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So at the insistance of Mrs Kyoto, further pressed by the arrival of Kyoto Secundus and her sister Kyoto Secundus Prime and the realization that some of the 'ongoing projects' in my closet have not seen the light of day in 10 years...

I've been delving into ebay.

What are poeple seeing? Looks like the market for the recently canned Necro and Mordheim lines is pretty good, I see singles selling for $10-$20. Escher and Van Sarr especially.

Some of the old high sellers seem to have come back to earth. Sgt Centurius recently did not sell even at $40, and I saw the Skullz adeptus mech go for $50. Rogue Trader models also seem to be going for less than they used to. I wonder if this might not be the result of years of recasters pumping up supply.

I have a ton of old warzone to sell but it might be good to wait another month or two and see if the new game reginites interest.

Anyone else seeing patterns?

I think Necromunda prices are down from about 2ish years ago when figure like Mad Donna were selling for $60 and Boxed gangs were inexplicably selling for over retail when they were still available on the Games Workshop website.

That being said, they are still selling for a reasonable amount. I don't follow things as closely as I'm not really buying Necromunda models these days. I can say I don't think I've ever sold at a loss on eBay as far as Necro models are concerned.

Have you tried the Swap Shop for any of this stuff yet? I almost always gauge interest there to see if I can get the price I want, or trade off for other projects. Trading can still be downsizing if you do it right!

Metal goes for crazy money. People will pay up to twice what they'll pay for Finecast to get metal stuff.

Seconding what Brother SRM said, I'm willing to pay up to about 2x retail price for something in metal (unopened) that is otherwise only available in finecast. It's worth it for me to know that I'm getting a quality product, rather than deal with the Finecast Roulette. I'll buy Finecast in a store if I can inspect it and make sure it's not deformed or bubbled, but I won't buy it online.

As far as OOP stuff goes, if it's a cool model, I'm willing to open the wallet up a bit, if I know that I'm going to paint it. I've been snapping up models to use as Priests for my Adeptas Sororitas over the last two days, and I have no problem throwing down the money if I know I'm going to use it, and it's something fairly obscure. Just a few minutes ago I nabbed a Redemptionist Priest, and I don't mind paying way over what many people would consider 'worth it' if I know it's going to get painted. I also have a soft spot for servitors and inquisitorial freakshow models, and if I see something cool and obscure, that I have never seen before, I make sure it ends up in my hoard, rather than someone else's. But generally, I won't let myself spend too much money on something unless I know for a fact that I'm going to paint it, rather than toss it in the 'to do' pile.

My main grip about eBay now is the new 10% shipping charge for sellers, P&P was already an annoying cost that could bite you in the rear especially on small or weird shaped lots, but now they re taking 10% off you its even more of a pain.

What is actually staggering is that's their response to the folks who have been charging a tenner postage for 50p items to trick the system, Not hire a few folks and hunt them down deal with them, rather equivalently tax all of us which obviously nicely whacks up some bonus profits.

As I mainly sell GW on there, I think I am going to look for a new location to sell it, not sure where yet.

Yeah ebay's new postage fees don't help at all

This said ebay's still a bit of a lottery, at least from my experience. Sometimes you see crazy money for things and other times you don't, so there's no real consistency IMHO.

However GW's OOP games have picked up a bit. I wish I invested a few hundred into the minis once people realised GW was stopping all metal production.

If you have Necromunda and Mordheim minis they should do well - though if they're painted I'd strip them first. Depending on what you have it may be worth selling some bits seperately (such as special characters or heavy gangers). No idea on Warzone minis though

 Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:
As I mainly sell GW on there, I think I am going to look for a new location to sell it, not sure where yet.

Problem with that, Morathi, is that eBay is the place with the highest exposure and the place most likely to result in sales. I've tried working through Dakka and found that stuff sits or people offer me trash for good product. As much as feeBay sucks, it's still frequently better than the alternatives.

When you include postage and PayPal, the eBay fee structure looks pretty steep now.

Aye its a blinkin catch 22 if I ever saw one.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
When you include postage and PayPal, the eBay fee structure looks pretty steep now.

Which is a nice double dip of fees for them since they're the same company, and have been for a while if I remember correctly.

Ebay is still the go-to market for buyers, I think. It still rewards the patient - if you aren't desperate for something now and are willing to play the long game then you can still pick up bargains. That being said, there are less and less bargains out there. People are doing their research, inasmuch as they type in what they are selling and see what other people are listing them for. This may or may not be the 'true' value - I notice there are always lots of Epic Tyranid stuff for sale, for example, listed at horrifically expensive prices. I find it very difficult to believe *anyone* pays those prices but if you are a new seller looking to sell some similar items, you will see the already listed stuff and think that is an accurate guideline so it has an effect of plumping the market artificially.

I wouldn't sell anything via Ebay these days personally. I sold some car parts and a watch recently and was shocked at the total fee bill. I mean, its not like I wasn't expecting it but still, its a lot to take, especially given that PayPal have squeezed your tit once already.

