Hi, welcome to Wheeljack’s Lab. Here we can help you determine where to sell Star Wars toys. We know you want to get the most value out of your collectible toys. In this article, we’ll describe all your options. We’ve been in the vintage toy business for over twenty years, and we’re happy to share our expertise with you here today. We’ve bought and sold many popular lines of toys and action figures, including Transformers, Thundercats, He-Man, G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., and of course Star Wars. We’ll tell you exactly how to determine the value of your collection and where to sell vintage Star Wars toys to get the best deal.
Assessing your Toys
The first thing to do when you want to figure out where to sell Star Wars toys is to determine the value of your collection. Here are the things to consider when you’re preparing to sell a collection.
Are You the Original Owner?
It’s easiest to determine what your collection is worth if you’re the original owner. It can be nearly impossible, especially with large collections, to organize all the small bits and pieces to figure out exactly which toy lines you have. If you acquired your vintage Star Wars toys from a previous owner, please get in touch with us so that we can help you get a handle on your collection.
Identify the Star Wars Toys You Own
If you are the original owner of your Star Wars toys, you should have an easier time identifying everything. Many of these toys are now over 30 years old, so be careful with small fragile pieces. Your first task will be to sort everything into general categories and then further into the specific brands. You should be able to find information about the standard sizes available in most toy lines, such as 12”, 5”, or 4”.
Assess the Value of Your Star Wars Toys
Pricing is easiest if you have packages or as the original owner you know the exact names of the toys. The best way to determine values before you decide where to sell your Star Wars toys is simply to compare your toys to others that have sold. Start your search on eBay and look at some sold listings. Remember, you’re looking at the actual sell price, not the asking price. The seller can list an item wherever they like, so that’s not a good metric.
It’s All About Condition
When you searched for sold listings, you probably noticed a wide price range. If the same toy is selling at $10 and $100, take a look at the listing details. Four general categories determine the value of a particular toy:
- Is it new in a sealed box?
- If opened, does it have its original box?
- Is it complete, with all its little pieces?
- Is it broken?
It should be clear how these affect the selling price. From there, the price is further affected by the specific condition of the toy and its packaging. Is there any water damage or other damage on the box? Is the item itself dirty or yellowed? It can be difficult to determine the exact condition, but you should be able to get a general idea based on these factors.
Cleaning Your Toys to Improve Their Value
While some damage can’t be undone, it’s possible to clean your toys so that you can get the most cash for them. If they’ve been sitting on an open shelf or in an open box, they’re likely quite dusty. Exposure to cigarette smoke causes yellowing, and sunlight exposure also discolors plastic. High heat causes some types of plastics and vinyl to become brittle or sticky, and very low humidity can also cause some problems. While cleaning up dust is relatively simple (but be sure to use a gentle, non-abrasive cleaning method), yellowing can be trickier. We have a how-to guide that can help.
Irreparable Damage
Some kinds of damage can, unfortunately, ruin a collection. Toys can be attacked by insects, rodents, or other animals, and toys with this kind of damage are generally not wanted by most collectors.
Where to Sell Star Wars Toys
Once you’ve got an idea of the value of your vintage Star Wars toys, you’ll want to decide where to sell them. There are a lot of avenues for selling your toys, and we’ll go through all of their pros and cons. In general, there are two things to consider: how fast do you want to get rid of them, and how much time are you willing to put in? Let’s take a look at your options.
Online Toy Shop
One of the easiest ways to sell a Star Wars toy collection is to simply ship them all to an online toy shop. You’ll minimize the time you need to spend and you’ll get your payment fast, without added fees. Stores may even cover shipping costs for you. You should make sure you’re selling to a reputable store by checking with the Better Business Bureau.
The biggest disadvantage of selling to an online shop is that you won’t get the full value of the toys, since the shop will give you a quote based on their ability to resell them at a profit. If all you want to do is get a collection out of your storage space, this is a good option.
Local Toy Shop
The benefits of selling to a local shop are similar to the ones noted above for online shops. Additionally, it’s always nice to support your local businesses. Again, you won’t get the highest prices since stores will be reselling them.
Local Auction Service
Another option is a local auction house. It’s generally very simple to drop off your collection and they’ll do all the work of selling each item for you. However, it can take a long time for the actual sales, and auction houses have high fees. Returns often aren’t great and there’s no way to know what exactly you’ll get beforehand.
Pawn Shop
The benefits of taking your Star Wars toys to a pawn shop are similar to bringing them to a local toy store, though since they likely aren’t vintage toy specialists, you’ll probably get less money for your collection than you would from a toy store.
eBay
All of the options we’ve discussed so far will get a collection off your hands quickly, with minimal effort on your part, but may not get you the best return. If you want more control over the process, you can sell your collection through eBay, listing items in a batch or individually.
A major benefit is that there’s a big client base of collectors on eBay looking for vintage toys. You’re more likely to get a better return when you’re selling directly, although you will have to pay fees as a seller, as well as deal with packing and shipping your toys, and accept returns as required by eBay’s terms of service.
Facebook and Craigslist
Finally, you can post your collection on Facebook or Craigslist and deal directly with buyers. Like eBay, it’s possible to reach a large base of collectors, but you won’t have to deal with fees. On the other hand, these online sites don’t have the same security and privacy that eBay has, and you’ll still have to deal with shipping. This method can get good returns, but it’s also the most time-consuming.
Wheeljack’s Lab Pays Cash for Star Wars Toys
If you’re unsure about where to sell your vintage Star Wars Toys, consider getting in touch with us. The process of selling them on your own can be quite time-consuming, especially if your collection isn’t in great shape. Get in touch with us by calling 888-946-2895, or send us a message, and we can help you out.
Wheeljack’s Lab is a well-known buyer of all kinds of vintage toys. We’ve been doing this for over 20 years, and with three generations of our family in the business, we’re not going anywhere anytime soon. We pride ourselves on fast communication and payment, including prepaid shipping or even a pickup in some cases. We provide same-day quotes and enjoy helping you pass on your old toys to new owners who will appreciate them as much as you have.
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 versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!
Are you looking for where to sell your Star Wars Toys?
Below are examples of the Star Wars figures sold by Collectors:
I’m interested in selling all my Star Wars collection. I purchased them brand new in stores back in the seventies.
I’m interested in selling all my Star Wars collection. I purchased them brand new in stores back in the seventies.
Well hope to here from you,don’t know what else to say.