I didn't know that you lost money on a .99 ebay auction
Bunker
Posts: 3,926 ✭
I just sold a Carson Palmer game used jersey. It was from the 2007 Prestige. I listed it on ebay with a starting price of .99 Here is a breakdown of my fees:
ebay fees:
Listing fee....20
Gallery..........35 (If I would have known it would sell fo .99 I would have saved my money...lol)
Final Value Fee......05
Total ebay: .60
I charge $2.00 to ship so the Paypal fee was based on $2.99:
Paypal fee.....39 (Thats 13%...is it always that high?)
Total ebay + Paypal: .99...That is what the card sold for.
The shipping was $1.30 + .18 DC = $1.48 it weighed in at 1.2 oz's
That leaves me with .52 cent to pay for the card and shipping supplies.
ebay fees:
Listing fee....20
Gallery..........35 (If I would have known it would sell fo .99 I would have saved my money...lol)
Final Value Fee......05
Total ebay: .60
I charge $2.00 to ship so the Paypal fee was based on $2.99:
Paypal fee.....39 (Thats 13%...is it always that high?)
Total ebay + Paypal: .99...That is what the card sold for.
The shipping was $1.30 + .18 DC = $1.48 it weighed in at 1.2 oz's
That leaves me with .52 cent to pay for the card and shipping supplies.
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 2 (2003). My son was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 17 on December 31, 2009. We were stunned that another child of ours had been diagnosed. Please, if you don't have a favorite charity, consider giving to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)
JDRF Donation
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Comments
Snorto~
<< <i>but I know that in this case you didn't do it on purpose >>
I certainly thought that a Game Used Jersey from Carson Palmer would have sold for more than .99. I don't know about everyone else, but lately I have been disappointed in my sales.
I also had a 2007 Bowman Sterling auto that did not sell for the starting bid of .99....I am thankful for that now...lol
Some other cards that sold for .99 (Lost money on). There wer more from yesterday, but you get the point:
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 2 (2003). My son was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 17 on December 31, 2009. We were stunned that another child of ours had been diagnosed. Please, if you don't have a favorite charity, consider giving to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)
JDRF Donation
almo
Just the sad truth
John
HOF SIGNED FOOTBALL RCS
<< <i>basically, if it's modern and it's not a HOT auto of a legend or a prospect, it's worthless.
Just the sad truth
John >>
I have found most anything that is a certified auto will sell better than the game used stuff, at least in football. Like everything that came before it, the card companies did the game used inserts to death and killed their value by flooding the market... too much of a good thing. Now they are creating sucking the last life out of them with double, triple, patch, or low numbered versions. Here again, if there are 50 products coming out every year and each of them have one or more insert with the same concept, it will diminish the value of everything. All the while prices go through the roof and price or otherwise alienate some from the hobby, especially kids.
While this holds true for autos as well, there appears to be a more finite number of autos than game used (how many cards can they make from a single jersey?), so they seem to fare better. Still, values have dropped here too because of the number of products and versions of autos available, but they are still doing much better as a whole than 99% of the game used stuff from what I have observed.
Snorto~
If it is not special, sellers are lucky to get the opening bid.
It is now more important than ever to make sure that
the opening bid is a price you will be satisfied with.
And, the circumstance appears to be getting worse.
eBay Listing Fee .20
Final Value Fee .05
PayPal MicroPay Account Fees .10 (based on $1.99 total cost if you charged $1 for shipping)
Total fees = 35 cents
You can charge for shipping reasonably. For 1-2 cards you can ship in a regular envelope in a top loader and your cards will be fine. The top loader provides adequate protection, even from the dreaded sorting machines at the USPS. If you are going to go the bubble mailer route then you'll have to charge accordingly but do you really need to send 99 cent cards in a bubble mailer?
The Gallery Fee was obviously where you lost your profit.
I got $2.25 yesterday for a $50 Ripken Atomic Refractor in mint condition. I hear your concerns for sure.
"Molon Labe"
I've really tried to not list stuff that I don't think I can get a really good deal on. I had an auction once that stated that if they paid via MO, CC, or Check that shipping would be free. It was yanked.