Hum, considering https://miniaturebids.com/ was created because of ebay's fee increase, they really must be something ridiculous nowadays.

Any reviews of miniaturebids.com?

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Any reviews of miniaturebids.com?

yeah, lots of auctions with no bids and on facebook they are constantly talking about trying to stay ahead of scam auction posters.

not sure if they revised the "no international bids" on auctions either.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
When you include postage and PayPal, the eBay fee structure looks pretty steep now.

I don't think it's that bad. It works out to about 14% of the total sale price altogether IIRC. (It might go up some if you start selling really expensive items - but that's what I worked it out as on my last Ebay sale of ~$150).

Keep in mind, everything on Ebay that used to cost money is totally free now. No charge to list things, or add a bunch of pictures or do a "Buy it Now" auction - all stuff that used to cost extra.

eBay has overtly become an major online shopping site. It has outgrown it's flea market/auction beginnings.

Unless you are a dedicated seller eBay offers pretty poor returns.

 Mr. Burning wrote:
Unless you are a dedicated seller eBay offers pretty poor returns.

Given that most GW stuff you buy is done usually at 20%-25% off retail, you'll sell it for at MOST 20% off retail (assuming still in box), and eBay/Paypal fees take 14% of that, you're pretty much selling at a loss each and every time.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Any reviews of miniaturebids.com?

I used it within the past couple of days to source a rule book. I think I would use it again, to buy from at least anyway. It still suffers from the same problem as Ebay however in that prices seem inflated (to me, anyway)

 Breotan wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:
Unless you are a dedicated seller eBay offers pretty poor returns.

Given that most GW stuff you buy is done usually at 20%-25% off retail, you'll sell it for at MOST 20% off retail (assuming still in box), and eBay/Paypal fees take 14% of that, you're pretty much selling at a loss each and every time.

Looked at short term then yeah.

Long term you have powerseller status to consider whilst at the same time the more cash you push through Paypal the better the rates become.

Opening a shop on eBay gifts you a discount to sellers fees too (or did, not too sure about now).

If I had the volume to be able to I would probably opt for eBay as a main method of selling and just lump the fees as advertising and promotion spend for my tax return.

The only way you can really make eBay work is to either be selling off stuff you don't use or care about anyway, in which case selling at a loss isn't a huge issue, or to be a business buying GW wholesale from a distributer like Diamond or such.

The problems with selling on eBay are that as a small seller, you're competing against power sellers, stores, dedicated (possibly underemployed) resellers, and guys that have access to cheap/free shipping supplies (and even shipping). I've had armies I sold on ebay pop back up two weeks later, broken up into squads. I'm sure he made mroe money then I did, but I know what my time is worth.

Selling used GW is a hassle. Nobody wants everything you have, everybody wants to pay the lowest possible price, and shipping is both costly and a hassle. I try to break lots into $40 or bigger chunks, but that doesn't always work out. The smaller the auction, the greater the gross return, but the more you pay in fees and shipping. As always, you have to factor in the time you spend.

If you are committed to selling (not trading) and want to get as close as reasonably possible to market price, eBay is the only practical option. I love bartertown or the Swap Shop here, but your lots are going to be competing against guys doing blow out fire sales. When you can buy full armies for pennies on the dollar, it lowers the market price. there's nothing wrong with blowing stuff out on the Swap Shop, it's often a convenient way to get rid of stuff, but it's not the best return.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

Anyone else seeing patterns?

Recasters are taking a big bite out of the market, because while collectors want NIB, most people just want the scuplt. With the end of limited edition models, I think there are fewer guys trying to collect the older limiteds. In other words, those that want a Centurious or Skullz model already have it.

OOP FW sells for a mint still, despite the ease of recasting that though, so YMMV.

I've watched the price of IG Praetorians swing wildly, from over twice retail to just under for similar items.

In general, the more eBay items you have, the more likley you'll achieve "average" results. I think that the markets are just small enough, that guys are willing to wait for stuff to come up, especially if while rare, it's also not too popular.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Some of the old high sellers seem to have come back to earth. Sgt Centurius recently did not sell even at $40, and I saw the Skullz adeptus mech go for $50. Rogue Trader models also seem to be going for less than they used to. I wonder if this might not be the result of years of recasters pumping up supply.

I think the recasters play a big part of it. I really wanted a Sgt. Centurius a few years ago but frankly alot of the models being offered there even at the old $60+ prices seemed suspect (like multiple sellers selling multiples of a LE model over several months). I personally wouldn't buy any that didn't come in the package. If you've still got them NIB (even if a bit worn), just put them up for the price you *want* and leave it at Buy it Now. Don't bother with the Make an Offer function unless you put in a solid minimum. If people see that, they'll just try to lowball you with multiple offers $1 apart. If you're just trying to shrink your collection a bit and don't need the cash right away, just put it all up with no listing fees as buy it now and let it coast along slowly.

