What it costs to sell and ship vinyl records

On a $30 LP, Amazon takes $6.30 (15% plus its $1.80 media closing fee), eBay $4.48, Whatnot $3.57 and Mercari $3.00, before shipping; eBay charges records its 13.6% most-categories rate, not the 15.3% it charges CDs and other music. Records qualify for Media Mail, so one LP in a mailer up to 1 lb costs $4.39 and 5 lb of records $7.34, anywhere in the US.

Discogs isn't on this page: The Reseller Index doesn't track Discogs fees yet. eBay's vinyl rule word for word is in eBay fees for vinyl records. Below: fees at $10, $30, $75 and $250, Media Mail by weight, USPS's packaging standard for records from one LP to a 65 lb crate, and the edge cases.

Rates verified on Oct 14, 2026

USPS and platform rules checked Oct 19, 2026, except Whatnot and Etsy, whose fees and rules are shown as their help pages read on Oct 14, 2026 (§)

USPS Media Mail for vinyl records: Allowed
eBay fee on a $30 sale, no shipping charged: $4.48
one LP in a mailer, 1 lb, Media Mail: $4.39
Media Mail for 5 lb of records, any US address: $7.34

Selling fees on a $10, $30, $75 and $250 record

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	$10	$30	$75	$250
eBay13.6% of the total + $0.30/$0.40 per order	$8.34 ($1.66)	$25.52 ($4.48)	$64.40 ($10.60)	$215.60 ($34.40)
Amazon15% + $1.80 closing fee	$6.70 ($3.30)	$23.70 ($6.30)	$61.95 ($13.05)	$210.70 ($39.30)
Mercari10% of item + shipping	$9.00 ($1.00)	$27.00 ($3.00)	$67.50 ($7.50)	$225.00 ($25.00)
Whatnot§8% + 2.9% + $0.30	$8.61 ($1.39)	$26.43 ($3.57)	$66.52 ($8.48)	$222.45 ($27.55)
TikTok Shop6% of item + shipping	$9.40 ($0.60)	$28.20 ($1.80)	$70.50 ($4.50)	$235.00 ($15.00)
Etsy (vintage only)§$0.20 + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25	$8.60 ($1.40)	$26.70 ($3.30)	$67.42 ($7.58)	$225.80 ($24.20)

If the buyer pays $4.39 shipping

Here the buyer pays the Media Mail price for 1 lb 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 $4.39 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	$10	$30	$75	$250
eBay	$7.64 ($0.70)	$24.92 ($0.60)	$63.80 ($0.60)	$215.00 ($0.60)
Amazon	$6.04 ($0.66)	$23.04 ($0.66)	$61.29 ($0.66)	$210.04 ($0.66)
Mercari	$8.56 ($0.44)	$26.56 ($0.44)	$67.06 ($0.44)	$224.56 ($0.44)
Whatnot§	$8.48 ($0.13)	$26.30 ($0.13)	$66.40 ($0.12)	$222.32 ($0.13)
TikTok Shop	$9.14 ($0.26)	$27.94 ($0.26)	$70.24 ($0.26)	$234.74 ($0.26)
Etsy (vintage only)§	$8.18 ($0.42)	$26.28 ($0.42)	$67.01 ($0.41)	$225.38 ($0.42)

$10: with buyer-paid shipping, TikTok Shop leaves $9.14 and Amazon $6.04, a gap of $3.10.
$30: with buyer-paid shipping, TikTok Shop leaves $27.94 and Amazon $23.04, a gap of $4.90.
$75: with buyer-paid shipping, TikTok Shop leaves $70.24 and Amazon $61.29, a gap of $8.95.
$250: with buyer-paid shipping, TikTok Shop leaves $234.74 and Amazon $210.04, a gap of $24.70.

