Break-Even Calculator
What is the minimum price you need to sell a card for to not lose money? Enter your total costs and compare break-even prices across 6 selling platforms.
What Did You Pay?
What you paid for the card
Shipping cost to receive it
PSA/BGS/CGC fee (if graded)
Insurance, supplies, etc.
Select Selling Platform
Platform Comparison
Break-even sell price for your $55.00 investment
| Platform | Break-Even | Markup | Total Fees | Fee % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 📦 COMC | $58.95 | 7.2% | $3.95 | 6.7% |
| 🏛️ PWCC | $61.11 | 11.1% | $6.11 | 10.0% |
| ⭐ Goldin | $61.11 | 11.1% | $6.11 | 10.0% |
| 👥 Facebook Groups | $61.59 | 12.0% | $6.59 | 10.7% |
| 📱 MySlabs | $67.68 | 23.0% | $12.68 | 18.7% |
| 🛒 eBay | $68.93 | 25.3% | $13.93 | 20.2% |
Break-Even Tips
Purchase price is just the start. Add shipping, grading fees, supplies (penny sleeves, toploaders, bubble mailers), and insurance. Missing costs lead to surprise losses.
PSA Value is $25/card. For a $50 raw card, grading alone adds 50% to your cost basis. Only grade if the gem value exceeds break-even by 2x or more.
On a $10 card, eBay fees ($1.62) vs Facebook Groups ($0.59) is a 10% difference. On a $1,000 card, it is less meaningful percentage-wise.
COMC and Heritage take weeks to pay out. If you need fast cash, the higher fees on eBay or Facebook Groups may be worth the speed.
Ask for cash discounts at card shows (5-10% off). Buy bulk lots on eBay. Lower your purchase price = lower break-even = easier to profit.
Use CardVault Flip Tracker to log buys, sells, and all costs. Without tracking, you cannot know if you are actually profitable.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate my break-even sell price?
Add up all your costs: purchase price + shipping paid + grading fees + supplies. Then divide by (1 - platform fee rate) and add any fixed fees and outbound shipping. For example, a $50 card with $5 shipping on eBay (13.25% fee + $0.30 + $4.50 shipping): break-even = ($55 + $0.30 + $4.50) / (1 - 0.1325) = $68.95. You need to sell for at least $68.95 to not lose money.
Should I include grading costs in my break-even?
Yes, always. Grading is a real cost that increases your investment in the card. PSA Value costs $25/card, Regular costs $50/card. If you paid $100 for a raw card and $50 to grade it, your true cost basis is $150 plus shipping both ways. Many sellers forget this and think they profited when they actually lost money.
Which platform has the lowest break-even price?
Facebook Groups typically has the lowest break-even because there are zero platform fees — you only pay PayPal Goods & Services (2.9% + $0.30) and shipping. COMC is also low at 5% + $1 flat fee but has no shipping cost since inventory is pre-shipped. eBay at 13.25% has the highest fees but the largest buyer pool.
What costs do card sellers often forget?
The most commonly forgotten costs are: (1) original inbound shipping on the card you bought, (2) supplies like penny sleeves, toploaders, and bubble mailers ($0.50-$2 per sale), (3) insurance on high-value shipments, (4) grading return shipping ($10-15), and (5) the time spent photographing, listing, and shipping. These add up and can turn apparent profits into losses.
How do I lower my break-even price?
Three strategies: (1) Lower your purchase price — negotiate cash discounts at shows (5-10%), buy from Facebook Groups instead of eBay, buy bulk lots. (2) Use lower-fee platforms — Facebook Groups (2.9%) vs eBay (13.25%) saves 10% per sale. (3) Reduce shipping costs — use Plain White Envelope (PWE) for cards under $20, buy bubble mailers in bulk, use PirateShip for discounted postage.