Selling Vintage on Etsy Vs eBay

Are you thinking about selling vintage on Etsy Vs eBay and struggling to make a decision?

Perhaps you have been wondering who likes Etsy more? Or whether eBay is easier to use to sell vintage items? Another thing that could be bothering you is the shipping fees which are a huge headache for any seller.

You could also be wondering how to market and advertise on Etsy or eBay? Then I am so glad that you are swinging by.

I will go step by step and cover every burning question you have about the difference between selling vintage on Etsy vs eBay and Etsy vs eBay pros cons.

For your ease of reading, here is a table of comparison between Etsy Vs eBay.

Etsy Vs eBay

Features	Etsy	eBay
What can you sell here?	Vintage, unique, creative handmade items	Almost anything, including cars and second-hand items.
Pros of Selling here	Low sellers fees and attractive for people who like vintage items	Trustworthy platform with money-back guarantee Auction feature No listing fee
Cons of Selling here	Policies are constantly being revised Get added into offsite ads without providing consent.	High level of competition Auction feature can lead to low-ball pricing
Customer Base	Prefer homemade items Looking for an authentic experience.	Customers looking for a good deal on electronics and second-hand goods
Ease of Selling	Needs some time to get used to it, but Etsy has lots of helpful tips that are easy to understand	Easier then Etsy, similar to setting up a Facebook profile
Shipping Fees	You can choose which country you want to ship to based on your shipping fees If you offer free shipping to USA or Canada shoppers, you will rank higher	Determined by the seller
Sellers Fees	USD $0.20 for each product listing Transaction fee of 6.5% of the selling price for each item that you sold	No listing fee for the first 250 listed items Then pay USD $0.35 for each listed item Transaction fee is a percentage of your sale plus USD $0.30
Plan Options	Etsy Plus subscription at USD $10/month to improve selling experience	Basic Store – USD $21.95 per month Premium Store – USD $59.95 per month
Advertising and Marketing	Has paid ads via onsite and offsite ads	Run ads using Promotions Manager
eCommerce Tools	Can sell easily on Etsy Has third-party tools to improve selling experience	Can sell easily on eBay eBay Wish List eBay Favorites List

Please sit back as we learn all about:

What Is Etsy?
Pros Of Selling On Etsy
Cons Of Selling On Etsy
What Is eBay?
Pros Of Selling On eBay
Cons Of Selling On eBay
What Does Selling Vintage Mean?
What Can You Sell On Etsy?
What Can You Sell On eBay?
Customer Base of Etsy
Customer Base of eBay
Ease Of Selling On Etsy
Ease Of Selling On eBay
Shipping Fees Of Etsy
Shipping Fees Of eBay
Sellers Fees Of Etsy
Sellers Fees Of eBay
Things You Cannot Sell On Etsy and eBay
Plan Options For Etsy
Plan Options for eBay
Advertising And Marketing For Etsy
Advertising And Marketing For eBay
eCommerce Tools For Etsy
eCommerce Tools For eBay

DISCLOSURE

Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks!

Note- If you are super busy and you want to start making money selling digital products on Etsy ASAP, you can check out this and this Etsy course, that will step up your Etsy game and start earning within 3 months!

Alternatively, you can also check out this free Etsy Ebook that will share a list of best-selling products by month and teach you how to capitalize on seasonal trends to skyrocket your Etsy sales.

What Is Etsy?

Etsy is an international marketplace for all things vintage, unique, and creative. If you are selling on Etsy, you probably know the basics.

It is an online platform where sellers can post their vintage or handmade goods and buyers can purchase them at a fixed price.

Everything is built for you and as the seller, you just need to take some steps to set up the design element and you are ready to go. The beauty is that anyone can become an Etsy seller.

Pros Of Selling On Etsy

Etsy is a great place for people of all kinds to sell their vintage wares. Many new Etsy sellers are drawn in by the low fees, which can be as little as 6.5% per sale and USD $0.20 per listing.

Etsy has a targeted market. It is not like Amazon or Lazada which sell most things. Etsy’s niche is handmade & vintage items, creative, and unique.

Etsy’s community forum is extremely supportive of one another and is usually willing to advise on the forum site.

Finally, the greatest advantage of selling on Etsy is that as of 2020, there were 81.9 million buyers on Etsy. That is a huge market that you get ready access to as an Etsy seller.

