When you are looking to sell your old and used toys, like Matte’s He-Man, you want to know how to sell them for the best value. There are many options available to you, especially now that the internet is in wide use. However, each option comes with its own set of upsides and downsides. So, how do you know which place will give you the best overall value to save both time and money?
For many, getting the most out of the sale of their old He-Man toys requires a lot of trial and error. Without anyone to help guide them through the choices, they have spent their time discovering which ways suit them best. During this time, they have lost out on both their time and money.
Luckily, you do not need to find your best option to sell your He-Man toys on your own. Instead, you can turn to an expert with over 20 years of experience to guide you. We here at Wheeljack’s Lab have tried and tested all the available options for selling toys, and we are happy to share our knowledge with you.
Furthermore, we have not only learned how to sell Mattel’s He-Man toys for the best value, but we have sold multiple other brands like Ghostbusters, GI Joes, and Transformers. We make it our goal to get our customers the best price for their old and used toys. So, join us in this comprehensive guide to getting the best value from your collectibles.
Before you are ready to sell your He-Man toys
While you are itching to get money for your toys, you must address a few crucial steps before you are ready. Take care to fully address the following advice, for taking this time to prepare will net you even more cash at the end of the day. Often, when someone does not get the best value from their toys, it is because they failed to properly research and prepare.
Are you the original owner of the toys?
Not everyone who has toys to sell is the original owner of those toys. We understand that there are many reasons why people inherit or obtain collections that they did not own. With luck, those who inherited their collections from relatives left behind a list of what is in their collection. However, the process to sell their He-Man toys is never easy when they are not the original owner.
If you are the original owner of the toys, you have a much easier time ahead of you. You will be able to quickly fly through the preparation stages since you have intimate knowledge of the toys in your collection. Still, you should take care to quickly address the following steps just in case you have forgotten details about your collection. It is also very important to evaluate your collection whether you are the original owner or not.
If at any point, you feel overwhelmed, feel free to send us an e-mail so we can give you tailored advice.
How to identify and organize your He-Man toys
The first step that you should address is organizing your collection so that you can easily take stock of what you have. This step may seem simple, but it will save you valuable time in the long run. Organizing toy collections is even more important when you are not the original owner of the toys.
To begin, group the toys by like categories, such as production year, brand, color, or characters. In the long run, you want to know the key details like the year, manufacturer, and character when you set out to sell your He-Man toys. So, organizing your collection by these details will help you discover what toys are available for you to sell. Better yet, an organized collection is easier to evaluate and price.
As you sort your toys, also gather up the accessories so that you know which toys are missing pieces. You also do not want to dig through a large box of accessories once you are ready to sell your toys. So, make certain that they are present with the toys that they accompany.
While you move around and organize your He-Man toys, be careful to handle them with care. Over time, plastic tends to become brittle. So, even the most well-kept collections may fall apart if you do not give them careful treatment. You do not want to break the toys before you have the chance to sell them.
Time to discover the value of your He-Man toys.
Now that you have a neat and organized collection, it is time to evaluate them, so you know how much to ask for. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts for this step. It will take you time and effort to look up the value of your toys, but it will be well worth it. If you do not check the value of your toys yourself, you will lose out on valuable money as you sell your toys.
So, what is the most reliable way to discover the current value of your He-Man toys? Unlike used cars, there rarely is any database like a blue book that you can turn to look up the going price for your collection. However, with the volume of products moving in and out of eBay, the platform has become an invaluable resource for pricing used toys.
To look up the value of your He-Man toys on eBay, you must look up the sold category on the site. Unfortunately, many sellers on eBay will place up items for sale at the prices that they wish they could sell their products for. Most of those sellers rarely find a buyer for their products. Thus, the sold category will inform you on what buyers are willing to pay for the toys, rather than what sellers want out of the toys.
Keep in mind that prices fluctuate daily or even from auction to auction for several reasons. So, consider the general trend of the selling prices when you do look up the value of your toy. Also, keep in mind that not all toys are equal, there is a major factor that will play a role in the selling price of your toys: condition.
Why you should care about the condition of your toys.
The greatest contributing factor to selling your toys for a higher price is the condition that those toys are in. Collectors want to expand their collections, but they want to display their collections even more. So, you are selling your used He-Man toys to some of the pickiest buyers on the market who want to display their purchases. As such, they want toys in prime condition to add to their collection.
To get the most out of the sale of your old and used toys, you want to please the sensibilities of these collectors. So, what do they look for?
First, if you have the original box or packaging for your toy on hand, your price will already improve. Whether or not this box is open will factor into the selling price of your toys though. If by chance you have a factory-sealed toy, you have hit the jackpot and are likely to sell your toy for the highest available price.
