Buyer Commissions Require Immediate Review

"Most collectors who are looking for something they're missing have probably chosen the "newest first" setting. It doesn't bother them that there is something on page thirty-four."

Correct me if I am wrong on this, but I get the impression that every time an older unsold item is renewed, it then shows up on the first browsing page using the "newest first" setting. It doesn't stay on page thirty-four, but is repromoted as a new listing, meaning that regular browsers are seeing the same set of tired old listings every time a bulk seller has all his/her listings renewed, such that the browser is having to wade through all of these again in an attempt to find genuinely new listings.

In principal I have no objection to older items remaining on the site, but I don't want them repeatedly repromoted as "new" listings when they are not.

Dear customers,

Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We understand that the current pricing structure poses challenges, especially for the sale of lower value items. We've spoken to several sellers and buyers, and we are aware of the difficulties this creates.

We are actively looking into ways to improve this situation. One of the main challenges we face is reconciling the storage costs for low-value items that remain on the website for a long time before being sold.

It's important to note that some comparisons being made are not entirely accurate. For instance, comparing a price inclusive of all taxes without discounts to a price excluding VAT with a 20% professional discount is like comparing apples to oranges. If we compare the previous rate for a private seller, inclusive of all taxes, the average cost per item was between 27 and 28 cents, with an average percentage of around 9% (incl. of all taxes). Therefore, we should compare 30 cents with 28 cents and 9% with 10% (incl. of all taxes). Previously, a 50-cent stamp cost 27 cents + 9% commission, which amounted to 31.5 cents (resulting in a 63% commission in this case), except for professionals with Club+ subscriptions. This has always been the case since 2012 with the introduction of the fixed fee tax that covers fixed costs regardless of the item's value. Additionally, VAT can go up to 27% in Europe, so 30 cents (all taxes included) equals 23.6 cents, which does not cover the hosting costs of this item, costs that have significantly increased.

To address these issues, our team, along with Sebastian Delcampe, will be holding another meeting in mid-November. This time, we will include a selection of English-speaking sellers and buyers to discuss the challenges you are facing and explore potential solutions.

We are also planning to hold promotions on platform fees. Additionally, we advise regrouping lower value items into lots and focusing on promoting higher value items as the best sales strategy.

If you would like to be a part of this meeting, please write to us at magazine@delcampe.com .

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Best regards,

Dimitri

"Most collectors who are looking for something they're missing have probably chosen the "newest first" setting. It doesn't bother them that there is something on page thirty-four."

Correct me if I am wrong on this, but I get the impression that every time an older unsold item is renewed, it then shows up on the first browsing page using the "newest first" setting. It doesn't stay on page thirty-four, but is repromoted as a new listing, meaning that regular browsers are seeing the same set of tired old listings every time a bulk seller has all his/her listings renewed, such that the browser is having to wade through all of these again in an attempt to find genuinely new listings.

In principal I have no objection to older items remaining on the site, but I don't want them repeatedly repromoted as "new" listings when they are not.

This does not apply to renewals, 'newest first' just sorts by item number, and a renewal does not change this.

To do this on site you need to use the 'Relaunch my sales as new' paid service within multiple changes which gives each item a new item ID (and then appears at the top of the list). This is not included within the club+ offer.

With the API it is possible to close the old sales and launch as new from your website/host without paying, its probably one of the reasons that there is an API fee. Doing so too frequently (as in more frequently than the paid service above) will get you a warning off Delcampe though as it is against the T&C's.

Dear customers,

Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We understand that the current pricing structure poses challenges, especially for the sale of lower value items. We've spoken to several sellers and buyers, and we are aware of the difficulties this creates.

We are actively looking into ways to improve this situation. One of the main challenges we face is reconciling the storage costs for low-value items that remain on the website for a long time before being sold.

It's important to note that some comparisons being made are not entirely accurate. For instance, comparing a price inclusive of all taxes without discounts to a price excluding VAT with a 20% professional discount is like comparing apples to oranges. If we compare the previous rate for a private seller, inclusive of all taxes, the average cost per item was between 27 and 28 cents, with an average percentage of around 9% (incl. of all taxes). Therefore, we should compare 30 cents with 28 cents and 9% with 10% (incl. of all taxes). Previously, a 50-cent stamp cost 27 cents + 9% commission, which amounted to 31.5 cents (resulting in a 63% commission in this case), except for professionals with Club+ subscriptions. This has always been the case since 2012 with the introduction of the fixed fee tax that covers fixed costs regardless of the item's value. Additionally, VAT can go up to 27% in Europe, so 30 cents (all taxes included) equals 23.6 cents, which does not cover the hosting costs of this item, costs that have significantly increased.

To address these issues, our team, along with Sebastian Delcampe, will be holding another meeting in mid-November. This time, we will include a selection of English-speaking sellers and buyers to discuss the challenges you are facing and explore potential solutions.

We are also planning to hold promotions on platform fees. Additionally, we advise regrouping lower value items into lots and focusing on promoting higher value items as the best sales strategy.

