What is considered an acceptable mark-up?

[stormcab]

After selling some of my MOCs to fund other MOC purchases, I am wondering what is an acceptable mark-up to buy something with the intent of selling it, but at the same time not falling foul of the community morals on here? I sold my MOCs for what I paid, although I have tracked prices for several months of identical MOCs and know I could have pushed for more, especially on Facebook. I sold my Palitoy 45c Fett on eBay last year after it was confirmed on here as a TT. I've seen non disclosed ones sell for £500-700, I fully disclosed and got less than £200. All this to make sure I had a decent reputation on here.

Basically I spend a lot of time browsing eBay for stuff I might want, and watch many items to see what they fetch. Sometimes things go for surprisingly low amounts, and I think "if I'd have bought that, surely I could have sold it for a small profit on here, and put that towards something I'm after?". Is this acceptable? The other reason would be knowing that people who buy stuff to flip at huge price hikes mean good collectors miss out. So if I do the work of searching, and get something at a good price, it would be ok to sell on with a little mark up? I'm assuming that's how the other regular sellers on here work?

 

[rdpla]

down to the individual fella....
there are some people that will take a 20% mark up. they wont get rich, but maybe they will sleep well at night. I have noticed there is a big difference in prices here and on those on ebay..If people want it badly they will pay for it..and not everyone is sensible enough to go to the star wars forums.
I`m gonna be listing something soon on ebay that is extremely rare. it will have a big mark up and even though i may get booed and hissed at by the members here, they might understand that I`m actually doing it so i can raise the money to take the family to see my mum and she can hold her grandchildren before she ends up in a box..
I ve sold some stuff - star wars/ batman / robots mainly..if auction style..the market dictates whats it worth..what people are willing to spend. buy me now, i tend to price it 15-20% below the highest priced sold and consider all offers..

you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all of the time..
Will PM you in a bit..
Rob

 

[lejackal]

I don't think anyone minds a modest mark up but I think it depends on the circumstances. I think buying on here to flip elsewhere would be frowned upon as we generally get better prices than ebay BIN or Facebook although as you say, if you do the donkey work there are bargains to be had.
I've sold a lot recently and overall made precisely squat on top of prices paid but that was my choice, I wanted to liquidate to concentrate on certain items.
Off the top of my head this is what i bought and then sold for.

Tri imp Dig bought for £86 including postage and sold for £90 posted
Meccano Kenobi bought for £170 including postage and sold for £180 including postage and an acrylic case
Tri Lando Skiff bought for £55 posted and sold for £50 posted
Tri Kenobi and Han Hoth bought for £265 posted with me paying fees (not sure why as I was buying from Simon but hey ho) and sold for £255
Kenobi ESB baggie bought for £38 posted and sold for £76 posted to the states
12" Kenobi bought for £145 posted with customs charges sold for £80 posted
Meccano Jawa bought for £133 posted and sold for £158 posted to the states with acrylic case
Tri Emperor paid £30 shipped and sold for £45 shipped

As you can see if I were trying to be a dealer it wouldn't be sustainable but I got back most of what I paid and have some nice new stuff so I'm not that bothered.
Could I have asked for or held out for more? Almost certainly, particularly on the Meccano Kenobi but I was treated fairly and wanted to do the same.
I would say there is no absolute right or wrong answer other than don't take the piss

 

[edd_jedi]

I don't think there is any hard and fast rule, but I always aim to sell at the low end of market value. Firstly to get a quick sale, I don't want things hanging around for months, and secondly because I'm not a c*nt :lol:

However, what the item cost you is none of anybody else's business. I've had many good scores in my time, that doesn't mean I have to sell them for a quarter of market value. A good example - about 10 years ago I picked up an ESB Han Bespin MOC on eBay. The seller listed it as a Kenner one for £35 BIN. It was actually a Palitoy 45 back. I snapped it up, and a couple of weeks later I sold it for from memory £250, about 8 times what I paid for it. That's obviously a massive mark up, but these things were selling for £300 all day long. So it sold quickly, and somebody got a reasonable deal. It's probably worth over a grand now.

Nobody should feel bad about making money - we all do it - and anybody that's been in this game long enough knows you will win some and you will lose some, as is life. The main problem IMO is selling things for over market value, as that is what drives up prices. Sadly many sellers make a career out of it.

 

[edd_jedi]

Another thing I forgot - what you paid isn't important, but how you acquired it is. If you have owned something since childhood or scored a great eBay or wild bargain, then do what you like with it. However if like a certain Facebook "dealer" you have spent the last few years giving people sob stories to get items on the cheap only to now proclaim yourself a reseller and list everything for double market value, then quite frankly you're a twat.

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

Another thing I forgot - what you paid isn't important, but how you acquired it is. If you have owned something since childhood or scored a great eBay or wild bargain, then do what you like with it. However if like a certain Facebook "dealer" you have spent the last few years giving people sob stories to get items on the cheap only to now proclaim yourself a reseller and list everything for double market value, then quite frankly you're a twat.

I have NO idea who you're talking about, Edd.... :lol:

 

[lejackal]

Another thing I forgot - what you paid isn't important, but how you acquired it is. If you have owned something since childhood or scored a great eBay or wild bargain, then do what you like with it. However if like a certain Facebook "dealer" you have spent the last few years giving people sob stories to get items on the cheap only to now proclaim yourself a reseller and list everything for double market value, then quite frankly you're a twat.

