Trading camera gear without the marketplace cut

These are the figures the platforms publish on their own help and fee pages for US sellers, as of October 2026. Fees change, so check their pages before you rely on them.

• eBay: for most categories, a final value fee of 13.6% of the total amount of the sale (up to $7,500 per item), plus a per-order fee of $0.40 on orders over $10 ($0.30 on orders of $10 or less). The total amount of the sale can include shipping and sales tax.
• Poshmark: 20% of the sale price on sales of $15 or more, and a flat $2.95 on sales under $15.
• Facebook Marketplace: local pickup sales carry no selling fee, while orders shipped through Facebook's own checkout carry a selling fee on the order total; Facebook's help pages publish the current rate.

On a $500 lens, those published rates mean roughly $68 or more to eBay and $100 to Poshmark. And when you buy the gear you actually wanted, that sale pays a cut too.

On TraydStar you swap the lens for the thing you want, directly. No cash changes hands between the two of you, so there's no sale price for us to take a percentage of. We take no commission on the value traded.

What we do charge is a flat Handshake fee: your first two Handshakes are free, then it's $2.50 per side, paid by card when you confirm the trade. That's the same $2.50 whether the lens is worth $150 or $1,500. Listing, browsing, messaging and proposing are free.

A trade also skips a step. Selling and then buying is two transactions with two sets of fees and two chances for the price to move. A swap is one.

A barter marketplace is not a payment processor or a shipping service, and we want to be plain about the gaps.

• You need a match. A cash sale works with any buyer. A trade needs someone who has what you want and wants what you have. Wanted listings and want tags help, but a match can take longer.
• You still meet or ship. You arrange the handover yourselves. If you ship, the receiver covers postage. We don't ship anything for you.
• You inspect it yourself. We don't inspect items or verify condition, and a listing's stated value is the owner's estimate, not an appraisal.
• There's no escrow and no insurance. We don't hold either item while the trade happens, and we don't guarantee that the other side delivers.

Our guide to meeting, inspecting and completing a trade safely covers how to handle those parts.

A clear listing gets better proposals. Here's what we suggest.

Title. Lead with brand, model and focal length, the way people search: "Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM". You have up to 100 characters.

Category. Choose Cameras & Photo, then the Lenses subcategory. Other subcategories cover Camera Bodies, Film Cameras, Lighting & Flash, Tripods & Support, Bags & Accessories, and Video & Drones.

Condition. Pick the honest grade, from New to Poor, then explain it. Mention haze, fungus, dust, scratches on the front or rear element, stiff focus or zoom rings, and whether autofocus and stabilization work. Say which mount it is and what's included: caps, hood, case, original box.

Photos. You can add up to five, and the first is the cover. Shoot both elements in good light, the mount, the barrel, and any marks you describe. Listings with photos get more proposals.

Stated value. Enter an honest estimate in US dollars. It helps the other side judge whether the swap is fair. It isn't a price, and nobody pays it.

What you want. Add up to ten want tags, such as a specific body, a tripod or a prime lens, or leave them empty to stay open to offers. This is how people looking for a trade find you.

Handover. Choose local pickup, shipping, or both. Only your city is shown.

Our launch category is Cameras & Photo. If you have gear sitting in a drawer, list it and see what turns up.

List your camera gear on TraydStar

• eBay Selling fees — eBay's published final value and per-order fees for US sellers (the % cut the guide compares against).
• Poshmark Get Started / seller fees — Poshmark's own guide stating $2.95 under $15 and 20% at $15+.
• Poshmark Fee Policy — legal Fee Policy incorporated into Poshmark's seller agreement.
• Meta Onsite Checkout Payments Terms — Meta's published US Marketplace selling fee for checkout (vs local pickup with no selling fee).