As such, it captures sellers and buyers who are into these kinds of things.

Cons Of Selling On Etsy

There are some challenges with selling on Etsy. Firstly it is that Etsy’s ad policies are constantly being revised. Etsy runs offsite ads on other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Depending on your product and how well you listed it, you will be included in their offsite ads without consent.

As a seller, you are not charged for the views to your ads, but if purchases are made through those ads, then your advertising fee can be either 15% or 10% depending on your revenue for the past 12 months.

Another downside is that the listing fee can eventually eat into your savings. This is because you must pay a listing fee for every product you list and it only lasts for 4 months.

What Is eBay?

While you buy items on Etsy at a fixed price, eBay offers auctions. Shoppers can bid for listed items and the price can change from what was originally listed.

Items sold on eBay are more varied and can even include cars.

Pros Of Selling On eBay

The greatest advantage of selling on eBay is the level of trust shoppers have while using the platform. eBay has a money-back guarantee for customers if their products have not been received.

Another unique and fun feature of selling on eBay is that you can auction for goods. This creates a unique environment and increases engagement for your shoppers if you want to sell your vintage items on eBay.

eBay has no listing fee, but it does have a sales transaction fee. This means that sellers can keep listing goods and not have to fork out cash for them.

Finally, buyers can search through thousands of different products at a go if they feel like window-shopping, whereas with Etsy, buyers can only search for products by category.

Cons Of Selling On eBay

The biggest concern new eBay sellers have is over the amount of competition on eBay. eBay’s profits have been steadily increasing.

This means that more sales are taking place. More people are selling vintage wares on eBay, and as a result, it is difficult to stand out against all those other eBay vintage listings.

As long as you are willing to put some work into your listings (and you are willing to take a hit on your profit margins), then selling vintage on eBay can be just as successful as selling vintage on Etsy.

While the auction feature can increase engagement with your shoppers and keep things interesting, it can get ugly too. You may frequently have to deal with shoppers who are trying to low-ball you while selling antiques on eBay.

What Does Selling Vintage Mean?

What does vintage mean on eBay? What is considered vintage on Etsy?

Vintage means anything that is at least 20 years old. In the context of Etsy and eBay, vintage can refer to any item made before the year 2000, regardless of its age.

The keyword to think about when selling vintage is “antique.” While your items may be vintage, they will be considered antiques if they are older than 100 years old.

On Etsy and eBay, vintage does not necessarily mean “used.”

Many people will sell vintage goods that were never used – you will just need to make sure they’re in good shape and describe them as such in your listings.

Selling vintage wares on Etsy or eBay is a fun way to connect with fellow vintage collectors who are looking for unique, one-of-a-kind items.

Additionally, some people are trying out vintage goods such as eBay vintage jewelry to be more sustainable and giving life to something old.

What Can You Sell On Etsy?

Etsy is a great place for vintage sellers. You can buy or sell anything handmade, vintage, antique, or supplies related to these things.

Etsy is not a place for you to sell anything mass-produced or store-bought. You cannot be reselling things on Etsy either, even if it is handmade.

Additionally, you cannot sell services. This means, if you have virtual yoga classes or party-planning services, Etsy is not the place for you to list them.

What Can You Sell On eBay?

eBay is fantastic to sell second-hand items! There are always people on the lookout for a good bargain and eBay is where you can find it.

eBay is also not for mass-produced items generally because of its bid function. The highest selling item on eBay was electronics, which is a total no-go on Etsy.

Customer Base of Etsy

The customer base of Etsy is about 81.9 million buyers. These people are mainly committed to buying handmade or vintage products from small business owners on Etsy.

The shoppers on Etsy value authenticity and the direct connections that they can make with their sellers.

Customer Base of eBay

The customer base of eBay has about 181 million buyers. The eBay app is the third most downloaded app in the United States, coming behind Amazon and Walmart.

As electronics and second-hand goods are amongst the most popular items on eBay, its customer base is mainly shoppers who are looking to get a good deal on these items.

Ease Of Selling On Etsy

How to sell vintage on Etsy? Is the process easy? Etsy is less straightforward than eBay. If you are not familiar with the platform, it can seem overwhelming and confusing.

