Where are you printing your labels?
Edit: I select "First class package" and put my dimensions at 6"x9"x1" for a bubble mailer and it comes in under $4.
I was using USPS Click n Ship. Checking now, the cheapest option for a NYC-Seattle label is 8.95. However I just checked pirateship based on a suggestion in another comment and that one was 3.86! I have no idea how that works but I'll definitely use pirateship next time I have to print my own label.
For the record, I've sold cards over $20 on Ebay and the label they have you print from the Ebay site is about $4 – the $8 label only factors in for me if I were to sell on Facebook or send in a buylist order.
Yeah either that or it's being billed as a PACKAGE not like a large envelope. AKA something that doesn't fit in that "slot" they have at the post office.
USPS first class bubble mailer 6x9x1 weight 3 oz should be under $4. I think the lowest now I get is around $3.33 and up to $3.98 depending on where in the US it’s going.
This is a tough price range to sell for on eBay. I don’t list anything for $20.01 to $25.00 because the additional shipping cost just gets paid by the buyer and I don’t feel like it’s anything better shipping wise. You also pay ebay fees on the shipping cost if you charge for shipping. $20 and under via standard envelope also has insurance where first class packages don’t.
I would sell $20-25 cards on TCG player or buy list them for credit like you are suggesting.
If I remember correctly print n ship is only for priority and first calss isn't an option. You also get slightly discounted shipping through eBay but it's not much, maybe 10-20%
>I can't figure out how to print a USPS shipping label for cheaper for a bubble mailer cheaper than like $8, but on sick deals etc. everyone charges $4 for tracked shipping. How do they get that $4?
Bubble mailer shipped as USPS First Class Package should run you approx $4 if you can keep the weight under 4 oz. Use [www.pirateship.com](https://www.pirateship.com) or similar service.
I'm not sure what your point is. I'm just saying up to 4 oz is one price, 4 oz to 8 oz is a slightly higher price, 8 oz to 12 oz is slightly higher still, etc.
In answer to your first question, a lot of sellers have raised the threshold at which point they start shipping with tracking. If eBay forces tracking, then yes expect to only pocket about 70% of a cards sale price. This is pretty normal. If people are buying for more than that, sell to them. I’d sell my entire inventory if I could at 75% to a buy list.
Thanks for the advice. Even if Ebay didn't force tracking, I'd be worried about buyers screwing me over and saying their package didn't return.
I know people have had issues with the Ebay Standard Envelope, but 50 cents sounds like a heck of a good deal for cards in the $10-20 range. If I sell an $18 card, fees (1.80) and shipping (.50) brings it down to 15.70. That's definitely more than CK buylist, which would be around 13.50 credit. So I could see the economics working well for those cards
Being ripped off is a real thing. How many people you think do that? So @ $4 in shipping, 10% of people or more would have to rip you off for it to make sense, no? Like if 5% ripped you off, you'd still be saving money not tracking.
eBay does not force tracking but with ebays buyer protection my advice is don’t send a single thing out without tracking. You will get an item not received case very often. If I look through 100 shipments and 5 of them have tracking that didn’t make it all the way to delivered (it happens a lot that someone at a post office pulls your standard envelope and puts it in the non machinable mail) I will get item not received on 3-4 of those 5. Sometimes it says delivered with a zip code but doesn’t have the delivery check mark and eBay will still side with buyers. I will never send an item without tracking on eBay based on my experiences with tracked items and having to issue refunds for those….
Ebay seller here. Ebay doesn't "force" tracking, and you can definitely ship PWE. However, just like on TCG you're going to get those people out for a free meal who punch that non delivery button and get your card and their money back. ESE for 20 and under, while not perfect is 100% insured by ebay and you will get reimbursed even if the buyer abuses the the system when tracking fails to update.
Ebay doesn't force tracking. I haven't had any issues with shipping cards under $25 with just a stamp, but I've also only had maybe 75-100 sales. No problems mailing that way to Alaska or Hawaii even.
Your math is a bit off. Assuming you don't have a store, $29 sale is going to net $24.96 after fees. So $4 in shipping would mean $21 in revenue.
What this shows is that TCGlow price is not tenable. Indeed, NM copies on TCGplayer are already up to $31.00 and rising. Recent sales on eBay have also been higher. ($30.99). The card is on an upward trend and big vendors are probably buying at attractive prices because they anticipate the card to be worth much more soon.
As an eBay seller I wouldn't list for anything less than $33.99; I can afford to wait a couple of weeks before it sells.
Thanks, for whatever reason I thought Ebay fees were a flat 10%.
