When selling sports cards on eBay, one of the biggest mistakes sellers make is how they structure pricing with shipping costs for cards under or around $15-$20.
TLDR: If you have a card listed at $15 plus $4.50 shipping, you're leaving money on the table.
Let’s compare two listings:
One seller lists a Jason Varitek at $15 with $4.50 shipping, while another lists a Jeff Conine at $18.40 with $1.10 shipping.
At first glance, both transactions result in the buyer paying roughly the same total amount—$19.50.
However, the key difference lies in how much the seller actually keeps.
In the first scenario, the Jason Varitek seller receives $19.50 but spends $4.50 on shipping, leaving them with $15.
In contrast, the Jeff Conine seller still makes the sale resulting in a $19.50 payment from the buyer, but since shipping only costs $1.10, the seller keeps $17.30.
That’s a noticeable difference of $2.30 per sale. Without factoring in eBay fees, this simple shipping adjustment leads to more profit per transaction.
Of course, this strategy only works if you're comfortable using eBay Standard Envelope for shipping. Some sellers avoid it due to concerns about lost shipments, and I totally get that. To put your mind at ease eBay DOES provide seller protection for sales up to $20 that are shipped via eBay Standard Envelope.
That’s why I’m OK with it.
While occasional issues arise, refunding a buyer and submitting a claim for reimbursement is typically quick and straightforward. I’ve had zero issues in the few times I’ve had to do it. Sure, it’s an extra step and a bit frustrating, but I feel the number of cards you can sell by offering lower shipping costs more than makes up for it.
(To avoid losses, sellers should not use eBay Standard Envelope for any sales over $20. Sticking to this pricing and shipping method ensures that sellers maximize their earnings while keeping costs low.)
This mistake has a good chance of coming to the surface when you list cards above $20 with a "Best Offer" option. If you list a card at $20 plus $4.50 shipping and a buyer submits an offer for $15 plus $4.50, it could be tempting to accept. However, after deducting the $4.50 shipping cost, you’re left with only that $15.
On the other hand, if you’re OK with selling below $20, you should simply adjust the pricing of the card to $18.40 and select eBay Standard Envelope shipping of say, $1.10. Buyer is paying the same amount - $19.50 - but you’re spending less to ship.
Anyway, a small adjustment in your pricing strategy can make a difference in what you actually take home from each sale.