This is because you need to design your store, add detailed product descriptions, do keyword research, and more. However, there are fantastic resources out there to help you figure it out!

Etsy’s guide to setting up your store is informative and simple to understand.

For selling antiques on Etsy, be prepared to do your keyword research, analyze your competitors, and read all about Etsy to know how to sell your vintage stuff on Etsy.

All this will be worthwhile once you have set up your beautiful Etsy store and sold your first product.

Ease Of Selling On eBay

Selling on eBay is a much quicker and easier process than on Etsy. Think of it as a Facebook Profile for your product. You do not have to think about store design.

Just create an account, provide details about your product, submit your listing of vintage items for sale on eBay and you are good to go.

You can register as soon as today (or tomorrow – whatever you like!) and start using the platform immediately for selling vintage items.

eBay is a better platform for selling your vintage stuff if you want to be able to get started quickly and easily and you are not concerned with turning your hobby into a full-time job.

Shipping Fees Of Etsy

Etsy lets you choose where you want your shipping to come from. You can set it up separately for buyers from different countries.

As such, your Etsy listings are only visible to shoppers who can receive your products.

Etsy does have a free shipping option for shoppers based in the USA and Canada. If you pick this option, it means that your product will rank higher in search results compared to those without free shipping.

However the costs will be borne by the seller, but you can think of them as advertising expenses as well since it improves the ranking of your item.

Shipping Fees Of eBay

eBay shipping fees are determined by the seller. You can use the shipping calculator on eBay to assess your costs.

eBay has an informative guide on UPS and USPS Package types here for your reference.

While selling on eBay vs Etsy, your eBay products are visible to everyone.

Sellers Fees Of Etsy

Sellers will have to pay a listing fee of USD $0.20 for each product listing, and it lasts for 4 months. The transaction fee is 6.5% of the selling price for every sale you make.

For small businesses, these can eat into your profit margins. So you must be careful to calculate how much you can list and factor it into your pricing.

Sellers Fees Of eBay

eBay sellers will not pay any listing fee for the first 250 items they list. After that, they need to pay up to USD $0.35 per product they list.

eBay transaction fees are a bit more complex. They take a percentage of your sales price plus USD $0.30 per sale as a cut. However, the percentage taken varies according to the type of product sold.

In the debate of Etsy vs eBay fees, you will need to carefully calculate your costs depending on your needs.

Things You Cannot Sell On Etsy And eBay

The things that you cannot sell on Etsy and eBay are pretty similar.

Harmful items
Illegal items
Items promoting violence
Weapons
Human body parts
Drugs
Animals
Pornographic Content

However, one key difference between selling on Etsy vs eBay, is that while you can re-sell items on eBay, you cannot do so on Etsy for handmade items.

Plan Options For Etsy

Etsy offers Subscription Plans for sellers via Etsy Plus. Etsy plus provides more features for sellers to enhance their selling experience.

It also offers sellers custom web-hosting and a domain to improve their branding. Finally, it gives sellers more discounts and promotional materials to help their publicity efforts.

All this for a cost of USD $10 per month.

Shoppers can enjoy Etsy installments if they are based in the USA. All they have to do is select the Klarna option at the checkout counter and they can make their payments in installments.

Plan Options for eBay

eBay offers extensive plan options for its sellers.

Basic Store – USD $21.95 per month
Premium Store – USD $59.95 per month

It offers fixed-price listings for high-volume sellers, shipping discounts, and reduced sellers fees.

Both of these options are more suitable for sellers who intend to have more than 1000 listings.

In the subscription battle of eBay vs Etsy, it seems like Etsy is more affordable. However, you must still assess your business needs and not just consider the eBay vs Etsy fees.

Advertising And Marketing For Etsy

If you have good product listings, do proper keyword research and take pretty photos, you have done most of the advertising and marketing for your product already.

If you add a compelling reason for you becoming an Etsy seller or a beautiful background on the origins of your Etsy vintage product, you will be able to entice buyers.

However, if you still need extra traffic to sell your vintage items for money, you can always subscribe to Etsy Ads and it is capped to your daily maximum budget.

This means that Etsy will place your handmade vintage items listing at the top of the search results and you will only be charged for clicks on your ad, not for the views.

