts for future business.

Xtrainningscards

Agreed on the shows, rarely do you do 10 times expenses at a show, although you do sell at higher then ebay prices most times. As far as the rate increase, this is an increase of 17.5 cents on $100 card, and if the cards sell for $25 or less, it is no increase at all. This is hardly worth complaining about. Ebay is putting a lot of this into more advertising, although, I think just about anyone that deals online or lives in the US knows what ebay is by now, and if the want to use it they already are. I am not a big believer in increasing advertising. Also, am sure sellers will increase there shipping rates by 50 cents to $1, to cover this increase and the P.O. increase as well, and in the end make even more.

envoy98

Twinsfest you say? I set up at Twins Fest last year. Not doing it this year, just going as a buyer. I did about $4k last year at Twins fest and the table cost me $325. I can't remember the last time I did less than 10x a table fee. Even the crummy mall shows here in MN usually get that...if you have the stuff people are looking for. I usually had a pretty good selection and sold pretty well. It usually is 10-12% to sell on ebay and take paypal, I agree with that. I also agree that the low end buyers are usually the ones to not pay and complain about the smallest things. I had people hit the BIN for $4.99 on a few cards (which doesn't even pay my grading fees) then not pay or respond to emails or NPB disputes. Ugh...

SDavid

In addition to ebay/paypal fees, you also have to figure in the percentage of what the buyer was willing to spend for an item that went to the post office. When you add in the shipping costs, the fixed ebay/paypal fees, and the FVF, that's a pretty high percentage of the expenditure for the cheap stuff.

I guess that's why every time I've gone to a show I see boxes upon boxes filled with cheap inserts/commons/etc.

mj23kg21

Envoy,

I'm sure we probably have seen each other and/or talked. I've done Twinsfest since around 98 - I'm not doing it this year either. I was always in Right Field accross from Bob Krawetz (The Ninth Inning). I am also going this year to buy. I have done quite a few shows in the cities - I always use to do Joe's shows at Southtown. Those were great shows in the day but I haven't done one of them for 4 years. I was always the one who had 3 tables pretty much right when you walk in the front door of the mall. Last year at Twinsfest I had two tables and I think I sold around 4k along with about that much in baseballs (which have a pretty small profit margin). Anyway, good luck in your collecting, buying & selling.