Anyone having any luck with selling?

[CherryPizza]

Long story short: In a week, belongings which have been filling a storage unit for the last few years are going to be taken to my current home. There will be a lot of items I'll be clearing out, including the vast majority of my Muppet collection (which is sad, but since I haven't even seen these items for about three years, it won't be that hard to let go of them).

However, whenever I look on eBay, I notice that there are plenty of Muppet items which barely get any attention from bidders. Palisades figures (which I have in abundance) are filling several listings, but most just seem to be sitting dormant without any attention from buyers. If I list items there, I won't be trying to make a fortune - or even a profit - and will consider any money I may get to be a bonus.

I'm just wondering if even this humble desire is beyond realistic at the moment. Has anyone had any success with offering Muppet items for sale recently?

 

[muppetlover123]

All i know is that i would like to know what stuff you have available to either buy or give away or whatever!!

 

[FunnyBear]

Um, no. I don't haave many Muppet items but, I would like to see what you have. I might buy some of the Palisades figures

 

[CherryPizza]

Thanks for the responses, but there won't/can't be a grand reveal of everything that I have. It'll be a lengthy, gradual process as I open one storage box at a time and deal with its contents before moving on to the next one.

This is why I need to re-ask my original question, which is whether anyone has been getting any results with listing items on eBay.

 

[Quazimoto]

I've sold a few Muppet related items on eBay before. Sold many more non-Muppet items as well. The general rule of thumb is to pay attention to what things actually sell for. A seller can list an item at whatever price they want, but that doesn't mean it will sell at that price. Do an advanced search for completed listings to find out what any particular item typically sells for and you'll have a good idea of what it may fetch at auction.

I would also suggest only starting items at the lowest price you're willing to accept for them. A lot of sellers (particularly new sellers) make the mistake of starting things too low and find they're disappointed when the auction ends and they didn't hit their desired mark. So figure out what's the absolutely lowest price you're willing to sell something at and start the bidding there. You may get less bids that way, but you also know that it won't be selling for less than you want for it.

I'd also highly suggest putting the Buy It Now option on all listings. A great number of buyers won't even bother with actual auctions and prefer a quick and easy sale through Buy It Now.

Offering free shipping also seems to attract more buyers. Even if you price for the item is higher than others because you've worked your shipping rate into the item price. In other words, say you list something for sale for $25 with a $5 shipping charge. It may seem illogical, but chances are that if you list that same item for $32 with free shipping, it's going to attract more attention and interest, even though the total price is actually higher. People like the idea of getting something for free, so working the shipping rate into your item price is usually a good idea. At least in my experience.

It's also a good idea to be detailed about the item's condition, shipping rates/speeds/methods, and any other pertinent information within the body of the listing. I've found that it's often better for the buyer and you as a seller to have too much information in a listing than not enough, that way there's less open for debate in case you run into a snarly buyer claiming something isn't as advertised.

Success on eBay (regardless of the item) is all about the right item at the right price. Very common items will have trouble selling at any price because they're easy to find and thus not in demand. However, no matter how rare an item is, it won't sell if it's overpriced.

 

[MuppetsRule]

I've sold a few Muppet related items on eBay before. Sold many more non-Muppet items as well. The general rule of thumb is to pay attention to what things actually sell for. A seller can list an item at whatever price they want, but that doesn't mean it will sell at that price. Do an advanced search for completed listings to find out what any particular item typically sells for and you'll have a good idea of what it may fetch at auction.

I would also suggest only starting items at the lowest price you're willing to accept for them. A lot of sellers (particularly new sellers) make the mistake of starting things too low and find they're disappointed when the auction ends and they didn't hit their desired mark. So figure out what's the absolutely lowest price you're willing to sell something at and start the bidding there. You may get less bids that way, but you also know that it won't be selling for less than you want for it.

I'd also highly suggest putting the Buy It Now option on all listings. A great number of buyers won't even bother with actual auctions and prefer a quick and easy sale through Buy It Now.

Offering free shipping also seems to attract more buyers. Even if you price for the item is higher than others because you've worked your shipping rate into the item price. In other words, say you list something for sale for $25 with a $5 shipping charge. It may seem illogical, but chances are that if you list that same item for $32 with free shipping, it's going to attract more attention and interest, even though the total price is actually higher. People like the idea of getting something for free, so working the shipping rate into your item price is usually a good idea. At least in my experience.

It's also a good idea to be detailed about the item's condition, shipping rates/speeds/methods, and any other pertinent information within the body of the listing. I've found that it's often better for the buyer and you as a seller to have too much information in a listing than not enough, that way there's less open for debate in case you run into a snarly buyer claiming something isn't as advertised.

Success on eBay (regardless of the item) is all about the right item at the right price. Very common items will have trouble selling at any price because they're easy to find and thus not in demand. However, no matter how rare an item is, it won't sell if it's overpriced.

I've sold Muppet items (and non-Muppet items) on e-Bay. Can't really add much more to DL's post. It is spot on.

 

[Phillip]

If you list items on eBay, be sure to post about links to your auctions here. It's a great way to let fellow Muppet fans know about what you're selling.

 

[SASQUAT8]

I have had some success at selling vintage muppet puppets, listing honestly and thoroughly and also remember that ebay takes 10% of your final sell price, so that will cut into your profit if you are a new seller. I follow several muppet searches and it seems like items from the 1070's sell the best,especially if they are in decent shape. I hope this helps, selling lots of several muppet items has also been successful for me.

 

[Quazimoto]

I have had some success at selling vintage muppet puppets, listing honestly and thoroughly and also remember that ebay takes 10% of your final sell price, so that will cut into your profit if you are a new seller. I follow several muppet searches and it seems like items from the 1070's sell the best,especially if they are in decent shape. I hope this helps, selling lots of several muppet items has also been successful for me.

That's a great tip too... About the lots. If you had a bunch of Muppet stuff to sell, definitely sell the rarer pieces solo, but group the common ones together in lots. Loads of beginning collectors love to buy lots like that.

BTW, I love the avatar SASQUAT8

 

[SASQUAT8]

That's a great tip too... About the lots. If you had a bunch of Muppet stuff to sell, definitely sell the rarer pieces solo, but group the common ones together in lots. Loads of beginning collectors love to buy lots like that.

BTW, I love the avatar SASQUAT8

Thanks and yeah I started my collection by buying several lots of Muppet items and got some really good stuff.