Best Places to Sell Toys
Here at Wheeljack’s Lab, we’ve been buying vintage action figures for over 20 years. He-Man, Thundercats, M.A.S.K., Transformers, G.I. Joe—you name it. If you’re looking to cash in your toy collection, we’ve got the tools and tips to help. Here’s how to determine how much your collection is worth as well as the best places to sell vintage toys!
Who Owned the Toys?
If you are the original owner this process will be a bit easier. However, bigger collections can prove to be difficult even as the original owner, and more so if the collection was someone else’s. If you own a large collection that you are not the original owner of and the collection includes multiple toy lines, please send us an email so we can provide specialized advice.
Organization
The best way to organize your collection is by brand. As an original owner, this can be a simple process. Occasionally, it can be tricky, generally, brands are very distinct from each other. Just begin with what you’re familiar with and go from there. Be careful as oftentimes the value of certain toys can be unclear and some toys are quite fragile.
Assessing the Value
With the understanding that you know the name of your toy, the best way to evaluate what your toy is worth is by finding a price that a similar toy recently sold for. One of the best sites for price comparisons is eBay. However, be sure to look at just the sold prices and not the active listings, as the asking price for listings can vary greatly from the actual value.
When looking at the sold prices, make sure you’re getting a good picture of the range the toy can sell at. There are numerous reasons why a toy might sell for a higher or lower price while looking almost exactly the same. The better shape the toy is in, the better the chance of a higher value. Some factors can include general wear and tear on the toy, if the toy is complete with all accessories if the box is included, if the box is unopened, and the overall cleanliness of the toy. These factors can make a big difference in value. Though it may be difficult to determine the condition of items in your collection, using price comparison will give you a good idea of what your collection is generally worth.
Condition and Cleanliness
Time can do a number on your collection in many different ways. Collections damaged by insects, rodents, pets, and other animals are difficult to sell as most buyers won’t want them. One of the most important factors is cleanliness, and there are many things that could negatively affect the collection. If they’ve been stored in an uncovered bin for many years, the collection could have become very dusty. If the toys were stored in a house where somebody smoked, they could be discolored, which decreases the value greatly. Similarly, sunlight can discolor and deteriorate plastic if the collection was exposed for a long time. For tips and tricks on how to get rid of discoloration, please see this article. Other factors that can damage your collection include high heat, which can make plastic fragile or misshapen, and high humidity.
Best Place to Sell Action Figures
There are plenty of people who want to buy your old toys, and there are a couple of ways to find these people. The correct approach for selling the toys in your collection is the approach what makes the most sense for you. Consider the amount of time you want to put into the process, as it could vary from days to years. Another factor to consider is how long you want to spend completing each sale transactions, each sale can be time-consuming with a collection that contains numerous items. Below are some positive and negative aspects of the different best places to sell your toys:
eBay and Other Online Auctions
-Positive: good prices, a large number of users
-Negative: Bidding can last a long time, has a difficult interface, can take a long time to sell, returns must be accepted, routine trips to the post office, fees are high, concerns of fraud
Local Toy Dealer
-Positive: Better Business Bureau background check available, no fees, saves you time, generally quick turnaround
-Negative: One big downside – Won’t get full value as you are a captive audience, meaning you want the cash immediately, they offer a low percent of the total value, they’re betting that you don’t want to leave empty-handed so they will offer a very low price
Facebook, Craigslist, Other Online Trading Pages
-Positive: easy to use, fair pricing, a larger number of users, no fees
-Negative: No customer support, time-consuming, privacy concerns, a serious concern of fraud, limited success in rural areas, communication with non-serious buyers
Local Auction Service
-Positive: Local and simple to navigate
-Negative: Unpredictable sales varying per customer offers, slow turnaround with large fees, usually subpar results unless you own a big collection and are being helped by a specialist (which there are only several of in the country)
Online Toy Dealer
-Positive: Saves you time, quick turnaround (one week at most is how long we take to complete purchases), no fees, Better Business Bureau background check available, some pay your shipping (we do)
-Negative: Unable to receive full value
Pawnshop
-Positive: Local and simple to navigate
-Negative: Similar to a local toy dealer, you aren’t very likely to get total value, may not be knowledgeable enough to know the correct value, generally, offer very low prices so they are guaranteed a profit
Wheeljack’s Lab the Best Place to Sell Vintage Toys
With everything this process involves—the cleaning, the set-up, and the organizing—it can take up a lot of time. If you would like to sell some of your old toys or a collection, we can take care of all the steps involved in this process. Call us at 888-946-2895 or send us an email.
Wheeljack’s Lab is a recognized vintage toy buyer that has been in the business for over 20 years. For three generations, my family has lived in this area, so we aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Our services include same-day toy quotes, timely communication, instant payment, and prepaid shipping, as well as the ability to pick up your collection if necessary!
We’d love to find new homes for your old toys where they will be with people who appreciate them as much as you.
Do you have old and used 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 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’m the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year; scouring the internet – like we did the Sears Catalog of yesteryear – for the next great treasure, awaiting the arrival of the postman as if he was Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their own versions of Christmas. Every day is an absolute joy!
The Best Place to Sell Vintage Toys
Here are some examples of what dealers are looking for.
