At Wheeljack’s Lab, we fully appreciate that as a Star Wars toy collector you sometimes need to find places that buy Star Wars action figures. Whether you are trying to downsize your collection or if you simply need to unload a few pieces, it may be time to convert your toys into currency. We are happy to show you how to make the smart decision for where to sell your toys. Our guide below shows you how to estimate what your classic toys are worth and even gives you a few of our recommendations on where to sell them. So, let us dive right in!
STOP! Do This Before You Look for Places That Buy Star Wars Action Figures
Before you can sell your toys, the first step is to look at a few key features and factors about your collection. Get more money for your collection with these simple steps.
Original Ownership
One of the first steps we recommend is to divide up your collection. Simplifying your matched sets makes it easier to find how to best sell larger collections and how to better price individual pieces of a smaller collection. Large collections with multiple action figures can make this process even more confusing. If you are not the original owner of your action figures, you may need more help. If that is the case, we recommend dropping us an email so you can receive the best advice for what to do next.
Secure the Right Price
You have completed the categorization and labeling phase; next it is time to put a price tag on your collection! Many places that buy old Star Wars toys may try to undercut you or you could even find yourself at a loss for what to expect if you skip this step. Evaluating the value of your toys starts by seeing what other similar toys have sold for on sites like eBay. Keep in mind, you should only look at the SOLD price, not the LISTING price. This gives you a better idea of what to expect from your sales process.
Next, you will want to evaluate your toys’ condition, in comparison to those sold items. It is a promising idea to look at an array of toys to see if your collection justifies the price you want to sell it for. Of course, the better condition your toys are in, the more you can expect people to pay for them. Handling, missing pieces, original packaging, and other features factor into your final asking price.
Categorize Your Action Figures
When you are on the hunt for places that buy vintage Star Wars toys, you need to know precisely what is in your collection. Classifying your toy collection according to labels and trademarks is a great first step to figuring this out. While some of your toys will be easy to categorize, particularly if you bought each one, the value of each will not be clear. Continue to categorize what you have according to each brand label.
Are Your Toys in Mint Condition?
If your toys are not in top-tier condition, they may not be worth much. But what does ‘tainted’ really mean? For places that buy Star Wars action figures, this means any damage that is present on the packaging or toy itself. It is common for many collections to have pest infestations, rodent-caused damage, and even stains from domestic pets. The result is a collection that is worth far less money. Even toys that have had layers of dust accumulate over the years, might not be worth much money, and certainly are not in mint condition. Other environmental factors including sunlight, hot temperatures, moisture, and cigarette smoke exposure, can damage your collection.
Need help with the discoloration of your toys? Check out our tips for fixing toy discoloration here.
Where to Find Places That Buy Star Wars Action Figures
Curious about what your options are for selling your old Star Wars toys? The good news is, there are plenty of places that buy Star Wars toys! With so many options available, however, you might feel a bit overwhelmed about where to start. For many people, though, the primary concern is how quickly they can sell their toys. And with good reason. The time you must devote to selling your toys will figure out the price you get for each piece. Let us check out some of the most common ways you can sell your toys and what the pros and cons are to each location.
Auction Services in Your Area
First up is the local auction service. The greatest advantage of using a local auction service is that it is easy to use. You simply must drive to the auction site and drop off your toys then collect payment once they sell.
On the other hand, auctions tend to have awfully slow turnaround times, come with high fees, and you will not know how much your toys will sell for. In general, auctions are our least favorite place for you to sell your collection unless you have a specialist working with you—and there is only a handful of them in the country.
Local Pawnshops
Next on our list of places that buy used Star Wars toys are pawnshops. Once again, convenience wins out as our number one reason to use them, with locality a close runner up.
Unfortunately, just like with auctions, you are not likely to get the best price for your toys with a pawnshop simply because you are a captive audience ready to sell your collection. Also, pawnshop dealers are not experts on toys and will give you a lower number than your toys may be worth.
Toy Dealers Near You
The greatest advantage of using a toy dealer is the limited amount of time you spend selling your collection. They will pay you quickly for your collection and you can easily check their background through the Better Business Bureau. You will not be paying any fees because it is a local sale, as well.
On the downside, however, you will not get the full value of your collection because toy dealers often want to make a profit. Also, if you show up with 10 boxes of toys and do not get the price point, the value of your collection will decrease.
Online Auction Sites—eBay
Another way for places that buy Star Wars action figures is online auction sites like eBay. With eBay or comparable sites, you get access to a massive client base and excellent prices as a result.
Unfortunately, you can expect to spend a good deal of time selling, listing, and shipping your toys. Also, the site has high selling fees and there is no way of knowing how the bidding will go. Some sellers also have dealt with fraud problems and found the site to be difficult to use. Their guidelines will also require you to accept returns. Selling your collection piece by piece? Then you will also be running to the post office every single day.
Facebook & Craigslist Swap Pages
Like eBay, Facebook & Craigslist style online swap pages have a large client base and provide decent prices for your collection. You also will not have to pay fees at all—a huge plus—and in general they are easy to use.
On the other hand, it is a slow-selling process and requires a good deal of your time to list and sell items. Likewise, there are serious fraud concerns with those sites, and you will never have customer support. For people in rural areas, it is difficult to use the site and you may face privacy concerns. Most frustrating, you can expect to have lots of communication with people who are not serious about your collection.
Online Toy Dealers
Online toy dealers supply multiple benefits, not the least of which is minimizing the time you spend selling your toys. Another way is the fast turnaround time they provide, typically you can sell your collection in less than a week. You can also do a background check with the Better Business Bureau to see who you are dealing with. Additionally, you will never pay fees for your toys.
Unfortunately, you will not get full value for your toys.
Wheeljack’s Lab: The Best Place That Buys Vintage Star Wars Toys
Trying to find places that buy used Star Wars toys is not easy, especially if you are new to this industry. Not only that, but you also want to make sure your toys are clean, polished, and fully categorized for the sale. Fortunately, at Wheeljack’s lab, we are the experts you can rely on for managing the process of selling your complete collection. Reach out to us at 888-946-2895 for a quick and painless sale of your vintage action figures.
We have been in the toy selling business for over two decades and are just as passionate about vintage as you are. We guarantee fast response times and quick payment, as well. And for the right toys, we might even come to your doorstep. Get an offer in less than 24 hours and be confident your toys are going to someone who cares as much about them as you do, all when you use our services!
Do you have old and used Star Wars 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 Star Wars 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.
About the author
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!
Are you ready for the best possible place to sell your Star Wars toys to?
With decades of experience selling and buying toys, we have the greatest knowledge and best prices to offer you. If you are not convinced, just look at only a small selection of the Star Wars toys that we have bought and sold through our services!
