[Diecast/Models] Advice on selling a lot of models very quickly.

[Knowlesy]

I am moving out of home again in a months time and therefore trying to raise cash and also getting rid of a lot of stuff that I simply won't be able to take down the country with me.

So, starting with my model colleection. I dragged some boxes out of the loft today to get started taking photos and stuff and it hit me just how many I have to get rid of.

I've been ruthless and so must have earmarked about 70-80 1:43 Minichamps F1 cars and between 20-30 1:18 Minichamps F1 cars as well as a couple of 1:24 stockcars and 1:12 motorcycles. It's mental, I can't possibly list them all individually on eBay because it would cost a fortune and it would simply take too much time.

I'm thinking maybe just listing the more valuable cars/bikes on eBay, but what of the rest? Would any companies take a job lot of random cars? Or will they have to be returned to the loft, never to be seen again?

I can't travel to any model fairs either as I pretty much have no transport.

You collect these things and sometimes wonder how much value you have locked away, but when it comes to selling them you just can't logically do it.

[mountainstar]

Having sold a lot of model cars on ebay in the past, a recommendation might be to sell them all as a collection. If you have some decent items you might be surprised at what it might go for as one lot.

I don't know if you have these in the UK, but over here in the states we have "Sold it on Ebay" stores that take items for sale, do all the leg work in posting listings and shipping the items and you pay them a percentage or a fee for doing so.

[Craig]

A friend of mine had a similar deal after he split with his missus and they sold the house. We loaded up a whole batch of them and took them, along with an old wallpaper pasting table, to some sort of diecast collectors fair at the NEC. Ended up having a real fun day out, sold 85% of them for a good amount of money and all without all the hassle of listing and packaging. Think it cost something like 20 quid for the pitch and a couple of quid for petrol (tho that'll probably be a whole lot more by now...) Not sure who organised the fair but I do remember they held them all round the country (tho the NEC was the biggest I think)

If there's any you think I might be interested in drop me a PM

[tator2001uk]

there are people that will list your stuf fopr you on ebay and charge you a small percentage they sit and list everything, sometimes you see them as little interent cafes as a part time job, ebays quiet though these days not much on there and when it does appear its at silly buy it now prices so you might get some interest but as you say the packaging, pricing and listing takes for ages

[JamesRamone]

Why not post a list on here and see if anyone is interested in a block of them maybe ?

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by tator2001uk

but as you say the packaging, pricing and listing takes for ages

Yes when I was selling on ebay, I spent a disproportionate amount of time packaging and shipping items, so much so it limited the growth of the my business. For a quick sale, I'd definitely pass that chore onto someone else.

[Knowlesy]

Yeah, that's a concern, how quiet eBay is lately. Must be the credit crunch I suppose.

Some models I am kicking myself for not selling earlier. I have a Rossi test bike that was pulling in £200 not a couple of years back. Now it barely registers any interest. I don't know if this is because of the sudden flood of Rossi bikes or what, but it's so frustrating.

My sunglasses sold very quickly though at least!

I'll maybe stick a list up later on when I get time. It's mainly 90's and 00's cars sadly, but still some nice stuff in there.

[JamesRamone]

I just think, will i be the same in a few years time, when i need to get rid of some to make room? probably so

[tator2001uk]

post a list any btcc??? ort f1 helmets? lol

[Knowlesy]

No BTCC. I have a Jacques Villeneuve 1/12 helmet, but that's about it. The only other one is a Montoya half scale, but I'm keeping that!

Well, I've managed to shift some stuff. Got reasonable amounts for my Schumacher models so far and lots of interest in things I'm selling, even if there is no interest in similar items from other sellers oddly.

I can't believe how they have nazified the selling process though. It's ages since I last sold anything, but when I last did you were allowed to recoup paypal fees, you could accept cash by recorded delivery etc... I've had three or four listings removed for these 'offences'. Oh and you have to accept Paypal now, so the fees are unavoidable. I ope eBay Towers burns to the ground.

Also made a major gaffe the other day with a Raikkonen 1/43 model. I had looked at this particular one on eBay at various times over the past year, no interest it seemed. I stick mine up with a fairly low Buy It Now of £40 and some guy bought it within ten minutes of it going up.

Anyways, keep an eye out for a pair of 1/18 orange McLaren MP4/20's if you happen to be interested...got a few things up now such as a 1/43 Alan Jones Williams, some 1/43 Raikkonen Macs, couple of Schuey 1/43's, some stockcars...

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

I can't believe how they have nazified the selling process though. It's ages since I last sold anything, but when I last did you were allowed to recoup paypal fees, you could accept cash by recorded delivery etc... I've had three or four listings removed for these 'offences'. Oh and you have to accept Paypal now, so the fees are unavoidable. I ope eBay Towers burns to the ground.

Absolutely spot on mate. I've been selling bits and bobs on Ebay for 2-3 years now (and still buying far too many too..... ) but the whole process is becoming stupidly stacked against the seller. You can't even give negative feedback to a buyer now. I had some moron buy something from me a few weeks ago - collect only. Made no contact at all despite 5-6 mails. I then go through the reporting process, have to wait 8 days and I get my sold item fee back. Big deal. I'm 2 weeks down the road with an unsold item and some jerk gets an unpaid item strike that I can't even find on his profile...... He should be forced to wear a large red neon sign saying 'I'm an Ebay Non-Paying D******d!'......

You can't offer to accept cash anymore nor are you allowed to even hint in an auction listing that you might be prepared to accept a sensible offer.... I had two items removed recently for that. Ebay are so paranoid about people doing deals outside their auctions. Having said that, I made an offer on a mobile phone last Christmas and agreed to settle it 'out of Ebay' as it was such a good phone - turned out to be a complete turd that looked as though someone had played football with it in the playground.....

