eBay sellers- what % do you pay in fees? need help selling non MLP stuff

[Aadra310]

Hey there!

So, I've sold on eBay but it's been several years and I know there have been some changes.  I have spent quite awhile going through their fee calculator and FAQ section and I'm really getting so confused with all the options, add-ons, fees based on starting price, etc. 

I'm going to help an older lady friend of mine sell some of her collectible Santa and animal figurines.  I wanted to do it on etsy, but they aren't old enough items to qualify to use that site.  So, eBay it is!  I just would like someone to tell me exactly what I'll be paying for so I can tell her "I need x% of your item's price to cover fees."

I think I will probably do the fixed price (not auction) listing with shipping to US only.  I gather I get 50 free listing fees, pay 10% of the final value fee (including shipping), 35 cents for a gallery photo.  Is there anything I'm missing?  Do you pay more for fixed price?  Is it better to build shipping in to the auction price and list as "free shipping" or to do the listing and shipping separately?

I'll probably tell her I'll need 17% of her listing price in order to take care of fees (since there is like 3% paypal fees, too).  Does that sound about right?  Do you end up with about 80% or 83% of your listing price after fees?

I seriously have a page of notes I took from the  eBay site trying to get this figured out.    A straight answer from a pony person would be so much better!  HELP!

[Thunderwing]

Your photos should be free.  And yes, you get 50 free listings per month, either fixed price or auction style. However, I have found that more often than not, if you use up your 50 free listings, then ebay will send you a special offer allowing you to make more listings.

I generally figure I lose about 25% when it is all said and done. That covers all the fees, from ebay and paypal. It is probably lower than that, but I have never really sat down and calculated it all out.

[kitkatvintage]

10% fee on the final value, plus 10% fee on shipping cost is correct.
I haven't personally paid for pictures so I'm not totally sure how the fees work on upgraded picture options. After eBay & Paypal fees, I'd say 80% of the final value is a fair estimate... it can go a bit higher or lower, but 80% is an easy number to work with.

I'd highly recommend buying a postage scale & printing your postage through eBay (if this is not already something you planned to do). Printing postage through eBay gives you a discount off the cost of going to the post office, and that typically evens out the 10% fee eBay tacks on to postage.

Best of luck!