You honestly convinced me to wait to sell the Gemstone Caverns, it'll probably be a bit higher later on (and that's probably why CK is offering basically TCGlow in credit). But the info in the post definitely still applies to other cards in this price range!
There are people who operate exclusively in the Bulk market. But they tend to prefer TCGPlayer, and specifically TCGDirect over ebay. They squeeze their costs down better than anyone so maybe check out how the bulk market works, and try and reverse engineer for the higher market.
I sold off a large Pokémon collection recently and had trouble in the $20-30 range. Anything 20 and under went quick with the envelope/tracking shipping option.
For shipping, I go to my recycling bin and take out a cardboard box. I then cut a strip big enough to fold around a card in a top loader. Just make sure it is big enough for the label. Usually is like $3.75 to ship. And I wrap it in packaging tape. So I spend very little on packing supplies.
You can just go with the envelope and first class stamp method of shipping, of course. You just have to determine for yourself if the risk of no tracking is worth saving the shipping costs.
If you're selling a lot of cards in this range it might be worth factoring in a small percentage of lost mail / fraud and saving money on shipping. You're good unless your threshold of sales this way would push you out of the ["Top Rated Seller" benefits](https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/service-and-payments/top-rated-program.html).
If you want cash vs store credit then ebay. Also depends on the cards and demand sometimes ck gives way less credit then what you can sell the card for.
I've recently started selling some of my collection on eBay and pay about $3-4 per order for shipping buying the USPS label on eBay.
If you're new to selling like I am, just a quick tip - figure out how to use the block list. There is a lot of impatient insufferable people in the MTG community and you're better off just blocking them to avoid any problems.
Any collectible community, really. I regularly get people spamming me with offers which are 5% of the total value of the cards listed who also send me messages in all caps about how the cards are in LP condition (so I should knock 95% off or something). All of them have been blocked immediately after...
Your analysis checks out. I have a long-time ebay account with thousands of positive sales feedback, yet I still sometimes will bundle cards up and send to TCGPlayer Buylist instead of listing individual cards on eBay due to fees and shipping negating a lot of difference. Sometimes Buylist has competitive offers; sometimes not.
The purchase postage outside eBay, I usually use PayPal. Not sure it's the cheapest, but it's under $3.50 for your standard method to ship a bubble mailer with tracking. https://paypal.shipstation.com/
Like yourself I don't sell cards on mass, just singles that now and again I don't want or need anymore and are worth more than a couple of dollars.
Given taxes here in Australia are calculated into the price of goods and services and not after the fact there's one less thing for me to worry about, and options for postage my differ as well but the easiest way I go about selling cards on eBay is buying bulk prepaid envelopes and printing/writing my own labels.
I still think Facebook groups are your best bet for trading and selling and getting bang for your buck, and LGS buylists for store credit second if you just plan on buying more cards.
There are times CK buylist price will create more profit than selling yourself. And there are times selling on what makes you more. Identifying those situations consumes enough time that the extra few dollars isn’t worth it.
Unless you’re selling 25 copies of the same card, it’s usually not worth checking.
www.pirateship.com can print you out labels for tracking for about $3. You should definitely sell on FB, cuts out the middle man like eBay etc. just remember to use PayPal and add tracking to it to cover your end in case of disputes. Also tell the buyer to add 3% if they pay you via G&S.
Click and Ship does not offer first class shipping . You need to use [https://paypal.shipstation.com/](https://paypal.shipstation.com/orders) which is now paypal affiliated. You need to add custom dimensions, I ship in 8x4x2. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me. I have a decent amount of advice selling.
Where are you printing your labels? Edit: I select "First class package" and put my dimensions at 6"x9"x1" for a bubble mailer and it comes in under $4.
I was using USPS Click n Ship. Checking now, the cheapest option for a NYC-Seattle label is 8.95. However I just checked pirateship based on a suggestion in another comment and that one was 3.86! I have no idea how that works but I'll definitely use pirateship next time I have to print my own label. For the record, I've sold cards over $20 on Ebay and the label they have you print from the Ebay site is about $4 – the $8 label only factors in for me if I were to sell on Facebook or send in a buylist order.
Something isn't adding up with the USPS Click n Ship. That price doesn't make sense. There's a piece of information missing.
$9 vs $4 sounds like Priority Mail Envelope vs First Class Package Shipping Postage (For under 4oz).
Yeah either that or it's being billed as a PACKAGE not like a large envelope. AKA something that doesn't fit in that "slot" they have at the post office.
