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Lego Resale ROI & Fees Calculator

Calculate real net profit and ROI on a Lego resale after marketplace fees, payment processing fees, shipping, and packaging costs.

Net Lego resale profit is sale price minus marketplace and payment fees, minus packaging cost, plus the shipping surplus (what the buyer paid you minus what shipping actually cost), minus your purchase price. On a $100 set resold for $200 with 16% combined fees, $3 net shipping, and $2 packaging, net profit is $69 — a 69% ROI.

Quick actions: Save inputs, view saved runs, print, share, or export results

Saved Runs

Inputs

Purchase price$

Expected resale price$

Marketplace fee%

Payment processing fee%

Shipping charged to buyer$

Actual shipping cost$

Packaging cost$

Holding periodyrs

Results

Net Profit

$69.00

ROI69.0%

Annualized ROI69.0%

Total Fees$32.00

Net Shipping$3.00

Net Proceeds$169.00

Tip

Save this page to check real net profit before listing a set, and to compare flips against multi-year holds.

Formula

Lego resale ROI formula

Fees = Resale Price × (Marketplace % + Payment %). Net Proceeds = Resale Price − Fees + (Shipping Charged − Actual Shipping) − Packaging. Net Profit = Net Proceeds − Purchase Price.

Fees and shipping are modeled separately so you can see exactly which line item is helping or hurting your margin.

Step by step

How the calculation works

1Enter what you originally paid for the set or lot.
2Enter the price you expect to sell it for.
3Enter your marketplace fee percentage (eBay ~13%, BrickLink ~9%) and payment processing fee percentage separately.
4Enter what you plan to charge for shipping and what shipping will actually cost you.
5Enter packaging supply cost and how long you expect to hold the item before selling.

Related guides

Learn more about this calculation

Guide

Lego Resale Fees & Net Profit: What You Actually Keep After eBay, BrickLink, and Shipping

A full breakdown of marketplace fees, payment processing costs, and shipping economics for Lego resale, with worked examples showing real net profit.

Guide

Lego Investing Guide 2026: Real Returns, Best Themes, and What the Data Actually Shows

What the published research says about Lego secondary-market returns, which themes actually hold value, and how to separate real investment math from collector hype.

Lego Resale ROI & Fees Calculator

Calculate real net profit and ROI on a Lego resale after marketplace fees, payment processing fees, shipping, and packaging costs.

How to understand and use this calculator

Sale price is not profit

The single biggest mistake in Lego flipping math is treating the sale price as the profit. Marketplace fees (roughly 13% on eBay including final value fees, closer to 9% on BrickLink), payment processing fees, packaging materials, and the gap between what a buyer pays for shipping and what shipping actually costs can easily consume 15-20% of a sale before the original purchase price is even subtracted. If you also collect complete sets for display or investment rather than flipping them, our Lego Valuation Calculator estimates set-level worth and appreciation scenarios instead.

Why net shipping can go either way

Sellers commonly charge buyers a flat shipping amount that does not exactly match what shipping the box actually costs. If you charge $15 for shipping and it costs $12 to ship, that $3 surplus adds to your net proceeds. If you underprice a heavy or oversized set's shipping, the deficit subtracts from profit the same way a fee would. This calculator treats shipping as its own line rather than folding it into the sale price, so you can see whether your shipping pricing is helping or hurting the deal.

Annualized return matters more than raw ROI on long holds

A 50% ROI sounds identical whether it took eight months or five years, but the two are not comparable investments. This calculator also computes an annualized return using the holding period you enter, so a set held for several years before resale can be compared on the same basis as a fast flip. Annualizing does assume a smooth compounding path rather than a real lump-sum sale event, so treat it as a comparison tool, not a forecast.

eBay and BrickLink fee structures in detail

eBay charges a final value fee of roughly 13.25% on the collectibles category (up to $7,500, dropping to 2.35% above that), plus payment processing commonly cited around 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction and a small fixed per-order fee — a combined load that often lands in the 15-16% range of the sale total. BrickLink typically runs lower: a tiered marketplace commission (around 3% on the first $500 of an order, stepping down at higher tiers) plus separate payment processing near 2% plus $0.20 for card payments. Facebook Marketplace and local, cash-based sales carry no platform fee at all, at the cost of a smaller buyer pool and no built-in buyer/seller protection.

