The Reseller Index
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What it costs to sell and ship a LEGO set

On a $60 LEGO set, eBay takes $8.56, Mercari $6.00, Whatnot $6.84 and TikTok Shop $3.60, before shipping. LEGO can't go by Media Mail, so a 3 lb boxed set ships by Ground Advantage for $9.04 to $16.30 at USPS commercial prices (Zones 1-8), and a carton over 1 cubic foot is billed by its size whenever that comes out heavier than the set.

Below: fees at $25, $60, $150 and $500, what changes when the buyer pays shipping, postage by weight, the carton-size math, and the platform rules that matter for sets.

Rates verified on

USPS and platform rules checked , except Whatnot and Etsy, whose fees and rules are shown as their help pages read on (§)

USPS Media Mail for LEGO sets
Not allowed
eBay fee on a $60 sale, no shipping charged
$8.56
mid-size boxed set, 3 lb, Ground Advantage to Zone 4 (USPS commercial)
$10.07
Billed weight of a 20 x 16 x 8 in. carton
19 lb

Selling fees on a $25, $60, $150 and $500 LEGO set

What each platform takes and what's left of the sale price, computed with the same code as our fee calculators. Fee pages checked Oct 14, 2026.

What you keep before shipping costs: sale price minus platform fees, no shipping charged, no sales tax. In brackets: the fees. § Whatnot and Etsy: rates from their own fee pages as checked Oct 14, 2026, not re-checked since (see the note below the tables).
Platform $25$60$150$500
eBay13.6% of the total + $0.30/$0.40 per order $21.20 ($3.80)$51.44 ($8.56)$129.20 ($20.80)$431.60 ($68.40)
Mercari10% of item + shipping $22.50 ($2.50)$54.00 ($6.00)$135.00 ($15.00)$450.00 ($50.00)
Whatnot§8% + 2.9% + $0.30; 0% commission above $1,500 $21.97 ($3.03)$53.16 ($6.84)$133.35 ($16.65)$445.20 ($54.80)
TikTok Shop6% of item + shipping $23.50 ($1.50)$56.40 ($3.60)$141.00 ($9.00)$470.00 ($30.00)
Etsy (vintage only)§$0.20 + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 $22.17 ($2.83)$53.85 ($6.15)$135.30 ($14.70)$452.05 ($47.95)

If the buyer pays $10.07 shipping

Here the buyer pays the commercial Ground Advantage price for 3 lb to Zone 4 and all of it goes on the label. eBay, Mercari, Etsy, Amazon and TikTok Shop take their percentage from buyer-paid shipping too, and Whatnot's and Depop's processing fees cover it; Poshmark buyers pay Poshmark's own label instead.

