Sell Second-Hand Toys on eBay at Christmas and All Year Round

 

Second-hand toys are popular sellers on eBay, not just for buyers on a budget, but also because some second-hand toys are no longer available new or they are rare collectibles.  So keep a close eye open for yesterday’s toys at car boot sales and flea markets, at jumble sales and in charity shops. 

 

These tips will help maximise your toy sale profits on eBay at Christmas and all year round:

 

*  Arrive early at boot sales and flea markets and negotiate big discounts on items you can resell on eBay.  Spend those discounts on paint and cleaning materials and neat new packaging to improve the appearance and perceived value of your items.  Once done, toys might look like new, but they are not new and you must make this very clear in your eBay listing.

 

*  When you buy second-hand, look for multiple identical items, some broken, some missing spare parts.  Remove all the good parts and use them to create one perfect version of a popular toy.  But remember, it’s still second-hand, so say so in your listing.

 

*  Lift the perceived value of used toys: rather than call them second-hand, call them ‘previously loved’ or ‘previously owned’ or ‘cherished oldies’. 

 

*  Vintage toys and games are popular sellers on eBay and you’ll often find them lurking alongside modern toys and games at boot sales and flea markets.  This is especially so on stalls manned by families, not traders, making it more important than ever for you to arrive early and grab the best deals for yourself before visiting traders and others selling on the day begin buying up the best stock before the doors open to the public. 

 

*  At boot sales, you’ll find knowledgeable sellers displaying their best toys and games (and other items) prominently on top of the table.  Non-specialist sellers, usually families and private individuals, are more likely to pack everything into boxes, some boxes on the table, some beneath.  Spend time searching these boxes and you may find the best stuff hidden at the bottom of the pile. 

 

*  Instead of listing toys you know are popular sellers and facing heavy competition, look for unusual items and toys you haven’t already spotted on eBay.  But don’t risk money buying items that might not actually sell; instead ask permission to use the sellers’ graphics in your eBay listings. Or buy just one item, photograph it, create your own description, sell it, see how many Second Chance Offers ensue, then rush in fast to replenish your stock. These toys, no matter how unusual, might actually be tomorrow’s hottest sellers on eBay, only people don’t know it yet, because no-one’s ever seen them on eBay.

 

*  Visit shops and suppliers in less affluent areas, try corner shops and tiny market traders, they often have toys priced way below their eBay equivalent and some have frequent sales where toys are priced below their original wholesale value.  These are great items to buy and sell as stocking fillers or, better still, use them to create your own ready-filled stockings and children’s Christmas gift baskets for reselling on eBay. 

  

*  Form the last tip, make own Christmas gift baskets, create your own Christmas stockings, and you could even offer to create baskets and stockings to order based on the recipient’s favourite toys, cartoon characters, hobbies, and so on.  But you must offer this bespoke service well before the Christmas rush or you could miss out on potentially your biggest money-maker ever!

 

*  Be careful cleaning, repairing and repainting toys.  Some paints and adhesives contain lead and other toxic substances and toys containing them are banned from sale in most countries. Jutting nails, spelks in wood, tiny buttons and beads, can all death or serious injury and will get you in hot water with the police and consumer trading authorities and could get you expelled from eBay.  eBay has very strong rules and regulations about quality of toys offered for sale which you can read about at: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/policies.html

 *  Do not auction your hot sellers all at once or even in close proximity.  Wait to see what Second Chance Offers ensue from one listing and always wait for one auction to end before relisting the item again.  Listing two similar items concurrently will spread your bidders across your listings and reduce your likely finishing prices.   But it’s usually okay to list items concurrently as Buy It Now or Shop listings.

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*  Put your product list inside fulfilment packages and invite customers to visit your eBay store.  For multiple sale customers you can add a gift voucher buyers can redeem on their next purchase.  You could also join an affiliate program selling other items for children which you can mention on your compliments slip or thank you letters sent with current orders.  

 

Additionally, people who buy toys also buy children’s clothing, school uniforms, and children’s holidays, and more, so join an affiliate for any or all of these additional products and enjoy a back-end source of income from your eBay sales.

 

*  Study eBay (.com , .co.uk, and other) in the run up to Christmas, see what others are selling successfully, make notes, print out or save other people’s listings, put it all to one side until this year’s big spend comes to an end.  Immediately the new year begins take all of this information, study it again, use it to plan your campaign for selling toys next Christmas, and the Christmas after that, and …

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