Understanding the Economics of Secondhand Tarot: Why Decks Are Priced The Way They Are
From retail pricing to offer letters, here’s what really goes into the numbers
When people see the resale price of a tarot deck — or receive an offer for a collection — it can be hard to understand where the numbers come from. Why is a deck priced at $60 online when the original cost was $25? Why might an offer seem lower than expected?
This post is a transparent, educational breakdown of the terms you’ll often hear — retail, wholesale, cost, profit, market — and how they impact both the sale price and the offers you receive.
Let’s take a look behind the scenes.
Primary Market vs Secondary Market
Primary Market is described at the Retail to Consumer flow of goods and services. A single sale to a single owner.
Ex: Toilet Paper from the Store, New Computers, Cosmetics, Books at Barns & Nobel
Secondary Market, also called “Used Market” “Secondhand Market” is anything that has already had an owner and is being sold to another person.
Ex: Used cars, Thrift Stores, eBay
Retail Price vs. Wholesale Price
Retail price = what you see when shopping as a customer. Whether that’s on Etsy, in a metaphysical shop, or in the store at Wal Mart. This is the final price that a business places something for sale before a Customer buys it.
**Nuance Moment: The Used Market (anything that is not purchased brand new from a Retail Store) will often have a retail price that is different than the original Retail or MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Pricing). This could be a higher price or a lower price than it was originally. There are a lot of factors that could go into this and for the purpose of this writing we will touch on them as relevant.
Wholesale price is what a business or shop typically pays to buy an item directly from a creator or distributor, often at a 30–50% discount.
**Nuance Moment: When a collector comes to our store to sell their cards to us (a business) that makes them a Distributor, wholesale pricing model applies. When a collector sells to another collector, retail pricing often applies.
Example:
A tarot deck retails online for $40
The wholesale price might be $20–$28
So, What is Profit?
Profit isn’t just the money someone “makes” on a deck. It’s what’s left after all the costs are paid.
For a small business (like ours), these costs include:
Fees (Etsy, PayPal, processing fees)
Shipping supplies and postage
Staff time or administrative time
Storage, handling, cleaning, photos
Taxes and business insurance
And sometimes: losses from damaged, returned, or over used inventory
So when someone buys a deck for $60 and assumes the seller “made $60” — they may only walk away with $12–$18 of actual profit.
Real-World Example: Cost Breakdown of a $60 Deck Sale
Let’s break it down:
Sold Price (Retail): $60.00
Platform Fees (Etsy/CC): -$6.00
Shipping & Materials: -$6.50
Time/Handling (1 hour @ $15/hr est.): -$15.00
Storage/Business Costs per item (avg): -$3.50
Actual Purchase Cost (what seller paid for the deck): -$25.00
Estimated Net Profit: $4.00
Yes — sometimes it’s that tight.
And for a business trying to grow or offer fair prices to both buyers and sellers, this margin matters a lot.
Why Offers Are Lower Than Resale Prices
When we make an offer for a deck or collection, we are not just buying the item — we are also taking on the cost of listing, storing, marketing, shipping, and sometimes repairing or reuniting decks with missing cards or books.
To continue doing this sustainably, offers are typically based on:
Current market value (what it sells for, not just what it’s listed for)
Condition, completeness, and demand
The ability to rehome the deck and cover all backend costs
Inventory already in stock (if we have 5 copies of the same deck, the value goes down)
So if your deck regularly resells for $40, an offer might be $15–$22 — not because it’s not valued, but because the margin needs to support all the logistics behind the scenes.
The Big Picture: Running a Small Tarot Business
Selling tarot isn’t just about pretty decks and mystical vibes. It’s also:
Paying rent or storage space
Being available for customer support
Managing spreadsheets, tracking sales, filing taxes
Packaging each deck with care and intention
Constantly researching pricing to keep things fair and competitive
This is soul-led work, but it’s still work.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever felt confused by a deck’s price — or surprised by a resale offer — I hope this gives some clarity.
Fair pricing is built on trust, transparency, and a deep love of the tarot community.