Delcampe – Quo Vadis?
Delcampe Quo Vadis
Delcampe (DC), a popular online auction site for collectibles, is the place to go for vintage passport collectors. The collectible’s market has been under pressure since 2019 due to the pandemic and the general economic situation. Plus new/extended legal and tax laws apply for online businesses like Delcampe.
What the platform archived since its founding in 2000 is remarkable. Here, some history of the platform until 2019.
Status April 2024 Delcampe Quo Vadis
Currently, there is much noise and discussion within the DC community because of the vast changes. Members, especially pro-sellers, report frequently that sales are dropping significantly. Plus partly, technical issues due to the various changes. As I can see it, DC is acting quick to eliminate most technical glitches.
New Fees
VAT is not a fee per se but a legal requirement on online sales, which DC introduced in 2024.
There are other new fees for sellers coming: a monthly shop fee (min. €4.95/month), a plus fee and an API fee.
The buyer pays now, 10% + 30c for each purchase! All details on new membership and platform fees are here.
For DC's revenue stream, everything practically changes from commission-based fees (depending on sales) to platform fees (no sales required, and more convenient for DC).
Platform statistics Delcampe Quo Vadis
As of 2022, DC disclosed having 1 million active daily users and receiving 150,000 new items daily. It’s uncertain whether these figures have experienced any significant increase by 2024.
Closing of DC accounts in 23 US States
In May 2023 DC announced it will close these members accounts due to US tax reasons. Those members cannot use the platform anymore.
DC YouTube Live Chat – April 22, 2024
Sebastian Delcampe had a live chat, explaining the current situation and changes. Personally, I assume the platform is losing members, hence the introduction of new platform fees, payment systems etc. All regulatory issues are just one side of the coin. You can watch the video, here.
Conclusion
DC goes practically away from commission fees to platform/membership fees, which are independent of sales numbers, obviously. But if (pro)-sellers cannot any more sell, naturally the number of platform users will also drop. Still, the better “bitter pill” for DC.
Only time will tell whether the significant changes will revitalize the platform or signal its demise. Personally, I wish DC will find its way to revitalize, as for the vintage passport collector’s community the website is important (and still more relaxed on this special topic, as the big platform, overseas).
Delcampe – Quo Vadis?
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