Walk into any card show negotiation and you’ll hear the same number: 85% of market. It’s cited as the standard cash deal price, the seller’s break-even, the floor below which you’re leaving money on the table. And it’s roughly accurate — for the seller.
The problem is that a cash deal involves two parties. 85% only accounts for one of them.
Where 85% Comes From
eBay’s Final Value Fee for Trading Cards is 13.25% of the total transaction — that’s the card price plus shipping plus any sales tax collected — plus a $0.30 fixed fee per transaction. For a $100 card with $4 shipping and 8.25% tax:
So a seller nets roughly $84.83 on a $100 card after eBay fees. That’s where “85%” comes from — it’s a reasonable approximation of the seller’s eBay break-even. Below $84.83 in a cash deal, the seller would have been better off listing on eBay. That part is accurate.
What 85% Ignores: The Buyer’s Side
When a buyer purchases the same card on eBay, they don’t pay $100. They pay $100 plus sales tax plus shipping:
The buyer’s ceiling — the maximum a fair cash price should ever reach — is $112.25. Above that, the buyer would be better off buying on eBay.
Now look at what happens at the “standard” 85% cash offer of $85:
At $85, the buyer saves $27.25 compared to buying on eBay. The seller gains $0.17 above their eBay floor — essentially nothing. The buyer is capturing nearly all the value of avoiding eBay. The seller breaks even. That’s not an even trade.
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Open the Fair Deal Calculator →The Even Split: What “Fair” Actually Means
The fair price in a cash deal isn’t the seller’s floor. It’s the price where both parties save the same dollar amount compared to their eBay alternatives.
The even-split price is the midpoint between the seller’s floor ($84.83) and the buyer’s ceiling ($112.25):
At $98.54, both the buyer and seller each save $13.71 compared to their eBay experience. Neither side is subsidizing the other. That’s the definition of a fair deal — not the seller’s break-even.
Any price between $84.83 and $112.25 is mutually beneficial — better than eBay for both parties. But within that range, $85 is heavily skewed toward the buyer. And $98.54 is the only price where both sides save equally.
When 85% Is Fine
None of this means $85 is a dishonest offer. If you’re a seller who just wants to move a card quickly, accepting 85% is a rational choice — you’re not losing money vs. eBay, you’re just not capturing your share of the mutual savings.
But knowing the math means knowing what you’re giving up. On a $100 card, the difference between 85% and the even split is about $13.50. On a $500 card with the same tax/shipping assumptions, the seller’s floor is roughly $424 and the even split is around $493 — the gap is about $69. On a $1,000 card, you’re looking at roughly $135 left on the table by accepting the “standard” offer.
The 85% rule isn’t wrong. It’s just the floor, not the ceiling — and not the fair midpoint. A buyer who offers 85% is making a reasonable opening bid. A seller who knows the even-split math can make a reasonable counteroffer.
How Tax and Shipping Affect the Number
The even-split price changes with local tax rates and shipping assumptions. In states with no sales tax (Oregon, Montana, Delaware, New Hampshire, Alaska), the buyer’s ceiling drops and the even split lands closer to 90–92% of market. With higher tax rates (New York City at 8.875%, some California counties above 10%), the buyer’s ceiling rises and the fair midpoint can reach 98–100% of market.
This matters at card shows that draw buyers from across state lines. A buyer flying in from Oregon genuinely has a lower eBay cost than a buyer from Texas — their ceiling is lower, and the fair split adjusts accordingly. The calculator lets you set the exact rate.