How am I going to sell all this Lego????

[thirsty]

Thirsty has spent the last three years raiding walmarts, cleaning out Targets, skulking around TRU and dutifully hitting the local Lego store as often as possible but not often enough to arouse all kinds of suspicions...

So here I sit with all kinds of Lego, Orc Forges, Deadpools NIB, Fire Brigades, Haunted Houses, 7964's, 7965's, 9515's, etc, etc....  All kinds of stuff, multiples in almost all cases.  Work slowed up (I'm in Alberta) so I am looking at holes in my schedule I can fill with getting my newly minted biz off the ground (GST # and everything).  Going to get a new address ( a suite at the nearest UPS store), credit card is on the way.  Pay Pal registration up next....

Where am I headed?  Amazon or Ebay?  Not interested in Kijiji.  Calgary isn't big enough for 18 Orc Forges, 8 Fire Brigades, 9 Wolverine Chopper's, etc, etc.  If I updated my Brickfolio I'd probably be north of $70 k.  Gotta a lot of Brickmania stuff too!

I like the prices on ebay (recent sold listings).  But it seems like the stuff on Amazon is listed higher and may even attract a larger audience???   Does stuff on there actually sell?  Like does Town Hall listed on Amazon for $880 and change actually get bought?  Why are there so few Canadian dealers on there?  All Japan, UK and US.  Or do the Canadians get cleaned out early?  Or maybe Canadians are too busy drilling for Maple Syrup and chopping down trees to bother with it?  The way I look at it I can easily be the lowest price in a lot of instances on Amazon and easily make 200-300 % profit.   I'd still do good on ebay, its a little more user friendly I think, but Amazon really intrigues me.  Heck Amazon US would be even better getting paid in Yankee dollars with the exchange rate where it is.

Wondering what you guys think???

 

Edited April 27, 2015 by thirsty
Cant speel worth schit

[Guest brickcrazyhouse]

sell it here http://www.brickclassifieds.com/

Edited April 27, 2015 by brickcrazyhouse

[ALOTOFBRICKS]

Here is a better place to avoid the 12.9 percent fee on e-bay when you use paypal

[Sandwraith]

Personally i use ebay (top rated seller account for reduced fees), no particular reason, just what i went to way back in the day. Amazon's items are usually listed higher partly because i believe Amazon takes a much larger cut than ebay does.

From my experience there just aren't many Canadian resellers in comparison to say the states. I mean just look at our population differences for confirmation of such.

Never underestimate the people with money.. i have sold many items with "Buy it now" for a ridiculous markup.

Good luck with whatever you try! buying's the easy part, selling can be a bit overwhelming at times.

 

[Migration]

Thirsty, I'm not trying to call you out but, this post is a perfect example of why anyone thinking about getting into this needs to sell a few items BEFORE they wind up with a portfolio worth $70k. Buying is easy, finding deals is a thrill. Selling, no matter what platform you're on is hard. Anyone doing this needs to know that. Good luck, I've sold on eBay for over a decade and am, for the most part, happy with it. 

[thirsty]

Thirsty, I'm not trying to call you out but, this post is a perfect example of why anyone thinking about getting into this needs to sell a few items BEFORE they wind up with a portfolio worth $70k. Buying is easy, finding deals is a thrill. Selling, no matter what platform you're on is hard. Anyone doing this needs to know that. Good luck, I've sold on eBay for over a decade and am, for the most part, happy with it. 

​Hey!  I'm only half as sensitive and twice as dumb as most Canadians, so if you need to say it, just do it.  "Hey thirsty you dumbA$$, what kinda retard buys 70k in Lego without actually testing his home market out?"

 

Well Migration, I'm glad you asked.  I am Albertan, which means I have way more $$$ than brains and twice more ballz!!!

 

But seriously, I just love Lego that much and bought a good pile of it on sale at Target for like half off or with gift cards from Sears, etc...  Ya ok.  Nobody needs 10 Grand Emporiums, but those are kind of obvious...

 

So anybody sell 6866's on Amazon for big chesse or what?  Or maybe a whack of Orc Forge's???

 

What about 70702?  I got five of those for like $9 and change.  Where would my fellow Canadian brickpickers get rid of those? 

[thirsty]

Personally i use ebay (top rated seller account for reduced fees), no particular reason, just what i went to way back in the day. Amazon's items are usually listed higher partly because i believe Amazon takes a much larger cut than ebay does.

