When you have a vast collection of toys, especially Hasbro’s G.I. Joe toy line, you want to find the best places to sell your Joes at. There are several options out there, but not every place will give you the same level of service, nor the same value, for your toys. For some, you might not even discover the hidden costs before it is too late!
For over 20 years at the Wheeljack’s lab, we have been buying and selling vintage action figures. From G.I. Joe to Transformers, you name it, we have dealt with it! If you want to turn your toy collection into cash, we can provide you with all the tools and tips to get the most value from your collection. Thus, we are certain that we can guide you to the best place to sell your vintage action figures!
Before you head out to sell your G.I. Joe toys
We know you want to find the best places to sell your G.I. Joe toys as fast as possible. However, there are a few things that if done could optimize the value of your toys! If you skip past these steps, you will miss out on the opportunity to get the best value for your toys.
Do you know who the original owner of your toys was?
If you are the original owner of the G.I. Joe toys, you will already have a head start on the game. You will know information about the characters and the brands of your toys. However, if you are not the original owner, you should know that your research into the toy collection will be more extensive. If the original owner is still contactable, we encourage that you contact them for advice about the G.I. Joe toys in your collection. However, that is not always an option.
We understand that with bigger collections, or even second-hand collections, finding information on each toy is a challenge. So, feel free to email us so we can provide you with specialized advice.
Organize your G.I. Joe Toy collection
Beyond a shadow of the doubt, the best way to organize your collection is by the brand of the action figures. However, you could organize them in any way you see fit, for example, the year released. So, you can easily start by separating your Dukes from your Scarletts.
As mentioned earlier, organizing your G.I. Joe toys becomes a much quicker task when you are the original owner. However, if you do not know much about these toys, start by organizing them by similar attributes like similar appearances or sizes.
Be careful when managing the vintage toys as you do not want to damage any of them. Often, with toys that are old and used, the plastic becomes brittle. So, gentle handling will prevent accidental damage.
Assessing the value
After identifying and organizing your vintage toy collection, it is time to evaluate what each figure may be worth. The best way of gauging the value is by finding the exact model on an auction site such as eBay. However, be sure to look at the sold prices and not active listings. Unfortunately, many people post listings for toys looking for unrealistic prices.
When browsing for value, be sure to keep track of the range of prices. This will help you decide on what price you would be happy selling the G.I. Joe toys for. There are multiple reasons for a figurine’s general price to fluctuate. For instance, it may be due to the condition of the toy itself, even the box the toy may have come in, or just the overall cleanliness of the figure. These factors accumulate to sway the price in either direction. So, it is important to analyze the condition of your collection to get a good idea of what your collection is worth.
Condition and cleanliness
The biggest threat to vintage action figures is the time since every part of their storage locations affects their condition. The general rule of thumb is that the cleaner or newer the toy looks, the more it will be worth. So, you should be aware of the various environmental hazards that have damaged your toys.
Be extra cautious if your toys have been accessible to animals, whether it is by insects, rodents, or animals they can all damage your action figures. No one wants to buy used toys that your pet has chewed on.
Even if you have stored your toys in the attic, it would be a promising idea to clean them up to increase their value. While many containers keep out dust, there is still some chance that they have accumulated dirt.
Even the sunlight can cause grave damage to the plastic of your toys. Sunlight exposure tends to bleach the color of plastics, which in turn lowers their value. Likewise, there are other environmental hazards like smoke. Luckily, even if your toy has suffered from sun bleaching, do not lose hope. Please, read our article here for tips and tricks on fixing various discoloration on your action figures.
Find the best places to sell G.I. Joe Action Figures
There is a big enough market for people who are interested in buying your vintage toy collection, you just need to find them! There are plenty of ways to do this and we will be listing the best ways to sell your old and used G.I. Joe toys and turn them into cash!
Local Auction Service
Pros
- These auction services are easy to use, you just need to set up your toys for auction.
- The local location makes it easy for you to drive to these places to sell your G.I. Joe toys.
Cons
- Auction Houses charge high fees, which will cut into your profits.
- These places have a slow turnaround time, especially if your location is rural. You may not instantly find the buyer for your toys.
- You can never plan for the final selling price of your toys. So, you are just as likely to make a large profit as you are to sell for the minimum price.
- Unfortunately, smaller collections will receive poor results.