What you keep with buyer-paid shipping of $10.07 spent on the label. In brackets: the platform's extra fee because of the shipping charge. One USPS price is used for every platform so the fees compare like for like. No sales tax.
Platform $25$60$150$500
eBay $19.83 ($1.37)$50.07 ($1.37)$127.83 ($1.37)$430.23 ($1.37)
Mercari $21.49 ($1.01)$52.99 ($1.01)$133.99 ($1.01)$448.99 ($1.01)
Whatnot§ $21.68 ($0.29)$52.87 ($0.29)$133.06 ($0.29)$444.91 ($0.29)
TikTok Shop $22.90 ($0.60)$55.80 ($0.60)$140.40 ($0.60)$469.40 ($0.60)
Etsy (vintage only)§ $21.22 ($0.95)$52.90 ($0.95)$134.35 ($0.95)$451.10 ($0.95)
  • $25: with buyer-paid shipping, TikTok Shop leaves $22.90 and eBay $19.83, a gap of $3.07.
  • $60: with buyer-paid shipping, TikTok Shop leaves $55.80 and eBay $50.07, a gap of $5.73.
  • $150: with buyer-paid shipping, TikTok Shop leaves $140.40 and eBay $127.83, a gap of $12.57.
  • $500: with buyer-paid shipping, TikTok Shop leaves $469.40 and eBay $430.23, a gap of $39.17.
  • eBay: eBay's fee page gives its own rate to a short list of categories, and in Toys & Hobbies only Collectible Card Games are on it, so a LEGO set pays the most-categories rate (eBay fee page, saved copy Oct 14, 2026).
  • Whatnot: Toys & Hobbies is on Whatnot's list for 0% commission on the part of an order above $1,500 (Whatnot, as checked Oct 14, 2026); none of these prices reach it.
  • TikTok Shop: TikTok Shop lists its Toys & Hobbies subcategories at 6% (TikTok Shop Academy, dated Oct 8, 2026).
  • Etsy: “Reselling is not allowed on Etsy except for the following items that are handpicked or sourced by sellers” (Etsy, as checked Oct 14, 2026), and vintage means “handpicked items that are over 20 years old”. A LEGO set made in the last 20 years can't be resold there, so the Etsy row applies to vintage pieces only.
  • Amazon isn't in the table: this site tracks Amazon's media fees only. Amazon's pricing page lists Toys and Games at 15% with a $0.30 minimum referral fee (Amazon, saved copy Oct 14, 2026), and “A product's fee category may not be the same as the category that appears to customers in the Amazon store”. Whether a used LEGO set can be listed there depends on Amazon's own condition and category rules, which this page doesn't cover.
  • eBay's rate for each category it lists separately, with worked examples: eBay fees by category.
  • eBay also charges its percentage on sales tax, which the tables leave out: eBay fees on sales tax.
  • Whatnot's commission falls at higher four-week sales tiers; the tables use the standard tier, 8% in every category except Coins (Whatnot's fee page as checked Oct 14, 2026).
  • § Whatnot and Etsy: the rates, and the Whatnot and Etsy rules quoted on this page, are from each platform's own help pages as checked Oct 14, 2026. Those help centers block automated checks, so we couldn't re-check them for this update; confirm on the platform before you price around them. Etsy, Inc.'s annual report for 2025 gives the same $0.20 listing fee and 6.5% transaction fee on item plus shipping (Form 10-K, filed Feb 19, 2026).
  • Your own numbers: where to sell calculator · selling fees compared

Shipping a LEGO set: USPS prices by weight

Media Mail is limited by what's inside, not by size: “Only these items may be mailed at the Media Mail prices” (DMM 173.4.1). The list is books, 16 mm films, printed music, test materials, sound and video recordings, playscripts and manuscripts, printed educational charts, medical loose-leaf pages and computer-readable media. Anything else pays parcel prices, and “If you try to include anything that's not allowed, you (or your recipient) will have to pay higher postage rates” (USPS). USPS can check: “the mailing of articles at Media Mail or Library Mail prices constitutes consent by the mailer to postal inspection of the contents” (DMM 173.2.2).

That leaves USPS Ground Advantage as the tracked option: packages up to 70 lb, with USPS Tracking and up to $100 of insurance included (USPS).

Toys aren't on that list, so a LEGO set pays parcel prices whatever it weighs.

USPS Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026. Each weight is "not over". Commercial prices are USPS's published prices for labels bought online; retail is the Post Office counter. Ground Advantage prices include USPS's temporary holiday add-on until Jan 17, 2027; Media Mail has none. Weights are examples: weigh your packed item.
Packed weight Ground Advantage, commercial, Zone 1Ground Advantage, commercial, Zone 4Ground Advantage, commercial, Zone 8 Ground Advantage, retail, Zone 4
1 lbsmall boxed set $8.01$8.55$11.22 $11.10
3 lbmid-size boxed set $9.04$10.07$16.30 $14.20
5 lblarge set $10.35$11.67$20.24 $16.60
10 lblarge set, double-boxed $12.56$15.09$26.39 $20.20

Your exact weight and zone: postage calculator · Ground Advantage rates · USPS holiday prices

Platform labels

A label bought through a selling platform follows that platform's price list. These are the label prices on our change tracker for the platforms above, from each platform's own page; each note says when that page was checked if it wasn't re-checked for this update.

