How to sell 'classic' gaming stuff

[Garyius2003]

I have been going back over my collection of gaming stuff. I have decided to get rid of all my non-Traveller/non-TW2000 stuff. I have a lot of it. TS, all D&D through 3, Dragons from the 90s. I want to make money for new guns and more Traveller.

This isn't an offer to sell here, it is a request for advice. Do I put it on EBay? Is there a better way? Put it up in lots or one at a time? What is the best way to get the highest price?

Background. There are no gaming stores here or within 2 hours of here. I think the net is my only real option. Ann Arbor, MI (~ 2 hours away) has a con every year but it was two months ago.

 

[dean]

Ebay is an option.
There's an outfit called Noble Knight that runs an online game store that deals in a lot of used items.
You could write up a list and send it to them (or one of many other online used shops) and get an estimate on the lot, if you wanted to make the money all at once and without the Ebay hassle.

 

[Darley51]

I've got stuff to Sell! (oh, boy, now where do I start?)

You can also list it with Alibris (although, this requires setting up a seller account... which may or may not be worth the effort, depending on the volume of stuff you have...)

I would suggest watching eBay for the similar items to see what they are going for, and then group the "less popular/more obscure" items with the popular ones, as bid packages... and see where that takes you... If you are looking for maximum return on your collection, and you have the time, list items separately and the stuff that doesn't go, can be put in a package when you relist.... EXCEPT for the magazines... you have the choice to list as the complete set, by year, or separately... depends on how others are listing/buying, I guess... As I write this, I remember that I'm looking for one or two specific issues of a game magazine, as I already have the rest of the run... don't need duplicates (my better half doesn't quite understand the "insurance" angle, so to speak) That should be enough to confuse you even further?!

 

[Gruffty]

I'd go for eBay.

I thought about selling my entire collection last year, so I looked at eBay for prices. I *could* have made an absolute killing with some of the silly prices people were charging (especially for DGP books).

I'd suggest you make that list of books, regardless, then check the prices of each book on eBay.

If you can't find a match for a book, ask here - many people here fill the gaps in their Traveller library by purchasing on eBay (heck, the only brand new books I've bought are all MGT books!).

Whilst I wouldn't ask anyone to publicly post how much they paid for their mint copy of The Traveller Alien ( :smirk: :rofl, people may be happier PMing you with the price they paid in private.

 

[Gruffty]

.....The Traveller Alien book doesn't exist, btw - it was a GDW book planned but never publsihed.....

 

[far-trader]

Experienced eBay seller and buyer here (that's what my "far-trader" handle was originally for).

It can be fun, and profitable, but it's not for the novice to jump in. Especially now as opposed to a few years back when I sold there. There are all kinds of scammers just waiting for a new seller to list stuff so they can rip you off or just mess with you for fun. I'm not saying don't, I'm saying get a little education first. Read some of the discussion forums for the kinds of problems you might have. Read ALL the new to eBay stuff and guides.

To get good prices there you need multiple bidders who want it. To maximize your potential you have to gamble and start your auction low and hope bidding takes off.

To get the most bidders interested answer as many questions as you can in the listing and include actual pictures, taken in good light. Or for flat items scan them. You only really need one image per auction for most items. And know that no matter how well you think you answered all questions, you'll probably still get some. Even some answered in the listing. Be quick to answer, and keep it factual and polite, even if the answer is there in the listing.

Above all be brutally honest in describing the item quality. If you oversell it and the buyer doesn't agree when they get it you'll be eating the sale one way or another.

Include the shipping and handling clearly in your auction listing for fewer questions and more interested watchers. If you don't want to ship outside the country list that clearly, several times. If you do want to ship outside the country only ship by airmail.

When shipping you have a choice. Online tracking delivery confirmation or not. If not the buyer can claim they never got it and they can get their money back. You're out the money and the item and still have to pay eBay fees. If you have tracking only ship to their PayPal address to be covered (rules may differ in some countries, check yours). You can skip the expense if trust people in general, most of them are honest and you will get more bidders if the s&h is low.

As far as making a killing Gruffty, if you follow some of those high priced BIN (Buy-It-Now) auctions, they NEVER sell. That's almost always true. They keep getting relisted and still don't sell. The seller should clue in and realize nobody will pay that for the item. But I have seen some items go for more than those crazy BIN prices, when the starting bid was $1. Auction fever rules, as long as you as the seller can take the chance it may sell for less than you wanted.

