eBay Fees for Toys and Video Games: Final Value Rate, Category Breakdown, and Seasonal Strategy
eBay charges casual sellers 13.6% Final Value Fee on Toys and Hobbies sales and 15.3% on Video Games (as a subcategory within the Books, Movies, Music, and Video Games category) up to $7,500, then 2.35% above $7,500.
Toys and Hobbies on eBay includes action figures, board games, building toys, die-cast models, stuffed animals, remote-controlled vehicles, model trains, and hobbyist supplies. Video games on eBay span new and used game software, gaming hardware (consoles, controllers), gaming accessories (headsets, steering wheels), and gaming memorabilia.
What Is the eBay Final Value Fee for Toys and Hobbies?
The eBay Final Value Fee for Toys and Hobbies 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. The standard rate applies uniformly to all Toys and Hobbies subcategories including action figures, board games, LEGO sets, die-cast vehicles, model trains, and radio-controlled vehicles.
Toys and Hobbies is a high-transaction-volume category on eBay driven by collector demand for discontinued and vintage toys. LEGO sets, vintage action figures (Kenner Star Wars, vintage G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe), die-cast model cars, and board games out of print generate strong collector demand with sale prices that often exceed original retail prices by multiples.
A casual seller listing a vintage sealed LEGO set at $400 pays 13.6% of $400 ($54.40) plus $0.40 per-order fee. A Basic Store subscriber selling the same set pays 12.7% of $400 ($50.80) plus $0.40. The store subscriber saves $3.60 on this transaction.
The store subscriber discount becomes highly meaningful for high-volume toy sellers. A toy reseller with $8,000 in monthly Toys and Hobbies sales saves $72 per month (0.9% of $8,000) in Final Value Fees as a Basic Store subscriber at $21.95 per month. The net monthly saving after the store cost is $50.05.
What Is the eBay Final Value Fee for Video Game Software?
Video game software (cartridges, discs, and digital codes sold as physical items) listed in the Video Games subcategory of Books, Movies, Music, and Video Games pays 15.3% Final Value Fee for both casual sellers and store subscribers on sales up to $7,500. The 15.3% media rate is the highest rate on eBay. A store subscriber selling a $60 video game pays 15.3% of $60 ($9.18) plus $0.40 per-order fee.
Video game software is classified as media, following the same fee structure as books, DVDs, and music CDs. The 15.3% rate applies to Nintendo Switch games, PlayStation 5 games, Xbox Series X games, and classic game cartridges for retro systems (NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, N64).
Retro video game cartridges are the highest-value segment in the video game category. Rare NES games in good condition sell for $100 to $1,000 on eBay. The 15.3% rate on a $500 rare NES game produces $76.50 in Final Value Fees, a significant cost compared to the typical $8 to $12 a modern game would generate.
Wata Games and Video Game Authority (VGA) are 3rd-party grading services for video games, similar to PSA for trading cards. Graded video games in sealed condition with high grades (9.8 or above on a 10-point scale) command premium prices. A Wata 9.8 graded Super Mario Bros on NES has sold for amounts exceeding $100,000. The 15.3% Final Value Fee on such a transaction equals $15,300, making eBay seller fees significant even on rare items.
What Are eBay Fees for Selling Video Game Consoles and Hardware?
Video game consoles, controllers, and gaming hardware listed in the Video Game Consoles subcategory under Consumer Electronics pay 7.35% for store subscribers and 13.6% for casual sellers on sales up to $7,500. The 7.35% store subscriber rate for consoles represents a 6.25 percentage point reduction from the casual seller rate, the largest store subscription benefit available in any single Consumer Electronics subcategory.
Video game consoles listed in the correct subcategory (Video Game Consoles under Consumer Electronics) qualify for the 7.35% store subscriber rate. PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and legacy consoles (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 2, original Xbox) all qualify for this rate in the correct subcategory.
A store subscriber selling a PlayStation 5 at $500 pays 7.35% of $500 ($36.75) plus $0.40 per-order fee. A casual seller selling the same PS5 pays 13.6% of $500 ($68.00) plus $0.40. The store subscriber saves $31.25 on a single console sale. At this saving level, a single PS5 sale generates enough savings to recover more than the monthly cost of a Basic Store subscription at $21.95.
Category misassignment is the costliest error for video game console sellers. A PlayStation 5 listed in the Toys and Hobbies category or in the general Electronics section rather than the Video Game Consoles subcategory pays 13.6% instead of 7.35%. The 6.25 percentage point difference on a $500 console costs $31.25 in unnecessary fees on a single sale.
How Do eBay Video Game Fees Compare to StockX, GameStop, and Mercari?
StockX charges video game sellers 9% to 10% in transaction fees plus a 3% payment processing fee, totaling 12% to 13%. GameStop does not operate a peer-to-peer marketplace; GameStop buys used games at trade-in value and resells them. Mercari charges sellers 10% plus 2.9% plus $0.50 in payment processing. eBay charges casual sellers 15.3% for game software and 13.6% (or 7.35% for store subscribers) for consoles.
StockX is a marketplace primarily for sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles that expanded to video games. StockX's 9% to 10% fee on game software makes it less expensive than eBay's 15.3% for game software. However, StockX's game catalog is limited to specific sealed new games and high-demand titles. Used game software, retro cartridges, and common titles sell better on eBay than StockX.
Mercari's 10% selling fee plus payment processing fee of approximately 2.9% plus $0.50 totals 13.4% on a $50 game sale ($5.00 plus $1.95 equals $6.95). eBay's 15.3% Final Value Fee on the same $50 game is $7.65 plus $0.40 per-order fee plus $1.65 Managed Payments equals $9.70. Mercari is less expensive per game sale at the standard rates.
eBay's advantage for video game sellers is the largest buyer pool for vintage and rare games. A rare NES cartridge or sealed retro game will attract more bidders on eBay than on Mercari or StockX, often producing higher final sale prices that offset the higher fee rate.
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*Source: eBay Seller Fees Help Page, effective February 14, 2025. Mercari Seller Fees Page. StockX Seller Fees Page.*