Fixed per-order fees hit small sales hardest

A flat per-order fee (commonly $0.30-$0.40 regardless of sale price) is a much larger percentage drag on a $20 minifigure sale than on a $200 set sale. If you regularly sell low-value individual items, consider whether bundling several into one order reduces your total fixed-fee exposure relative to selling each separately — the marketplace commission percentage stays the same either way, but the fixed fee only applies once per order instead of once per item.

Tax considerations for resellers

Selling collectibles for profit can be a taxable event, and treatment varies by jurisdiction, total sales volume, and whether your activity counts as casual selling or a business. This calculator does not account for tax — factor it in separately using your own applicable rate, and consult a tax professional if your resale activity is more than occasional.

Related Calculators

Valuing minifigures separately from a full set? Use the Lego Minifigure Value & Rarity Calculator. Pricing a bulk lot instead of a single set? Use the Lego Parts-Per-Pound & Bulk Valuation Calculator.

Related concepts

Net proceeds

What actually lands in your account after fees, shipping adjustments, and packaging costs are subtracted from the sale price.

Annualized return

A return rate normalized to a one-year period, useful for comparing holds of different lengths.

Fee drag

The cumulative effect of marketplace and payment fees reducing realized profit below the headline sale price.

Fixed per-order fee

A flat charge applied once per transaction regardless of sale price, which disproportionately affects low-value sales.

Cost basis

What you actually paid to acquire the item, used as the starting point for profit and ROI calculations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What marketplace fee percentage should I use?+

eBay's combined final value and payment fee typically lands near 13%, while BrickLink's marketplace fee is closer to 9% before payment processing. Check your specific account and category rate, since fee tiers change.

Should I include the original box price or just the set's resale-relevant cost basis?+

Use whatever you actually paid to acquire the item, including any discount or tax, since that is your true cost basis for profit calculation.

What if shipping charged and actual shipping are the same?+

Then net shipping is zero and it will not affect your profit either way, which is the neutral case.

Does the calculator include income tax on resale profit?+

No. Selling collectibles for profit can be a taxable event depending on your jurisdiction and volume of sales; consult a tax professional for your specific situation.

Why is annualized ROI sometimes very different from total ROI?+

Total ROI does not account for time. A 20% return earned in two months annualizes to a much higher rate than the same 20% earned over three years.

What happens if my net proceeds are negative?+

The calculator falls back to a simple ROI-over-time annualization instead of a compounding formula, since compounding math does not work cleanly on a loss.

Should packaging cost include my time?+

This calculator only tracks material cost (boxes, bubble wrap, tape). If you want to value your own labor, subtract it separately from the net profit figure.

Is a positive ROI here a guarantee of profit?+

No. It reflects the numbers you enter. Real sales carry uncertainty in final price, fees, and demand that this planning tool cannot predict.

Can I use this for a bulk lot sale instead of a single set?+

Yes, as long as you enter the lot's total purchase price and total expected resale price, the fee math works the same way.

Does the marketplace fee apply to the shipping charge too?+

On most platforms, yes — fees are usually charged on the full transaction total including shipping. Factor that into the fee percentage you enter if your platform works that way.

What is eBay's exact fee for selling LEGO?+

For the collectibles category most sealed sets fall under, roughly 13.25% up to $7,500, plus payment processing near 2.9% + $0.30 and a small per-order fee — a combined load often in the 15-16% range.

Is BrickLink cheaper than eBay for selling LEGO?+

Usually yes on commission alone — BrickLink's tiered structure often runs well below eBay's roughly 13-16% combined rate — but BrickLink has a smaller buyer pool and separate payment processing costs to factor in.

Should I bundle small items into one order?+

Often worth considering, since a fixed per-order fee applies once per order rather than once per item, so bundling several low-value pieces into a single sale reduces total fixed-fee drag.

Do I owe tax on Lego resale profit?+

Possibly, depending on your jurisdiction, sales volume, and whether tax authorities treat your activity as casual selling or a business — this calculator does not include tax, so factor it in separately and consult a professional if you sell regularly.

Is selling locally always more profitable than using a platform?+

It removes platform fees, which helps net profit, but it also removes buyer protections and shrinks your buyer pool, which can mean a lower final price or longer time to sell.

Lego resale ROI formula

Fees = Resale Price × (Marketplace % + Payment %). Net Proceeds = Resale Price − Fees + (Shipping Charged − Actual Shipping) − Packaging. Net Profit = Net Proceeds − Purchase Price.

Fees and shipping are modeled separately so you can see exactly which line item is helping or hurting your margin.

How the calculation works

1Enter what you originally paid for the set or lot.

