The Spikey Bits Trade-In Program!

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**BrassScorpion**

Anyone who has models they'd like to trade in for something new should take a look at this new offer from Spikey Bits.

http://blog.spikeybits.com/2013/04/a-better-way-to-afford-war-gaming.html

A Better Way To Afford War Gaming?
Posted by Man Boy Genius
at 3:07 PM April 24

Right on the heals of our bi-monthly "Miniature Market" videos that are a great way to pick-up some great deals on used miniatures, we have come up with yet another way for you to save even more on the hobbies you love' The Spikey Bits Trade-In Program!

Best of all is it's less work than selling on e-Bay and it pays just the same, if not more!

This sweet system lets you trade in any used items you have just lying around collecting the proverbial dust, for either new in box items OR other used items we feature from time to time on here.

How does it work? Checkout all the details below.

The Basics:
1. Email a correctly formatted list of the bits and/or kits you want to sell to buyer@spikeybits.com
2. We will reply within one to two business days providing you with an offer for your items and a confirmation code. You will have 24 hours to approve or decline our offer. If you approve the offer all you have to do is reply to the offer e-mail stating you approve.
3. After we receive the e-mail reply from you stating you accepted our offer, all you need to do is ship your models or kits and a print out of the email confirmation to the store address.

Buylist (What we give you for your items):
Below is a very basic list of what we’re looking for and what we, on average, offer for items. With the varying condition in which used toy soldiers can be, these prices are a generalization for the best condition indicated.

We reserve the right to offer less based on larger collections and or collections containing a large percentage of slower-selling items.

If you feel that your items do not match this condition please let us know when you email us, and if possible provide pictures of your items to help us get you an accurate quote! Following these instructions allows us to process your sell order as quickly and efficiently as possible.

New in Box Items- We only accept the most current version on the market! To make sure you have to most update version of said item, be sure to check the manufacturer’s website!

We offer 40% of the current MSRP for most mainstream games with an additional 12.5% (for a total of about 50%) bonus for store credit trade in.

Assembled /used items- For used items we accept any version of items on the market.

Primed and assembled in good condition (models will not need to be stripped or re-assembled)

We offer 20% of the current MSRP for most mainstream games, with an additional 6% (for a total of about 25%) bonus for store credit trade in.

Primed and assembled in poor condition (models will need to have their paint stripped, pieces glued back in place, or have missing parts all together. This applies to worn books, custom licensed templates, etc as well.

We offer 15% of the current MSRP for most mainstream games, as this condition is pretty undesirable for most players, besides the “do it yourselfers”. Items in this condition have a tendency to sit unsold for quite sometime, so we try to not deal in items of this nature as much as possible.

So that’s pretty much it, if you would like to make a deal Email a correctly formatted list of the bits and/or kits you want to sell to buyer@spikeybits.com. We will respond back to you writing 24-48 hours of receipt of your trade in list!

Get started now! Download our easy to use Trade In Sheet, and get moving!

**cincydooley**

So 20% MSRP for non primed, well assembled models? Yikes....

**Azreal13**

Or you can list them on eBay, with all the faffing that ensues, maybe make a bit more before fees etc and then run the risk of being messed around by the buyer. Plus you have to acknowledge there has to be room for profit, as with anything sold back to a business.

Taking all that into account, it seems a fair offer.

Or you could just let unwanted minis sit and gather dust and make you nothing.

Your call.

**kestral**

When I read it I thought they were offering to buy my extra bits to get around the GW ban. Too bad! Still, there may be some good deals to be had from those lazy enough to take advantage of this.

**Azazelx**

cincydooley wrote:
So 20% MSRP for non primed, well assembled models? Yikes....

You're never going to get when many of us would consider a "fair" price for trade-ins for a reseller. These guys need to make a profit to put bread on their table as well as some spending money of their own, or why bother. They also have to cover the costs of stock/bitz that will not move. Which is why I just hoard/trade/give away my own bits to mates, but also understand the Spikey Bits guy's perspective.

**Yodhrin**

azreal13 wrote:
Or you can list them on eBay, with all the faffing that ensues, maybe make a bit more before fees etc and then run the risk of being messed around by the buyer. Plus you have to acknowledge there has to be room for profit, as with anything sold back to a business.

Taking all that into account, it seems a fair offer.

Or you could just let unwanted minis sit and gather dust and make you nothing.

Your call.

As someone who was required to make this argument for years since it was GAME's company line; it's a crock. I'm sure the chap who runs this place is very nice and all that, but trade-in programmes are rip offs, they have to be in order to be profitable. If you genuinely can't be bothered to tart them up with some paint to make them more valuable, list them yourself on ebay(with a reserve price or buy it now), or ask around your local gaming scene to see if anyone want to buy/trade for them, then this sounds like a great option - but don't for one moment believe you are getting what they're worth.

**Azreal13**

You're getting what they're worth to the company, if you're not prepared to put in the work to maximise the return, that's the price you pay

**Azazelx**

Um, you guys are both right.

I personally just let unwanted minis sit and gather dust and make you nothing. That's because I make my money at my job. c'est la vie.

**BrassScorpion**

Any time you trade items with someone that needs to mark them up and sell them you're going to get less than selling directly to the end user, but it makes for a reliable steady place to sell without having to take time and effort to find a buyer which may take who knows how long if you can find one at all. There are definite advantages to having a set place to trade off your unwanted models. Pawn shops don't pay top dollar either but people use them because it's quicker than trying to find a buyer on their own.

**RiTides**

50% for new items isn't bad, if doing store credit. I'm assuming they sell stuff for 80-85% of MSRP, so you could make a decent swap without hassle. I don't know, seems fair enough.

**pretre**

Yeah, not a bad deal. Considering when I buy big lots that I generally force the price down to 20-30%, I think it is more than reasonable.

**whoadirty**

One thing to consider is not everyone has an Ebay account, and not everyone has an Ebay account with a good enough rating to get a decent amount of money for their items. I have an Ebay rating of 230 some and I don't get near what other sellers (with higher ratings) get. To each their own, this might be a great deal for someone.

**Hulksmash**

60% off retail price for NIB items is just silly. It's less than they get that new product from their distributors for. I can understand the painted/primered and assembled cost being so low but since when do people not get at least 60% of the value when selling a new box (GW anyway) on ebay?

Good program for some of the other stuff I guess though.

**nkelsch**

Every time something has to change hands to the final destination, you must expect a 50% markup.

If you want to maximize profit, do the legwork yourself and sell the item directly to the interested party.

This is for people who want to just hand over stuff and get a check, no fuss, no muss. The prices are about what I would expect for that. There is an expectation they will basically turn around and re-sell your item for way more than they paid you for it.

Next time I clean out stuff, I may consider this... But I usually use the local FLGS who have swap meets or auctions.

**spiralingcadaver**

Eh, I'd rather use bartertown or the swap shop here- I'm not so desperate for more army mans that I'm going to take that big of a loss to move them quickly...