Is It Worth It To Sell Low-Dollar Items on eBay?

Is it worth it to sell low-dollar items on eBay?  I wrestle with this when I find items to sell that I know I can’t charge more than $20 for.  It always happens.  I see something, usually an article of clothing, and it’s a great piece at a great price, but it won’t sell for very much.  On the one hand, I figure any money is better than no money, but on the other, I wonder if I’m selling myself short and wasting my time.

Selling Low Dollar Items Means Smaller Profits

It would be great if you could list an item on eBay for ten dollars and get paid ten dollars, but unfortunately, you have to pay eBay fees.  Those fees include an insertion fee when you list an item and a final value fee when you sell an item.  Even at as little as 10% (and this can be more depending on your item), that automatically starts subtracting dollars from your earnings.  You can list up to 250 items without insertion fees if you have an eBay store.

Also, you may choose to use promoted listings with your items.  The advantage of this is that it gets your item in front of more eyes (sort of like paying for advertising), but the disadvantage is that it’s yet another fee on top of the mandatory ones you already pay.  eBay suggests a percentage to promote your item when you are listing it.  However, you can choose to do more or less.  It’s up to you.

So, suppose you sold an item for $13, but your fees were close to three or four dollars.  You’ve already made less than $10.

The Positive of Selling Low-Dollar Items

Besides making a little bit of money, which is always good, are there any positives to selling cheaper items on eBay?  Some would argue that, yes, it does have a few benefits.  For one, it can help with your feedback scores.  Assuming you complete a transaction professionally, a buyer will leave positive feedback, which builds your feedback score.  This can be good if you are starting out and need that to help you become a trusted seller.  It can also boost your sell-through rate.  These are both good things to have.

The Negatives Of Selling Low-Dollar Items

Still, most would argue that selling cheaper items isn’t worth their time when they consider the gas they spend to source, what they pay for an item, and the time it takes to photograph and list it.  Then, if it sells, that’s packaging and shipping it out, which may require a trip to the post office.  Add in the fees, and this is a total turn-off for most sellers.

Is It Worth It To Sell Low-Dollar Items on eBay?

Weigh all the pros and cons and decide for yourself.  If you can get items in bulk for super cheap and sell a large amount daily, your bottom line might look a little better.  Some would argue that selling on eBay is a long game, and it’s worth it to keep turning a profit, no matter how small that is. Many experienced sellers I’ve heard from refuse to list an item for under $25.00 to keep their earnings somewhat profitable.  They don’t want to be bothered with earning a couple of dollars here and there.

What I Do About Selling Cheap Items on eBay

I honestly try to look for items I know I can get at least $25 for, but that doesn’t always happen because I don’t live in a large town with many thrift stores.  And, like I said, it’s hard to pass up something that I know I could sell, even if it’s not for very much.  This may change, but I do a mixture of high and low-cost items for now.  I know I’ve fussed before about higher promoted listing fees, but I chose the percentage I would set those items at, and I feel like my items would get buried under so many other listings if I didn’t give it that extra push in promoting.  Unless you have a very sought-after item that would catch many potential buyers’ eyes, your items are just one of many.  At this point in my eBay journey, it’s a necessary evil I’m afraid.

What do you think?  Would you sell items for less than $25?  Do you have a specific dollar amount you only list?  I’d love to hear what you think!