2Enter the price you expect to sell it for.

3Enter your marketplace fee percentage (eBay ~13%, BrickLink ~9%) and payment processing fee percentage separately.

4Enter what you plan to charge for shipping and what shipping will actually cost you.

5Enter packaging supply cost and how long you expect to hold the item before selling.

How to understand and use this calculator

Sale price is not profit

Why net shipping can go either way

Annualized return matters more than raw ROI on long holds

eBay and BrickLink fee structures in detail

Fixed per-order fees hit small sales hardest

Tax considerations for resellers

Related Calculators

Related concepts

Net proceeds

What actually lands in your account after fees, shipping adjustments, and packaging costs are subtracted from the sale price.

Annualized return

A return rate normalized to a one-year period, useful for comparing holds of different lengths.

Fee drag

The cumulative effect of marketplace and payment fees reducing realized profit below the headline sale price.

Fixed per-order fee

A flat charge applied once per transaction regardless of sale price, which disproportionately affects low-value sales.

Cost basis

What you actually paid to acquire the item, used as the starting point for profit and ROI calculations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What marketplace fee percentage should I use?+

Should I include the original box price or just the set's resale-relevant cost basis?+

Use whatever you actually paid to acquire the item, including any discount or tax, since that is your true cost basis for profit calculation.

What if shipping charged and actual shipping are the same?+

Then net shipping is zero and it will not affect your profit either way, which is the neutral case.

Does the calculator include income tax on resale profit?+

No. Selling collectibles for profit can be a taxable event depending on your jurisdiction and volume of sales; consult a tax professional for your specific situation.

Why is annualized ROI sometimes very different from total ROI?+

Total ROI does not account for time. A 20% return earned in two months annualizes to a much higher rate than the same 20% earned over three years.

What happens if my net proceeds are negative?+

The calculator falls back to a simple ROI-over-time annualization instead of a compounding formula, since compounding math does not work cleanly on a loss.

Should packaging cost include my time?+

This calculator only tracks material cost (boxes, bubble wrap, tape). If you want to value your own labor, subtract it separately from the net profit figure.

Is a positive ROI here a guarantee of profit?+

No. It reflects the numbers you enter. Real sales carry uncertainty in final price, fees, and demand that this planning tool cannot predict.

Can I use this for a bulk lot sale instead of a single set?+

Yes, as long as you enter the lot's total purchase price and total expected resale price, the fee math works the same way.

Does the marketplace fee apply to the shipping charge too?+

On most platforms, yes — fees are usually charged on the full transaction total including shipping. Factor that into the fee percentage you enter if your platform works that way.

What is eBay's exact fee for selling LEGO?+

Is BrickLink cheaper than eBay for selling LEGO?+

Should I bundle small items into one order?+

Often worth considering, since a fixed per-order fee applies once per order rather than once per item, so bundling several low-value pieces into a single sale reduces total fixed-fee drag.

Do I owe tax on Lego resale profit?+

Is selling locally always more profitable than using a platform?+

It removes platform fees, which helps net profit, but it also removes buyer protections and shrinks your buyer pool, which can mean a lower final price or longer time to sell.

Lego Resale ROI & Fees Calculator

Inputs

Results

Lego resale ROI formula

How the calculation works

Learn more about this calculation

Lego Resale Fees & Net Profit: What You Actually Keep After eBay, BrickLink, and Shipping

Lego Investing Guide 2026: Real Returns, Best Themes, and What the Data Actually Shows

Lego Resale ROI & Fees Calculator

Inputs

Results

Key output metrics

Where the Sale Price Goes

How to understand and use this calculator

Sale price is not profit

Why net shipping can go either way

Annualized return matters more than raw ROI on long holds

eBay and BrickLink fee structures in detail

Fixed per-order fees hit small sales hardest

Tax considerations for resellers

Related Calculators

Related concepts

Frequently Asked Questions

Lego resale ROI formula

How the calculation works

Learn more about this calculation

Lego Resale Fees & Net Profit: What You Actually Keep After eBay, BrickLink, and Shipping

Lego Investing Guide 2026: Real Returns, Best Themes, and What the Data Actually Shows

Key output metrics

Where the Sale Price Goes

How to understand and use this calculator

Sale price is not profit

Why net shipping can go either way

Annualized return matters more than raw ROI on long holds

eBay and BrickLink fee structures in detail

Fixed per-order fees hit small sales hardest

Tax considerations for resellers

Related Calculators

Related concepts

Frequently Asked Questions