Listing structure that converts
Use the official set name in the title, the card name, the variant (1st Edition / Shadowless / Unlimited / holo), the grade if graded, and the cert number for PSA. Buyers search by these exact tokens; missing any of them buries the listing. Example: "Charizard 4/102 Base Set Shadowless Holo Rare PSA 8 Pokemon Card 1999."
Photograph in natural light, against a black background, with the card straight-on. Add a back-of-card photo. For graded slabs, photograph both sides of the slab including the cert label. eBay algorithm favors listings with high-quality photos; mediocre photos suppress impressions.
Fees and the math
eBay final value fee runs roughly 13% of the total sale (item plus shipping), with a $0.30 per-listing fee on top. PayPal processing is bundled into managed payments. International sales add additional fees. A $100 sale nets the seller roughly $84 after fees and before shipping costs.
eBay Store subscriptions reduce the per-listing fee but add a monthly subscription cost. For sellers moving 10+ items per month, a Basic Store ($28/month) pays for itself.
Shipping: do not cheap out
For any card above $20, use a rigid box (not a bubble mailer) with two layers of cardboard and a top-loader inside a penny sleeve. Bubble mailers crush under USPS sortation pressure and Pokémon cards arrive bent. The $4 shipping upgrade to a rigid box is the difference between a happy buyer and a return.
For cards above $50, add tracking and signature confirmation. For cards above $250, add USPS Priority Mail with declared insurance value. Without signature confirmation, eBay Seller Protection does not cover Item Not Received claims; the buyer gets a refund and you eat the loss.
The scams to expect
The empty-package return
Buyer receives the card, opens a return claim, ships back an empty top-loader, and pockets the card. Defense: photograph the card sealed in the shipping box just before sealing, with the shipping label visible. eBay appeals team accepts time-stamped photos as evidence.
The substitution return
Buyer ships back a damaged or fake card instead of the one you sent. Defense: photograph the cert number (for graded cards) or the front and back of the raw card in detail before shipping. When the return arrives, photograph immediately upon opening and dispute if the card is not yours.
The friendly fraud chargeback
Buyer accepts delivery, then files a chargeback through their credit card company claiming the package never arrived. Defense: signature confirmation is mandatory for any sale above $50. Without it, you lose every chargeback dispute.
Pricing strategy
For cards under $100, use Buy-It-Now with Best Offer enabled. Set the BIN at 15% above your target price; accept offers in the target range. For cards above $250, use 7-day auction-style starting at $0.99 with no reserve. Auction format consistently outperforms BIN for high-value cards because of bidding momentum on the final hour.
Building seller reputation
Your first 50 sales matter more than the next 500. Ship same-day or next-day, respond to messages within 12 hours, and resolve any dispute with a refund-first attitude (even when you are technically right) until you are above 100 feedback. After that, you can be more selective. Buyer confidence in your seller score directly affects bid frequency and final sale prices.