Online collectibles site Delcampe adds new seller fee

Say goodbye to 5- and 10-cent lots on Delcampe.

In an e-mail sent to members today, Sebastien Delcampe announced that an 18-cent sale fee will apply to each lot listed and sold after September 1. (There will still be no fees on lots that do not sell.) This fee is in addition to the existing commissions Delcampe takes off sold lots, and brings the popular auction site’s fee schedule closer to that of eBay.

In his e-mail, Delcampe states that the “objective is to limit the sale of items of too little value or for which there is too little interest.” The 18-cent sale fee will essentially make listing lots for less than 25 cents a money-losing proposition.

I can understand the move from a business perspective; Delcampe will eliminate low-value lots that, even if sold, result in miniscule commissions, and in the process make more valuable lots (from which they get a higher commission) more visible.

At the same time, I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed in the move. I’ve sold a number of stamps on Delcampe that had very low catalogue values, and that I didn’t make any money from, but that I was happy to pass on to someone who could use them. I would be surprised if I’m the only one who did that, but now it will be more difficult to find those elusive but not particularly valuable stamps from around the world.

What’s your take on the Delcampe announcement? Love it or hate it? Share your thoughts below.

Published 2012-08-23