I still think Ebay is a useful resource, but I generally use it for amusement value these days, rather than actually trying to make any money out if it. (Did pick up two cheap entry tickets for Le Mans this year though - one just under under the face value price and the other significantly so..... )

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

I can't believe how they have nazified the selling process though. It's ages since I last sold anything, but when I last did you were allowed to recoup paypal fees, you could accept cash by recorded delivery etc... I've had three or four listings removed for these 'offences'. Oh and you have to accept Paypal now, so the fees are unavoidable. I ope eBay Towers burns to the ground.

Also made a major gaffe the other day with a Raikkonen 1/43 model. I had looked at this particular one on eBay at various times over the past year, no interest it seemed. I stick mine up with a fairly low Buy It Now of £40 and some guy bought it within ten minutes of it going up.

Actually since paypal started 10 years ago thereabouts and before ebay even owned them it wasn't legal for a seller to recoup paypal fees or to legally ask as such. Something to do with credit card rules or something. So that's never been a goer anyways, despite the fact you only just got caught.

What I did was backload the anticipated fees onto the shipping and packaging charges. It was never enough to cover it but it helped. And to me that's only fair especially if you are not really in business as such.

Cash I was always fine with but only generally got that from overseas buyers back in the dark ages before paypal became international. Didn't know a rule is in place against it.

Sometimes buy it now isn't a bad deal as cash in hand today is better than a possible chance at money tomorrow.

When I started selling on ebay I was the first seller to offer F1 models and other items on a regular basis back in 1998. We didn't even have a proper model or F1 category to list items in. Plus the listing process and end of auction emails were not as automated so it was a pretty cantankerous system to use. Plus you didn't have paypal so you waited for weeks to receive checks and money orders in the mail. Believe me it is so much better now.

[Knowlesy]

Yeah, I thought about kind of guessing fees and slapping them on the postage but then you have the problem of the buyer thinking he's being rattled for postage costs!

Seriously, I am sure that asking for cover for your Paypal charges was fine in the past. Not necessarily encouraged, but not a crime either. I did it any number of times for years, the first time I try it now and my auction is pulled within five minutes!

I wouldn't mind, but I don't really want people to pay by Paypal. There are the fees, then there's transferring it etc... I honestly prefer cheque (or cash), but now Paypal is mandatory!

From the buyer POV it is great, but the seller is being bent over and reamed and it's not good.

[ss_collins]

When JAG did something similar I bought the lot - so send me a list.

[Aysedasi]

I used to tell buyers that I would add a percentage for pPayPal fees. One chap complained, but I just told him that those were the requirements, take it or leave it. Now I don't bother at all. I accept the additional loss in return for the convenience of receiving payment that way.

The other thing I do insist on is that I will not sell to anyone who keeps their feedback private - obviously on the basis that you would only do that if you have something to hide..... I actually refused to send an item to someone who won an auction and paid by PayPal. I refunded his payment. He then gave me scurrilous and insulting feedback that Ebay would do nothing about. Fortunately that was at the time when I could have a go at him too. In the end, we had to agree to withdraw feedback. But now of course, the buyer can't even do that anymore....

[Aysedasi]

Sorry, I realise this is rather off-topic........

[Knowlesy]

Your moans are welcome Aysedasi, no worries. It's all good.

Well, making a mint on a few things. Just sold a Hamilton 1/43 for £70 and I have a Rossi bike going for £103 with 36 hours left.

I've been really pleasantly surprised. The market seemed slow, but people seem to have taken to my listings really well. Chuffed to bits.

[ss_collins]

Well I was wrong on that score! I've found the market quite sluggish of late

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Yeah, I thought about kind of guessing fees and slapping them on the postage but then you have the problem of the buyer thinking he's being rattled for postage costs!

Seriously, I am sure that asking for cover for your Paypal charges was fine in the past. Not necessarily encouraged, but not a crime either. I did it any number of times for years, the first time I try it now and my auction is pulled within five minutes!

I wouldn't mind, but I don't really want people to pay by Paypal. There are the fees, then there's transferring it etc... I honestly prefer cheque (or cash), but now Paypal is mandatory!

From the buyer POV it is great, but the seller is being bent over and reamed and it's not good.

I was with paypal from the beginning and it was always the rule with ebay that a seller could not charge a fee for a buyer using paypal. It may not have been strongly enforced from the get go, but it's always been a rule.

AFAIK you can still accept a check for payment. Shutting yourself out from paypal now not good, because almost every buyer wants to use it. It's too easy and as a seller I'd rather have my money now and get the thing in the mail rather than have it sitting around waiting for a check to arrive in the post. Personally I don't buy from any seller that does not accept paypal. I don't have time to write a check and sent it off.

I always labeled my charges as "Shipping and Packaging Costs" which roughly calculated shipping, packaging supplies and a part of paypal fees. I think out of thousands of items sold maybe 2-3 people at most ever questioned me about it and I was straight up about it. It's a cost of doing business. There is nothing to apologize for.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Your moans are welcome Aysedasi, no worries. It's all good.

Well, making a mint on a few things. Just sold a Hamilton 1/43 for £70 and I have a Rossi bike going for £103 with 36 hours left.

I've been really pleasantly surprised. The market seemed slow, but people seem to have taken to my listings really well. Chuffed to bits.

Post 9/11 when our economy over here slowed and my tourism based job took a hit on income I ratcheted up my ebay selling and did pretty decent on profit. It all comes down to the desirable items people can't get in shops anymore. You sell stuff like that you'll do well no matter the economy.