The Hobby Experience: TradeWii’s Grand Opening and eBay Fee Changes!

Welcome to The Hobby Experience, your go-to newsletter for everything happening in the world of trading cards. Powered by The Grading Club, we’re here to keep you updated with the latest news, expert tips, grading opportunities, special offers, product releases, and standout sales from the hobby scene.

Each week, we’ll bring you a mix of insights, highlights, and community updates to help you stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of trading cards. Let’s make this year an exciting one for the hobby—together!

This week we look into:

- eBay’s New Fee Structure for Buyer’s
- New Local Card Shop Opening Soon
- Our Latest Submission Window
- January Grading Special
- Products Releasing This Week
- Card of the Week
- Top 3 Trading Card Sales from Last Week

UK Hobby
eBay’s New Fee Structure for Trading Card Buyers and Sellers

From 4 February 2025, eBay will introduce a new fee structure for UK-based private sellers and buyers, including a Buyer Protection Fee. This fee aims to enhance transaction security by covering features such as 24/7 support, secure payments, and delivery-based payment releases for sellers. For buyers, the fee is automatically included in the item price, calculated as 4% of the price for amounts up to £300, 2% for amounts over £300, and a flat fee of £0.75 per item. Fees are capped at transactions below £4,000, with no additional charges beyond this threshold.

Sellers will experience updated payment timelines, with payments released two calendar days after delivery for tracked shipments and up to 14 days for untracked ones. Refund policies ensure fairness, with full or partial refunds of the Buyer Protection Fee depending on the resolution. Private sellers are advised to maintain accurate records and consult tax advisers to avoid reclassification as business sellers.

Additionally, compliance with the DAC7 Directive requires eBay to report sales data to HMRC if sellers exceed €2,000 in annual sales or complete 30 transactions. While this doesn’t introduce new taxes, sellers may need to provide additional information, such as their Tax Identification Number (TIN) or place of birth.

For trading card enthusiasts, these changes provide added transparency and security but come with increased responsibilities for accurate declarations and compliance. To explore the full details, refer to the attached guide.

UK Hobby
Exciting News: TradeWii's Card Shop Grand Opening!

We’re thrilled to announce the opening of TradeWii’s new card shop in Loughborough, kicking off on Friday 31st January 2025! This is a monumental step for the UK hobby, and we’re overjoyed to be part of this incredible milestone.

The new shop is set to be a premium community hub for collectors, offering a welcoming and accessible space for all. With its impressive setup, including two fully kitted-out streaming rooms, a rip-and-chill lounge, and 4 dedicated spaces for ripping and trading, this is more than just a shop—it’s a home for hobby enthusiasts. The spacious retail area will be stocked with slabs, singles, sealed products, and supplies, thanks to TradeWii’s collaboration with Football Cards Direct, alongside a fantastic range of authenticated signed memorabilia from MVP’s.

At The Grading Club, we’ve always loved working with TradeWii. Their vision and dedication to fostering the UK trading card community have been inspiring, and this shop represents a massive leap forward for the hobby. That’s why we’re so excited to announce that we’ll be there on Friday and Saturday to take grading submissions in person!

The shop’s location couldn’t be more ideal—just five minutes from Loughborough Train Station and Junction 23 of the M1, right at the heart of the local sports and collector community. We believe this new hub will bring people together, foster connections, and elevate the UK hobby to new heights in 2025 and beyond.

Mark your calendars and join us at TradeWii’s card shop grand opening. We can’t wait to welcome you, share in the excitement, and help take your collections to the next level!

Let’s make this the start of something truly special for the UK trading card scene. See you there!

Shop Address

Head to www.tradewiicards.com if you’d like to learn more!

Submission
Our Latest Submission Closes This Friday!

We now have two submission windows. Typically, they’ll run 1st - 15th of the month and 16th - 31st month.

Submitting with us is easy

1. Fill in a short 3 minute form

2. Ship the cards to us

3. We’ll handle the rest!

We’ll keep you informed every step of the way with regular email updates. To make our current submission. Fill in the form below and make sure to get the cards to us no later than 16th January.

SPECIAL OFFER

PSA Value Turbo (offer ends 31st January)

Price - £32 per card (reduced from £42)

Turnaround - 1 month (once card arrives at PSA)

Max Value of Card - $500/£400

PRODUCT RELEASE
Sport and Non Sport product releasing this week

17th January

CARD OF THE WEEK

HIGH VALUE CARDS

Top 3 Sport Card Sales From Last Week

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Thank you for being a part of our growing community! We’re thrilled to have you with us on this exciting journey through the world of sports cards. Keep an eye out for next week’s edition, packed with more insights, tips, and offers. And as always, we’re here to help you make the most of your collection – happy collecting!