Toys & collectibles · selling a collection
Card collection offer calculator.
A dealer quotes a percentage of value. Selling it yourself costs fees, shipping and hours. See which one leaves more in your pocket.
The collection
Result
Enter your numbers and press Calculate.
What this calculator does
A dealer who offers a percentage of price-guide value is not taking that share as profit. The Card Shop Finder's FAQ says shops pay a percentage of resale value with no fixed number, that in-demand and easy-to-resell cards earn a higher percentage, that slow sellers and bulk commons earn much less, and that the gap covers the shop's costs and the risk of holding inventory. Selling it yourself has costs too, and they are easy to undercount.
This tool puts both on the same footing. It takes your collection value, the number of separate sales, your shipping, supplies and time, and applies eBay's published selling fees. It then shows what you would net by selling it yourself, what the dealer's offer is in dollars, and the break-even offer: the percentage of value at which the dealer and the do-it-yourself route leave you with the same money.
Worked example
A collection worth $2,000 sold as 100 separate sales averages $20.00 a sale. eBay's fee on a $20.00 sale is 13.25 percent plus a $0.40 per-order fee, which is $3.05. Add $1.50 shipping, $0.20 supplies and 5 minutes at $15 an hour ($1.25) and each sale costs $6.00. Net from selling it yourself is $1400.00, or 70.0 percent of value. A dealer offer of 50 percent is $1000.00, so selling it yourself nets $400.00 more, and the break-even offer is 70.0 percent. The shipping, supplies, time and the 50 percent offer are assumptions for illustration, not published figures.
How it is calculated
Average sale = value divided by the number of sales. eBay fee per sale = 13.25 percent of the price up to $7,500 per item, plus 2.35 percent of any amount above $7,500, plus a per-order fee of $0.30 for orders of $10.00 or less or $0.40 for orders over $10.00 (eBay selling fees page, Sports Trading Cards and Collectible Card Games). Cost per sale = fee + shipping + supplies + (minutes / 60 x hourly value). Net = sales that sell x (average sale minus cost per sale). Break-even offer = net divided by value. The page lists no effective date for the fee table; checked 2026-10-26. Other eBay charges such as promoted listings and international fees are not included.
What this does not cover
- It compares money only. Selling yourself takes weeks, and cards that do not sell are your risk; a dealer pays once.
- Store credit often goes further than cash at the same shop; the page does not model credit.
- Promoted listings, international fees, returns and payment disputes are not included.
- Sales tax, income tax and any business-licence rules are not included.
- The dealer percentage is whatever you type; the tool does not claim a typical rate.
Common mix-ups
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Often assumedA dealer offering half of value is keeping the other half as profit.
What the source saysThe Card Shop Finder says the gap between a shop's offer and resale value covers its costs and the risk of holding inventory, and that slow sellers and bulk commons earn much less than in-demand cards. [1]
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Often assumedeBay takes one simple percentage of each sale.
What the source saysOn the fee page checked, trading cards pay 13.25 percent up to $7,500 per item plus a per-order fee of $0.30 for orders of $10.00 or less or $0.40 for orders over $10.00, so cheap cards lose a larger share to fees. [2]
- The Card Shop Finder: what percentage of value do card shops pay?
- eBay: selling fees (Sports Trading Cards and Collectible Card Games)
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
What percent of price guide do dealers pay?
There is no fixed number. The Card Shop Finder says shops generally pay a percentage of resale value, more for in-demand cards that are easy to resell and much less for slow sellers and bulk commons. Use the offer you were actually given.
Why is a dealer offer so far below market?
Per the same source, the gap covers the shop's costs and the risk of holding inventory. Compare it with your net after eBay fees, shipping and time, not with the gross sale price.
What are eBay's fees on trading cards?
On the page checked, Sports Trading Cards and Collectible Card Games pay 13.25 percent of the sale up to $7,500 per item and 2.35 percent above that, plus $0.30 per order of $10.00 or less or $0.40 for orders over $10.00.
Is store credit better than cash?
The Card Shop Finder says store credit or trade usually goes further than cash, as a tradeoff for the shop's fee-free, immediate payment. Ask what the credit rate is as well as the cash rate.
How do I get a better offer?
Check recent sold comps before accepting, and get quotes from more than one shop for a larger collection, as the same source advises.
Sources
Checked
- eBay: selling fees (Sports Trading Cards and Collectible Card Games)
- The Card Shop Finder: what percentage of value do card shops pay?
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Disclaimer
TNAADO is not affiliated with any card publisher, grading company, marketplace or shipping carrier. Game and company names are used only to describe what the tool is for. Figures come from the pages cited above on the date shown and can change; averages and fees are estimates, and the postage, fee and offer figures are not a quote. Confirm current prices with the carrier or marketplace before you act.