Have you come across some old toys you think you can turn into some extra cash? If you have some old action figures you lost sentiment for, we are here to tell you about the best way to sell your GI Joe action figures! We will tell you all you need to know about valuing and turning your toy collection into cash!
Before you look for where to sell your GI Joe Toys
There are a few steps that we must address before you set out to sell your toys. If you are unprepared, you will find that you will receive less money for your toys.
Who was the original owner?
Who owned the figurine first? This is one of the most crucial questions in establishing the value of your toys. If you know the history of the GI Joe toys, you can easily name them and verify the legitimacy of your toys. So, if you were the first owner of the action figure, then great!
However, if you inherited the collection or bought them as part of a larger lot, it is best to search for the brand of the toy, for example, Hasbro, or even the name of the figure itself if you recognize it! This may find to be a tedious process, especially with a larger collection with more variety. If you are having trouble naming any figures, feel free to email us and we will be happy to help!
Organizing you GI Joe toys
After you have checked the identity of each figure, you must carefully organize them since age makes toys brittle and fragile. For now, it is unclear how much each of these is worth, so it is best to not risk destroying their value. Use the internet and your knowledge to best organize them in what categories you see fit. We recommend sorting them by the year of production, or the brands.
How to evaluate the worth of your Action Figures
The next step in selling your action figures is finding an estimate for the value. You can estimate the value of your GI Joe Toys by checking various online listing websites. By looking at the recently sold items, you can gauge the average value. It is important to find that the exact model of your action figure matches to ensure the price matches closely.
A lot of key factors play in part when valuing these toys. Is the toy removed from the box or is it in the original factory packaging that it came in? Has the quality of the plastic of the toy and box degraded, or has it suffered damage over the years? Are your GI Joe toys dirty or scratched up or are there deformations in any way? All of these are all questions you should ask yourself when analyzing your figurines. As is intuitive, the “fresher” the condition of the figurine the better they will sell!
If you discover that the plastic’s color has faded, check out our guide on how to restore the color.
What is the best way to sell my GI Joe Toys?
Now that you know what kind of value you should be looking for in these figures, it is time to seek out the best way to sell your GI Joe toys! There are plenty of ways to sell your action figures, all of which come with pros and cons.
Local Auction Services
Using a local auction service is an easy and local way to auction your toy collection.
However, these services come with a terribly slow turnaround time and can hit you with high fees. It also commonly receives poor results unless you are selling a larger GI Joe toy collection.
Pawnshops
Pawnshops are another easy and local way to turn your old collection into cash. Since these stores are abundant and local, they seem like an effortless way to sell your GI Joe toys.
However, you cannot get the full value of your toys. Since they know that you have an urgency to sell your GI Joe toys, they will treat you as a captive audience and not offer a high percentage of their full value. They may also not be knowledgeable about toy markets, so may just throw out a randomly low number and stick to it.
Local Toy Dealers
This is like the pawnshop, but with a toy specialist. It may be local depending on where you live, and more than often there are no fees on your sale; you can also minimize your time spent there and you can get straight to the chase.
Unfortunately, local toy dealers are like pawn shop, they will also try to low-ball you and you will not see the toy’s full value.
Online Auctions (eBay)
You thought of eBay as your first way, and it is an excellent choice as you can get an excellent value out of your GI Joe toys; reaching a vast client base, however setting up listings bites out a large chunk of time.
However, with the various fees and concerns of fraudulent bidding, these sites are a risky way of selling out your GI Joe toy collection. If you also find yourself with an ample collection, you might realize you will have to run to the post office more than you would like.
Online Swap Pages (Facebook, Craigslist)
Like eBay, these swap pages are an effective way to reach a large client base and to sell your action figures for a decent price. Having no fees also makes it more appealing to sellers as well as its ease of use.
However, these swap pages have a big drawback, they can be awfully slow to receive buyers and can be vulnerable to fraud, and with no customer support, it may be one of the riskiest ways to exchange action figures for cash.
Online Toy Dealers
Online toy dealers are like your toy dealers; however, being online grants them certain advantages. Since they do not need to cover overhead costs, you will find better value from online toy dealers than local ones. These dealers will minimize the time that you spend setting up the sale of your toys. In addition, they offer fast turnarounds, usually completing the sale within a week’s time. Unlike auction sites, they will not charge you any fees. Most importantly, you can preform a background check with the Better Business Bureau, so you know your sale is in good hands.
Unfortunately, you will not receive the full value for your GI Joe toys when you sell them to an online toy dealer.
Wheeljack’s Lab: the best way to sell GI Joe Toys for Cash
So, if you have a couple of old Action Figures lying around, and you want someone to take them off your hands for you while returning excellent value with the least hassle and fees, then selling to Wheeljack’s lab is for you! For 20 years now we have been buying and selling vintage toys, which generations of experience in rehoming old toys to a new family.
We offer zero fees, free shipping, and quick responses. So, there is no better place to sell your toys.
Do you have old and used GI 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 GI 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 versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!
I have a talking GI Joe and box. I believe it is 1967 US. Also Captain Action and Action Boy in box. Have a lot of costumes for them and and accessories. My wife has Barbie and Ken 1990’s Wizard of Oz 1st run figures never out of box. Wonder if you would be entered?
Thank you
Drew Fischer
Have a medium sized box of them. Yes they are played with by the boys. Many are late 1960’s and early 70’s. Worth selling or pass them off to neighbor children?
Hello I am new to the toy collection business and I was able to buy a few newer GI Joe figures and was there anyone that could tell me a bit about what I have a list below
Colonel Buzz Aldrin (in box)
GI Joe Adventure Team Search Fo The Yeti (in Box)
GI Joe Life Magazine Naval Battle Of Guadalcanal (In Box)
GI Joe Foreign Soldiers Collection Japanese Army Air Force Officer (in Box)
GI Joe Medal of Honor Recipient Roy P. Benavides ( in Box)
GI Joe John F. Kennedy PT 109 Boat Commander (in Box)
GI Joe Classic Collection Bob Hope USO Tour(in Box)
GI Joe Classic Collection Army Football Quarterback (in Box)
I have G.I. Joe…1980s. …and many other items but this my 3rd time on this site explaining what I have and your site locks up so i’m not going to spend much time giving details. many other items from other decades.