Higher shipping prices vs. eBay

[livnxxxl]

So with the shipping prices continuing to get higher do you think that at some point it will eventually take a toll on eBay?

I seem to think that it will within time. For some it has already effected the way that they do business. I do not sell on eBay, but I cannot help to notice some of the shipping prices that are listed when looking up items.

I would think that it seems almost worthless at this point to sell one Hot Wheel car as in most cases the cost of shipping out weighs what the car is worth. Unless of course it is some rare variation or special edition or Treasure Hunt that will fetch a much higher price with collectors.

I guess if you are selling rocks or something really heavy you might actually get your moneys worth with the priority mail flat rate shipping boxes.

I was just curious to see what others here think.

[toys2cool]

it's still not that bad if you use the parcel post option which is what i use..it may take a little longer but it saves you mad money

[rche]

if you are selling something as small as a hot wheel, you can still get into first class and keep the item protected in a box. Granted, for a one dollar item, the shipping will be more like two bucks, but if anyone is selling one dollar items on ebay and making a profit, they are not sleeping.

[Splitty]

It has taken a toll...on sellers.
People are only willing to pay a certain amount for something (unless they have no choice and they HAVE to have it, and especially now that everyone seems to be tighter$). So with rising ebay fees, and higher shipping costs, it's the seller that gets less money. Or gets fewer bids and sells less items, especially cheaper items, so yes, ebay would also take a loss there.

It's harder now to sell a bunch of cheap (heavier) items and make larger money that way. I used to be able to sell anything between $3-$5, mostly heavier items, but now unless it's a light First Class item, ebay and Paypal both take a cut of the shipping fees and you end up with so little of it, it's often just not worth the time to get them up. With cleaning (vintage items), editing & loading pics, writing desc, cutting boxes to custom fit so it doesn't go an ounce over the dreaded nearest lb mark, it's just not worth the $1-$2 I'd make on it anymore. Basically, it's only worth it to sell things now that there's a demand & bidding war for, or are worth $7 and over.
So I'm sure ebay notices but they're such a bloated behemoth, they'll keep on making money anyway.

On a side note, because the buyer isn't plugged in to how expensive shipping is now, they give us low stars or gripe about how much we charge for shipping, when often we're only doing the post office price. I keep grids every year on the shipping increases, and it's really alarming how much it costs now. The high end price for 1lb can be over $6, and the highest 2lbs is now $10, most people just don't realize. For the less lbs Parcel Post is so close may just as well go Priority, plus Parcel Post packages can get really trashed, no smooshables.

On the plus side, ebay's now offering free delivery conf with First Class postage labels (used to be .19), so that helps offset the shipping rise, and after July will offer free pics (up to like 12 or something) (that doesn't affect me, I self-host tho).