  • Whatnot. Since Jul 31, 2026, Whatnot's default label is Ground Advantage: $4.47 under 4 oz, $4.85 under 8 oz, $5.25 under 12 oz, $6.75 under 16 oz, and $7.75 for 1-5 lb at any distance (Whatnot's help page as checked Oct 14, 2026; tracker entry). Over that, Whatnot says “Packages over 5 lbs use zone-based Ground Advantage commercial pricing” (Whatnot, as checked Oct 14, 2026), and it warns: “Using Priority Mail or Flat Rate packaging with Ground Advantage labels may result in returned packages and USPS fees of approximately $20 per package”. Buyers usually pay Whatnot shipping.
  • Mercari. Since Oct 19, 2026, Best-rate Ground Advantage labels cost $7.99 at 1 lb (was $7.48) and $13.99 at 3 lb (was $12.83). Packages over 1 cu ft or longer than 22 in. pay Standard rates: 1 lb goes from $7.59 to $8.99 (tracker entry).
  • eBay Labels and other label services use their own prices; this page uses USPS's published prices so every platform is compared on the same postage.

Insurance and signature on a LEGO set

“Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, and USPS Ground Advantage include $100.00 of insurance coverage” (DMM 503, Exhibit 1.4.1); Media Mail isn't on that list and includes none. Beyond that, “additional insurance may be purchased for no more than a maximum coverage of $5,000.00” (DMM 503.4.2), and “Insurance coverage only covers the actual value of mail contents” (USPS). “Insurance fees are based on the item's declared value” (USPS). “An item insured for more than $500.00 receives a delivery scan ... and USPS provides a signature as the delivery record to the mailer electronically” (DMM 503.4.3.1). Under that, Signature Confirmation costs $4.15 online or $5.15 at the counter (Notice 123).

USPS insurance fees for insuring the full sale price, Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026 (fee for the coverage amount; $2.80 for up to $50, then by band; $9.05 plus $1.50 per $100 over $600). Registered Mail is a separate service that includes insurance up to $50,000.
Declared value Ground Advantage insurance fee Registered Mail fee Delivery signature
$25 included (up to $100) $21.50 Signature Confirmation, $4.15 online
$60 included (up to $100) $21.50 Signature Confirmation, $4.15 online
$150 $4.50 $25.00 Signature Confirmation, $4.15 online
$500 $7.55 $25.00 Signature Confirmation, $4.15 online
  • Insured for more than $500, the buyer “may be required to show an acceptable primary ID before USPS will deliver the mailpiece” (USPS).
  • Etsy: for cases opened from May 7, 2026, Purchase Protection pays up to $250 of an eligible order's refund and the seller is charged the rest; Etsy suggests shipping insurance for orders over $250 (Etsy's help page as checked Oct 14, 2026; tracker entry).

Platform rules that apply to LEGO sets

eBay charges on the whole order, shipping included

eBay's fee for a LEGO set is 13.6% of the total plus a per-order fee, and “The total amount of the sale includes the item price, any handling charges, any shipping costs collected from the buyer (some exceptions apply), sales tax, and any other applicable fees” (eBay fee page). On a $150 set with $10.07 of buyer-paid shipping, the fee is $22.17 instead of $20.80. Sales tax adds to it too: eBay fees on sales tax.

Whatnot: 0% commission above $1,500 on Toys & Hobbies

For eligible categories, “Whatnot charges 0% base commission on the portion of a sale above 1,500” (Whatnot, as checked Oct 14, 2026), and “Sellers will still be charged the payment processing fee for the full transaction value”. Toys & Hobbies is on the list. A $2,000 retired set sold there pays $178.30 in Whatnot fees instead of $218.30. Whatnot says “This is a limited-time promotion”, so check its page before you price around it.

TikTok Shop's fee includes shipping

TikTok Shop charges 6% on its Toys & Hobbies subcategories, and “The Referral Fee calculation base includes the shipping fee paid by the customer” (TikTok Shop Academy). With $10.07 of buyer-paid shipping, a $60 set pays $4.20 instead of $3.60.

Etsy takes vintage sets only

“Reselling is not allowed on Etsy except for the following items that are handpicked or sourced by sellers” (Etsy, as checked Oct 14, 2026), and vintage means “handpicked items that are over 20 years old”. A set from the last 20 years, sealed or not, isn't allowed there; an older set is, and pays $14.70 on a $150 sale before shipping.

