# eBay auctions four gaming-inspired cars on eBay Live at SEMA

> The $6 opening bids on eBay's four gaming-inspired cars are not sale prices, and fees for vehicles on eBay Live are not disclosed for this category.

- Publication: Oddly Profitable
- URL: https://oddlyprofitable.eu/articles/ebay-auctions-four-gaming-inspired-cars-on-ebay-live-at-sema
- Format: News
- Section: Unusual Products
- Published: 2026-10-31
- Sources last checked: 2026-10-29

## Key points

- eBay launched four gaming-inspired cars for auction on eBay Live at the 2026 SEMA Show on 5 November 2026, with bidding starting at $6 a vehicle [1].
- The published eBay Live fees for most categories are 6% commission capped at $100 per item, plus 2.9% and $0.30 payment processing, a combined 8.9% plus $0.30 per order [3][4].
- Fees are charged on the whole sale, including shipping and tax, so a $6 opening bid does not show what a seller keeps [3].
- The pages reviewed show no vehicle-specific eBay Live rate, and acquisition and customisation costs are not disclosed [3][4].

On 29 October 2026, eBay Inc. launched the eBay Most Wanted Collection, four gaming-inspired cars to be auctioned on eBay Live, its livestream shopping platform, at the 2026 SEMA Show on 5 November 2026 [1]. Bidding starts at $6 a vehicle, and 100% of proceeds go to Susan G [1]. Komen [1]. For a seller, a $6 opening bid is not a sale price [1].

## eBay launches four gaming-inspired cars for auction at SEMA

eBay announced the collection on 29 October 2026 in an official newsroom release [1]. The release says the four cars mark the introduction of vehicles as a category on eBay Live [1]. The vehicles are a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette C8, a 2006 Dodge Viper, a 1992 BMW 325i Convertible and a 1975 Chevrolet Nova [1].

The auction is on Thursday, 5 November 2026 at 12 p.m. PT, during the 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas [1]. Actor Sung Kang and automotive creator Hertrech “Hert” Eugene Jr. will co-host the livestream [1].

In a written interview with GamesBeat, eBay Live vice president and general manager Jesse Kiefer said eBay will be “looking at how audiences engage with the collection, including interest in the vehicles, first time viewers, and audience participation during the livestream” [2]. The measures named are engagement, first-time viewers and participation, not sales [2].

## Who is involved and who is affected

eBay sourced the four vehicles on its marketplace, and select cars were customised with parts and accessories also found on eBay [1]. The vehicles are offered through Matchfire [1]. Winning bidders complete their purchases through eBay Secure Purchase, powered by Caramel Dealer Services, LLC, an eBay subsidiary [1]. According to the release, the service helps simplify payment, paperwork and delivery, and eligible transactions qualify for up to $500,000 in purchase protection, subject to applicable terms [1].

The people most directly affected are bidders in the 5 November auction and sellers who may list vehicles on eBay Live after this launch. GamesBeat notes that GTA VI, a video game due for console release on 19 November 2026, is the cultural reference point for the collection, though Kiefer declined to comment on the timing link [2].

## What changes for sellers and when

Vehicles are now a category on eBay Live, starting with the 5 November 2026 auction [1][2]. Until now, eBay had not disclosed a generally applicable fee schedule for eBay Live, according to trade publication Value Added Resource, which reported the new public rate card on 18 July 2026 [5]. Value Added Resource also reports that some established sellers may now pay more than under earlier private arrangements [5].

The published eBay Live fees for most categories are:

- **Commission:** 6% of the total sale, capped at $100 per item [3][4].
- **Payment processing:** 2.9% of the total sale plus $0.30 per order [3].
- **Combined:** 8.9% plus $0.30 per order, applied to the first $1,667 of a sale [3].

For coins, bullion and eligible sneakers, the combined rate is 6.9% plus $0.30 [3][5]. Fees are charged on the whole sale, including item price, handling, shipping and tax collected from the buyer [3]. Fees are deducted from each order before earnings are available for payout [4].

Through 31 December 2026, the per-order fee is $0.10 on Live orders of $10 or less [3]. The eBay pages reviewed were retrieved on 29 October 2026, and none lists a vehicle-specific eBay Live rate [3][4].