I will rarely start an auction at a low dollar amount. I usually just set them at the minimum I'm willing to part with them for and relist the auction if it doesn't sell as either a buy it now for the same price (where it will sit for 30 days) or if I feel like it's worth another shot I'll relist as an auction.

Right now ebay rewards the patient seller. If you're looking to unload stuff cheap then you can move it fast, but otherwise be willing to sit on things for a bit and you'll be fine.

 Breotan wrote:
As much as feeBay sucks, it's still frequently better than the alternatives.

Only if you haven't spent time building a reputation elsewhere. I never use ebay anymore. Bartertown, Dakka, RPG.net for RPG's. I haven't sold on ebay in years. Just got rid of some Battletech books I no longer need for about what I was looking for, and then checked to see if he wanted some older ones I was considering getting rid of next and he took a few. Helps I've been on bartertown for 15 years with a solid rep....

carmachu wrote:

 Breotan wrote:
As much as feeBay sucks, it's still frequently better than the alternatives.

Only if you haven't spent time building a reputation elsewhere. I never use ebay anymore. Bartertown, Dakka, RPG.net for RPG's. I haven't sold on ebay in years. Just got rid of some Battletech books I no longer need for about what I was looking for, and then checked to see if he wanted some older ones I was considering getting rid of next and he took a few. Helps I've been on bartertown for 15 years with a solid rep....

Maybe, but ebay has buyer and seller protection built in. I have had some sour trades on dakka and bartertown and there is really no recourse other than publicly shaming them in the bad trader section. If you are a new trader with a lower rep your story gets discounted.

I have used ebay for years and and now that i am selling 40k stuff I get non-pay bidders constantly.

Seller "protection" on ebay is a joke. Did you see the latest change where they can choose unilaterally to refund a customer money from your paypal account if they're unhappy without forcing them to send back the product? The "protection" on ebay is strictly one sided. I'm fine with buying there but I won't ever sell there again.

 Polonius wrote:

I've watched the price of IG Praetorians swing wildly, from over twice retail to just under for similar items.

I have noticed this too, and currently the swing seems to be upward. Squads of 10 are selling for $55-70 a piece, and auction lots of 20-30 figures have been hitting the $300-400 mark. If you have the LE Praetorian box set that is commanding great prices as well.

I tend to offer things at big discounts via trade sites (Bartertown is the biggest and best obviously, but also the swap shop and my local club's forum) before resorting to ebay. The fees are crazy, at least the way I do it. Maybe if you don't have them host your pics, etc... but it's just a lot of hassle and they take a huge chunk out. I'd rather give a bigger discount and sell directly, personally.

For some items, especially individual blisters, it's hard to do it directly, though... and in that case ebay may be your only real option.

 Polonius wrote:
Selling used GW is a hassle. Nobody wants everything you have, everybody wants to pay the lowest possible price, and shipping is both costly and a hassle. I try to break lots into $40 or bigger chunks, but that doesn't always work out. The smaller the auction, the greater the gross return, but the more you pay in fees and shipping. As always, you have to factor in the time you spend.

If you are committed to selling (not trading) and want to get as close as reasonably possible to market price, eBay is the only practical option. I love bartertown or the Swap Shop here, but your lots are going to be competing against guys doing blow out fire sales. When you can buy full armies for pennies on the dollar, it lowers the market price. there's nothing wrong with blowing stuff out on the Swap Shop, it's often a convenient way to get rid of stuff, but it's not the best return.

I dunno Polonius. I've spent the last 2-3 years or so buying 40k lots and flipping them through Bartertown, Dakka's Swap Shop and a local forum in Oregon/Washington. So far, on the deals I've made I've put out about a 45% profit (not including all the trade goods I get out of the deal for myself). That may not sound like much, but basically it has paid for every hobby related purchase (40k, video games, kickstarters, etc) for the last couple years. I specifically do not ebay anything. Do I end up with some dregs? Yeah, but if I'm patient someone buys them eventually or I throw them in with another lot as a bonus which keeps my rep up.

From a pricing standpoint, I generally start at 50-60% depending on condition and work down the longer I have it. I make my money back on a lot in 2 weeks on average (record was 2 days) and I've only had one downer (which I'm still 70 bucks down on a month out).

TLDR: If you put some time into it, you can easily move stuff without eBay and make a profit.

Craigslist often has people who are looking for 'lots' of wargaming stuff. Basically you can clear out an entire collection, even stuff no one wants and get a cash deal for it. And then that guy can go piecemeal it out on ebay, and spend the time and effort trying to get top dollar. I can get 900$ selling it on ebay vs 500$ selling it on craigslist as a 'lot'? Sometimes that is 'worth it'.

At some point, how much time and effort do you want to spend maximizing profit vs getting rid of stuff?

eBay is a pain. I do most of my stuff via small person-to-person trades via community boards.