Packing a LEGO set

From USPS's packaging standards (DMM 601.3) and its packing steps (USPS: How to send a package):

  1. Box it: “Mailers must package mailpieces to withstand normal transit and handling without breakage or deterioration of content” (DMM 601.3.1.1). If the set's own box is part of what the buyer is paying for, put it inside a shipping carton with cushioning on every side.
  2. “Package contents so they do not shift within the mailing container” (DMM 601.3.1.1). Fill the gaps so the set can't slide into a corner.
  3. Right-size the carton: a parcel should be “Sized based on the contents (rightsized) to maintain integrity during processing” (DMM 601.3.1.2). A carton over 1 cubic foot can bill by size (example above).
  4. Reusing a retailer's carton? USPS says to “make sure all old logos, barcodes, shipping labels, and addresses are covered or blacked out” (USPS). An old hazmat mark on a reused box can trigger USPS's $50 noncompliance fee on a commercial label (tracker entry below).
  5. Don't put a Ground Advantage label on a free Priority Mail box: “if you use a Priority Mail box, you have to pay for Priority Mail service” (USPS).
  6. “Use enough 2-inch-wide packing tape to close and secure all seams” (USPS).

Edge cases

Trimming the carton under 1 cubic foot

The 20 x 16 x 8 in. example above bills as 19 lb. Trim the carton to 18 x 14 x 6 in. (1,512 cubic inches) and it pays by actual weight: $13.08 to Zone 4 for 8 lb instead of $20.41. Bigger still costs more: commercial labels add $21.00 for a parcel over 2 cubic feet and $4.50 for one longer than 22 in. (Notice 123).

Loose bricks by the pound

Bulk bricks are still toys, so they pay Ground Advantage, not Media Mail. Weight is the whole cost as long as the box stays at 1 cubic foot or less: 5 lb runs $10.35 to $20.24 and 10 lb $12.56 to $26.39 at commercial prices, Zones 1-8.

A minifigure in an envelope

A large envelope (flat) costs less than a parcel, but a figure makes it lumpy. Flats must be “uniformly thick so that any bumps, protrusions, or other irregularities do not cause more than 1/4-inch variance in thickness” (DMM 101.2.4), and pieces that fail are “considered parcels and must pay the applicable parcel prices” (DMM 101.2.5). A padded mailer with a figure inside goes as a Ground Advantage parcel: $7.33 to $8.95 at commercial prices for up to 4 oz, with tracking.

Weighing before you buy a platform label

Ground Advantage prices step at each pound: 3 lb is $10.07 and 4 lb $11.30 to Zone 4 at commercial prices. Whatnot bills sellers for USPS weight adjustments on underweight labels from Nov 4, 2026 (Whatnot's help page as checked Oct 14, 2026; tracker entry below), so weigh the packed carton, not the set.

Questions

Can you ship LEGO by Media Mail?

No. DMM 173.4.1 says “Only these items may be mailed at the Media Mail prices” and lists books, recordings, printed music and a few other printed or recorded items; toys aren't on it (DMM 173.4.1). If USPS opens a Media Mail package and finds a set, “If you try to include anything that's not allowed, you (or your recipient) will have to pay higher postage rates” (USPS). Ground Advantage costs $8.01 to $11.22 for 1 lb and $9.04 to $16.30 for 3 lb at commercial prices.

How much does it cost to ship a large LEGO set?

By weight, an 8 lb set costs $10.75 to $23.95 at commercial Ground Advantage prices (Zones 1-8). Packed in a 20 x 16 x 8 in. carton it bills as 19 lb instead: $20.41 to Zone 4. Keep the carton at 1,728 cubic inches or less to pay by weight (DMM 283.1.4).

What are eBay's fees on a $150 LEGO set?

$20.80 with no shipping charged: 13.6% of the total plus a $0.40 per-order fee. With $10.07 of buyer-paid shipping it's $22.17, and sales tax raises it again. Run your own numbers in the eBay fee calculator.

Is Whatnot's commission lower on expensive LEGO sets?