## Does a $6 opening bid earn a seller anything after fees?

Not on the published figures alone. A $6 bid is a starting price, and the release gives no final sale price [1]. The arithmetic below is illustrative and uses assumed inputs: a final sale of $6 with no shipping or tax [1]. None of these numbers come from the sources.

Using the standard rate of 8.9% plus $0.30 [3]:

Using the $0.10 per-order promotion, which applies to orders of $10 or less through 31 December 2026 [3]:

Fees are calculated on the total sale, so shipping changes the result. That order would be above $10, so the $0.10 promotion would not apply [1].

The remainder is not profit. Acquisition, customisation and shipping costs are not disclosed, so a net figure cannot be calculated from the release.

The steps below show the flow for an illustrative $6 sale: [1]

1. Auction opens at a $6 starting bid on eBay Live [1]
2. Winning bid is set and the buyer completes purchase via eBay Secure Purchase [1]
3. Fee is calculated on total sale, including shipping and taxes [3]
4. Combined 8.9% plus $0.30 standard rate applied, or $0.10 per-order fee through December 31, 2026 [3]
5. Seller receives the remainder after fees, before acquisition and customisation costs [4]

## What sellers should do now

We recommend the following steps before listing any vehicle on eBay Live.

- **Check the current fee page.** Read eBay’s eBay Live selling fees page and your account notices before listing, because the pages reviewed do not show a vehicle-specific rate.
- **Model the full sale.** Include shipping and tax in your calculation, since eBay applies its fee to the total.
- **Note the promotion end date.** The $0.10 per-order fee applies only through 31 December 2026 [3].
- **Record costs now.** Keep documented figures for acquisition, customisation and shipping, so any later margin calculation is based on records.
- **Watch the outcome.** Compare final prices with the starting bids once the 5 November auction ends. Our [UK Amazon six-line unit-profit check](/articles/uk-amazon-sellers-a-six-line-check-for-full-price-unit-profit) sets out a similar line-by-line method.

## What is not yet known

- The final hammer price for each of the four vehicles.
- Whether the standard eBay Live rate, or another rate, applies to these vehicle sales.
- The acquisition and customisation costs for the four cars.
- Which party is the seller of record for each car. The release does not name one [1].
- How and when the Susan G. Komen donation will be transferred. The release does not say [1].
- Whether vehicles will remain a standing eBay Live category after this launch. eBay has not stated this [1].

## Frequently asked questions

### When is the eBay Most Wanted car auction?

The auction is on Thursday, 5 November 2026 at 12 p.m. PT during the 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas [1].

### What fees apply to eBay Live sales?

For most categories, eBay charges 6% commission capped at $100 per item plus 2.9% and $0.30 payment processing, a combined 8.9% plus $0.30 per order [3][4].

### Does a $6 starting bid mean the seller earns $6?

No. The release gives no final sale price, and fees are calculated on the total sale, so the amount a seller keeps is not known from the published figures [1][3].

### Is there a vehicle-specific eBay Live fee?

None of the eBay pages reviewed lists a vehicle-specific eBay Live rate [3][4].

## Sources

1. eBay unveils collection of cars inspired by gaming's most iconic rides — eBay Inc. Newsroom, published 2026-10-29. https://www.ebayinc.com/stories/news/ebay-unveils-collection-of-cars-inspired-by-gamings-most-iconic-rides/
2. EBay is tapping into GTA VI hype to launch vehicle sales on its livestream shopping platform — GamesBeat, published 2026-10-29. https://gamesbeat.com/ebay-is-tapping-into-gta-vi-hype-to-launch-vehicle-sales-on-its-livestream-shopping-platform/
3. eBay Live selling fees — eBay Help. https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/ebay-live/ebay-live-selling-fees?id=5870
4. eBay Live Pricing — eBay. https://www.ebay.com/ebaylive/seller-pricing
5. New eBay Live Fee Rates Undercut Regular Selling Costs, Rival Whatnot — Value Added Resource, published 2026-07-18. https://www.valueaddedresource.net/new-ebay-live-fee-rates/