eBay

pinky_the_lee · ‎12-20-2023

The figure as far as I know:

assume free Shipping: $3.92

Envelope: .05

ebay Fees on average for $6 CD:0 .65

what does paypal charge?: 0 .48

Even without paypal: 4.62

With paypal: 5.10

This does not include the cost of bubble wrap; I assume you wrap it in cardboard. It also does not include the cost of gasoline.

Please correct if I am mistaken in my facts or assumptions.

I notice a number sell for less then the break even point.

ebooksdiva · ‎12-20-2023

PayPal doesn’t charge anything since eBay no longer uses PayPal as a payment processor anymore.
If the CDs costs $6.00 eBay fees are 13.25% plus 30 cents per transaction so is approximately $0.79 plus $0.30

Media Mail is $3.92

So if you’re offering free shipping for a $6.00 CD your net would be about $0.99 after fees and shipping.

dbfolks166mt · ‎12-20-2023

It kind of depends on whether you are asking about the break even purely from the eBay perspective or the break even from a big picture perspective. From the eBay perspective ebooksdiva is probably pretty close. From a big picture perspective take out: COGS, supplies, POV, federal and state taxes and any other selling expenses. For a $6 CD you are probably winding up in the negative.

ebooksdiva · ‎12-20-2023

But wait final value fees for music CD is 14.95% plus 30 per transaction so that would be $0.90 plus $0.30 per transaction for a $6.00 CD then free shipping at a cost for the seller of $3.92. Would leave you with a payout of $0.88.
If you want to factor in shipping supplies and gas to go to the post office you may want to rethink the free shipping and add handling costs to it. Otherwise you may as well just give the $6.00 CD away.

a_c_green · ‎12-20-2023

In addition to what the others have said above, your time must be worth something. Otherwise you are basically doing this for free. If that's the case, then McDonald's would probably pay you more for your time.

m60driver · ‎12-21-2023

@pinky_the_lee wrote:

I notice a number sell for less then the break even point.

Yes, some sellers get a break on shipping. Some hope to sell multiples. There are many such big sellers of media such as CDs and books that sell for less than the average Joe can make even a few cents profit on after expenses. It has become a brutal market out there for such items.