Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I have bought and sold magic cards online for a long time. Warhammer models, not so much. In general I'm looking for the communities opinion on how to maximize profit.
If you are buying used models, what do you look for? If a model has paint on it, do you prefer a primed mini, a paint stripped mini. I assume most people redo the mini anyway, but what are you more likely to buy?

The thing with 40k minis is that there isn't much resale value on miniatures. If you open a pack of Magic cards and find a good one you could easily get much more back then what you paid for it. As soon as you open the box of 40k minis the value goes down. It's best to think of 40k stuff as action figures or cars.

For used minis, there are several factors to consider when determining value.

Is it painted? If not, this raises the value. If it's painted well, it may raise the value.

Is it assembled? Even unassembled pieces are more valuable than an assembled model. You also have to assess how well the previous owner assmebled it. If it has no gaps, mold lines or damage this may add value. If it's magnetized this really adds value.

How powerful is the unit? While you can't get more for a Riptide than a similar model of it's size you may have to give an extra discount on crappier models to get them to move.

How common is it? Starter kits tend to saturate the market in cheap models. In addition, Space Marine stuff is incredibly common due to being popular and being in starter kits. You may have to offer really low prices for stuff with this considered. But you might have to ask around to see if your rare stuff is actually valuable. Some rare stuff GW produced is rare for a reason.

Most people would prefer stripped miniatures or primed black. Stripped is ideal, though.

If I were looking to deal in collectibles as a profit-generating venture, Warhammer 40K is not the game I would choose.

Yep, pretty much what TCL said. Order of value (highest to lowest goes something like):

- Superbly painted minis (GD quality) (Slow turnaround)
- NIB Items
- NOS Items
- Unassembled (Bare)
- Assembled (Bare)
- Primed
- Painted (anything less than awesome)
- Broken / Painted poorly

Also, keep in mind that Direct Only and OOP will often fetch more than normal items.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
As to the maximization of profit, I buy low and sell high. Buy huge lots of 40k at low prices and split them up into individual groups at a higher price.

The best thing I could see is to buy lots of busted minis with chipped paint and what not, clean them up, and resell them individually.

Metal minis that were replaced with Finecast have gone up in value.

Painted resin or plastic minis are usually no dice; stripping them is a crap shoot of super easy or nigh impossible determining on the types of primers the painter used.

Magnetized stuff usually ups the value. Game performance does, too. No matter who rails on the "competitive scene" of 40k, it's blatantly obvious that game power is linked to sales. The aftermarket proves that.

Finally, miniatures that are expertly painted (not "Pro Painted" [sic]) and has a lot of high res shots can go for multiples of the minis value. A full army in this condition can explode.

I saw a complete SoB army with well made conversions for warbands attached to it, nothing spectacular in terms of gameplay, but because it had a stellar table top paint scheme that was uniform across the entire army, the gentleman got 2.5x current retail value for the army (something nearing $3000).

You can make some money by buying large lots off of ebay which are damaged/poorly painted. You then strip them down and repair them and the resale value goes up about 10-20% depending. The time it takes though makes it not very profitable in money but you do get some great models doing it (lots of OOP rare models).

If you are a really good painted you can do that but the turn around for it is slow unless you commission and have a really great portfolio and community trust built up.

Oh, by no means am I hoping to make money selling any hobby, that is the quickest way to loser town. Sorry if you live in loser town. I enjoy the sport of buying lots and splitting them and selling them for more than the original lot. I then use that money to buy more lots and buy the actual models I want. It's kind of a way for me to have my hobby fund it's self.

The reason I asked, I bought a tub of 40k, When I say tub, I mean a plastic filling bin with mini's just dumped in it. After all was said and done, for $60, I ended up with (nut shell)

49 Marines
2 Dreads
3 Old Rhinos

79 plastic Orks
20 metal Orks
2 KillaKan
6 Bladeless DefCopta
1 Trukk
1 Buggy
2 Old Ork Bikes
1 Old Ork Attack bike
3 Old Looted Tanks

They are ranging from un-primed to I painted this with my ass. So Im trying to decided how to go about making them look presentable for maximum profit.

That's exactly what I do. For the most part, I don't do very much clean up. Best way to handle it is to just resell as is.

I would try to strip one or two models to see what kind of paint you are dealing with. If it's a bitch to deal with just sell them cheaper. If it can be removed easily enough than it may be worth your while.

There are several stores that buy 40k and Forgeworld models and sell the loose parts and bits for a profit.
It is great if you need a part for a conversion, but don't want to buy the entire box just for that part.