Been out of the game for a very long time...this is my first post on these boards in over 5 years. (I used to LIVE on here!!) Need some advice...I have about a dozen storage bins full of stuff from G1 thru Animated (which is about when i stopped collecting), Tons of TFCC/Botcon exclusives and 3P stuff. I'm about to start dive into spreadsheets to start cataloging them, but I'm stuck in a decision paralysis loop trying to figure out what the smartest way to sell them is. Junkion? eBay? I've sold stuff on the boards here a very long time ago, but that just ended up picking up a few bucks here and there on random junk. Got some big ticket Botcon exclusives, but 10% ebay fees?? Yikes! Anyone with some experience out there can give me some words of wisdom here?
I'd start by pricing your items via a completed auction listing on eBay, then list here first to save yourself some money on listing fees. Then take whatever you have left to eBay, maybe grouping them into lots with one or two more desirable figures along with a few less desirable items to promote sales. I always sell on eBay using a reserve price (meaning it won't sell unless it hits a certain dollar amount), but that does add to your listing fees.
Well, eBay should be your last resort. I usually buy things here first but I will say that most things on this board are cheaper than most asking prices (sometimes significantly so). I guess it depends on your purpose. If your intent is to make money, you gotta set it to collectors and not everyone has disposable income and those who do, usually have almost everything they want already minus exclusives. Plus, it does mean you have to sell each one, one by one as most people don't buy more than one at a time, even if they want multiple. If your intent is to just get rid of them, then sell them as a lot to a business. There are a few choices but not many. Online, I only know of Transformerland (Sell Transformers Toys and Collections) and Wheeljack's Lab (Sell Us Your Transformers Toy Collections), and a quick google search shows some that are possibilities (and some that are sketchy as hell). A local collectible store would work if one happens to be near you. But again, selling to a business will mean you will get less money because they have to make a profit. Honestly, I would say first offer up your stuff here for a month first. Research their prices on eBay, then set your prices to whatever you want and if people balk, just wait for a customer who doesn't. After the month is up, see what a collectible shop will offer you for them (half the price of eBay or less is pretty typical, but you weren't really going to get rich off of widely available retail releases anyway so it's only the exclusives you have negotiating power over). Then you can decide what to do and which to sell where. I wish there were more options but while I could probably afford to buy your entire collection (and maybe not eat for a while), it would not be for a profit for you. Each toy sold individually sells higher than large lots but it's absolutely a hassle in the day and age of Amazon. Sometimes people are calm and patient and other times people explode into a rage that you didn't personally drop the toy off on their doorstep seconds after they paid for it. It's just the way it is. So pick your battle, and bare in mind, you can switch to any option at any time. If anyone else has any other ideas, please post them here because I keep seeing people wanting to sell their collections and there is no convenient way of doing so (that I know of). ...That reminds me, I gotta respond to an email.
Transformerland. Hands down. Sure you make less money but its quick, painless and Ben & Matt are great guys who know their stuff. I can't recommend them enough.
I recently sold most of my old videogame collection (NES, Saturn, Dreamcast, Playstation, etc.) on eBay and ended up with over $3K. You may get a little more on eBay than if you posted on this board, but you also gain a little convenience on eBay. Pros: Wider audience Streamlined shipping (labels, shipping discounts) Order tracking is in one interface Quicker listing PayPal (quick easy payment) Cons: 10% eBay fee Buyers who don't pay PayPal (favors buyers in disputes)
This is exactly the stuff I was weighing. But I'm pretty much doing what was suggested earlier. I'm throwing up EVERYTHING on here first. I'll sell here until the end of the summer. I just started my sale thread this past weekend. At the end of the summer, I'll move the sale to eBay. I am considering the sites like Transformerland as a last resort for the "junk" that is I cant sell anywhere else...
Honestly, I've sold a large majority of pieces through Ebay and have never had an issue. A lot has sold for a decent enough price that I recouped the 10% final fee and then some. My advice would be to separate out the highly desirable stuff first and list that by itself. You can look at recently sold auctions (not completed, because those sway the average) to judge a fair Buy It Now price if you don't want to risk putting it up for auction. For the rest, you can judge whether it's better to sell in a group or list separately. I would recommend that you keep your lots between 5 and 10 figures, though. Any larger than that might lose you money. Ebay also often has promotions where they waive listing fees or take less from final value fees. Also, you're able to sell through their Global Shipping Program now, which means you send the item to Ebay's warehouse and they send it to the international location. It's nice because the buyer is automatically aware of how much extra the postage would be. You're only responsible for the shipping within the US, and the additional shipping cost is worked out between the buyer and Ebay.
I find these forums difficult to sell on but its great when you can pass something on to a fellow TFW poster. I have a lot more success on Facebook, there's loads of dedicated marketplace pages for it. eBay tends to be my last resort due the the fees issue but it it does get them shifted. This video might also be of use:
Just put you're starting bid at the minimum you will take. This has the same effect and doesn't cost extra like reserve pricing. If you're wanting to move an entire collection why would you consider going anywhere else. Yeah you'll have fees, but ebay is facilitating your exposure to the widest possible consumer base. You will more than makeup for that 10% with higher sale values and the ease of using a refined and dedicated auction site.
You're right about things not moving in the Junkion Exchange. I used to sell things more consistently from 2007-2013, but stuff has had a greater tendency to sit in recent years. I'll find buyers here, but it's not like it used to be. I wonder why that is. The Transformers Facebook groups that allow B/S/T have been a lot better. You still have to deal with bullshit, but the rate of completed transactions is much higher. eBay is reserved for items that I haven't' been able to move for weeks.
Problem selling here. Everyone wants the buddy discount (Because we are in the same community. That pretty much makes us fam man) and wont pay Ebay prices. I will pay fair prices on here and usually give what they are asking, but when I see prices that scream I want the max ebay price listed for said item. I just walk away. Got to find the happy medium. A lot also depends on how fast you want to offload it. Multi buy discounts on shipping. Or eat all the shipping. Its up to you.
My favorite are sellers that want MSRP for stuff without box, instructions, or stickers (if it came with them) When they are still in stock at retailers.
