Why a Toy Collecton is Worth Selling Even If It's Incomplete
What if I wish to sell my toy collection but it’s not worth anything since it’s not complete? You may be asking yourself this same question and stumbled across our blog while trying to find some answers. I hope this blog is a help to you as we will mention the different factors to consider when selling a collection and why a toy collection is still worth selling even if it’s incomplete.
An incomplete toy collection might just be what another collector needs. It might hold some gems that are still worth money and can help someone else complete their collection. Follow along in our blog with us as we dive into some ways that a collection is worth selling, even if it’s incomplete.
Join Us in Seeing Why a Toy Collection is Worth Selling
Continue reading along in our blog to see the reasons for why selling a toy collection is worth it even if it's incomplete. Throughout our blog we will mention the importance of rarity, how old the items are, condition, popularity, key accessories, and the benefit of selling toys as lots or individually versus the collection as a whole.
Rarity and Uniqueness
First up, the rarity and uniqueness of the items within your collection can make it very valuable and worthy of selling even if it's incomplete. Rarity typically makes toys high in demand and thus higher in value. If an item is very rare, even an incomplete item may hold value since it’s so highly sought out and desired by buyers. People may still be willing to purchase an incomplete item for high prices if it’s super rare since only a few people own it.
Unique toys also are often sought out so even if your toy isn’t complete, people might pay high prices for these items. Unique toys are ones that are not common and have something different about them. This might include a feature on a toy that no longer is in production or got canceled due to legal issues. These items are more rare and unique and thus rise in value. For instance, the Star Wars Rocket-Firing Boba Fett is super rare and unique since it was discontinued due to safety reasons. Even if this figure is missing a piece, many people may still purchase it for a lot of money to add to their own collections.
Vintage
Something else that makes a toy collection valuable is how old it is. Any toy released 20 years ago or more is considered vintage. Often, the older the toy, the higher the price. This is not the case every single time but it is true that most vintage toys reach higher values than modern toys because of their rarity and specificity to the time period they released in. Thus, toys from the 1990s and before hold higher values and are more sought after than modern toys. People most likely won’t purchase a collection of items if they are still in production since they should still be fairly easy to find.
However, toys from the early 1900s-1950s often don’t last long due to getting damaged, lost, or thrown away and are super rare. These toys usually don’t need a box to be worth something while toys from the 1960s to the 1990s typically benefit greatly from having the original box with the toy. Even though the box adds to the value for any toy, even loose action figures, vehicles, or playsets can rise in value throughout the years.
Condition
The condition plays such a big factor in whether an item is valuable or not. The condition of an item includes a lot of different things. Anything that happens to a toy that makes it less-than-perfect or less-than-mint condition harms it's value. This begins with the box being opened or damaged and moves to the other little details. Missing pieces also lowers the value as well as any chipped paint or yellowing on plastic parts. This also includes scratching from dust and warped cardboard or bubble packaging. Any way that the item is not in the condition that it was in on store shelves reduces the price, while mint-in-box items rise in value.
This being said, incomplete items should especially remain in good condition in order for them to be worth something. An item that is incomplete and in poor condition decreases in value greatly. However, an incomplete item in good condition may still be worth a lot of money. If a collector is searching for that specific item and you are selling it, they may want to pay higher prices for it because of the demand.
Popular Brand or Franchise
The popularity of an item also determines whether or not an item will sell for a high price. The main thing that determines value at any given time is the demand from buyers. Sometimes this means items that are less well-known are valuable but most of the time the poular items are high in value due to nostalgia and good reputation. If a brand such as Tonka or Mattel has a good reputation, it's popularity makes them more desired by buyers even today since their items held up well and there weren't any serious legal issues that would make people not want their items.
Another big factor is the popularity of franchises. One big reason why Star Wars, Transformers, and G.I. Joe toys are so high in value now on the vintage toy market is because they were so popular at their release and hold so much nostalgia for people today. People remember these toys from their childhood and desire to own them again so they search for them and sometimes pay high prices for them even if they're incomplete.
Key Accessories or Parts
An incomplete collection might actually be just what someone else needs in order to complete their collection. Small parts such as a certain weapon for an action figure that is hard to find might be highly sought after and someone would be willing to purchase this item or the collection with the added interest of that one accessory in order to complete a toy they already have. These items can fill a gap for another collector to make their collection complete.
The appeal of a completed collection rests in it's value, so selling an incomplete collection may help out another collector greatly in order to find those pieces they need. If your incomplete collection includes small weapons without the action figure or vice versa someone may have the other part and be looking for your specific item to purchase.
Selling Toys Individually or as Lots
A strategic way to get the most value out of your collection if it's incomplete is to sell items individually or in lots. A complete collection might do better sold altogether but an incomplete collection often actually does better sold seperately. Pairing similar loose incomplete figures together in a lot such as multiple TMNT figures may hold a higher value than sold together with other items. However, smaller individual pieces may sell better individually or in smaller lots since they might complete another collector's collection. Some action figures or other toys also might sell better individually if someone doesn't want multiple incomplete items or if the value is higher by itself.
Watching the market to see what other items sell for and doing research to see how much your items might sell for will help to know whether or not to sell them individually or as a lot together with other items. Also, contacting experts helps to get some insight on the market and any tips for how to sell your items to get the highest value from them. Then, when selling your toys, clear descriptions on each item and the condition of the items is incredibly important. Honesty on your items when describing them will ensure you get buyers you can trust and your toys will sell for their actual value rather than higher or lower than their actual worth.
Final Thoughts
It is possible to successfully sell your collection well even if it's incomplete. These tiny parts or incomplete action figures may just be the goldmine someone needs for their own collection to be complete. The rarity and good condition of items still makes them rise in value, even for some incomplete toys. Along with this, contacting experts to sell to or to ask questions about how to list items successfully is helpful when looking to sell a collection. If you're looking into selling your collection, consider these factors we mentioned above and enjoy getting money back for your toys and parts.
Do You Have Old or Used Toys?
Don’t let your collection sit in storage gathering dust—turn it into cash! At Wheeljack’s Lab, we specialize in evaluating and buying vintage and used toys, from single standouts to entire collections.
Our friendly, expert team has decades of hands-on experience in collectible toys, so you can expect honest evaluations and a smooth process from start to finish. Ready to sell? Call us at 888-946-2895 and let’s get started.
About the Owner, Chris Ingledue
Chris is the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab Pop Culture and Toy Shop. His vision has always been to reconnect collectors with the toys and pop culture that shaped their childhoods—sparking memories, nostalgia, and imagination along the way.
Each day in the “Lab” feels like Christmas year-round. From scouring the internet for the next great treasure—much like flipping through the Sears Catalog of years past—to eagerly awaiting the postman’s arrival like Santa himself, Chris lives and breathes the thrill of the hunt. Helping collectors around the world experience their own version of Christmas is what makes being a vintage toy buyer an absolute joy.