Fees compared, the part-type decision matrix, shipping limits, and real 90-day sold prices — the complete channel guide for yard flippers.
Ship anything under 70 lbs on eBay for the national buyer pool and verifiable sold-price data. Sell heavy, freight-length, or fragile-oversized parts on Facebook Marketplace for local cash pickup with zero fees. The two channels aren't rivals — they're for different parts.
Every part gets its channel before you ever list it. Small, light, shippable: eBay. Anything 70+ lbs, freight-shaped, or fragile-big: Marketplace local. The rule is mechanical, not a judgment call — and deciding at the pull (not at the listing desk) is what keeps heavy mistakes out of your cart.
| Channel | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EBAY Motors Parts & Accessories, no store | 13.6% of the total sale + $0.40 per order | Fee base includes item price, buyer-paid shipping, and sales tax. eBay's fee page — verify before you price; fees change. |
| FB SHIPPED Marketplace checkout | 10% of the total (min $0.80) | On item + shipping + tax. In effect since April 2024. No prepaid labels since Feb 2025 — you buy the label. Payout about 5 days after delivery. Confirm the current rate in Commerce Manager before pricing. |
| FB LOCAL Marketplace pickup | $0 | Cash, local pickup, no fees at all. No buyer protection either — see below. |
Worth knowing: a shipped Facebook sale at 10% can beat eBay's 13.6% on the right ticket — smaller buyer pool, but lower fee. Run both numbers before you default to eBay.
| Part type | Example (90-day sold median) | Channel | Why | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modules & electronics | 7.3L PCM, $512 (259 sold) | EBAY | 2 lbs, national demand, verifiable sold data | Untested electronics — test what you can or discount; photograph the strategy-code label |
| Headlights (xenon/LED) | W221 xenon assembly, $344 (30 sold) | EBAY | Ships double-boxed; assembly buyers pay for intact tabs | Broken mounting tabs kill value — inspect every tab before it goes in the cart |
| Trim & interior (NLA) | OBS ashtray, $90 (36 sold) | EBAY | Small, light, restoration demand with no dealer alternative | Thin data on odd trim — check the sample size before trusting the median |
| Heavy mechanical | 4Runner e-locker, ~$640 local est. | LOCAL | 80+ lbs of cast iron — freight quotes kill the margin | No-shows and lowballers; cash only, public meetup, buyer inspects |
| Glass, large / fragile | Ram dash pad, ~$95 local est. | LOCAL | Warps or breaks in a box; freight-shaped | Small glass (mirrors) can ship; windshields and dash pads can't |
| Body panels | Fenders, hoods, tailgates | LOCAL | Oversized and freight-shaped; local buyers haul them | Slow moves and they eat storage space — price to move |
Local estimates are asking-price estimates (no platform fee; counter cost + tax out), not eBay solds. Counter costs are draft estimates pending verification at the counter.
The 70-lb rule has a concrete basis: USPS won't take a parcel over 70 lbs (Domestic Mail Manual 7.3.1 — verified Oct 4, 2026). Anything heavier is going local or going freight, full stop. Between 50 and 70 lbs, compare a UPS/FedEx ground quote against the part's margin before you commit to shipping it — a transfer case that nets ~$155 locally becomes a headache once you're quoting freight to another state.
Two different games. On eBay, price to the 90-day sold median — active listings are wishes, sold listings are facts. List at or under the median and move it.
On Marketplace local, price from local comps, not eBay solds. Your buyer is within 50 miles; their alternative is the other local listings, not a national auction. And label local figures honestly: they're asking-price estimates unless you've actually watched identical parts sell locally. No fees means room to deal — a transfer case listed at $175 OBO can move in days, and you still net more than eBay after fees and freight.
Use it when the part is shippable but eBay's 13.6% stings on the ticket: 10% (min $0.80) against a smaller buyer pool. The tradeoffs are real — you buy your own shipping label (no prepaid labels since Feb 2025), payout lands about five days after delivery, and the audience is a fraction of eBay's. It's a pricing decision, not a loyalty decision: run both fee numbers and pick the better net.
13.6% final value fee on the total sale (item + buyer-paid shipping + tax) plus $0.40 per order, for Motors Parts & Accessories without a store — per eBay's fee page, checked Oct 4, 2026. Store subscribers pay less. Verify before you price; fees change.
Local pickup: $0 — completely free. Shipped orders through Marketplace checkout: 10% of the total (minimum $0.80), in effect since April 2024. Confirm the current rate in Commerce Manager before pricing.
70 lbs — the Domestic Mail Manual caps every mailpiece at 70 pounds (DMM 7.3.1, verified Oct 4, 2026). Heavier goes local or freight.
Cash local sales have no buyer protection and no returns, so the safety is all in the meetup: public place, daylight, no home address. Inspect-friendly buyers are the norm for heavy parts — let them look it over.
Yes, but treat it as one unit of inventory: the moment it sells anywhere, delist everywhere else immediately. Double-selling the same PCM is a fast way to earn a defect on eBay.
RowGold flags every part with its modeled channel — eBay or local — alongside profit per minute, NLA status, and draft counter cost. I own RowGold. $10/mo or $90/yr. Launching soon.