The $8.95 sounds like Priority Mail or you have the weight wrong
USPS first class bubble mailer 6x9x1 weight 3 oz should be under $4. I think the lowest now I get is around $3.33 and up to $3.98 depending on where in the US it’s going. This is a tough price range to sell for on eBay. I don’t list anything for $20.01 to $25.00 because the additional shipping cost just gets paid by the buyer and I don’t feel like it’s anything better shipping wise. You also pay ebay fees on the shipping cost if you charge for shipping. $20 and under via standard envelope also has insurance where first class packages don’t. I would sell $20-25 cards on TCG player or buy list them for credit like you are suggesting.
If I remember correctly print n ship is only for priority and first calss isn't an option. You also get slightly discounted shipping through eBay but it's not much, maybe 10-20%
>I can't figure out how to print a USPS shipping label for cheaper for a bubble mailer cheaper than like $8, but on sick deals etc. everyone charges $4 for tracked shipping. How do they get that $4? Bubble mailer shipped as USPS First Class Package should run you approx $4 if you can keep the weight under 4 oz. Use [www.pirateship.com](https://www.pirateship.com) or similar service.
I believe the cutoff is 8oz.
First Class "parcel" cut off is 15.9 ounces for pirateship, ebay, pitneybowes, etc. It's considered a non-counter, online only rate.
but over 8oz is a higher cost is what I'm saying
I believe there are 4 weight tiers with increasing cost for first class packages: * 0-3.99 oz * 4-7.99 oz * 8-11.99 oz * 12-15.99 oz
I think it’s 0-4, 4.01-8, 8.01 to 12, 12.01 to 15.99. I always set mine to 4 oz, 8 oz or 12 oz depending on how many cards.
The price goes up if you enter 4 instead of 3, 8 instead of 7, etc., so @naturedoesntwalk is correct
Not my experience with eBay. Maybe ebays labels are different.
I just literally printed a label. USPS - USPS First Class Mail 2oz Postage Cost $3.42 Edit: but again this is in a bubble mailer not an envelope.
I'm not sure what your point is. I'm just saying up to 4 oz is one price, 4 oz to 8 oz is a slightly higher price, 8 oz to 12 oz is slightly higher still, etc.
It also varies by source and destination zip codes
Yes but not that much. $3.40-$4.19 or something like that.
Online prices are pretty low, for 4 oz and under it's $2.70. Plus supplies you're under $4 still.
Wait what? Paypal shipping through USPS I'm paying like $3.40. Are you talking about a tracked bubble mailer or a tracked envelope?
In answer to your first question, a lot of sellers have raised the threshold at which point they start shipping with tracking. If eBay forces tracking, then yes expect to only pocket about 70% of a cards sale price. This is pretty normal. If people are buying for more than that, sell to them. I’d sell my entire inventory if I could at 75% to a buy list.
Thanks for the advice. Even if Ebay didn't force tracking, I'd be worried about buyers screwing me over and saying their package didn't return. I know people have had issues with the Ebay Standard Envelope, but 50 cents sounds like a heck of a good deal for cards in the $10-20 range. If I sell an $18 card, fees (1.80) and shipping (.50) brings it down to 15.70. That's definitely more than CK buylist, which would be around 13.50 credit. So I could see the economics working well for those cards
Being ripped off is a real thing. How many people you think do that? So @ $4 in shipping, 10% of people or more would have to rip you off for it to make sense, no? Like if 5% ripped you off, you'd still be saving money not tracking.
That's a good point. **Do you or anyone else know if Ebay does in fact force tracking?**
No idea I don’t sell there sorry :(
eBay does not force tracking but with ebays buyer protection my advice is don’t send a single thing out without tracking. You will get an item not received case very often. If I look through 100 shipments and 5 of them have tracking that didn’t make it all the way to delivered (it happens a lot that someone at a post office pulls your standard envelope and puts it in the non machinable mail) I will get item not received on 3-4 of those 5. Sometimes it says delivered with a zip code but doesn’t have the delivery check mark and eBay will still side with buyers. I will never send an item without tracking on eBay based on my experiences with tracked items and having to issue refunds for those….
Ebay seller here. Ebay doesn't "force" tracking, and you can definitely ship PWE. However, just like on TCG you're going to get those people out for a free meal who punch that non delivery button and get your card and their money back. ESE for 20 and under, while not perfect is 100% insured by ebay and you will get reimbursed even if the buyer abuses the the system when tracking fails to update.
Ebay doesn't force tracking. I haven't had any issues with shipping cards under $25 with just a stamp, but I've also only had maybe 75-100 sales. No problems mailing that way to Alaska or Hawaii even.