eBay: eBay's media rate covers “Music (except Vinyl Records and Music NFTs categories)” (eBay fee page), so records pay the most-categories rate.
Amazon: Music is in Amazon's media category, “Media - Books, DVD, Music, Software, Video”, at 15%, and “media items incur a closing fee $1.80 per item” (Amazon).
TikTok Shop: TikTok Shop lists Books, Magazines & Audio > Video & Music at 6% (TikTok Shop Academy).
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 record made in the last 20 years can't be resold there, so the Etsy row applies to vintage pieces only.
Discogs isn't in the tables: this site doesn't track Discogs fees yet.
eBay's rule for this category word for word, the price where its rate changes, and a worked example with shipping and sales tax are on eBay fees for vinyl records; this page covers the other platforms and the shipping.
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 vinyl record: USPS prices by weight

Records qualify for Media Mail under DMM 173.4.1e: “Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings” (DMM 173.4.1e). Media Mail is priced by the pound and “any fraction of a pound is considered a whole pound” (DMM 173.1.2), and costs the same to every zone.

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). Anything in the box that isn't on the Media Mail list, a slipmat or a T-shirt, puts the whole package at the higher price: “If you try to include anything that's not allowed, you (or your recipient) will have to pay higher postage rates” (USPS).

USPS Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026. Each weight is "not over"; Media Mail is priced by the pound, rounded up. 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	Media Mail	Ground Advantage, commercial, Zone 1	Ground Advantage, commercial, Zone 4	Ground Advantage, commercial, Zone 8	Ground Advantage, retail, Zone 4
1 lbone LP in a mailer	$4.39	$8.01	$8.55	$11.22	$11.10
2 lbtwo or three LPs	$5.13	$8.39	$8.91	$13.42	$13.50
5 lba box of records	$7.34	$10.35	$11.67	$20.24	$16.60
10 lba larger lot	$11.02	$12.56	$15.09	$26.39	$20.20

Your exact weight and zone: postage calculator · Ground Advantage rates · Media Mail 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 Media Mail. Since Oct 19, 2026, Mercari's prepaid Media Mail labels cost $4.47 for 1 lb, $5.22 for 2 lb, $5.97 for 3 lb, against USPS's own $4.39, $5.13, $5.86 (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 vinyl record

“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	Media Mail insurance fee	Registered Mail fee	Delivery signature
$10	included (up to $100)	$2.80	$21.50	Signature Confirmation, $4.15 online
$30	included (up to $100)	$2.80	$21.50	Signature Confirmation, $4.15 online
$75	included (up to $100)	$3.50	$21.50	Signature Confirmation, $4.15 online
$250	$4.55	$4.55	$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).

Platform rules that apply to vinyl records

eBay: records aren't in the music rate

eBay's 15.3% media rate covers “Music (except Vinyl Records and Music NFTs categories)” (eBay fee page), so records pay 13.6%: $4.48 on a $30 LP against $4.99 on a $30 CD. eBay's wording and more prices: eBay fees for vinyl records.

Amazon's closing fee on cheap records

Amazon charges 15% plus “media items incur a closing fee $1.80 per item” (Amazon), and “An item's total price includes its list price, as well as shipping costs and any gift-wrapping charges” (Amazon pricing page). On a $10 record that's $3.30; on $75, $13.05.

Mercari, Whatnot and TikTok Shop on shipping

Mercari's 10% and TikTok Shop's 6% both apply to buyer-paid shipping, and Whatnot's processing covers it (Whatnot's fee page as checked Oct 14, 2026). With $4.39 of Media Mail shipping on a $30 LP: Mercari $3.44, TikTok Shop $2.06, Whatnot $3.70.

Etsy takes records over 20 years old

“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 reissue pressed in the last 20 years isn't allowed there; sold in October 2026, an original from before October 2006 is.