After the box, the condition of the toy itself is very important to your closing price. Every scuff and defect on the toy will contribute to the overall condition of your toy. Worse yet, if you are missing accessories, you will not be able to sell your toys for the best value available. So, you want to make certain that your toys are complete and in the best condition. However, toys can still sell at lower prices when incomplete and not pristine.
How cleanliness and environments affect the condition of your He-Man toys
Sadly, once you remove a toy from the factory packaging, its condition begins to decline. How much the condition declines are determined by the storage environment for that toy. If you had your toy in storage at normal room temperatures, it only has some dust and minor dirt. Even then, it will help you to clean your toys so that the dirt and dust are no longer present.
Sadly, not every toy remains in a climate that will keep it in pristine condition. Many environmental factors will eventually damage and deteriorate the He-Man toys. For instance, just being in a smoker’s house will coat the toy in the odor, and even stain the plastic. Otherwise, the playing and heavy handling of toys will cause inevitable wear and tear.
Discovering that extreme temperatures like heat will damage their toys catches many sellers off guard. So, be careful if your toy storage was in an attic, for there is a high chance that the summer days may have caused damage.
Even if your toys have been on display on a shelf, untouched and carefully dusted, the sun may have caused damage to the plastic. Sun bleaching is a real phenomenon that occurs, especially in white plastics. That is why many vintage toys now have a yellow hue to them.
Even if your toys are suffering from environmental damage, you might still have a chance to restore them as you prepare to sell your He-Man toys. For expert advice on how to restore damage like sun-bleaching, please check out our guide here.
How damage from animals and pests ruin toys
Sadly, there is damage that will make your toys worthless, so quickly check to make certain that your toys do not have these issues. Animals can and will gnaw on toys if given the chance. While you may be able to recover a toy from the light nibbling of a cat, no one wants a toy that an animal has completely trashed.
Worse, pests like vermin and bugs may have infested your toys while they are in storage. Their droppings are dangerous and will make your toys worthless. If you see signs of infestation, you may not be able to sell your toys.
How to sell your used He-Man toys for the greatest value.
Now that you have a general idea of how much you want to sell your He-Man toys for, you need to figure out where to sell them. Now that online shopping and trading are a regular part of life, your options are very varied. However, not every available avenue will give you the same level of service or the same options for getting a fair value for your toys.
So, let us look over the options available to you so that you may decide for yourself with one that will best serve you. We want you to get the best value for your toys, whether you decide to sell your toys to us.
Local Auction Service
Pros:
When you have an auction service available in your area, they may seem like a quick and uncomplicated way to sell off your He-Man toys. Since these locations are within driving distance, you will spend little time traveling to them. Once at the auction house, you just need to set up the auction and wait for your toys to sell.
Cons:
If you are looking to quickly turn around the sale of your toys into cash, a local auction house is not your ideal location. These venues will take time to find the right seller for your toys. Even if they manage to quickly find a buyer for your toys, they will take their time to process the sale. You should also prepare to pay high fees when you decide to sell your He-Man toys to them.
Whether you manage to get a competitive price for your toys is a gamble. The sale of your toys is fully up to the whims of the people who show up to look over your listings. So, you may not even make much from the auction. While it may be possible to improve the sale of your toys by seeking out a specialist, there are very few that are available. Also, keep in mind that the services of this specialist will take away from the selling price of your toys.
Pawnshop
Pros:
What can be simpler than driving up to your local pawnshop, talking to the clerk, and selling your toys? You have seen people do it hundreds of times on shows like Pawn Stars. These locations make it their goal to quickly buy products so that they can sell them later. So, your largest time investment will be driving up to the store.
Cons:
If your goal is to get the highest price available for your toy collection, a pawn shop is not your ideal location. These businesses want to make a profit off the resale of your toys, so they want to buy your toys for the lowest price possible. Worse, these stores know that their customers want quick cash and are unlikely to walk out the door without that cash. So, they will pressure you to accept their offered price, treating you like a captive audience.
Usually, a pawn shop clerk knows little about the vintage toy market. So, they are more likely to err on the side of caution and offer you a low price with the assumption that the toy is not worth much. If you have not done your research, you may find yourself robbed out of valuable cash.
Local Toy Dealer
Pros:
So, a pawn shop is not to your liking. How about a local dealer that specializes in toys? Certainly, they have a full understanding of the value of the toys in your collection.
When you have a toy dealer in your area, they do offer a convenient location to drive up and sell your toys. These dealers will quickly pay you without charging any fees for the sale of your He-Man toys. As with a pawn shop, you need only speak to the clerk in charge to sell your collection. So, it is a quick, convenient, and reliable option.
If you are uncertain about the dealer, you may perform a background check at the Better Business Bureau.
Cons:
As with any reseller, you will not be able to sell your toys for the full retail value. So, while their prices will be significantly better than a pawn shop’s, you will still not receive the highest price.
