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've come to the point in my hobby gaming career where I want to offload some figures in my collection that I know that I'm never going to get to. I've sold off some figures to friends before, but I've never actually put up any auctions online. So now I'm considering taking my experience as a long time eBay buyer and turning it 'round as an eBay seller.

As I begin breaking up parts of my collection into eBayable lots, I'm debating the merits of listing things in big, army sized lots, versus breaking them down into smaller, unit sized lots. The most obvious advantage that I can see for army lots is that it gives you less auctions to manage, though in my experience you would seem to make more money from selling everything individually than you would in one great big package. Does anyone with an experience in selling figures online have any wisdom that they would be willing to share with me about the best way to go about selling off your extra models?

It's a lot harder to sell armies than it is units, because you need someone who wants everything in the army, or wants a few of the units enough to make it worth buying the rest as well The price cut on your end is usually steeper.

It's just rarer for people to be looking up whole armies in one fell swoop, instead of just certain units to fill out what they've already got.

Aim to end the auction on Sunday, preferably late afternoon or early evening.

Make sure you have good pictures, people will pay for the paintjob if they can see it.

Take advantage of free listing and don't undersell yourself, I set a minimum price. It's better to wait for the next free listing and sell for the right price, than sell your models for next to nothing - and if you haven't paid for the listing it hasn't cost you anything.

Get decent boxes, bubble wrap, etc to avoid breakages - it will help you get a good feedback rating, and it makes disputes less likely. Make sure you charge a reasonable rate for postage - take into account the cost of the packaging, and try to cover the commision in the postage. And don't feel bullied into giving reduced postage rates on multiple lots - especially if people haven't mentioned it until after the auction has finished, they knew the price when they bid. If you are setting the auction so that the auction is worldwide make it clear that you will charge extra for bidders outside of your country - and again charge a reasonable rate that covers your costs. This might sound obvious but if you have metal figures it can come as a shock how much the postage is.

It can be a hassle selling multiple lots, but it is usually better to do so. The pool of potential buyers is bigger and the chances triggering a bidding war is increased with smaller lots.

Don't send anything until you have the money. Make sure you get proof of postage on all items, and email the buyer when you have posted the goods. Personally if I am selling, I don't leave feedback until the buyer does, as I take this as a sign that they have recieved the goods and are happy with them.

Everything Marielle has said is spot on.

Also, if you're selling painted minis, bubble wrap them individually. Yes, if you're selling a ton of minis, this will take a while, but trust me, you'd rather preserve the paint job and not scratch other minis.

And always get proof of delivery(delivery confirmation in the US). Hold onto that proof for at least 90 if not 120 days. This way if someone says that he didn't receive his package you can prove that he did. There's an open bad trader report about a gent who appearantly has a thief for a mailman since he never recieves his packages and always demands a full refund (sarcasm). If you can't prove that he received the package then ebay/paypal will force you to give a refund and then you're out the money and the items.

marielle wrote:Aim to end the auction on Sunday, preferably late afternoon or early evening.

Make sure you have good pictures, people will pay for the paintjob if they can see it.

Take advantage of free listing and don't undersell yourself, I set a minimum price. It's better to wait for the next free listing and sell for the right price, than sell your models for next to nothing - and if you haven't paid for the listing it hasn't cost you anything.

Get decent boxes, bubble wrap, etc to avoid breakages - it will help you get a good feedback rating, and it makes disputes less likely. Make sure you charge a reasonable rate for postage - take into account the cost of the packaging, and try to cover the commision in the postage. And don't feel bullied into giving reduced postage rates on multiple lots - especially if people haven't mentioned it until after the auction has finished, they knew the price when they bid. If you are setting the auction so that the auction is worldwide make it clear that you will charge extra for bidders outside of your country - and again charge a reasonable rate that covers your costs. This might sound obvious but if you have metal figures it can come as a shock how much the postage is.

It can be a hassle selling multiple lots, but it is usually better to do so. The pool of potential buyers is bigger and the chances triggering a bidding war is increased with smaller lots.

Don't send anything until you have the money. Make sure you get proof of postage on all items, and email the buyer when you have posted the goods. Personally if I am selling, I don't leave feedback until the buyer does, as I take this as a sign that they have recieved the goods and are happy with them.

This is dead on in my 8 years on ebay I agree with the above. with the way ebay charges fes you can list 50 a month for free (1 photo)
I recommend unit lots, figure what it is going to cost to ship in the US and make a starting price what you are comfortable selling the lot at. I would also include basic slow shipping for free, with a buyer option for priority as an additional charge.

EBay charges fees on shipping now so trying to have a low sell price with jacked up shipping is no longer a valid tactic. but if you have the first option as free eBay does not charge fees on the upgrade to shipping.

And always get proof of delivery(delivery confirmation in the US). Hold onto that proof for at least 90 if not 120 days. This way if someone says that he didn't receive his package you can prove that he did. There's an open bad trader report about a gent who appearantly has a thief for a mailman since he never recieves his packages and always demands a full refund (sarcasm). If you can't prove that he received the package then ebay/paypal will force you to give a refund and then you're out the money and the items.

Whilst in principle I agree that recorded delivery is ultimately the best way to go, it also costs more.

The reason proof of postage is important is that should a dispute like this arise, the first thing that will happen - in my experience - is that the buyer will need to fill out a claim form for lost post, which will need evidence of when and where the item was posted. At my local post office when I ask for proof of postage, they write the delivery address on the reciept. There is a level of insurance on lost post - @ £35 I think in the UK - so if a dispute like the above arises, you will not be totally out of pocket - which is another reason why it is better to sell stuff in small lots.

Thanks all. I'm about to unload some out of print stuff, and I wanted to make sure that I did it the right way.

As a guy who has been selling on eBay for over 7 years, I can tell you that all that advice is spot on. If you go the extra mile, it always pays off. I love selling on eBay, it's awesome watching your auctions. I have a feeling i'd have a gambling problem if I indulged myself This is probably why I play Bad Moonz....