If you would like to be a part of this meeting, please write to us at magazine@delcampe.com .

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Best regards,

Dimitri

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. It’s been fantastic to see such active participation, and it really helps us all gain a broader understanding of the experiences and situations that other members are facing under the new commission system.

I won’t go into every single reply, but I’d like to share a few thoughts on the recent messages.

If Delcampe were to set a minimum price, it would likely be the first collectible marketplace to do so. We actively sell on two other platforms where no minimum price is enforced. Sellers can list items like trading cards and stamps for just a few cents, and these marketplaces support this without complaint. Additionally, of the three platforms we work with, Delcampe is the only one that charges the buyer directly rather than the seller.

Delcampe’s roots are in stamps and postcards, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. However, one major drawback of the site is its lack of effective SEO, which significantly impacts visibility and reach.

In many other ways, though, Delcampe has been the most professional platform we’ve worked on, with years of strong reputation and solid functionality. Delcampe also used to offer special pricing for professional sellers, which was much appreciated—but now, this special pricing is gone.

As a long-term seller, I can say that some of our items have been listed for years, and it’s always great when one of those finally sells. While Delcampe maintains the image and listing data, we store the physical item in our warehouse, ensuring everything is well-organized and referenced. Maintaining this storage has a cost for us, of course, but that’s part of the business we accept.

As some have already mentioned, storage for 100,000 to 600,000 images is not as costly as it used to be. Even factoring in additional expenses, the current €0.30 fee per item seems hard to justify.

For mint stamps (and similar items, like mint coins), Delcampe could implement an image pool where multiple sellers use a shared image. This could be restricted to trusted sellers or established vendors, for instance. With many sellers listing identical items, it seems inefficient that Delcampe has to store numerous copies of the same image.

Finding specific stamps, coins, or banknotes is easiest by navigating categories and searching by year. Categories may vary by language, but the year (1958, 1980, 1994) is universal and simplifies the process.

To address the current issues, my suggested solution would be:

No buyer fees—let sellers absorb platform costs.
Fixed item sale fees by price range, plus a 10% fee, all paid by the seller.
Slightly increased shop subscription fees, to help offset costs without impacting per-item sales.
No API fees—as mentioned previously, Delcampe is the only platform we use that charges for API access.
Please let’s keep sharing our ideas, so those attending the mid-November meeting have as much input as possible.

Hi Dimitri
I have sent an email to magazine@delcampe.com asking to partecipate to the meeting, but no answer

Hello Servitel,

You won't receive a reply to your e-mail, but you will be added to the mailing list and receive an invitation when those go out

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Dear customers,

Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We understand that the current pricing structure poses challenges, especially for the sale of lower value items. We've spoken to several sellers and buyers, and we are aware of the difficulties this creates.

We are actively looking into ways to improve this situation. One of the main challenges we face is reconciling the storage costs for low-value items that remain on the website for a long time before being sold.

It's important to note that some comparisons being made are not entirely accurate. For instance, comparing a price inclusive of all taxes without discounts to a price excluding VAT with a 20% professional discount is like comparing apples to oranges. If we compare the previous rate for a private seller, inclusive of all taxes, the average cost per item was between 27 and 28 cents, with an average percentage of around 9% (incl. of all taxes). Therefore, we should compare 30 cents with 28 cents and 9% with 10% (incl. of all taxes). Previously, a 50-cent stamp cost 27 cents + 9% commission, which amounted to 31.5 cents (resulting in a 63% commission in this case), except for professionals with Club+ subscriptions. This has always been the case since 2012 with the introduction of the fixed fee tax that covers fixed costs regardless of the item's value. Additionally, VAT can go up to 27% in Europe, so 30 cents (all taxes included) equals 23.6 cents, which does not cover the hosting costs of this item, costs that have significantly increased.

To address these issues, our team, along with Sebastian Delcampe, will be holding another meeting in mid-November. This time, we will include a selection of English-speaking sellers and buyers to discuss the challenges you are facing and explore potential solutions.

We are also planning to hold promotions on platform fees. Additionally, we advise regrouping lower value items into lots and focusing on promoting higher value items as the best sales strategy.

If you would like to be a part of this meeting, please write to us at magazine@delcampe.com .

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Best regards,

Dimitri

I sold an item and the Delcampe fee shown in the invoice was 8.26% plus $0.30, and not 10% plus $0.36 . Is this a permanent reduction? The prices shown in my shop still have 10% plus $0.36 added. I seem to have missed any announcement on this.

Hello "richnoddystamps",

Thank you for sharing your point of view with us. We will of course take it into consideration.

However, please note that the platform fees are already included in the price displayed on the page of your item. This means that the buyer already knows the price (including platform fees) before confirming their purchase. I also note that your buyer had to pay import fees. This is a requirement of the European Union that we must comply with.
The European Union requires marketplaces, such as Delcampe, to collect import VAT on goods sold to European individuals by professionals located outside the EU, for any shipment up to 150 euros (about 125 GBP).

Best regards,
Cecilia

Hi:
Do you mean that platform fee($0.36+10%) include VAT?