eBay charges casual sellers 13.6% Final Value Fee on Crafts and Craft Supplies sales up to $7,500, then 2.35% above $7,500. Store subscribers pay 12.7% up to $2,500, then 2.35% above. The per-order fee of $0.40 applies to all crafts and craft supply sales above $10. Crafts on eBay includes fabric and sewing supplies, yarn and knitting supplies, beading and jewelry-making materials, scrapbooking supplies, art supplies, paper crafting, and handmade finished products. Handmade items listed on eBay compete directly with Etsy, the dominant handmade goods marketplace, which charges 6.5% transaction fees versus eBay’s 13.6% casual seller rate.
Crafts and Craft Supplies on eBay is defined as the category covering both raw materials for craft creation and finished handmade products. Unlike Etsy, which is exclusively for handmade and vintage goods, eBay’s Crafts category accepts both mass-produced craft supplies and handmade finished products. This dual acceptance gives eBay sellers flexibility in what they list within the category.
What Is the eBay Final Value Fee for Craft Supplies?
The eBay Final Value Fee for Crafts and Craft Supplies is 13.6% for casual sellers on sales up to $7,500, then 2.35% above $7,500. Store subscribers pay 12.7% up to $2,500, then 2.35% above. Sewing fabric, yarn, beads, scrapbooking paper, art paint, and crafting tools all pay the standard rate. No specialty rate reduction applies to the Crafts category.
Fabric is the highest-volume craft supply subcategory on eBay. Designer fabric from brands including Liberty of London, Scalamandré, Lee Jofa, and Kravet sells in remnant lengths or full bolt quantities on eBay. A Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabric remnant of 1 meter sells for $15 to $30. Full bolts of designer fabric sell for $100 to $500 depending on brand and yardage.
Yarn is a high-volume craft supply with strong secondary market activity. Discontinued yarn colorways, luxury fibers (cashmere, qiviut, merino), and limited-edition indie dyed yarn sell at premiums on eBay when no longer available through retail channels. A skein of discontinued Madelinetosh yarn sells for $30 to $70 depending on colorway rarity.
Art supplies have a substantial eBay market driven by artists who purchase discontinued or hard-to-find materials. Out-of-production oil paint colors from brands including Williamsburg, Michael Harding, and Old Holland command premiums above their original retail prices when the colors are discontinued.
How Do eBay Craft Fees Compare to Etsy?
Etsy charges sellers a $0.20 listing fee per item plus a 6.5% transaction fee plus a 3% plus $0.25 payment processing fee. On a $50 handmade item, Etsy charges $0.20 listing plus $3.25 transaction plus $1.75 payment equals $5.20 total (10.4%). eBay charges a casual seller 13.6% of $50 ($6.80) plus $0.40 per-order plus Managed Payments of $1.65, totaling $8.85 (17.7%). Etsy is $3.65 less expensive than eBay for a $50 handmade item.
Etsy is the dominant marketplace for handmade goods, vintage items, and craft supplies. Etsy’s buyer base of 96 million active buyers specifically searches Etsy for handmade and artisan products. Buyers on Etsy are more likely to pay premium prices for handmade goods because the platform’s context signals artisan quality and craft intentionality.
eBay’s buyer base is larger (130 million active buyers) but less targeted for handmade goods. An eBay buyer searching for a handmade ceramic mug competes with listings for mass-produced mugs, making it harder for handmade sellers to differentiate their products and command premium pricing.
eBay’s auction format is one advantage for handmade sellers with rare or unique pieces. A one-of-a-kind handmade art quilt with unusual design elements may attract competitive bidding from collectors on eBay, potentially exceeding a fixed Etsy listing price. Etsy does not support auction format.
Craft supply sellers (selling raw materials rather than finished products) may prefer eBay over Etsy because eBay’s buyer pool for craft supplies is larger. Buyers searching for specific discontinued fabric, yarn colorways, or art materials search eBay actively because Etsy’s inventory is primarily finished handmade products rather than raw supplies.
What Are eBay Fees for Selling Sewing and Quilting Supplies?
Sewing and quilting supplies (fabric, thread, patterns, sewing machines, embroidery hoops, quilting rulers, rotary cutters) listed in the Crafts Sewing subcategory pay 13.6% for casual sellers and 12.7% for store subscribers. Vintage sewing patterns, discontinued fabric prints, and high-end sewing machines are the highest-value items in this subcategory.
Vintage sewing patterns from the 1940s through 1970s sell for $5 to $100 depending on brand (Vogue, McCall’s, Butterick), era, design, and condition (uncut versus cut). Sellers who purchase vintage patterns at estate sales and relist on eBay serve a dedicated collector community.
Sewing machines have a strong secondary market on eBay. Vintage Singer machines from the 1950s and 1960s sell for $100 to $400. Modern mid-range machines from Brother, Janome, and Bernina sell for 40% to 65% of their new retail price. A Bernina 570 QE quilting machine retailing at $1,800 sells used for $800 to $1,100 on eBay.
Industrial sewing machines (commercial-grade sergers, embroidery machines, industrial straight-stitch machines) are listed in the Business and Industrial Sewing subcategory and pay the same standard 13.6% casual seller Final Value Fee. Commercial embroidery machines from Brother Industrial, Tajima, and Barudan sell for $1,500 to $15,000 depending on model and head count.
What Are eBay Fees for Selling Handmade Jewelry?
Handmade jewelry listed in the Jewelry section of eBay pays the Jewelry category Final Value Fee: 15% for casual sellers on sales up to $5,000, then 9% on the portion from $5,001 to $7,500, then 2.35% above $7,500. Store subscribers pay the same tiered Jewelry rates. Handmade jewelry listed under Crafts Jewelry Making rather than Jewelry may be treated as craft supplies rather than finished jewelry, at the standard 13.6% rate.
The category assignment for handmade jewelry is critical. Finished handmade jewelry (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings) belongs in the Jewelry category and pays the 15% Jewelry rate. Jewelry-making supplies (beads, wire, findings, clasps, molds) belong in the Crafts Jewelry Making subcategory and pay the standard 13.6% rate. Sellers who list finished handmade jewelry under Crafts to access the 13.6% rate (instead of 15%) risk listing removal for incorrect category placement.
Handmade jewelry on eBay competes against Etsy’s large handmade jewelry marketplace and Amazon Handmade’s jewelry category. Etsy’s 6.5% transaction fee makes Etsy significantly less expensive than eBay’s 15% Jewelry rate for handmade jewelry sellers. Handmade jewelry sellers who prioritize fee minimization list on Etsy. Sellers who want the largest buyer pool and auction format access list on eBay.