If you are reading this article, you have a toy collection that you would like to turn into cash. If you are not sure how to sell used Ghostbusters toys or any other toys you may have around, Wheeljack’s Lab is here to help. We buy all kinds of vintage toys, including Kenner Ghostbusters toys, as well as Transformers, He-Man, G.I. Joe, and more. Keep reading to learn more about how to sell Ghostbusters toys for cash and figure out what your collection is worth.
Valuing your Ghostbusters toy collection
The first step in selling your vintage toy collection is finding its approximate value. Here we will go through how you can do this with your Ghostbusters toys to prepare to sell them for cash.
Are you the original owner of the Ghostbusters?
If you are the first owner of your Ghostbusters toys, it will be much easier for you to find their value. You may have a vast collection with multiple toy lines, it can be quite difficult to accurately name each toy, which is necessary to decide its value. Moreover, that is even harder if you are not the original owner of the toys. If you have a secondhand collection and you are not sure where to start, get in touch with us—we can supply more aid.
Organize your collection.
As you go through your vintage Ghostbusters toys, be sure to handle everything with care. It is hard to tell what the most valuable part of your collection may be—small toys can be worth just as much or more than a larger one. Start by grouping your toys by brand. Sometimes it can be hard to tell them apart, but there are online resources that can be helpful. In any case, do your best to sort them into groups—this is easier to do if you are the original owner and especially if you have original packaging. Once you have organized your Ghostbusters collection, you can start to figure out its worth.
Research the best potential value of your old toys.
You may wonder how to determine what a vintage Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is worth. The best method is simply to find out what people are willing to pay. We have found that eBay is especially useful here since they keep sold listings up on their site. When you search for the toys you have in your collection, be sure that you are looking at sold listings, not active ones, because the prices sellers list may not end up being the actual sale price.
Be sure to look at multiple listings for the same toy. It is a promising idea to get a range rather than a single value since the condition of the toys has a lot to do with their value. The same toy may sell for $15 if it has got a lot of wear, or $100 if it is in pristine condition in its original box. So, get a range for the specific toys in your collection.
Examine the condition of your Ghostbusters toys.
As you can see from the range of prices you will find, your vintage Ghostbusters toys will vary in value depending on their condition. So, once you have an idea of what prices are possible, it is time to examine your collection to figure out its condition.
Here are things to look for as you evaluate each toy’s condition:
- Signs of wear and tear
- Completeness
- Do you have all the small parts and accessories?
- Do you have the original box?
- What shape is the box in?
- Is the toy itself faded or dirty?
The more thorough you are in assessing the condition of each toy, the more accurate you can be when estimating your collection’s value.
Dirty and damaged collections
As you assess your toys, pay attention to any signs of major damage. Some things reduce the value and desirability of a collection, such as damage caused by animals like mice, bugs, or even pets. If you stored your toys in an open box, they will be quite dusty. Likewise, if you had stored your Ghostbusters somewhere hot, like an attic, they could have been damaged by the high heat, which can make plastic brittle. Low humidity also can damage your toys. Direct sunlight can cause colors to fade and can also break down the plastic. Cigarette smoke causes yellowing stains on the plastic.
It is possible that you can fix some damage, such as fading or discoloring. Read our guide on repairing yellowed plastic to learn more. But keep in mind that some types of damage will simply not repairable and it can reduce the value of your collection, even making it impossible to sell.
The best choice to sell your old Ghostbusters toys
Once you have an idea of what to expect in cash for your collection, the next step is to find a buyer. There are several ways to go about this, and they each have their benefits and drawbacks. The two major factors you need to consider when selling vintage toys are the following:
- How much time can you put into this endeavor?
- How quickly do you need payment for your toy collection?
We will look at the options so you can see how much work you will need to do in each case and how quickly you can sell your old Ghostbusters toys.
Local Auction Service
One possibility is to take your toys to a local auction house. The benefits of this are that it is remarkably simple on your end: all you must do is drop off the toys. However, it can take a long time for your toys to sell and therefore for you to get paid, and you will have to pay high fees to the auction house. You also cannot know in advance how much you will receive for your collection. You usually will not get as high a return unless you are working with a specialist, and they are few and far between.
Pawnshop
Again, a pawn shop will be simple—just drop off your collection at a local shop. It is also a fast way to get paid. However, there are some significant downsides. You will not get a high percentage of the value of your collection, and their assessment may not be the most exact since they are not experts. They are just looking to ensure they get a good deal, so they will give a low valuation.
Local Toy Dealer
The other offline choice you have is taking your toys to a local toy shop. This way is also straightforward for you, as you simply must bring your collection in. You will not incur any fees and the turnaround time for you to get paid is fast. Some of the downsides are again that you will not get as high a percentage of their value, since you are working with a reseller, and they need to account for all their costs as well as their profit margins.
Online Toy Dealer
Working with an online toy dealer to sell your collection is straightforward. You can always check with the Better Business Bureau to make sure you are working with a legitimate dealer, and you will not have to pay any additional fees. You will have to ship your collection, but a reputable dealer should pay for shipping themselves. By working with experts, you can get a better value, and online shops have less overhead than local ones so may be able to offer you more money. Of course, they are still a reseller, so you will not get full value.
Online Auction Sites
One way to increase the payment for your collection is to sell it yourself through an online auction site like eBay. Here you will often be selling directly to collectors rather than to resellers so you can get better prices, and you can reach a very wide customer base. However, selling through online auctions can be very time consuming and requires a lot of work on your part. You will have to handle customer inquiries and deal with packing and shipping yourself. You will also pay fees as a seller.
Online Swap Pages like Craigslist and Facebook
Your other choice for selling directly is to use a site like Facebook or Craigslist. This is another way that you can get better prices by selling to collectors, but again, you will have to handle all the work yourself, including setting up your listings, answering questions, and shipping toys, or meeting with people in person. These sites do not have the same fraud protection that eBay offers, and if you are listing in local groups, it can be hard to find buyers.
Sell your Ghostbusters toys for cash to Wheeljack’s Lab.
While doing everything yourself can be rewarding, it is also highly time-consuming. If you do not want to have to deal with organizing, cleaning, photographing, and listing your vintage toys on your own, get in touch with us. Call 888-946-2895 or email us and we can work with you to evaluate your collection and get you the best value we can.
We have been a reputable buyer of vintage toys for over 20 years, and we will not be going anywhere for a long time to come. We pride ourselves on expert customer service, with fast communication, same-day quotes, and immediate payment, along with prepaid shipping. If necessary, we can even pick up a collection ourselves. We want nothing more than to provide your old toys with new homes.
Do you have old and used Ghostbusters toys?
If you have a collection of old and used toys, you can turn those toys into cash. There is no reason to let those old toys collect dust. Contact us today to sell your Ghostbusters toy collection.
Our professional, friendly, and expert staff have decades of experience as collectible toy buyers. If you are ready to sell your collection today, fill out the form below or call us at 888-946-2895.
Author: Chris Ingledue
Contact: email
Bio: I am the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day, I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year. I scour the internet, like when we had the Sears Catalog of yesteryear, for the next great treasure. Then, I await the arrival of the postman as if he were Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their own versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!
Still, looking for the best way to sell your Ghostbusters?
Wheeljack’s Lab has been selling and buying toys like Ghostbusters for decades. We have the experience and knowledge to get you the best price for your old toy collections. Just look at a small sample of the Ghostbusters toys that have been sold through our services!