So, with my low end stuff I usually do a yard sale about once or twice a month in my area. I've found that people are more apt to respond to an ad in the newspaper then get on Ebay and buy. I usually have the people who say, "Oh, my grandson/granddaughter collects these. How much can I get for $25?" I then usually try to put a box together with Stars, Semi-stars, unopened, at least one game used or auto, and of course some commons. That's where most of my money has been made. Plus, I do grab bags for a like a $1. People love these things. Last year I opened so many Topps packs that I had a ton of those Mantle cards. So, I randomly put some in these grab bags then post a sign stating that if they find one they get a free unopened pack or something else that's neat. You wouldn't believe how many people keep buying packs. And it's awesome when a kid gets a bag with one in there. It creates a frenzy with parents/grandparents and others that are there.
I came to the realization after doing a couple of shows and selling on Ebay that most of what I have most don't want. So, I enjoy what I collected as a kid and any surplus of extra stuff I just put in these grab bags to generate income for future card purchases. Last month, however, I made enough money on grab bags and selling boxes at my two yard sales that I was able to pay all my bills for the month with it. I have no idea how it happened, but I had all these kids wanting more and more grab bags.
So, after writing this novel...I would caution anyone who is trying to sell small time stuff on the Bay. I've tried it so many times and can tell you, you will pay more then you'll make.
Guru
For many sellers (those that don't do > $3000 per month business on Paypal), they charge $0.30 per transaction + 2.9%. In this case, that is 2.9% of 2.99 ($0.09) + 30 cents, for 39 cents total.
Doug
Fee is .05 + 5%.
Anyone who sells cheap cards should have one of these accounts. You CAN have multiple PayPal accounts, I have three.
<< <i>PayPal Micropayments don't have a minimum transaction level.
Fee is .05 + 5%.
Anyone who sells cheap cards should have one of these accounts. You CAN have multiple PayPal accounts, I have three. >>
Interesting. I've never heard of this type of paypal account. Thanks for pointing it out for us. I would guess this type of an account would be great for unloading cheaper vintage commons from the 1970's too. I'll have to keep that in mind.
Also, what Storm said is right on the money as usual. I start many auctions at a minimum level I want for the card. If it gets only one hit, I'm fine. If it doesn't, there's always room for it in a ebay store listing, selling it at a card show, trading it, holding it longer, or giving it away, etc....
Collecting is strange like that .
Sometimes you lose , sometimes you hit a grand slam .
It's not such a surprise on the more rare stuff but when it happens on a more common piece it's like OH BOY !
Like that Elway Rookie that sold for 10 K.
I guess there is someone else out there that is willing to pay almost as much for a card that is only really worth about 1800.00 in a 10 .
.20 cent listing
.05 final value fee
.39 paypal fee (fee is 2.9% of total price or 39 cents whichever is higher)
1.48 shipping
.64 cents total ebay fees
$2.12 total fees
$2.95 shipping
$.99 cost of item
$3.94 total for item
Leaves you with $1.82
<< <i>I didn't know you hoped to make money on a $0.99 auction. Those fees are killers!! >>
It's not that I was trying to make money, but I really wasn't expecting to lose any either. I thought that the Palmer jersey would go for 6-8 dollars.
Its not like I have to go on welfare now or anything, I was just suprised that a .99 cent sale was equal to the fees. I see a lot of auctions on ebay that go for .99...maybe everyone knew but me?
I would have rather given the card to a player collector on these boards.
By the way I start all my auctions at .99 with no reserve. Sometimes I win sometimes I lose. I am probably like a lot of guys on here that whatever I sell on ebay I put back into buying more cards
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 2 (2003). My son was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 17 on December 31, 2009. We were stunned that another child of ours had been diagnosed. Please, if you don't have a favorite charity, consider giving to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)
JDRF Donation
<< <i>It wasn't an attack on you -- I am just always amazed at how paypal + eBay fees add up! >>
So am I
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 2 (2003). My son was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 17 on December 31, 2009. We were stunned that another child of ours had been diagnosed. Please, if you don't have a favorite charity, consider giving to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)
JDRF Donation
I think in the case provided the loss was due to the gallery addition?
Of course it depends on what the person has in the card in the first place.
Steve
I never heard of the micro paypal? will ck into it. Thx, Karl
The 2 cards listed are #: 180121028738 & 180121029799
Steve
on those items i disable the accept paypal pay icon, that is if i remember lol.
Karl