Now this ^^^^^ sounds interesting!

Edit: so how would this work, I mean who is going to buy the "little Jonny can't have new shoes this month but I really need your Palitoy x,y,z for the price of a Kenner" line anyway?

 

[Cymonguk]

I think the above answers my question. I am thinking that at various points I will buy collections, keep things I want and sell other stuff. My intention won't be in making pots of cash but I will of course profit (most of which you can guarantee will be spent in more stuff). Of course I would try to sell here at a good price and sell stuff on eBay for things unwanted etc. I'm assuming that's considered fair and reasonable?

 

[edd_jedi]

so how would this work, I mean who is going to buy the "little Jonny can't have new shoes this month but I really need your Palitoy x,y,z for the price of a Kenner" line anyway?

I actually raised this issue myself on the Echo Base Facebook page a couple of months ago, but the mods weren't interested. Trust me it happens all the time, there are countless posts every week of people asking for freebies because "their son" wants them for their collection. Some people just have no shame - even if you do want things for your children, it's not down to other people's charity to supply them. And I bet all these people have their own collection or they wouldn't have joined the group in the first place, so it's not like they have no money.

 

[edd_jedi]

I think the above answers my question. I am thinking that at various points I will buy collections, keep things I want and sell other stuff. My intention won't be in making pots of cash but I will of course profit (most of which you can guarantee will be spent in more stuff). Of course I would try to sell here at a good price and sell stuff on eBay for things unwanted etc. I'm assuming that's considered fair and reasonable?

Yes that sounds fine, and if there's anything you got hooked up on, consider offering it back to that person or to somebody that would equally appreciate the gesture. There are a few pieces in my collection I got through good fortune and will offer back to the people that helped me get them.

 

[Cymonguk]

I think the above answers my question. I am thinking that at various points I will buy collections, keep things I want and sell other stuff. My intention won't be in making pots of cash but I will of course profit (most of which you can guarantee will be spent in more stuff). Of course I would try to sell here at a good price and sell stuff on eBay for things unwanted etc. I'm assuming that's considered fair and reasonable?

Yes that sounds fine, and if there's anything you got hooked up on, consider offering it back to that person or to somebody that would equally appreciate the gesture. There are a few pieces in my collection I got through good fortune and will offer back to the people that helped me get them.

I think I consider that a given. These things are nothing if not community driven, and people you meet in networks like swfuk are part of that.

I agree with lejackal, as many might have seen my buying is something of a way to include my daughter in collecting, but I would never ask for anything, she knows these are things we get together. She has already said she isn't ever selling (for money's sake anyway) anything we collect as they are something we Love and share. Hopefully when you are all in care homes and need to sell them she can buy up your collections

 

[maxf]

I think the key is not taking the piss. I don't think you should sell way below market if you've owned a piece for a while - that's just crazy.

 

[Mr-shifter]

I agree with Edd. It's more about how you are acquiring items and how you conduct yourself.

For example. If someone posts a Vcj on here for £300, I could buy it and double my money. As long as the seller is happy with their sale price, someone who might really want one but can't afford market will get to have one at a fair price. So despite being able to double your money, buying it to flip would make me a ****, and really quite selfish.

 

[palitoyjunky]

Well that is it, I think the key points to consider r;

Market value

What the piece owes u

Don't take the piss

There r of course other moral arguments regarding say friends in the hobby selling and buying amongst each other. I have been v fortunate in the past when genuine great friends I have in this hobby have sold me items only asking what they paid knowing full well they r taking much less than the market value :!: Now don't get me wrong, that shouldn't b expected at all :!: The owner of an item has the right to ask what they want and as long as they r being fair regarding the above points, no one can really say anything against them :!:

 

[Joe]

I think if you are a collector in this for the long term then trying to get maximum profit out of every single sale should never be a factor when you have to sell stuff.

A good reputation leads to good friendships and good friendships can be very rewarding. I've had people offer me very fair trades and been given many an opportunity to buy pieces at fair prices simply because the seller knows they are going to a good home where they will be appreciated and not sold on for profit.

So it all comes down to how much you value your rep, how long you intend to be around and being able to stop yourself from the temptation of taking the piss out of people..basically don't be a ****

 

[lejackal]

basically don't be a ****

Maybe this should become a pinned post at the top of the FS section :lol:

 

[palitoyjunky]

That is another good point by Joe, building a good rep and basically being liked will firstly help u sleep well at night and secondly there can b many benefits that come with being such a collector ie being offered real tough sought after gems b4 others, being given the heads up on pieces u r looking for....

Basically not being a **** is a win win :wink:

 

[stormcab]

All good reads people. Like I've already shown with my recent and past sales, I've not wanted to appear a c**t.

Cheers folks

 

[Ross_Barr]

Perhaps you have seen this posted elsewhere, but I have written an article that proposes that not all forms of flipping is bad and suggests some guidelines as to how to buy and sell if you want to do so in a courteous and conscientious manner, and one that won't give you a bad name in the hobby. Of course, some of the guidelines are subjective (that is, people may differ on what the market value and above market value for a particular item is), and this is by no means the law on flipping. It's just my own personal view on the matter.

http://vintagestarwarscollectors.com/guest-collector-ross-barr-and-the-ethics-of-flipping/

 

[jedisearcher]

Pricing, economics, flipping, mark-ups ... turning into the Financial Times here ...