For years, American collectors looking for a coveted band tee from Tokyo, a 1990s Carhartt jacket from Berlin, or a rare Chrome Hearts piece from Seoul could rely on eBay’s sprawling network of vintage resellers. That global hunt is about to get harder.

Starting August 27, eBay will restrict sellers in dozens of non-U.S. countries from listing items priced at $500 or more(including shipping) to American buyers, unless they have a dedicated account manager. The previous ceiling had been $2,500. Listings above that line will be blocked from reaching U.S. shoppers or automatically removed.

At nearly the same moment, the Trump administration’s tariff overhaul eliminates the “de minimis” exemption — the long-standing rule that let imports under $800 enter the U.S. duty-free. Now every parcel, from a $40 Y2K hoodie to a $600 archival Raf Simons parka, can be tagged with duties and slowed by customs.

The one-two punch hits vintage reselling in its most sensitive spots: the high-end pieces that routinely fetch over $500, and the low-value gems that once slipped easily across borders.

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A Squeeze on the Global Vintage Hunt

The $500 threshold places many staples of the vintage economy out of reach. Rare hip-hop tour shirts, Harley Davidson leather jackets, and archival designer sneakers — items that can command four-figure prices — often come from overseas dealers. Without a U.S.-based account manager, many of those listings will vanish from American screens.

At the lower end, tariffs eat into what once made international thrifting appealing. A buyer hunting for a $75 graphic tee from the U.K. might now face an unexpected duty bill or shipping delay. What once felt like a steal becomes a gamble.

“It used to be that the world was your thrift store,” said one Los Angeles collector who regularly sources Japanese workwear online. “Now, between tariffs and eBay’s limits, it’s like the doors are closing one by one.”

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Winners, Losers, and Workarounds

Some domestic resellers could benefit. With fewer foreign competitors listing on eBay, U.S.-based sellers may enjoy less competition on rare, high-ticket pieces. But buyers will pay the price: limited supply almost always means higher costs.

Overseas sellers are already considering workarounds. Some are exploring U.S. warehouses to stage inventory domestically, dodging both tariffs and listing restrictions. Others are shifting business to Instagram, Depop, or private Discord groups — platforms less exposed to eBay’s rules but lacking its reach.

Still, for smaller independent sellers abroad, the barriers may prove insurmountable. “The beauty of vintage is that anyone could find a gem and sell it worldwide,” said a London-based thrifter. “Now the costs of even participating are piling up.”