These dealers also know that you are unlikely to walk away without a completed sale. This is even truer if you happen to drive up with several boxes filled with toys. Thus, they will pressure you to accept the prices that they offer. They will also make it sound like a favor to take the toys off your hands for the price that they offer.
Online Auctions like eBay
Pros:
To improve your chances at selling your toys for the best value, you want to have the eyes of the world on your products. So, turning to a global presence like eBay certainly sounds like a valid option. Likely, thousands of people will look over your auction daily when you post it up on an online auction. So, your chances of finding a buyer will exponentially rise.
With the large client base comes the equally great chance at making a profit on these sites. If you are lucky, you may even have a bidding war that will earn you some of the highest prices available.
Cons:
Online auction sites are not as easy as they may initially seem, especially for those who are not familiar with their sites. You will need to take time to learn how to navigate and optimize the sale of your toys. Even once you master how to post the optimal auction, you will have to wait days to find out if you locate a buyer. Auctions last for a week on eBay, and sometimes, you may need to relist the same product a few times to get the right seller.
As with the local auction houses, you will never know how high the final selling price of your toy will be. You are just as likely to get a bidding war as you are to have only one bidder get away with the lowest price that you offer. You may mitigate the risk by offering options like buy-it-now, but you still never will know if someone will take that option.
Keep in mind that online auctions have very high fees. So, expect to set aside around ten percent of your final selling price aside to pay these fees. Also, sites like eBay require that you accept returns for your products.
When you sell a large He-Man toy collection piece by piece, expect to make daily trips to the post office to ship off your toys. So, keep that in mind when planning how much time you must sell your toys.
Online Swap Pages Facebook and Craigslist
Pros:
Another venue that has a large client base is an online swap page, like those found on Facebook and Craigslist. Keep in mind while choosing a swap page that with each subcategory and password present between you and the front page, fewer clients will be available to you. So, a private He-Man collector’s page on Facebook may only have a few dozen users, instead of thousands.
Still, you will be in full control of the sale of your toys with these pages. Thus, you can set your selling price to the highest available. There is no better option than getting the full value for your toys.
These sites are easy to use, all you need to do is sign up for them then start posting about your product. Once you have posted, you will just answer the questions that come in.
Cons:
If you are looking for a quick sale of your He-Man toys, swap pages are not your optimal choice. These sites are very slow and time-consuming to sell on. Not only do you need to spend your time addressing the questions of potential customers, or even those who will never buy, but you will also need to regularly bump up your posts to the front page. If you want to have a chance of selling your toys, you must keep your post on the front page so that people will see your listings.
These pages have serious fraud and privacy issues, so you need to protect yourself when you sell on them. Do not lightly set up in-person meetings or trade information.
If by chance you happen upon a situation where you have a customer dispute, or even fraud concern, you will have no customer support from these sites. Instead, you will be taking the full scope of the risk and dispute resolutions on your own.
If you live in a rural area and want to set up local meetups, you will have limited success on these sites.
Online Toy Dealer
Pros:
Online toy dealers combine the convenience of your local toy dealer with the convenience of selling your toys online. These dealers love toys and know the value of your toy collection. They also value your time and will offer quick turnarounds for the sale of your toys.
When you sell your He-Man toy collection to a dealer like us, you will receive your payment within a week of starting your transaction. You need to even worry about the cost of shipping, for we will cover that for you. We charge absolutely no fees when you decide to sell your toys to us.
If at any point you feel concerned about the dealer, you may perform a background check at the Better Business Bureau.
Cons:
If you are looking to get the highest price for your toys, an online toy dealer is not your optimal choice. You will not receive the full retail value for your toys.
How to Sell He-Man Toys for Cash to Wheeljack’s Lab
The entire process of selling your old and used toys is very time-consuming. From cleaning to staging to setting up the sale, each step takes time away from your day. So, Wheeljack’s Lab makes it our goal to make the sale of your toys as painless as possible. We will guide you through the process and get you the best value for your toys.
How do we provide this service? To start, we have been buying and selling toys for over 20 years and are not slowing down. Wheeljack’s Lab is a family-owned business that has been around for three generations. We have an intimate knowledge of the value of old and used toys like Mattel’s Skeletor.
If you have a collection of used He-Man toys to sell, give us a call at 888-946-2895 or contact us today to get your sale started. We will provide a quote for your toys within a day of receiving your message. Once we finalize your sale, you will receive your payment within a week.
Do you have old and used He-Man 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 He-Man 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!
Still deciding on where to sell your He-Man Toys?
When you are ready to sell your He-Man toys, you want to turn to the experts. You want the best value for both your time and money. Wheeljack’s Lab is the best place available to sell your old and used toys. If you are not yet convinced, just take a peek at only a small sampling of the Masters of the Universe toys that we have sold and bought:
