How I Became a Full-Time Reseller eBay Seller (and What I Learned About Fees, Offers & Profit)

How I Became a Full-Time Reseller eBay Seller (and What I Learned About Fees, Offers & Profit)

The Day I Sold My First eBay Item

I’ll never forget the date: March 12, 2018. I’d just listed a pair of Nike Air Max 97 sneakers I found at Goodwill for $29.99. Within 48 hours, I received my first notification — “Your item has sold!” — for $119. It felt like magic.

But here’s what I didn’t realize at the time: I was going to pay fees. A lot of them. Between the final value fee and payment processing, I walked away with $101.34 net. Still a win. But a wake-up call, too.

I’ve since sold over 6,000 items on eBay — everything from vintage Levi’s 501s to Pokémon booster boxes, from iPhones to IKEA lamps. And in that time, I’ve learned the real mechanics of eBay reselling: fees, offers, timing, strategy, and yes, occasional failures.

Here’s where it gets interesting — eBay is both simpler and more complex than people expect.

Understanding What Does eBay Charge for Selling

One of the most common misconceptions about eBay reselling is that the platform only takes “a small cut.” That’s not quite true.

eBay charges a final value fee, which includes the item price + shipping + any taxes collected. For most categories, it’s around 13.25% plus $0.30 per order (as of 2025).

Here’s a simplified example:

Item Sold Sale Price Shipping eBay Fee (13.25%) Net After Fee
Nike Sneakers $119 $10 $17.05 $111.95

This doesn’t include shipping cost you pay to the carrier, if you offer free shipping.

Now the tricky part: some categories (like electronics) have different fee rates, and certain stores get discounted fees. When I upgraded to an eBay Basic Store in 2019, I immediately noticed a 0.25–0.50% difference per sale. Not huge. But across 1,000+ sales, it added up to $1,800 annually.

And, if you’re curious what does eBay charge to sell something like a $15 T-shirt, the answer is usually between $2–$3 in fees.

Why “Send Offer to Buyer on eBay” Changed My Conversion Rate

I started using the “send offer to buyer on eBay” tool in late 2020, and my sell-through rate jumped from 38% to 52% almost overnight.

Here’s how it works in real life:

  • A buyer watches your listing but doesn’t purchase.

  • You can send them a custom offer (say 10% off).

  • eBay notifies them directly via email and push.

  • If they accept, you get the sale immediately.

And, it’s not just theory. In August 2023, I had a slow week with 33 watchers across my store. I sent targeted offers on 12 listings. Eight accepted. $640 in sales within 24 hours.

But here’s a limitation: you can’t always rely on offers. Some buyers ignore them entirely. And sometimes lowering the price too aggressively trains your audience to wait you out. (Ask me how I know.)

The Real Costs Behind Being a Reseller eBay Seller

People always ask me: “Isn’t eBay free to sell on?”
The answer: no, but it’s manageable if you plan.

Here’s where most new sellers underestimate costs:

  • eBay fees (final value + fixed)

  • Shipping costs (especially with free shipping)

  • Return fees (yes, you’ll get returns)

  • Supplies (poly mailers, boxes, scales — I use Dymo 4XL and Accuteck scale)

  • Time (photographing, listing, answering questions)

When I scaled from 50 to 400 monthly listings, my supply costs went from $35/month to $210/month. I didn’t account for that at first. Big mistake.

And that’s why understanding what does eBay charge for selling items early on is critical — your net margins depend on it.

Honest Failure: The $4,500 Inventory Mistake

In September 2021, I bought 200 Funko Pops in bulk from a liquidation auction, thinking I’d triple my money. Spoiler: I didn’t.

  • 35% had box damage (collectors hate that)

  • 20% were slower-moving SKUs

  • eBay’s fee on collectibles is higher than expected

I ended up clearing everything out after six months, making just $1,100 profit on what could have been $3,000+. It wasn’t the platform’s fault — it was my poor due diligence.

But this taught me something: understanding fees upfront and researching sell-through rates (using Terapeak and Closo’s demand analytics) is non-negotiable if you want to run this like a business.

The Best Tools I Use as a Reseller eBay Seller

I’ve tried dozens of tools since 2018. These are the five that have stayed:

  • Closo (automates pricing, sourcing, and cross-listing — saves me ~3 hrs/week)

  • Dymo 4XL (label printer that saves real time on shipping)

  • Accuteck Scale (precise, cheap, reliable)

  • Terapeak (eBay’s native market research)

  • List Perfectly (for cross-listing, though I eventually replaced it with Closo)

And here’s my opinion: fancy tools are great, but they’re useless without a consistent listing and pricing strategy. Automation doesn’t replace judgment.

People Always Ask Me… “What’s the Best Product to Resell?”

I wish there were a single answer. But it depends.

For me, shoes and small electronics have been gold. But my friend Lauren in Oregon built a six-figure business selling used books.

Instead of chasing “hot niches,” I recommend:

  • Tracking your sell-through rate monthly

  • Watching Google Trends for seasonal spikes

  • Focusing on categories you can source consistently (not just one lucky thrift haul)

And yes, occasionally, I still list a dud. It happens.

Another Honest Miss: USPS Rate Hike Surprise

In January 2024, USPS increased shipping rates unexpectedly. My profit on small first-class packages dropped by $0.55 each. Not catastrophic. But across 180 packages, it shaved off $99 from that month’s net profit.

I’ve since learned to build a fee buffer of 50–75 cents into my pricing to absorb these swings.

That kind of margin awareness only comes with experience. Or painful surprises.

Why I Eventually Automated Part of My eBay Business

In early 2022, I hit a wall: 600 active listings, 3–4 hours a day in my garage, and a newborn on the way. Something had to give.

That’s when I started using Closo. It automatically synced my listings, repriced underperforming items, and flagged stale inventory for markdown or delist/relist.

Result: I reclaimed 3 hours every week and increased sell-through by 17% within two months.

It’s not perfect (sometimes it overcorrects), but it’s the closest I’ve come to making this business less dependent on me.

Common Question I See: “Are eBay Fees Worth It?”

Honestly? It depends on your model. If you’re flipping high-demand products fast, yes — the fees are manageable and offset by velocity.

But if you’re selling slow-moving, low-margin items, what does eBay charge to sell something can eat your profits alive.

I treat eBay’s 13.25% fee as the “cost of entry.” I get traffic, trust, buyer protection, and a massive audience. But I also maintain backup channels like Mercari and Shopify to stay flexible.

Lessons Learned After 6,000+ Sales

  • Start small, but track your margins ruthlessly

  • Send offer to buyer on eBay — it’s your conversion weapon

  • Don’t underestimate what does eBay charge for selling over time

  • Automate what you can (Closo helps with this)

  • Fail fast and cheap, not big and slow

Final Thoughts

After 7 years of running my reseller eBay business, here’s the truth: eBay is still one of the most powerful marketplaces for flipping everyday goods. But it’s not passive income.

Fees matter. Strategy matters more. And smart tools (like Closo) make it sustainable long-term.

If you’re willing to learn the fee structure, use offers strategically, and build margin buffers, this can absolutely become a full-time gig. Just don’t expect overnight success.

I’ve made $287,000 in gross sales since 2018. And I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. That’s part of the game.

If You Want to Go Deeper

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