Etsy also does offsite ads where they place your products if it fits search intent on other platforms such as Google, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

You will only be charged for orders that are made, not even for the ad clicks or views. However, the advertising fees for this are a bit more substantial.

Sellers who have made more than USD $10,000 in the past 12 months, will pay 12%
Sellers who have made less than USD $10,000 in the past 12 months, will pay 15%

Hence, offsite ads are slightly more profitable for high-revenue sellers like those selling Etsy vintage jewelry.

Advertising And Marketing For eBay

You can also advertise your eBay using the Promotions Manager. It contains a step-by-step process to set up your advertisements on eBay.

Here is what you should consider before investing in eBay Advertisements:

If you are selling a highly competitive product, it will be hard for you to be visible organically. Hence, advertisements can help you stand out.
If you have a lot of positive feedback, that means you have a better chance of converting more sales with your advertisements.
People have told you that your product is good and high quality from other platforms, but it is not getting the visibility it needs. Advertisements can help you here.

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eCommerce Tools For Etsy

Etsy has a built-in feature that allows sellers to list their items for sale directly on Etsy. Etsy’s built-in feature is beneficial because it can help you get more exposure to their platform and lets sellers customize their stores which makes selling vintage items on Etsy easier.

Additionally, there are third-party eCommerce tools that can help sellers take advantage of features that are not available on Etsy.

Third-party eCommerce tools are better for sellers who are looking to sell through multiple channels, manage inventory across their different channels, and publish listings automatically.

Some third-party tools that Etsy Sellers can consider are:

Outfy: Similar to Canva but designed for Etsy Sellers. Automate your postings and create content easily.
Referral Candy: This allows you to reward your customers when they make referrals about your products.
Pick Fu: Conduct online polling to know what your customers want.
Ecomdash: Get help managing your inventory across multiple platforms easily.
Sales Samurai: All-in-one Etsy SEO Keyword Research Tool

eCommerce Tools For eBay

There are some interesting eCommerce features for eBay such as:

eBay Wish List: You can list down items you want to buy in the future and get notified of them when it appears.
Favorites List: Select items that you like. eBay will use this information to show you similar products.

Here are some third-party eCommerce tools you can subscribe to enhance your experience as a seller:

eBay Fee Calculator: With the wide range of fees that you might be charged, this calculator is helpful to determine your profit margin during planning.
Title Builder: If you struggle to generate attractive titles for your eBay listings, this is the tool for you.
Codistor Channel Cloud: To help you automate your product listings from a spreadsheet.
eBay’s Listing Analytics: This is a free tool for all sellers but you need to subscribe to it. You will be able to assess how well your listings are performing and make adjustments as needed.

As you can see, in the battle of Etsy vs eBay, the eCommerce tools on both platforms are very useful.

What Qualifies As Vintage?

Wondering about what is considered vintage on eBay or Etsy?

Selling vintage on Etsy vs eBay qualifying features: Etsy considers vintage items to be at least 20 years old. On the other hand, “vintage-inspired” items are newer pieces that reflect the same style and spirit of vintage designs.

Be prepared for Etsy to request photo evidence of vintage indicators. Additionally, please do not try to sell old clothes that were never sold and classify them as vintage.

Vintage items typically sell for higher prices than “vintage-inspired” pieces because they give buyers a chance to own a piece of history.

On the other hand, “vintage-inspired” items are more affordable for buyers who are looking to buy something that was inspired by vintage designs but doesn’t have quite as much historical significance to it.

Another area to consider is if you are selling art on Etsy vs eBay. Art can be vintage if it is more than 20 years old so you can sell art on eBay as a vintage item.

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Can I Sell Vintage Jewelry On Etsy?

Selling vintage on Etsy vs eBay jewelry: Yes, you can sell vintage jewelry on Etsy. Etsy has a specific section on its website where sellers can list vintage jewelry.

As long as your jewelry is hand-made, it cannot be resold by someone else.

Is selling vintage on Etsy worth it? Yes it is, as vintage jewelry on Etsy is extremely popular, one of the best selling vintage items on Etsy, and has a wide variety of prices depending on the way it is made, photo quality, and items used.

Is Etsy Only Meant For Vintage Products?

Selling vintage on Etsy vs eBay downs: Etsy is not meant for vintage products only. You can sell new items that are hand-made or crafts as well.

