Compare · eBay
eBay vs Selling Locally in NYC
Short answer: eBay reaches the most buyers, and for a lot of items it nets more than a cash offer, even after fees. The cost is time and risk: listing and shipping, payment holds for new sellers, and a buyer's right to return anything they say isn't as described. Here is the fee math by category, as published in November 2026.
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The Fees
eBay's Final Value Fees by Category
eBay takes a percentage of the total sale plus a small per-order fee, and the rate depends on the category. The total sale includes the item price, the shipping and handling the buyer pays, and sales tax.
| Category | Final value fee | Per-order fee |
|---|---|---|
| Most categories | 13.6% up to $7,500, then 2.35% on the portion over $7,500. This covers anything not listed below, such as electronics. | $0.40 ($0.30 on orders of $10 or less) |
| Sneakers | 8% if the sale is $150 or more; 13.6% under $150 | None at $150 or more |
| Handbags | 15% if the sale is $2,000 or less; 9% if it's over $2,000 | $0.40 |
| Jewelry | 15% if the sale is $5,000 or less; 9% if it's over $5,000 | $0.40 |
| Watches | 15% up to $1,000, 6.5% on the portion from $1,000 to $7,500, 3% above $7,500 | $0.40 |
| Bullion | 13.6% if the sale is $7,500 or less; 7% if it's over $7,500 | $0.40 |
| Below Standard | If your seller rating drops to Below Standard, an extra 6% on final value fees | — |
Source: eBay selling fees, as published in November 2026. Sneakers are eBay's Athletic Shoes category; handbags are Women's Bags & Handbags; jewelry is Jewelry & Watches except watches. Listing is free for your first 250 listings a month, then $0.35 each.
Worked Example
Three Sales, Worked Out
A designer bag, a watch and a laptop, each sold at a fixed price. We leave sales tax out to keep the math readable. Because eBay charges its percentage on the tax as well, the real fee runs a little higher.
| Designer bag, $1,500 | Watch, $3,000 | Laptop, $800 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | 15% (bags $2,000 or less) | 15% to $1,000, 6.5% on the rest | 13.6% (most categories) |
| Final value fee | −$225.00 | −$280.00 | −$108.80 |
| Per-order fee | −$0.40 | −$0.40 | −$0.40 |
| Before shipping | $1,274.60 | $2,719.60 | $690.80 |
| Then subtract | Shipping and insurance | Shipping and insurance | Shipping and insurance |
| Authentication | Yes: handbags from $500 | Yes: watches from $2,000 | No |
Authentication thresholds are from eBay's Authenticity Guarantee page. The 'before shipping' line, minus shipping, insurance and weeks of exposure to returns and holds, is the number to compare a cash offer against. A local offer will usually be lower. It comes with no fees, no shipping, no payment hold and no return window.
Time and Risk
Returns, Claims, Holds and Your Time
This is where selling on eBay costs more than the fee table shows.
- “Not as described” returns
- Under eBay's Money Back Guarantee, a buyer can return an item that doesn't match the listing even if you don't accept returns. They have up to 30 days after delivery to ask, and the seller pays return shipping.
- Payment holds
- New private sellers typically get funds 2 days after delivery with an eBay label, about 7 days after delivery with another label, and 31 days after payment if the item isn't tracked. High-priced items are typically held 31 days. (eBay payment holds)
- Getting it to your bank
- For established sellers, proceeds are typically available within 48 hours of the buyer's payment, then take up to 2 business days to clear at your bank, or about 30 minutes with a $2.00 express payout. (eBay getting paid)
- Authentication
- Sneakers from $100, handbags, jewelry and streetwear from $500, and watches from $2,000 go to an authenticator before the buyer gets them. It's free for the seller, but it adds days, and an item that fails isn't delivered and the buyer is refunded.
- Disputes
- Shipping something valuable to a stranger leaves room for a dispute: a buyer says the box arrived empty, or the item isn't the one in the photos. Tracking, detailed photos and signature on delivery help you make your case, but you're the one making it.
- Your time
- Photos, a description, questions from buyers, packing and a trip to ship it. For one item that's an evening. For a closet full, it's a project.
At our counter, we check the item in front of you and pay the same day. Once you're paid, the sale is done: no return window, no claim, no hold.
By Category
How It Plays Out for What We Buy
eBay's rate changes a lot from one category to the next, so the answer depends on what you're selling.
Sneakers
At 8% with no per-order fee from $150, eBay's published sneaker fee is lower than StockX's or GOAT's combined fees for a new seller. Pairs from $100 go through authentication, and eBay sends a free label to the authenticator. See the StockX and GOAT math.
Designer bags
15% up to $2,000 makes a mid-priced bag one of eBay's more expensive categories. Over $2,000 the rate drops to 9% of the whole sale. Bags from $500 are authenticated before delivery.
Jewelry, watches & gold
Jewelry is 15% up to $5,000. Watches step down from 15% to 6.5% above $1,000. For plain gold, melt value is public: check the gold price per gram before you compare any offer.
Electronics
Phones, laptops and cameras fall under the 13.6% rate. They're also where a “not working as described” claim is easiest to make, so test everything and describe it exactly. Sign out of your accounts and wipe it before any sale.
The Honest Answer
When eBay Is the Better Call
For items with a wide audience and a clear value, eBay's reach can be worth the fee and the wait.
- The item is valuable enough that the gap between eBay's net and a cash offer matters to you
- It's easy to photograph and describe exactly, which keeps “not as described” claims down
- You already sell online, so you're past the new-seller holds
- It's a niche piece whose collectors are spread across the country
- You can wait weeks for the money and absorb a return
Sell Locally
When Selling Locally Makes More Sense
Sometimes a finished sale today is worth more than a bigger number later.
- You need the money today
- The item is expensive enough that a return or a dispute would really hurt
- You're new to selling online and would face payment holds
- You have things across categories, like sneakers, a bag, a phone and some gold, and want one trip
- You'd rather trade toward something in our store