Wednesday 24 November 2010

Tips For Selling Action Figures


I have been an avid collector of action figures all my life and today I am a proud owner of 1700 figures dating from 1975 to 2008. That's almost 33 years or three decades of collecting action figure toys. After all, owning rare and original figures of my favorite comic books' characters, TV series characters, and movie characters is an old hobby, and one I must admit, that is highly cherished. Besides, I also know many people who have crossed the 40 year mark, and still love to collect figures!

But every once in a while I have to create space for new additions to my collection and for this I have to sell some. If you are also thinking of selling some of your figures, old and new, then you will need a little help. The important things to know are: 


At what price you can sell your action figures
How or where you can find buyers for them.

Here is an insight into the process of selling your action figures.

Price of your Action Figure

Pricing of your action figure will depend on several factors such as:

Year of manufacture: You can't sell your 1989 figure for the same price as your 2006 figure unless it falls in the vintage category. A quick Google search for a particular figure should show the various details about the manufacturer and the date the figure was manufactured. You can also visit popular auction websites and action figure stores to find out the market prices for new and old action figures. This will provide you with a rough estimate of the kind of price that you need to quote.

Condition of action figure: Whether it is a brand new figure, a vintage series, a used figure or a packed one; you need to check the following before you can sell them:


They should not be torn or creased in any way
They should not have cracks on the plastic
They should not be warped in any manner
The plastic should not be discolored
The action figures should not have any scratches or even minor damages

What you need to understand is that your action figures will be worth much more if they are in good condition. 

Hot sellers: You should search over the internet for action figures that are considered to be hot sellers. You can find several lists with some common names like GI Joe, Star Wars, Spiderman, Wolverine, etc. If you have a hot product then you can get a good price for it. So start by selling those action figures, which are more in demand.

The best place to find out what action figures are in demand and what is not is the Internet. In fact, a website called Mania has compiled their list of Top 10 action figures of 2008, which are:


Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th Part 7 The New Blood
Batman and Joker - Inseperable
Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike
Mola Ram Mighty Mugg from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Rorschach action figures
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra
Alien
Hal Jordan as Green Lantern
Christopher Reeve Superman Statue Limited Edition
18 inch deluxe Hellboy action figure

But before you think of selling them, spend some time online so you understand certain specifications. Manufacturers websites, as well as those of avid collectors, will often list the technical specifications of various vintage (and new) figures, as well as their price guides.

You might find price differences on these sites, but that is mostly dependent on the year of manufacture and the manufacturer.

Now that your research work is complete, you can start selling.

How or where to find Buyers

There are several places from where you can get buyers for your action figures. One of the best platforms for selling figures is the Internet, thousands of people search for action figures on a daily basis. Remember, the idea of selling online is to go global! Action figure collectors are not just in the US, but across the world. So when you put up your product online, you will be able to reach out to a far greater audience.

In a nut shell, selling action figures might sound easy but it is always a good thing to do your research well before you go into the market with the toys.








This guide is brought to you by http://www.CheapActionFigures.net, the action figure shop dedicated to bringing you the lowest prices for the highest quality collectibles! Check out our brand new collectors guide for more tips on finding rare action figures!


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