Choosing the best way to sell your vintage Transformers toys and collectibles is not a decision that you should make lightly. While you might be looking to turn your action figures into cash, not every choice will give you the same treatment, which will affect how much money you receive.
Yes, the Transformers toys, lying inactive on the shelf of your room or storeroom, could be worth a considerable amount. While it was just a toy when you bought it a long time back, now you may turn those Transformers figures into money. Though, you might be asking why these toys are now worth money? The Optimus Prime is yearning for some action again or the Megatron might be ready for combat with a new owner.
Wheeljack’s Lab knows the value of your Transformers collectibles. We buy your used and vintage Transformers action figures, may it be Bumblebee, Megatron, Optimus Prime, or any other character from the pack. If the idea seems convincing, then let us follow the best ways to sell Transformers action and toy figures.
Before you sell your Transformers
The Original or First Owner of Your Action Figure
Start by accurately establishing the initial ownership of your toy.
The selling process starts with authentic information about the first owner of the Transformers toys. This information is immensely helpful in both in-person and online sales of all kinds of vintage items. You can happily continue to the next step of the selling process if you are the first and only owner of your toys. On the other hand, if it was someone else, you must dig a little deeper.
The recommended action here is to verify the brands of all the action figures that you want to sell. It is not difficult in case you have a small collection. If, however, you have an enormous collection of diverse brands from multiple toy lines, it may become a nightmare. Nevertheless, do not lose heart. Just email us now to get proper guidelines on how to effectively manage such an assorted lot.
Categorize Your Collection
Now comes the time for classification. Be careful while handling the figures, so as not to damage or even scratch them. Remember, even a small scuff may lead to a loss of value of the figurine. In this step, you try to classify and group the toys based on common factors. It can be the brand, their manufacturer, or any other factor that logically separates them into distinct groups.
For instance, you should classify your Transformers so that third-party Maketoys figures are not mixed in with your Thrilling 30s figures from Hasbro. Likewise, Masterpiece figures from Takara might deserve to be in a different category than the American releases from Hasbro.
Estimate the Value of Your Action Figures
The classification of old toys takes us a step ahead in our quest to follow the best ways to sell Transformers toys. Next comes the value assessment of your action figure.
At this point, make use of the internet. Search for similar characters that sold recently. Compare with your artifact and note their prices. Refrain from including the ‘Active’ listings in your assessment since they are the owner’s wish and not a price that the customer might be willing to pay. Also, note that it is not practical to assume that your buyer would be willing to pay the highest price that you find on the internet.
Many factors that may include original packing, accessories, general condition, missing parts (if any), etc. dictate the realistic price that you will receive. A meticulous evaluation, considering all the factors would ensure a pragmatic price demand.
Assessment of Overall Condition – Salient Points
Overall condition is one of the key factors that decide the value of any used product. Many aspects decide how to grade the condition of your Transformers. You will be surprised to see that even some very elusive elements, negatively affect the condition.
Some of the checks to ascertain the overall condition score are as follows:
- Packing. Is the packing original? Was it ever opened or still sealed?
- Dust. Is the toy smudged, dusty or dirty?
- Condition of Plastic. Is the plastic in good condition or has it degraded over time?
- Color. Is the toy or any part of it, discolored or faded?
- Texture and Finish. Is the toy shiny and smooth or has it become sticky or brittle?
- Scratch or Bite marks. Are there any such marks due to pets, bugs, or rodents?
- Exposure to Heat. Has the plastic melted or degraded due to exposure to high temperature?
- Smoke. Are there any traces or smells of cigarettes, cigars, or any other type of smoke?
- Humidity. Is there any degradation of plastic or decorative stickers because of humidity?
Some of the above-mentioned factors may be beyond repair. However, if you want to remove fading or yellowing, check out our free guide to fixing yellowing or fading toys.
What is the best way to sell your Transformers action figures?
This section would give a brief comparative analysis of the types of stores, shops, or services that are available for the sale of your collection. Some of the merits and demerits listed against each type would help you choose the best way to sell Transformers action figures:
Local Auction Store
- Positive Points:
- Informal and easy.
- Available nearby.
- The service owner may even be known to you.
- Negative Points:
- May take a considerable time to respond, depending upon local business conditions and clientele.
- Not economically practical for one or two toys.
- Transformers toys specialists are usually not available at such places. The real worth of the toy is thus neither appreciated nor fetched.
- Service charges are high.
- In auctions, sale prices are unpredictable. You are lucky only if there is an interested bidder in the gathering.
Pawnshop
- Positive Points:
- Direct dealing with your customer, i.e., the owner of the pawnshop.
- Hard cash available right away.
- Easy and informal.
- Located close to you.
- Negative Points:
- Your need for immediate cash will force you to accept a lower price.
- You cannot get a fair deal or full value.
- Mostly, they are not experts at action toys, so they offer a meager amount to safeguard their side of the deal.
Online Toy Dealer
- Positive Points:
- You save a lot of time and hassle.
- Extremely fast turnaround time compared to other available online methods.
- You can use the Better Business Bureau to authenticate and verify the toy dealer.
- No overhead charges or fees (we even pay the shipping & handling charges).
- Negative Points:
- The chance of getting full value varies from dealer to dealer.
Local Toy Dealer
- Positive Points:
- You can save a lot of time.
- Available in your locality.
- You may use the Better Business Bureau to perform background checks.
- No overhead charges or fees.
- Negative Points:
- Better suited for a lesser number of toys or small collections.
- Your need for cash may limit the chances for a fair deal. Since they want to make a profit, they will undervalue the toy’s selling price.
Auction Websites like eBay, AuctionZip, AtomicMall, etc.
- Positive Points:
- A large client base due to the internet.
- Comparatively competitive prices.
- You can conduct your sale from the comfort of your home.
- Negative Points:
- Excessive service charges.
- Bidding is not very predictable. Might not be in your favor all the time.
- Slow, because you must follow procedures.
- Requires time and patience.
- You are bound to accept any returns.
- Swindling and chances of fraud are always there.
- Not very user friendly.
- Frequent forced visits to the post office.
Facebook and Craigslist Online Swap Pages
- Positive Points:
- A large client base due to the internet.
- You can get decent prices.
- No overhead charges or fees are involved.
- Very user friendly.
- You can sell your Transformers from the comfort of your home.
- Negative Points:
- Sluggish and slow-paced.
- Requires time and patience.
- Highly prone to swindling and frauds.
- You do not get any warranties or customer support.
- In many cases, these forums limit the chances of success to rural-based clientele.
- The need to communicate often comes with serious privacy concerns.
- The volume of communication unnecessarily increased due to non-serious customers or window-shoppers.
Wheeljack’s Lab is the best way to sell your Transformers.
Now that you know the best way to sell Transformers toys, you are in a better position to make an objective decision. Evaluate, calculate, and make the right decision. If, however, you still feel the need for more help email us at Wheeljack’s Lab and we will provide you with the best solution.
Do you have old and used Transformers 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 Transformers 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 versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!
Are you ready to sell your Transformers toys?
If you want to turn your vintage Transformers into cash on hand, Wheeljack’s Lab is the best way to sell them! Just check out only a small sample of the toys that we sell daily:
Does rarity of the character affect the price for example transformer mountain dew figure is very expensive is it solely because of its rarity as character or scarcity of the model itself. Does the rarity of the figure affect the price.
There are a number of factors along with the rarity of the mold that can play into the final selling price. One of the largest factors would be the spectacular look of the toy in the packaging. Not to mention, the better the condition of the toy, the higher the price.