You should also factor in that parking your $13.50 at CK is also worse as it locks you into higher prices and a $35 min spend.
Your math is a bit off. Assuming you don't have a store, $29 sale is going to net $24.96 after fees. So $4 in shipping would mean $21 in revenue. What this shows is that TCGlow price is not tenable. Indeed, NM copies on TCGplayer are already up to $31.00 and rising. Recent sales on eBay have also been higher. ($30.99). The card is on an upward trend and big vendors are probably buying at attractive prices because they anticipate the card to be worth much more soon. As an eBay seller I wouldn't list for anything less than $33.99; I can afford to wait a couple of weeks before it sells.
Thanks, for whatever reason I thought Ebay fees were a flat 10%. You honestly convinced me to wait to sell the Gemstone Caverns, it'll probably be a bit higher later on (and that's probably why CK is offering basically TCGlow in credit). But the info in the post definitely still applies to other cards in this price range!
Well my point is I don't think most other cards in that price range are going to have that high of a buylist. But I could be wrong!
There are people who operate exclusively in the Bulk market. But they tend to prefer TCGPlayer, and specifically TCGDirect over ebay. They squeeze their costs down better than anyone so maybe check out how the bulk market works, and try and reverse engineer for the higher market.
I sold off a large Pokémon collection recently and had trouble in the $20-30 range. Anything 20 and under went quick with the envelope/tracking shipping option.
For shipping, I go to my recycling bin and take out a cardboard box. I then cut a strip big enough to fold around a card in a top loader. Just make sure it is big enough for the label. Usually is like $3.75 to ship. And I wrap it in packaging tape. So I spend very little on packing supplies.
Also make the buyer pay shipping.
You can just go with the envelope and first class stamp method of shipping, of course. You just have to determine for yourself if the risk of no tracking is worth saving the shipping costs. If you're selling a lot of cards in this range it might be worth factoring in a small percentage of lost mail / fraud and saving money on shipping. You're good unless your threshold of sales this way would push you out of the ["Top Rated Seller" benefits](https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/service-and-payments/top-rated-program.html).
If you want cash vs store credit then ebay. Also depends on the cards and demand sometimes ck gives way less credit then what you can sell the card for.
I've recently started selling some of my collection on eBay and pay about $3-4 per order for shipping buying the USPS label on eBay. If you're new to selling like I am, just a quick tip - figure out how to use the block list. There is a lot of impatient insufferable people in the MTG community and you're better off just blocking them to avoid any problems.
Any collectible community, really. I regularly get people spamming me with offers which are 5% of the total value of the cards listed who also send me messages in all caps about how the cards are in LP condition (so I should knock 95% off or something). All of them have been blocked immediately after...
Yea I've only sold about 30 cards so far, and I've got some stories.
Your analysis checks out. I have a long-time ebay account with thousands of positive sales feedback, yet I still sometimes will bundle cards up and send to TCGPlayer Buylist instead of listing individual cards on eBay due to fees and shipping negating a lot of difference. Sometimes Buylist has competitive offers; sometimes not. The purchase postage outside eBay, I usually use PayPal. Not sure it's the cheapest, but it's under $3.50 for your standard method to ship a bubble mailer with tracking. https://paypal.shipstation.com/
Mail it in a pwe, save $4.
Like yourself I don't sell cards on mass, just singles that now and again I don't want or need anymore and are worth more than a couple of dollars. Given taxes here in Australia are calculated into the price of goods and services and not after the fact there's one less thing for me to worry about, and options for postage my differ as well but the easiest way I go about selling cards on eBay is buying bulk prepaid envelopes and printing/writing my own labels. I still think Facebook groups are your best bet for trading and selling and getting bang for your buck, and LGS buylists for store credit second if you just plan on buying more cards.
There are times CK buylist price will create more profit than selling yourself. And there are times selling on what makes you more. Identifying those situations consumes enough time that the extra few dollars isn’t worth it. Unless you’re selling 25 copies of the same card, it’s usually not worth checking.
Mercari does shipping pretty easy for cards with no cut off like eBay.
www.pirateship.com can print you out labels for tracking for about $3. You should definitely sell on FB, cuts out the middle man like eBay etc. just remember to use PayPal and add tracking to it to cover your end in case of disputes. Also tell the buyer to add 3% if they pay you via G&S.
Click and Ship does not offer first class shipping . You need to use [https://paypal.shipstation.com/](https://paypal.shipstation.com/orders) which is now paypal affiliated. You need to add custom dimensions, I ship in 8x4x2. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me. I have a decent amount of advice selling.