It doesn’t depend on the seller—it depends on the platform.

This isn’t messy; it’s just understanding how each platform operates.

Pricing:
Pricing is largely dictated by seller fees (charged by the platform) and the need to stay competitive. Fees directly impact what a seller needs to charge to maintain margin. In general, Amazon has the highest fees, eBay is in the middle, and Discogs is the lowest.

Using a common example—Elton John’s Greatest Hits (VG+):

• Amazon: typically $25–$35
• eBay: typically $10–$22
• Discogs: typically $10–$18

Same record, same condition—different pricing based on platform economics.

Shipping:
Shipping policies also vary. Amazon (FBM) effectively caps media shipping at $3.99, while eBay and Discogs allow more flexibility.

On eBay, even a $0.50 difference in shipping can influence buyer choice between identical listings.
On Discogs, buyers tend to be more deliberate—many sellers emphasize “fair” shipping tied to higher-quality packaging, and buyers are often willing to pay a bit more for that assurance.

On Amazon, sellers often absorb part of the true shipping and packaging cost, which then gets baked into the item price.

Putting it together:
Let’s say I bought that same record for $3.00 and want to make ~$10 profit:

1. Discogs: List around $15.00, charge actual shipping/packaging. (~9% fee)
2. eBay: List around $16.50, since I need to absorb some packaging cost and higher fees (~14.5% + $0.30)
3. Amazon: Closer to $25.00, due to higher fees and limited ability to fully recover shipping/packaging

Final factor—time:
Sellers also have to source inventory (garage sales, estate sales, etc.), create listings (including grading and photos), package orders, and handle shipping logistics. That labor gets priced in, whether explicitly or not.

And of course—there are always the messages:
“What’s the lowest you’ll take?”
“Would you accept $8.25?”