Pawnshop
Pros
- These locations are even easier to use than a local auction house. All you need to do is walk in and present your toy collection.
- The local locations of these places make it quick to sell your G.I. Joe collection.
Cons
- These places will never offer you the full price for your toys. They are a business and will look to buy low to sell high.
- They will treat you as a captive seller and pressure you to take the price that you offer. In general, they know that you do not want to drive away without any cash.
- Unfortunately, they are rarely experts on toys. Often, they will throw out a price that is lower than expected.
Local Toy Dealer
Pros
- If your local toy dealer accepts trades of used toys, they are even easier than a pawnshop. All you need to do is drive over with your toys and talk to them.
- Since you can make the sale not long after presenting your toys, you can leave with your cash in hand within hours.
- If you have any concerns about the place, you can do a background check with the Better Business Bureau.
- As a local location, they are quickly accessible.
- They are unlikely to charge you any fees. You may have absolutely no fee for the sale of your toys.
Cons
- These locations have an overhead cost, so they want to keep as many profits as possible. So, you will not get the full price for your toys.
- If you come with an enormous collection, they know you do not want to pack them all up and leave. So, they will treat you as a captive seller and pressure you to take their low-balled prices.
Online auctions like eBay
Pros
- You will be hard-pressed to find a place with a larger client base than a popular online auction site. You will have your toys seen by people from across the world. So, it is much easier to find the right buyer for your toys.
- Since you can reach so many people and are selling the toy directly through the site, you will maximize your profits.
Cons
- Despite the chances to have your toy seen by the masses, you may not sell your toy right away. Buyers might not notice your listing in the pages of similar toys on the site. Likewise, the right buyer might not see it immediately. So, be prepared to wait to sell your toy.
- Even after you sell your G.I. Joe toys, you will have to wait to see the money from the sale.
- Keeping up with the sale of your toys, especially an ample collection, is very time-consuming.
- eBay and other auction sites charge high fees. Do not be surprised to have over 10 percent of your sale go to these fees.
- There is always the chance that your buyer will be fraudulent. Thus, you will have to go through customer service to handle such issues.
- The policies on these sites state that you must accept returns.
- If you are selling multiple toys, you can expect to be running to the post office often, up once a day.
Online Swap Pages (Facebook, Craigslist)
Pros
- Once again, you will have a large client base to display your G.I. Joe toys.
- You will have the opportunity to make a good profit off your toys.
- There are no fees.
- Overall, the transaction is easy, since all that you need to do is make an account and then post.
Cons
- The process of selling your G.I. Joe toys through an online forum can be slow and tedious, especially if the group has few members. Even in popular forums, you should expect to bump your topic often to get the attention of your buyers.
- There are serious issues with fraud that run rampant in these groups. With each step that brings your buyer closer to your door, the more risk you take on.
- These forums offer no customer service if anything goes wrong in your sale. So, you must deal with these issues on your own.
- If you are looking to sell your toy through a local meet-up, rural locations will be at a disadvantage. The more remote your location, the less likely you will have your buyer drive to you.
Online Toy Dealers
Pros
- Online toy dealers will minimize the time that you spend selling your toys.
- They offer fast turnaround times. For instance, Wheeljack’s Lab will send your payment within a week of closing the transaction.
- They charge no fees for selling your toys to them.
- Even better, dealers like Wheeljack’s Lab will pay for your shipping costs, leaving you with even more profit!
- Background checks are available with the Better Business Bureau
Cons:
- These dealers will not offer you the full price for your toys.
Wheeljack’s Lab is the best place to sell your G.I. Joe toys!
With everything this process entails, this is a very time-consuming task with the cleaning, the set-up, the organizing, listing, etc. Therefore, if you want to turn your vintage toy collection into cash fast, we can take the toys off your hands and complete all the steps in the process! Call us at 888-946-2895 or send us an email here!
Wheeljack’s lab has been in the business of buying and selling vintage toys for over 20 years. For 3 generations my family has lived in this area, and we are not going anywhere anytime soon! We offer same-day toy price quotes, prompt communication, instant payment, prepaid shipping, as well as the ability to pick up the collection by hand if necessary!
We would love to find a new home for your old toys, where they will be with people who appreciate them just as much as you!
Do you have old and used G.I. Joe 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 G.I. Joe 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!
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