Home U.S. Coin Forum
Options

Ebay is missing out on a huge amount of coin sales due to fees..........

I bet if they cut their 13+% fee in half their sales would go up 4-6X.

13+% is a deal killer ..........................

Comments

  • Options
    mach19mach19 Posts: 4,780 ✭✭✭✭

    I agree !

    TIN SOLDIERS & NIXON COMING image
  • Options
    bestdaybestday Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭✭

    @2manycoins2fewfunds said:
    I bet if they cut their 13+% fee in half their sales would go up 4-6X.

    13+% is a deal killer ..........................

    Don't look as much to ebay for coins anymore .. higher prices ?

  • Options
    Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 9,779 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 6, 2026 10:25AM

    Bay fees simply a part of opex. Show exp, travel, Table fees can be a much bigger hit.

    Investor
  • Options

    But if you want to sell moderns, ASEs and other bullion coins the cost is too high. Classics are nice but the real dollar volume is in ASEs, Gold eagles, and various 90% silver coins.

    That volume swamps classics...............

  • Options
    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 41,422 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Doubtful. I'm 100% sure that they know their business better than you do.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Options
    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 41,422 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @2manycoins2fewfunds said:
    But if you want to sell moderns, ASEs and other bullion coins the cost is too high. Classics are nice but the real dollar volume is in ASEs, Gold eagles, and various 90% silver coins.

    That volume swamps classics...............

    Even 5% doesn't make ASEs or AGEs easily saleable on ebay as the bid/ask spread is less than that. I can sell ASEs at 4% on ebay and I still just wholesale them.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Options
    291fifth291fifth Posts: 25,184 ✭✭✭✭✭

    eBay has been in business for 30 years. They know what the market will bear and charge accordingly. As others have said, they are still way below current auction house charges.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • Options
    BStrauss3BStrauss3 Posts: 3,886 ✭✭✭✭✭

    HA is raising its buyer's premium to 22%. Doesn't seem like high fees cost them much in sales...

    -----Burton
    ANA 50+ year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
    Author: 3rd Edition of the SampleSlabs book, https://sampleslabs.info/
  • Options
    WalkerfanWalkerfan Posts: 10,286 ✭✭✭✭✭

    To me eBay is just an advertisement agency. Contacting the dealer direct will save you a lot of money.

    Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍

    My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):

    https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/

  • Options
    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 41,422 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 29, 2025 10:14AM

    @Walkerfan said:
    To me eBay is just an advertisement agency. Contacting the dealer direct will save you a lot of money.

    Except when it won't. Didn't we all just have this discussion.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Options
    jonathanbjonathanb Posts: 4,062 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A slightly different perspective: I just listed a bunch of "stuff" on eBay that I've had hanging around for ages. I don't enjoy listing stuff on eBay. I haven't listed anything in almost 2 years. Sometimes I'll do it anyway.

    So far I've sold 2 items on BINs, and I have bids on 2 others. That's all within a half hour of posting the lots, on a random weekday afternoon on a holiday week.

    I totally understand the comments above for high-end lots, and especially for bullion. But there are some things where eBay really is worth the effort.

    (and I just got a bid on another item as I'm typing this)

  • Options
    ldhairldhair Posts: 7,444 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Ebay cost less but how much is your time worth?
    You have to provide the images, create each listing, collect the funds, package each item and get it to the post office. If you use one of the auction houses, they handle all that for you.
    If you sell a lot of items Ebay becomes a full time job. I can't work that into my schedule.

    Larry

  • Options
    logger7logger7 Posts: 9,658 ✭✭✭✭✭

    In many ways there is no other selling option. Only certain things can be sold on bst forums, Facebook marketplace or Craigslist; ebay gives you a much bigger marketplace and if you have a store and have a top rating the percentages are less. If you called around to major wholesalers, many are not going to offer strong for what you have or they would not be interested. Major auction companies are hit and miss, your material could just as likely sell low as sell well.

  • Options
    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 41,422 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ldhair said:
    Ebay cost less but how much is your time worth?
    You have to provide the images, create each listing, collect the funds, package each item and get it to the post office. If you use one of the auction houses, they handle all that for you.
    If you sell a lot of items Ebay becomes a full time job. I can't work that into my schedule.

