Due to the internet issues regarding the recent vectis auction I would be interested in hearing people's opinions on the best ways to buy and sell their higher end items,all three ways have their own merits,any input would be appreciated
Ebay vs room auctions vs forums for high end items
- Thread starter Hothrebel
- Start date
Ebay: Good exposure but full of idiots and time wasters.
Auction houses: Usually good exposure if they have a website which advertises their auctions but usually the real collectors miss out because they were not informed of the auctions or they get outbid by dealers and those "in the trade".
Forums: Not always ideal for exposure but there are fewer idiots on forums and perfect for more "niche" collectibles as it's where most of the educated collectors hang out.
I suppose it all depends on what you are trying to sell as well, sometimes a really oddball but interesting piece can make you a good return if you can find the right buyer, it just takes time.
Personally I stick to the forums or I speak to contacts through email when I buy and sell, just because I like the peace of mind I get from dealing with someone I trust. That doesn't mean I always get top dollar for the items I sell but it has (so far at least) proven to be the less stressful avenue..
Auction houses: Usually good exposure if they have a website which advertises their auctions but usually the real collectors miss out because they were not informed of the auctions or they get outbid by dealers and those "in the trade".
Forums: Not always ideal for exposure but there are fewer idiots on forums and perfect for more "niche" collectibles as it's where most of the educated collectors hang out.
I suppose it all depends on what you are trying to sell as well, sometimes a really oddball but interesting piece can make you a good return if you can find the right buyer, it just takes time.
Personally I stick to the forums or I speak to contacts through email when I buy and sell, just because I like the peace of mind I get from dealing with someone I trust. That doesn't mean I always get top dollar for the items I sell but it has (so far at least) proven to be the less stressful avenue..
I think the recent auction balls-up with Vectis convinced me, if i wasn't convinced already, that ebay is really the only place to sell. Maximum exposure, maximum value. The 10% fees are a small price to pay for selling to the largest market available on the net.
Certain things can also be sold on forums but difficult to get maximum value on forums.
Certain things can also be sold on forums but difficult to get maximum value on forums.
Dark Sith Lord
Grand Master
I think it really depends what the item is and in what auction it is entered.
For example I wouldn't recommend you enter a lot of Palitoy MOC in small Antique and Collectable sale if your looking for top money
but if you enter it into a Toy sale at Vectis for example then the selling price would be vastly different
For example I wouldn't recommend you enter a lot of Palitoy MOC in small Antique and Collectable sale if your looking for top money
but if you enter it into a Toy sale at Vectis for example then the selling price would be vastly different
wbobafett
Jedi Knight
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2012
- Messages
- 363
For selling its simple:
1. evilbay: Fees! (plus Pp fees)
2. Auction house: fees
3. Forums: NO fees!!!!
So if you have the "time" and can be patient...the forums are the best plattforms to sell! You additionally meet nice people and can talk your hobby!
For buying I also would appreciate the forums. If you search high end stuff these are normally sold "in the dark". If you have gathered some friends and contacts you will be able to get your hands on stuff you would never ever get achance to in the wild!
1. evilbay: Fees! (plus Pp fees)
2. Auction house: fees
3. Forums: NO fees!!!!
So if you have the "time" and can be patient...the forums are the best plattforms to sell! You additionally meet nice people and can talk your hobby!
For buying I also would appreciate the forums. If you search high end stuff these are normally sold "in the dark". If you have gathered some friends and contacts you will be able to get your hands on stuff you would never ever get achance to in the wild!
wbobafett said:
Most stuff i've put on forums that spends weeks just sitting there ends up selling for more (than i was asking) on ebay (once i finally get it up there). Almost every time.
I know it's not vintage SW stuff but this still presents a very good example of forum vs ebay. Forums are still a small market so if you can find someone who wants what you've got, great. But if not it will just sit there and you'll end up lowering the price to way less than it's worth just to get rid.
Games i had listed on the forum for a couple of months. (several sold on the forums but the ones that didn't (most) i listed on ebay. Eventually)
Final sale price once listed on ebay.
wbobafett
Jedi Knight
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2012
- Messages
- 363
I agree on the usual stuff. But OP asked about higher end stuff. And there is a lot of buyers searching both: ebay and forums. I have sometimes the feeling that bootlegs (i.e. UZAY) sell much better on the forums, plus it is about high end stuff the ebay fees will kill your profit. I mean it doesn't help if you make more bucks on ebay sometimes, because minus the fees you even sell cheaper.
Anyway...talking about variants the market is very cold these days. I see stuff selling for incredible low prices all the time...on ebay, RS and elsewhere. Maybe we all should wait for the week after christmas, and then sell on ebay :lol: :lol: :lol: ...probably the best time in year for selling stuff
Anyway...talking about variants the market is very cold these days. I see stuff selling for incredible low prices all the time...on ebay, RS and elsewhere. Maybe we all should wait for the week after christmas, and then sell on ebay :lol: :lol: :lol: ...probably the best time in year for selling stuff
I agree with Wolff regarding high end items (which is the topic here). Ebay gives you access to a much larger pool of buyers when you list on their site but what use are all those buyers they if they aren't interested in your items? I would say 75% of Vintage collectors have no real interest in bootlegs/prototypes/pre production or even rare foreign variations yet they are probably the most expensive areas of collecting that exist.
If you are looking to sell high end items you may have to use a combination of sales platforms to find the right buyer. Advertising on ebay at a very high price might do the trick as people love to look at those kinds of auctions (window shopping) and someone may eventually make an offer but I can tell you that the majority of the "good stuff" is sold behind the scenes through contacts and between friends because all of the people interested in those items know each other and prefer to deal with each other.
PS: That's not to say ebay is totally useless for high end items though, you just have to get incredibly lucky when you list there. We saw an UZAY mini rig break $2K recently - which is ridiculous because most examples sell for $500-600. Although it's almost pointless to include an auction example like that when you price a similar item because someone spending over $2K on an UZAy mini rig won't happen twice.
If you are looking to sell high end items you may have to use a combination of sales platforms to find the right buyer. Advertising on ebay at a very high price might do the trick as people love to look at those kinds of auctions (window shopping) and someone may eventually make an offer but I can tell you that the majority of the "good stuff" is sold behind the scenes through contacts and between friends because all of the people interested in those items know each other and prefer to deal with each other.
PS: That's not to say ebay is totally useless for high end items though, you just have to get incredibly lucky when you list there. We saw an UZAY mini rig break $2K recently - which is ridiculous because most examples sell for $500-600. Although it's almost pointless to include an auction example like that when you price a similar item because someone spending over $2K on an UZAy mini rig won't happen twice.
