selling my collection

[captainwatts]

This is the first post ive done in over a year,mainly because we gave up broadband when we moved last june.

Its because of this move that my financial situation has become a little tight and i have decided its time to sell off my collection.

I cant justify not taking my wife and 4 year old son on holiday again this year when i could fund this by selling my collection, which is currently just sat in my loft collecting dust.

It has been quite a difficult decision to decide to sell off my collection especially when most of it is from mine and my brothers original collection back in the early 80's.These were many happy birthday/chrristmas presents.
I can still remember the big decision i had to make when i was about six,of whether to collection Action Force or star wars.I never regreted the choice i made.

I will be putting together a full list soon.The prize of my collection would have to be a fully complete Z force base,including Gaucho and Jammer and original box.Also a boxed Roboskull including original sticker sheet with still half the stickers left to apply.I guess we were either to lazy or to impatient to put them on as children.

I would welcome some advice on which is the best way of selling of my collection.Either on here or on Ebay.Like most sellers i am after the best price i can get, but i am unsure on what percentage ebay take as a fee.For instance if i sold something for £50,what would i actually get.

Sorry about the really long post,no doubt with lots of bad grammer,and i will welcome any comments.

Regards,Simon.

[Shaunyboy]

It's a sad story about you selling your collection Simon, but you've come to the right place to sell. The regulars on here are all top notch honest guys.

I would say the obvious notion is to try to get bigger bucks on eBay but with it comes more time wasters.

Let us know when you have a list together and I hope you get sh*t loads of cash!

[gung-hoeddie]

It's sad to hear of the tough choice you have had to make, if I can help please let me know pricing or buying.

[paulitoy]

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My opinion on selling is most definitely to sell here.

Ebay has gotten progressively worse and worse.

The fees are ridiculous, the amount of deadbeat non-paying bidders is at an all time high and the fraud angle is increasing where people either deny receiving the item or claim they are damaged/faulty [when they are not] and want half their money back.

Take my advice and sell here. We'll give you a fair price for stuff.

I've sold all my spares on here for the last 6 months. I'll ask about a third less on here as it will benefit us honest buyers and that third would only go on ebay/paypal fees/wasted time/fraudulent buyers/etc anyway.

Sorry to be so negative, I'm probably overplaying it a little, but you asked for advice and I'm trying to help.

Post me a list of what you have for sale when its done as well please and I'll see if I can help at all.

All best!

[Red Baron]

Also sorry to hear you have to sell a prized collection due to circumstance. Never a nice thing - I hope things improve for you.

Just to give a slightly different angle, my experince of eBay selling over the last six-months hasn't been that bad. Touch wood it continues. Just one or two time wasters, but mostly genuine buyers.

To avoid fees obviously selling through forums like this is the best bet and as it's Action Force you're selling then, as has been said, you have the best possible resource and buyers right here.

It is worth knowing that eBay fees are less than a high street auction house (quite a number of whom do specialist toy auctions). High street auctioneers will typically charge 15% + VAT on anything sold, plus probably a cost per picture in the catalogue.

eBay has a listing fee which varies depending on what you list for, number of pictures and additional services you add. I never find the listing fee too bad. They'll charge you 10% of the final value, which seems high I guess, but as I say is less than a high street auctioneer and perhaps generally you have a much more global reach trhough eBay (unless you sell through someone like Christies, Bonhams etc., who'll charge much more than 15% + VAT to sell things). Most people want to pay Paypal, which costs a further 3.4% + 20p of the total transaction amount.

I would say sell through this forum as you wil get a fair price, but if you do go for eBay and you want to avoid the issue of claims from people saying items are loss, simply always charge for and send by recorded delivery. It's a marginally higher cost for buyers, but gives the seller reassurance that there can't be any messing about.

Hope that helps

[skyline]

You could always search e-bays completed listings for each item and find roughly what it goes for each time, then try it on here at that price and if no one takes, then evilbay it!

[captainwatts]

Thanks for all your comments and advice,its definitely made me a little bit more cautious about selling on ebay.

I do feel a bit like a contestant on x factor who has told some sob story in the hope of gaining the judges sympathy and getting through to the next round.

Things could be alot worse and should hopefully improve when my little man starts full-time school in september,when the mrs is looking to get back to work.

Anyway my man has just gone to bed so i am now heading up into the loft,and will hopefully have some lists on here latter tonight.That is if i dont get side tracked and end up having one last battle with Cambell and the boys.

P.S. Sorry for admitting to watching the x factor,you can blame the wife for that.

[Thundershot]

Can I just say, keep your fave figure.
Doesn't have to be the best condition or most valuable one, but the one that has the most sentimental value to you.

[tintinlostsnowy]

I agree with Paul and I have been buying and selling since 2005, Lately or just before christmas I had my last auctions and I havn't listed since due to my feedback being wrecked by cobrasnowraven who has now made his feedback private he has left negatives for everyone he has won stuff off. I will post the full story later this week in the sellers beware thread.
I also had two others for items going missing in the post even though I had the paypal postage slips stamped at the post office and one never made a paypal claim even though his feedback says he usually does if it goes missing, I even offered him a refund but nope no reply so I guess he must have got it. It was to U.S. and christmas but neg was left after 6 days I think, no comms just neg at christmas you are lucky to get it to U.S. in 6 days without the christmas rush ffs.

[tintinlostsnowy]

Then again you could always post to U.K. only and send by dhl,interparcel,parcel2go etc for the more expensive items as the signed for option by Royal mail is only insured up to £39.00 the same as first class stamps anyway, and they don't always get a signature. Special Delivery is the best to use with Royal mail.
If you do want to send overseas too use one of the couriers mentioned.
http://www.interparcel.com/
http://www.parcel2go.com/?referrer=100ConfEmail
http://www.dhl.co.uk/publish/gb/en/eshi ... lAodmiMb0A

I would also check each for the cheapest price as sometimes it can be cheaper using dhl through parcel2go and interparcel for some reason.