    You can't send $25 coins to an auction house and net anything.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Options
    ldhairldhair Posts: 7,444 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @ldhair said:
    Ebay cost less but how much is your time worth?
    You have to provide the images, create each listing, collect the funds, package each item and get it to the post office. If you use one of the auction houses, they handle all that for you.
    If you sell a lot of items Ebay becomes a full time job. I can't work that into my schedule.

    You can't send $25 coins to an auction house and net anything.

    Good point.

    Larry

  • Options
    LiquidatedLiquidated Posts: 369 ✭✭✭✭

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @ldhair said:
    Ebay cost less but how much is your time worth?
    You have to provide the images, create each listing, collect the funds, package each item and get it to the post office. If you use one of the auction houses, they handle all that for you.
    If you sell a lot of items Ebay becomes a full time job. I can't work that into my schedule.

    You can't send $25 coins to an auction house and net anything.

    I can sell sub $50 coins locally and net better than eBay. Up to $200 maybe better on eBay but difference does not warrant dealing with listing, shipping, and the sometimes nut job buyer on back end. Plus help them run their businesses.

    eBay could go back to the tiered commission structure with lower rates on low price items. It would pick up more transactions. If 5% and that price category doubled…. No benefit to them and then card collectors would want the same.

    I get that people may live in remote areas and selling $25 on eBay is only option. For many others…. drop into the local shops.

  • Options
    JBKJBK Posts: 17,469 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There are tens of millions of items listed on ebay at any given moment. I doubt that coin sales specifically are of much concern to them.

    For me, higher postage costs are the deal-breaker far more often than the cost of the item.

  • Options
    RedRocketRedRocket Posts: 1,557 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Open a store.
    Fees are less.

  • Options
    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 41,422 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Liquidated said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @ldhair said:
    Ebay cost less but how much is your time worth?
    You have to provide the images, create each listing, collect the funds, package each item and get it to the post office. If you use one of the auction houses, they handle all that for you.
    If you sell a lot of items Ebay becomes a full time job. I can't work that into my schedule.

    You can't send $25 coins to an auction house and net anything.

    I can sell sub $50 coins locally and net better than eBay. Up to $200 maybe better on eBay but difference does not warrant dealing with listing, shipping, and the sometimes nut job buyer on back end. Plus help them run their businesses.

    eBay could go back to the tiered commission structure with lower rates on low price items. It would pick up more transactions. If 5% and that price category doubled…. No benefit to them and then card collectors would want the same.

    I get that people may live in remote areas and selling $25 on eBay is only option. For many others…. drop into the local shops.

    It depends on what it is. But, as I've always said, not everything belongs on ebay (or GC or Heritage or...)

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Options
    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 41,422 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JBK said:
    There are tens of millions of items listed on ebay at any given moment. I doubt that coin sales specifically are of much concern to them.

    For me, higher postage costs are the deal-breaker far more often than the cost of the item.

    It's a single digit percentage of total sales last i looked. I don't think they break them out by category anymore in their annual report.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Options
    slimbertslimbert Posts: 43 ✭✭✭

    If you have a Basic Store Subscription or higher, final value fees are...

    Coins & Paper Money: 9%
    Bullion: 7.5%

    If the item qualifies for Top Rated Plus, there is a 10% discount on the FVF, so...

    Coins & Paper Money: 8.1%
    Bullion: 6.75%

    Furthermore...

    For coins, the FVF is lower for the portion over $4,000 (2.35% FVF).

    For bullion, the FVF is lower for the portion over $1,500 (5% FVF) (and then also down to 4.5% for the $10,000+ portion of an item).

    That's a much lower fee than any other major auction house I know of.

    https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/store-selling-fees-managed-payments-sellers?id=4809

  • Options
    retirednowretirednow Posts: 706 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I wonder what does Collector Corner Charge for listing coins? I have done business with several dealers that I found on the Collector Corner site but I do not do Biz with Ebay dealers through Ebay. Not sure comparing fees to auction houses is fair - I am not sure what ebay adds to the process of listing articles?

    OMG ... My Mother was Right about Everything!
    I wake up with a Good Attitude Every Day. Then … Idiots Happen!

  • Options
    Coin FinderCoin Finder Posts: 7,733 ✭✭✭✭✭

    What percentage of eBay sales are coins worldwide out of their entire business volume? my guess it’s not very much

  • Options
    Russell12Russell12 Posts: 794 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Walkerfan said:
    To me eBay is just an advertisement agency. Contacting the dealer direct will save you a lot of money.

    Isn't this sorta against eBay rules that are agreed to when people join?

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file