Most important is that the items you sell on Etsy are not illegal and are against their policies.

Is It Illegal To Resell Items On Etsy?

Selling vintage on Etsy vs eBay cautions: Etsy’s policies are very clear about this. You cannot resell items that are listed as handmade. This is because you did not make them.

Reselling is only allowed for vintage items or craft supplies. Please do not consider repacking handmade items to give them a handmade vibe just so that you can resell them.

Etsy will take it down and it will affect your future search ranking.

Which Is Better For Sellers, Etsy Or eBay?

Now that you know all the features about selling vintage on Etsy vs eBay, you must be wondering, Etsy or eBay?

If you are just starting your business and wish to keep your costs low, you can consider starting with eBay.

This is because you get free listings for up to 250 products. That way you can play around and experiment to analyze which items are more popular.

Still wondering whether to sell on eBay or Etsy? Another reason to start with eBay is because of the set-up features. It is much more straightforward than Etsy.

Once you gain a bit of confidence or have some extra cash and time to spare, then you can try Etsy.

The wonderful thing about both platforms is the low start-up costs compared to traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Still, you are strongly advised to consider the Etsy fees vs eBay fees before deciding.

If you are deciding between eBay or Etsy for selling vintage, Etsy is a great place to start Etsy vintage stores because of the Niche target market that appreciates these items.

If your products are mainly electronics or gadgets, eBay is the way to go. You can also start selling collectibles on eBay as they’re quite popular on eBay.

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FAQs on Selling Vintage on Etsy Vs eBay

Can You Sell Vintage Clothes On Etsy?

Yes, you can sell vintage and antique clothing and items on Etsy. You cannot resell handmade things on Etsy, but you can resell craft and vintage items.

How Long Does Etsy Take To Ship?

Domestic Etsy orders are usually delivered within 3 to 7 business days, while international shipments can take anywhere from 10 to 30 days for delivery.

The time frame for delivery also depends on the courier service opted by the customer, and processing time if the order is handmade.

Is Selling Vintage On eBay Worth It?

Yes, selling vintage on eBay is worthwhile since there will always be someone wanting to buy what you have to offer. eBay is an excellent marketplace for selling not only vintage items, but also electronics, jewellery, video games, and automobiles.

Can I Sell The Same Item On eBay And Etsy?

Yes, you can sell the same item on eBay and Etsy. In fact, it is advisable to put up a store on numerous platforms in order to conveniently reach your consumer base and increase conversions.
Online marketplaces do not ban you from selling the same items as long as you follow their rules.

How Do I Know If Something Sells Well On eBay?

The best way to know if an item will sell well on eBay is to conduct market and product research, analyze the competition and keywords, gather past order information, evaluate the trending and best-selling items, and use eBay research tools like Terapeak.

Can I Sell Wholesale Items On Etsy?

Yes, you can sell wholesale goods on Etsy. To join Etsy Wholesale, all of your listed products must be handmade, and you must also have a physical outlet where customers can visit if they wish to make a purchase.

On Etsy, you can sell wholesale clothes, jewelry, soap, beads, and other items.

What Is The Best Resolution For Digital Art On Etsy?

The clarity of the image will increase with the dpi. 300 dpi or more would be the ideal resolution for digital art on Etsy. Digital art on Etsy with a dpi of 300 will have a very high resolution and a clear print.

Can I Sell Antique Furniture On Etsy?

Yes, you can sell antique furniture on Etsy. Antiques have a significant following and fetch high rates on the website since they are vintage items, despite the fact that Etsy is best known for its handcrafted goods and crafts.

Keep in mind that Etsy has specific criteria for selling furniture that must be followed.

Does Jewelry Sell Better On eBay Or Etsy?

On both eBay and Etsy, jewelry sells well. Jewelry is really regarded as a highly lucrative category on both sites.

Handmade and vintage jewelry are best selling on Etsy, and vintage jewelry sells for a lot of money when it is put up for sale on eBay.

Do Collectibles Sell Well On eBay?

Yes, collectibles can sell for huge profits on eBay, because of eBay’s bidding feature. Collectibles can be found on eBay in a variety of categories, and because they are unique items and eBay welcomes bids from all around the world for any commodity, collectibles can be sold at incredible prices.