From my experience there just aren't many Canadian resellers in comparison to say the states. I mean just look at our population differences for confirmation of such.

Never underestimate the people with money.. i have sold many items with "Buy it now" for a ridiculous markup.

Good luck with whatever you try! buying's the easy part, selling can be a bit overwhelming at times.

 

​Are you Brickwraith on Ebay?

 

If you are, you are my role model and hero.  And I'm not even being sarcastic or nothing. 

[thirsty]

Here is a better place to avoid the 12.9 percent fee on e-bay when you use paypal

​Here looks good.... But I have other non-lego things to sell, so I'm thinking top rated seller on ebay is the way to go....

[gregpj]

I sell on eBay (and try a few things on Brick Classifieds).... I bought and sold on eBay way before Amazon became a thing and I just can't be bothered to see if something else works. There are a few Canadians here who sell on Amazon and have done quite well but yeah I don't know who buys them for the crazy markup. I also like Canadians because a number of American buyers have also purchased items from me and I've never had a problem. I don't think many Americans bother with Amazon.ca.

As for Kijiji, I wouldn't hesitate to throw some stuff up there. I've sold more of the big ticket items outside of province than in my own city! People who are hunting for those deals know to search across Canada. If you accept PayPal and issue invoices you get to use Expedited Parcel shipping at a discount too.

On that note, if you do setup shop on eBay, only offer Expedited Shipping ... you need not offer any others since Xpresspost is ridiculous expensive and Expedited is cheaper and faster than regular when you invoice via eBay/PayPal.

[shortyz]

first please post pictures of your stockroom plz!

[@rtisan]

Try the Classifieds, Ebay, or Bricklink. I`ve been pretty successful on Bricklink primarily, though sales are slower. Less fees is one of the reasons why I sell there primarily. Sold on Ebay as well, but not nearly as much. I`d like to use the Classifieds more, but my schedule the last few months fills up my timetable too much, I don`t have time to individually take photos and create listings any more, which is why I use Bricklink. But yes, is you can put in the time required for photos and listings, I`d recommend Classifieds or Ebay, with the former getting my first recommendation.  

Edited April 27, 2015 by @rtisan

[diablo2112]

Buying is maybe 5% of the work, selling is 95%.  I use eBay, been selling for about 15 years there.  It's not easy, not in any way.  You have to work your tail off to keep customers happy.  I go above and beyond - lots of communication, pictures of packed items and packaging, and nearly instantaneous upload of tracking info.  Even then, about 10-15% of buyers are a pain and you have to deal with them.   You need to setup a system.  Everything from listing items (and taking photos), to receiving payment, then the whole packing and shipping routine.  I have corporate accounts with both Fedex and UPS; printing labels at home is the only way to go.  I also have an inventory of about 100 different boxes ready to go.

Just steel yourself for the idea that selling a large inventory is going to be a lot of work, and take a lot of time.  A $70k Lego inventory, sold over eBay an item at time, is a good 6 month nearly half time job, or it could be done over about a year to 18 months working off hours.  That's just how it is.  The only other alternative is to find a buyer for the whole lot, and with a $70k inventory, nearly any buyer is going to want to net 15-20% on that (after their fees), maybe more.  You'll take at least a 30% hit on the value of your inventory if you try to sell-out as a whole, but it is an option if the thought of selling off individually is too much.

FYI, I have a smaller inventory ($50k-ish with good growth potential) and my plan is to spend my 1st year of retirement (in 3 to 5 years) selling Lego.  YMMV.

Edited April 27, 2015 by diablo2112

[thirsty]

first please post pictures of your stockroom plz!

​I will see what I can do.  Its literally everywhere, basement, spare bedroom, closet....  I'm starting to stack it in one of my containers in my equipment yard.  But I don't want that stuff in there over winter (no heater). 

[thirsty]

Buying is maybe 5% of the work, selling is 95%.  I use eBay, been selling for about 15 years there.  It's not easy, not in any way.  You have to work your tail off to keep customers happy.  I go above and beyond - lots of communication, pictures of packed items and packaging, and nearly instantaneous upload of tracking info.  Even then, about 10-15% of buyers are a pain and you have to deal with them.   You need to setup a system.  Everything from listing items (and taking photos), to receiving payment, then the whole packing and shipping routine.  I have corporate accounts with both Fedex and UPS; printing labels at home is the only way to go.  I also have an inventory of about 100 different boxes ready to go.

