Local Game Trading vs eBay: Why Selling Locally Puts More Money in Your Pocket

The True Cost of Selling on eBay

eBay charges sellers 13% on the total sale amount including shipping. On a $44 Mario Kart sale:

• eBay fee (13%): -$5.72
• Shipping (USPS Ground Advantage, game in bubble mailer): -$5-7
• Packing supplies (bubble mailer, tape): -$0.50-1.00
• Your time (listing, packing, post office trip): 30-45 minutes

Net received: $30-33 in cash, 45 minutes of your time.

CartridgeBond local sale at $43: you keep $43, the meetup takes 15 minutes.

When eBay Is the Better Choice

eBay's national buyer pool makes it worth the fee for certain types of games:

• Rare or limited print titles - local demand may not exist, but national collectors will pay premium
• Older titles with low local demand - if nobody in Milwaukee wants it, you need a national audience
• High-value bundles - a complete-in-box collector's edition might justify the fees on a $150+ sale
• Games where local pricing is saturated - if Facebook Marketplace has 20 listings for the same game at the same price

The Chargeback Problem Nobody Talks About

eBay and PayPal chargeback fraud is real and disproportionately affects low-to-mid value transactions like game sales. A buyer receives your game, claims it "wasn't as described" or "never arrived," and PayPal reverses the payment. You're out the game and the money.

In a local cash transaction, there is no chargeback. The exchange is final the moment it's complete. That risk elimination has real value that doesn't show up in the headline price comparison.

The Local Marketplace Comparison