Packing a vinyl record

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

DMM 601.3.10 sets the packaging for “records and CDs in paper sleeves, paperboard, or chipboard shells” by weight (DMM 601.3.10): “Up to 3 pounds: 70-pound basis-weight envelopes”; “From 3 up to 10 pounds: Outer corrugated, fiberboard containers”. From 10 up to 40 lb, “multiple shell containers must be packaged in 175-pound test fiberboard containers or equivalent”; from 40 to 65 lb, “multiple shell containers up to 65 pounds must be packaged in 200-pound test fiberboard containers or equivalent”; and “Shipments weighing more than 65 pounds must be packaged in 275-pound test fiberboard containers or equivalent”.
“Cushion ... fragile items to withstand handling in processing, transportation, and delivery” (DMM 601.3.1.1).
“Package contents so they do not shift within the mailing container” (DMM 601.3.1.1).
Records break: USPS doesn't pay claims when the “Fragile nature of article prevented its safe carriage in the mail, regardless of packaging” (DMM 609.4.3), so pack for the drop, not just the scuff.
“Use enough 2-inch-wide packing tape to close and secure all seams” (USPS).

Edge cases

A record and a T-shirt in one box

Merch isn't on the Media Mail list, and “If you try to include anything that's not allowed, you (or your recipient) will have to pay higher postage rates” (USPS). Printed inserts are fine: “any printed matter that is mailable as USPS Marketing Mail may be included loose with any qualifying material mailed at the Media Mail or Library Mail prices” (DMM 173.6.1).

Media Mail against Ground Advantage for one LP

Media Mail's 1 lb price is $4.39; commercial Ground Advantage is $7.33 to $8.95 under 1 lb and $8.01 to $11.22 at 1 lb (Zones 1-8). Media Mail is slower, 2-8 days against 2-5 (USPS), and includes no insurance.

Insurance on a $250 record

Media Mail includes no coverage, so insuring a $250 record costs $4.55 (Notice 123). By Ground Advantage, $100 is included and the fee for $250 of coverage is the same $4.55.

A crate of records

A 25 lb crate costs $22.07 by Media Mail to any US address, against $26.37 to $79.94 by commercial Ground Advantage (Zones 1-8). At that weight DMM 601.3.10 asks for more than a mailer box: “multiple shell containers must be packaged in 175-pound test fiberboard containers or equivalent” (DMM 601.3.10). A mixed lot of records and CDs is all sound recordings, so it stays Media Mail; on eBay the CDs pay the media rate and the records don't.

Cassettes, CDs and 78s

All of them are sound recordings for Media Mail: “Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings” (DMM 173.4.1e). A turntable, slipmat or cleaning kit isn't, and “If you try to include anything that's not allowed, you (or your recipient) will have to pay higher postage rates” (USPS).

Questions

Can you ship vinyl records by Media Mail?

Yes: “Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings” (DMM 173.4.1e). One LP up to 1 lb costs $4.39, and USPS can open the package to check (DMM 173.2.2).

What packaging does USPS require for records?

It goes by weight under DMM 601.3.10: “Up to 3 pounds: 70-pound basis-weight envelopes”; “From 3 up to 10 pounds: Outer corrugated, fiberboard containers”; and from 10 up to 40 lb, “multiple shell containers must be packaged in 175-pound test fiberboard containers or equivalent” (DMM 601.3.10). Heavier crates need 200-pound and then 275-pound test board (Packing, above). Records are fragile, and USPS doesn't pay claims when the “Fragile nature of article prevented its safe carriage in the mail, regardless of packaging” (DMM 609.4.3).

What does a $30 record cost to sell on each app?

Before shipping: TikTok Shop $1.80, Mercari $3.00, Whatnot $3.57, eBay $4.48, Amazon $6.30 with its closing fee and, for a record over 20 years old, Etsy $3.30. Discogs isn't tracked here yet.

How much does it cost to ship one LP?

$4.39 by Media Mail in a mailer up to 1 lb, or $7.33 to $8.95 by commercial Ground Advantage under 1 lb (Zones 1-8). Up to 3 lb of records, DMM 601.3.10 calls for “Up to 3 pounds: 70-pound basis-weight envelopes”.

Does Amazon charge a closing fee on records?

Yes. Music is media on Amazon, and “media items incur a closing fee $1.80 per item” on top of the 15% referral fee (Amazon): $6.30 on a $30 record.

Are Discogs fees on this page?

No. The Reseller Index doesn't track Discogs yet, so it isn't in the fee tables. The USPS prices and packaging rules on this page apply wherever you sell.