That's another point, related. Reserve price. Don't bother. Buyers don't like them. It costs you more and you are less likely to sell the item. If you have a minimum you will take for something just start your auction at that price. Even mention (in every auction even) NO RESERVE! Buyers like that.

More will come to me I'm sure but this is a good start

 

[rhialto]

Having used both eBay & Noble Night Games: my advice is eBay if you want to maximize your take, Noble Night if you want to minimize your effort. I haven't sold anything on eBay for quite a while now, out of avoidance of issues such as far-trader mentions; Noble Night offers decent prices, good services, and more in store credit than cash...which is how I transmogrified some old, unused gaming stuff for new and used Traveller stuff. You won't make top credit, but they will take anything (at least, none of my items were turned down). If you have lots of stuff send it in bulk: they'll cover shipping to them if it's over $75 worth of stuff (last I checked, anyway). They don't sell guns, though (unless you count 3G from BTRC ).

And no, I'm not affiliated with them, except that they have some of my old stuff and I theirs.

 

[Rhialto the Marvelous]

One should add that besides Noble Knight there are other places that might be interested in buying your stuff, perhaps for a better price (or not):

Troll and Toad

Wayne's World of Books

Dragons' Lair(? or is that Dragon's Foot?)

 

[BlackBat242]

One should add that besides Noble Knight there are other places that might be interested in buying your stuff, perhaps for a better price (or not):


Dragons' Lair(? or is that Dragon's Foot?)

If you are referring to the OD&D/1eAD&D/2eAD&D discussion forum, it is Dragonsfoot.

 

[rhialto]

One should add that besides Noble Knight there are other places that might be interested in buying your stuff, perhaps for a better price (or not):

Troll and Toad

Wayne's World of Books

Dragons' Lair(? or is that Dragon's Foot?)

Yes, there are a number of stores that will buy stuff (I've used Titan Games in the past, too), and their assumption of risk (to sell) means they'll offer less than you'd likely get selling direct to someone who must have Inscrutable Tome of Jactitating Rodomontades.

 

[Starviking]

.....The Traveller Alien book doesn't exist, btw - it was a GDW book planned but never publsihed.....

But a compilation of the GDW Alien Modules was, IIRC. Pre-MM Classic Traveller Reprints, think it was a German crowd that released it.

 

[Gruffty]

But a compilation of the GDW Alien Modules was, IIRC. Pre-MM Classic Traveller Reprints, think it was a German crowd that released it.

Yeah but the book I was referring to was the one mentioned on p. 48, Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society (No. 13) which, along with the other books mentioned there, were never published by GDW.

 

[far-trader]

I hate it when Rodomontades Jactitate.

(another colourful bit to add to my lexicon, thank the net for google, and thanks Rhialto the Marvelous )

 

[Garyius2003]

Holy Divine Star. I just looked up First In. Maybe I should sell that and keep the other stuff...

Thanks for the tips. I will get an EBay name and get started there.

 

[far-trader]

Holy Divine Star. I just looked up First In. Maybe I should sell that and keep the other stuff...

Yeah, don't plan that spending spree yet

That seller is one of the ones I followed for some time and they seem to have still not sold either copy at those prices. They might have had them listed considerably higher before (around $200) too, iirc. I don't see them selling at that price either. And they've been trying to sell these two for over a year now iirc. From before I sold my copy anyway, for about $20 iirc, which I had bought for about the same.

Follow this auction: First In BIN US$29.99 and see how that does. IF it sells it'll give you a good idea of the fair price. But I suspect it won't sell either. I've seen bidding for First In go that high but not BIN. That's the nature of the auction beast.

You want to talk stupid crazy prices? Have you got a copy of Atlas of the Imperium around. Now that always seems to get insane bidding. Of course there's no way to know for sure that any of those prices are actually paid...

Anyway, may all your auctions on eBay be excellent

 

[Garyius2003]

I was joking. I know First In is craptastic but I want to keep all my Traveller stuff. I thought that price looked a little high...



My wife is saying maybe I should try the store route, it seems her brother used to sell records on EBay and has some horror stories. This will have to be talked out over the weekend.