Just steel yourself for the idea that selling a large inventory is going to be a lot of work, and take a lot of time.  A $70k Lego inventory, sold over eBay an item at time, is a good 6 month full time job, or it could be done over about a year to 18 months working off hours.  That's just how it is.  The only other alternative is to find a buyer for the whole lot, and with a $70k inventory, nearly any buyer is going to want to net 15-20% on that (after their fees), maybe more.  You'll take at least a 30% hit on the value of your inventory if you try to sell-out as a whole, but it is an option if the thought of selling off individually is too much.

FYI, I have a smaller inventory ($50k-ish with good growth potential) and my plan is to spend my 1st year of retirement (in 3 to 5 years) selling Lego.  YMMV.

​Not looking to sell all at once.

 

Thinking of selling minor items for positive feedback at first.  Open to testing various markets.  Have other non-lego items I might get into selling.  Re-selling sounds like contracting, 10% of your customers are 90% of your work.... 

Nobody selling on Amazon?  Too much work?  Too much BS?  No customers???  Pickleboy just had post up singing the praises of selling on Amazon.  Are we just selling ourselves short up here? 

[trekgate502]

are you anakinsvader or supraboy or just trolling everyone here?

if not welcome...

[diablo2112]

Amazon is a perfectly reasonable option.  I haven't used that route, because to date, I've been able to sell everything I need via eBay at good prices.  Here's a hint on ebay: good pics are everything.  Even for NIB sealed sets like Lego.  Good box pictures + competitive price = easy sales.   Doing a "virtual garage sale" via ebay to build feedback and get a hang for selling is a great idea.  Sell a dozen or two items that way to get your feet wet, then dive in with the Lego....

[azalon]

Thirsty, I'm not trying to call you out but, this post is a perfect example of why anyone thinking about getting into this needs to sell a few items BEFORE they wind up with a portfolio worth $70k. Buying is easy, finding deals is a thrill. Selling, no matter what platform you're on is hard. Anyone doing this needs to know that. Good luck, I've sold on eBay for over a decade and am, for the most part, happy with it. 

​I'm not really understanding this . . . There's Ebay calculators online to figure out margins/profits/misc numbers. It takes about 1 minute to research past Ebay sales to see what the actual market is for your sets. Take a pic, list, sell. Rinse and repeat as necessary. There's a small learning curve I suppose, but just take pictures and pack things and ship how you would want to receive or buy it.

 

Buying is easy. Selling is easy. The difficult part(if you want to call it that) is finding the budget and making good education decisions when buying. Or just buy modulars and hold them for a year or two after retirement. Maybe patience is the hard part . . .

 

But I do agree--selling on Ebay is something I'm satisfied with as well.

[Kenxxx]

I've been getting started selling on ebay for 6 months or so (just broke feedback 100), and Amazon for 4 months (1 feedback in about 40 sales).  I like ebay because fees are lower, I can list "price + shipping" so I know what my profit will be, and you don't have to sweat what kind of shipping carton you use (on Amazon, you are supposed to use only brand new boxes).  I like Amazon because you don't have to photograph anything - putting an item up for sale on Amazon takes about 30 seconds.  Even setting up my sellers account on Amazon was super easy. Also, Amazon pays directly to your bank account which is convenient (ebay pays your paypal account, and I have trouble spending all that money in my paypal account).

So now, I have a quick spreadsheet formula for all three: Amazon, ebay, and Brickclassifieds, where I can put in cost, estimated sell price, shipping cost, and get an estimated profit value for each. Then I'll decide where I want to sell an item (sometimes listing on more than one).

All that said, I still prefer Brickclassifieds when I'm selling a higher priced, retired item.  With no fees, the savings is significant.  If you price your item competitively, there are plenty of collectors who are watching  Brickclassifieds and ready to buy.  I also think ebay is pretty good for higher priced "collectors' items".  I just think that the collector who is looking for a Fire Brigade is well familiar with ebay and comfortable buying there.  But the grandma who is looking to buy the new Frozen Elsa's Castle may not be ready for ebay - she's more likely to shop on Amazon.

[Migration]

​I'm not really understanding this . . . There's Ebay calculators online to figure out margins/profits/misc numbers. It takes about 1 minute to research past Ebay sales to see what the actual market is for your sets. Take a pic, list, sell. Rinse and repeat as necessary. There's a small learning curve I suppose, but just take pictures and pack things and ship how you would want to receive or buy it.