Changes that affect what vinyl records cost to sell and ship

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

Mercari Postage Effective Oct 19, 2026 · announced Sep 17, 2026

Mercari Media Mail labels get cheaper: 1 lb $4.99 to $4.47

From October 19, 2026, Mercari's prepaid Media Mail labels cost $4.47 for 1 lb (was $4.99), $5.22 for 2 lb (was $5.99) and $5.97 for 3 lb (was $6.99). The new prices apply to new and existing listings, whether the buyer or the seller pays shipping. They match the USPS Media Mail prices in effect from July 13, 2025 to July 11, 2026, so they're still $0.08 to $0.11 above USPS's current prices ($4.39 for 1 lb).

Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: +$0.52 / +$0.52 / +$0.52

If you pay for a 1 lb Mercari Media Mail label. 2 lb: +$0.77; 3 lb: +$1.02. If the buyer pays shipping, Mercari's 10% fee on shipping falls: +$0.05 on 1 lb.

Source: Mercari help: Fees on Mercari · Mercari help: Shipping change announcements (Sep 17, 2026) · verified Oct 19, 2026
USPS Postage Announced Aug 21, 2026

USPS may raise stamp and Media Mail prices in January 2027, by up to 2.105% on average per class

On July 16, 2026, USPS asked the Postal Regulatory Commission to let it count estimated fiscal 2026 density rate authority so it could move its yearly mailing price increase to January 2027. The PRC denied the request on Aug. 21, 2026 (Order No. 9696) but said USPS may still file in October 2026 for a January 2027 increase. The PRC's Oct. 14, 2026 rate-authority table puts the most USPS can raise First-Class Mail and Package Services (which includes Media Mail) at 2.105% on average.

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

No January 2027 filing found in the Federal Register or the USPS newsroom as of Oct 19, 2026 (the PRC's docket search wasn't checked), so there is no price change to compute yet. As an illustration only: 2.105% of the $4.39 1 lb Media Mail price is about $0.09, but USPS can raise individual prices by more or less than the class average.

Source: PRC Order No. 9696 (Aug 21, 2026) + PRC Available Rate Authority (Oct 14, 2026) · PRC: Available Rate Authority (Oct 14, 2026) · verified Oct 19, 2026
Whatnot Postage Effective Jul 31, 2026

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 Oct 14, 2026 · not re-checked since; a re-check against the source is pending
USPS Postage Effective Jul 12, 2026 · announced Apr 9, 2026

Media Mail got cheaper: 1 lb is now $4.39 (was $4.47)

In the July 12, 2026 price change, Media Mail went down at every weight checked: 1 lb $4.47 to $4.39, 2 lb $5.22 to $5.13, 5 lb $7.47 to $7.34, 10 lb $11.22 to $11.02. Retail and commercial Media Mail prices are the same, and USPS Tracking is included.

Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: +$0.08 / +$0.08 / +$0.08

If you pay for a 1 lb Media Mail label. 2 lb: +$0.09; 5 lb: +$0.13; 10 lb: +$0.20.

Source: USPS Notice 123, Jul 12, 2026 edition (archive) · USPS Notice 123, Jan 18, 2026 edition (archive) · verified Oct 19, 2026
USPS Postage Effective Feb 17, 2026 · until Sep 30, 2030 · announced Jan 13, 2026

Stamps and Media Mail: at most one price increase per fiscal year through 2030

A Postal Regulatory Commission rule (Order No. 9426) bars USPS from raising market-dominant prices more than once per fiscal year (Oct. 1 to Sept. 30) from March 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2030. Price cuts and de minimis increases are exempt. Market-dominant products include First-Class Mail stamps and Package Services, the class that contains Media Mail.

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

A pricing rule, not a fee. Media Mail and stamp prices can rise at most once in each fiscal year until Sept. 30, 2030.

Source: PRC final rule (Order No. 9426), Federal Register, Jan 16, 2026 · verified Oct 19, 2026

Sources

Rates verified on Oct 14, 2026 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.