Above $1,500, while Whatnot's promotion runs: Toys & Hobbies pays 0% commission on the part of an order above that, with processing still charged on the whole amount. A $2,000 set pays $178.30 instead of $218.30 (Whatnot, as checked Oct 14, 2026).

Can you sell used LEGO on Etsy?

Only vintage sets: Etsy allows reselling for a few kinds of items, including “handpicked items that are over 20 years old” (Etsy, as checked Oct 14, 2026). A set from the last 20 years isn't allowed.

Changes that affect what LEGO sets cost to sell and ship

From the change tracker, each checked against its official source.

  1. Whatnot Postage Effective

    Whatnot will bill sellers for USPS weight adjustments from Nov 4

    For US shipments sent on or after November 4, 2026, USPS charges for packages that weigh more than their Whatnot-generated label go to the seller's Whatnot ledger. Until now Whatnot absorbed them. For now Whatnot still covers dimension and hazmat adjustments, and it doesn't pass on UPS adjustments yet. Sellers whose first sale was on or after Sept 5, 2026 aren't part of this rollout, and neither are sellers who use their own labels.

    Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: n/a / n/a / n/a

    Not a set fee. You pay USPS's charge only when the packed box weighs more than the label says. To avoid it, weigh the packed box and fix the shipping profile before you buy the label. You have 45 days to appeal a charge, and USPS decides the appeal.

    Source: Whatnot help: Review and appeal carrier adjustments · verified · not re-checked since; a re-check against the source is pending

  2. Mercari Postage Effective · announced

    Mercari Ground Advantage labels go up: 1 lb $7.48 to $7.99

    From October 19, 2026, most Mercari prepaid USPS label prices go up for new and existing listings. At the Best rate, Ground Advantage goes from $4.91 to $5.39 at 4 oz, $7.48 to $7.99 at 1 lb and $12.83 to $13.99 at 3 lb, and Priority Mail 2 lb goes from $15.29 to $16.29. Standard rates (packages over 1 cu ft or longer than 22 in) rise more: Ground Advantage 1 lb goes from $7.59 to $8.99.

    Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: -$0.51 / -$0.51 / -$0.51

    If you pay for a 1 lb Best-rate Ground Advantage label. 4 oz Best: -$0.48; 3 lb Best: -$1.16; 1 lb Standard: -$1.40. If the buyer pays shipping, Mercari's 10% fee on shipping rises: -$0.05 on 1 lb.

    Source: Mercari help: Fees on Mercari · Mercari help: Shipping change announcements (Sep 17, 2026) · verified

  3. USPS Postage Effective · until · announced

    USPS holiday prices: Ground Advantage up $0.40 to $0.75 on 0-3 lb parcels

    Temporary prices on Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select until 12 a.m. CT on Jan 17, 2027. A 0-3 lb Ground Advantage parcel costs $0.40 more at commercial prices in Zones 1-4 ($0.55 in Zones 5-9) and $0.50 more at retail ($0.75). Heavier parcels rise more, up to $7.70 at commercial prices ($7.50 retail) for 26-70 lb to Zones 5-9. Media Mail and First-Class Mail are not affected.

    Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: -$0.40 / -$0.40 / -$0.40

    If you pay for a 0-3 lb commercial Ground Advantage label, Zones 1-4. Same at any sale price. Retail: -$0.50; Zones 5-9: -$0.55 commercial, -$0.75 retail.

    Source: USPS newsroom, Aug 25, 2026 · USPS Governors' Decision 26-7, Federal Register, Aug 28, 2026 · verified

  4. Whatnot Postage Effective

    Whatnot makes Ground Advantage the default: $7.75 for 1-5 lb

    Whatnot's negotiated USPS Ground Advantage rate is $7.75 ($6.85 + fees) for 1-5 lb packages. Under 1 lb is priced by weight only: $4.47 under 4 oz, $4.85 under 8 oz, $5.25 under 12 oz, $6.75 under 16 oz. Flat Rate stays available at a temporary $12.99 through Nov 1, 2026.

    Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: n/a / n/a / n/a

    Buyers usually pay Whatnot shipping, so your net doesn't change directly. Watch Nov 1, 2026, when the temporary Flat Rate price ends.