 

Buying is easy. Selling is easy. The difficult part(if you want to call it that) is finding the budget and making good education decisions when buying. Or just buy modulars and hold them for a year or two after retirement. Maybe patience is the hard part . . .

 

But I do agree--selling on Ebay is something I'm satisfied with as well.

Selling a few items a month is easy and fun. Selling $70k in inventory is more work than most are ready to deal with. There is also the risk that a new seller (or an experienced one) may get in over there head and get a few negatives early and lose their selling privileges before they even get started (I've seen it happen) and then have to find another way to get rid of a large amount of product. Amazon is even less forgiving. Someone with that kind of inventory and no selling experience in in for a shock when they start moving product. The set you buy for $9 and sell for $18 is suddenly a loss once shipping and fees are accounted for. Packing and shipping 50 boxes a day is a substantial time commitment. I highly doubt the OP has 70 $1000 sets. 1400 $50 sets is far more likely. Those will not sell quickly, at least not without a fire sale that will turn $70k into $50k. 

[mudcatsfan]

Build that feedback before you unleash the big sellers. You want folks confident when they're trying to decide if they REALLY want to pay more than market price for what looks like a mint in box specimen. Speaking of that, take LOTS of great clear big pictures. It helps. Talk about your packing and shipping materials, that also helps. (also do a good job with it :))

 

 

[xeeeej]

Buying is maybe 5% of the work, selling is 95%.  I use eBay, been selling for about 15 years there.  It's not easy, not in any way.  You have to work your tail off to keep customers happy.  I go above and beyond - lots of communication, pictures of packed items and packaging, and nearly instantaneous upload of tracking info.  Even then, about 10-15% of buyers are a pain and you have to deal with them.   You need to setup a system.  Everything from listing items (and taking photos), to receiving payment, then the whole packing and shipping routine.  I have corporate accounts with both Fedex and UPS; printing labels at home is the only way to go.  I also have an inventory of about 100 different boxes ready to go.

Just steel yourself for the idea that selling a large inventory is going to be a lot of work, and take a lot of time.  A $70k Lego inventory, sold over eBay an item at time, is a good 6 month nearly half time job, or it could be done over about a year to 18 months working off hours.  That's just how it is.  The only other alternative is to find a buyer for the whole lot, and with a $70k inventory, nearly any buyer is going to want to net 15-20% on that (after their fees), maybe more.  You'll take at least a 30% hit on the value of your inventory if you try to sell-out as a whole, but it is an option if the thought of selling off individually is too much.

FYI, I have a smaller inventory ($50k-ish with good growth potential) and my plan is to spend my 1st year of retirement (in 3 to 5 years) selling Lego.  YMMV.

​Are the 100 different boxes just for LEGO?  I have about 15, and I ship a LOT.

[MOSKAL]

If your looking to actually open up a shop online I would be looking into a company called shopify. It's North America fastest growing e-commerce company that will be the next "Google" like company. They have tripled employees in the last 2 years. 

I hate eBay 12.9% and PayPal 

amazon is 15% and you get screwed on returns it seems like 

Edited April 27, 2015 by MOSKAL

[biking_tiger]

I'm late to the party again, but there's some excellent advice here. 

I like the idea of a "virtual garage sale" on ebay. I was buying and selling there for years before I decided to dabble in Lego. My first Lego run was around 2004-07 during the Star Wars Episode III hype. Yes, those big box office movies translate into $$$ for resellers. Build feedback, take great photos, be honest and take care of the good customers. They will come back. 

[supergman]

Ebay's fees, imo, are out of control as you need to sell at such a high margin to account for their fees, any shipping costs you may have, and still come away with something.  I prefer Bricklink and while I don't sell as much on there, the percentage difference is so far different that I make more that route and tend to have better customers, too.  No ebay drama

[biking_tiger]

A seller needs to know what he/she is doing. Ebay's fees are what they are. So are Amazon's. In general, you are getting "more" for those fees: more customers and more exposure. Items also sell higher on Amazon than Ebay, and higher on Ebay than Bricklink. Yes, more customers and exposure means more trouble sometimes, but it comes with the territory. If Ebay's fees are too high for you, then hold longer or refuse to sell at X price (a price which means too small a margin).