    Source: Whatnot help: USPS shipping updates · verified · not re-checked since; a re-check against the source is pending

  5. USPS Postage Effective · announced

    USPS dimensional weight now divides by 139, not 166, and rounds sides up

    Since July 12, 2026, Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select boxes over 1,728 cubic inches (1 cubic foot) are billed at the greater of actual weight or dimensional weight, and dimensional weight is now length x width x height divided by 139 instead of 166. Each side is also rounded up to the next whole inch instead of to the nearest inch. A 16 x 12 x 12 in. box now bills as 17 lb instead of 14 lb.

    Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: -$1.24 / -$1.24 / -$1.24

    Commercial Ground Advantage, 16 x 12 x 12 in. box weighing 5 lb, Zone 1: billed at 17 lb ($17.02) instead of 14 lb ($15.78) at Oct 4 holiday prices (the same $1.24 at July 12, 2026 prices). Zone 5: -$2.13; Zone 8: -$3.89. A 12 1/4 in. cube weighing 5 lb: -$6.34 commercial, Zone 1, at holiday prices (-$5.94 at July 12, 2026 prices). USPS says the holiday prices end at 12 a.m. CST on Jan 17, 2027, 'at which time prices will be restored to approved levels', unless its Governors act again (Governors' Decision 26-7).

    Source: USPS final rule, Federal Register, May 15, 2026 · USPS Governors' Decision 26-2, Federal Register, May 14, 2026 · USPS Notice 123 (current prices) · USPS Notice 123, Jul 12, 2026 edition (archive) · USPS Governors' Decision 26-7 (holiday prices end Jan 17, 2027) · verified

  6. USPS Postage Effective · announced

    USPS adds a $50 fee for undeclared hazmat; platforms warn that old labels on reused boxes trigger it

    Since July 12, 2026, USPS charges a $50 HAZMAT Noncompliance Fee on commercial-price competitive packages (Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage, Parcel Select and others) when it detects hazardous materials that weren't declared and labeled. Poshmark says the most common cause is reusing a box that still has old hazmat labels or markings, and Mercari tells sellers to remove or fully black out old hazmat labels on reused boxes. Notice 123 doesn't list the fee for Media Mail or for retail counter prices.

    Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: n/a / n/a / n/a

    A penalty, not a per-sale fee: $50 for each flagged commercial-label package. Mercari pays $25 of it (since Sept 1), and Poshmark pays none from Oct 19. eBay's notice on the July 12 USPS changes, which covers eBay Labels, says a $50.00 fee will be charged for every Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and Ground Advantage package that doesn't meet USPS hazmat requirements, and tells sellers to remove or cover old markings on reused packaging (per the saved copy of Oct 14, 2026).

    Source: USPS Governors' Decision 26-2, Federal Register, May 14, 2026 · USPS newsroom, May 11, 2026 (filing announced) · USPS Notice 123 (current price list, fee lines) · Poshmark Blog, Oct 5, 2026 · Mercari help: Hazmat fees · eBay Community: USPS Rate and Service Update (July 12, 2026) · verified

  7. Whatnot Fees Effective

    Whatnot: 0% commission on the part of an order above $1,500

    In select categories (comics & anime, toys & hobbies, coins, trading card games, entertainment cards, sports singles) Whatnot charges no commission on the part of an order above $1,500. Bags & accessories and jewelry & watches joined on June 4, 2026. Payment processing still applies to the full amount. Whatnot calls it a limited-time promotion.

    Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: $0.00 / $0.00 / $0.00

    No effect under $1,500. On a $2,000 sale at 8%, commission is $120 instead of $160.

    Source: Whatnot help: Reduced commission on high-value orders · verified · not re-checked since; a re-check against the source is pending

Sources

Rates verified on from each official page below.

Free 1-page Reseller Cheat Sheet: fees on 8 platforms, Media Mail and stamp prices

What each platform takes from a $10, $25 and $50 sale, Media Mail 1-10 lb, Ground Advantage to Zones 1, 5 and 8, and the Forever stamp, on one printable page. The link appears as soon as you sign up.