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Amazon vs. Ebay vs. Bricklink vs. Local Marketplace


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Guest TabbyBoy

I wonder if eBay makes more profit on our sets than we do? I now only sell locally for cash. Or... on BP ;-)

It's got really tough out there, hasn't it? 

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15 minutes ago, TabbyBoy said:

I wonder if eBay makes more profit on our sets than we do? I now only sell locally for cash. Or... on BP ;-)

It's got really tough out there, hasn't it? 

Ebay are quite decent on fees compared with the government and paypal, who both take a healthy slice for doing nothing.

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3 hours ago, TabbyBoy said:

I wonder if eBay makes more profit on our sets than we do? I now only sell locally for cash. Or... on BP ;-)

It's got really tough out there, hasn't it? 

ebay has actually got better for us private sellers in the last year.  £1 FVF atleast once every month this year so far.  Last lego set (42030) I sold for a few pennies under £200.  I only paid £1 ebay fees.

Tried Gumtree & bookface for a couple of months but got offered silly low prices.

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7 hours ago, MoHu said:

ebay has actually got better for us private sellers in the last year.  £1 FVF atleast once every month this year so far.  Last lego set (42030) I sold for a few pennies under £200.  I only paid £1 ebay fees.

Tried Gumtree & bookface for a couple of months but got offered silly low prices.

Looking at the time of the day people voted, it would seem that local ads social networks and Amazon seem to be more established/popular in North America, whereas other markets are basically Ebay and Bricklinked based.

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I have just begun buying (discounted) LEGO for reselling purposes and will be storing it away until prices rise. At this point I have a rough idea of how I will begin selling but I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice as to where is the best place to do this i.e. should I plan to use eBay, Bricklink, Amazon or some other platform I don't know about yet? 

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3 hours ago, RonBurgundy45 said:

I have just begun buying (discounted) LEGO for reselling purposes and will be storing it away until prices rise. At this point I have a rough idea of how I will begin selling but I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice as to where is the best place to do this i.e. should I plan to use eBay, Bricklink, Amazon or some other platform I don't know about yet? 

 

 

dude.jpg

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4 hours ago, RonBurgundy45 said:

I have just begun buying (discounted) LEGO for reselling purposes and will be storing it away until prices rise. At this point I have a rough idea of how I will begin selling but I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice as to where is the best place to do this i.e. should I plan to use eBay, Bricklink, Amazon or some other platform I don't know about yet? 

You're going to be closed out of Amazon as its gated.  So its mostly eBay and other smaller sites like Facebook Marketplace, Offer Up, and Let Go.

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14 minutes ago, Phil B said:

Amazon US is gated - does it hold for other Amazon marketplaces too?

Not yet, in Europe at least.

The advice is going to be the same as always - sell on as many places as you can. Social networks, local classifieds, specalist sites like Bricklink and the big web marketplaces. Start out cheap to get positive feedback and build a customer base.

Remember that buying cheap is easy - selling well is very hard.

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Thanks for the replies all and the car boot jokes ?.

I noticed no-one really recommended Bricklink. I had been using it as a source of price data and was optimistic about possibly selling here as a start point. As a website, is it too niche to create any sort of product exposure? What is the seller experience like here?

I'm honestly in no rush to shift lots of sets to make mega bucks. I'm really in the test phase and won't be 'going in deep' unless the initial experience is positive. I have bought a few sets that I'd be prepared to keep or give as gifts if it all goes 'wrong'. As a strategy am I wrong to try to keep sets stored away for possibly a year or two then sell? I may be misunderstanding things but a lot of folk seem to into quick flipping rather than 'investing'.  For me I am aiming to buy desirable (mainly SW) sets that will rise to at least their RRP within 2 years then list them on various sites to see what happens.

 

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37 minutes ago, RonBurgundy45 said:

I noticed no-one really recommended Bricklink. I had been using it as a source of price data and was optimistic about possibly selling here as a start point. As a website, is it too niche to create any sort of product exposure? What is the seller experience like here?

Bricklink is a nice platform. Have you opened a store yet? I believe some users are having trouble opening new stores right now, at least in the US. Anyway, its very user friendly and has low fees; the flip side is that it has the lowest exposure. Stuff can take awhile to move there, and you'll be competing with stores that already have good followings. But, if you're not in a rush, its a good option. As long as there is demand for the set, then it will eventually sell, especially if you're just aiming for RRP. 

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I haven't opened a store because firstly, I have a very small inventory and secondly, the sets I have need a little time to appreciate in price. 

I am currently buying sets that 1) I would buy 2) They have some unique selling point (mainly minifigs) 3) Can be bought at more than 30% off (I know 50%+ is the aim) 4) The box sizes are not too big for storage and secondly shipping

If I can get any return on my investments, I am hoping that it will help reduce the overall cost of adding to my LEGO collection (which is my main aim). My wife is still trying to understand the term AFOL and spending big bucks on LEGO takes her weeks to recover from. If my LEGO pays for ...My Lego... then I hope she will be more comfortable with my hobby.

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1 hour ago, RonBurgundy45 said:

Thanks for the replies all and the car boot jokes 1f602.png.

I noticed no-one really recommended Bricklink. I had been using it as a source of price data and was optimistic about possibly selling here as a start point. As a website, is it too niche to create any sort of product exposure? What is the seller experience like here?

I'm honestly in no rush to shift lots of sets to make mega bucks. I'm really in the test phase and won't be 'going in deep' unless the initial experience is positive. I have bought a few sets that I'd be prepared to keep or give as gifts if it all goes 'wrong'. As a strategy am I wrong to try to keep sets stored away for possibly a year or two then sell? I may be misunderstanding things but a lot of folk seem to into quick flipping rather than 'investing'.  For me I am aiming to buy desirable (mainly SW) sets that will rise to at least their RRP within 2 years then list them on various sites to see what happens.

 

 

28 minutes ago, legorunner said:

Bricklink is a nice platform. Have you opened a store yet? I believe some users are having trouble opening new stores right now, at least in the US. Anyway, its very user friendly and has low fees; the flip side is that it has the lowest exposure. Stuff can take awhile to move there, and you'll be competing with stores that already have good followings. But, if you're not in a rush, its a good option. As long as there is demand for the set, then it will eventually sell, especially if you're just aiming for RRP. 

I think the issue with new sellers getting accepted on Bricklink was lack of feedback.  So if you re looking to sell there, you may want to build some feedback with some purchases.  I had no issue starting up my store but also had about 300 feedback previously from buying over the years.  I have been very happy with sales there but I'm focused on figures and their accessories vs. selling a lot of sets.  I do have sets listed, but they make up only a small fraction of total sales made.  Bricklink will sell your set eventually, but like was said, will take time unless you are undercutting everyone.  

Obviously there is ebay, but just read the fruitcakes thread to see what lies waiting there.  I have had very little issue with ebay over the years,  but others have been much less fortunate.  I have only had one true scam attempt, and it was on a sports card years ago, not even lego.  

Best of luck getting started, it's not really the best climate right now to get going but who am I to tell someone not to do something?

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1 hour ago, RonBurgundy45 said:

Thanks for the replies all and the car boot jokes 1f602.png.

I noticed no-one really recommended Bricklink. I had been using it as a source of price data and was optimistic about possibly selling here as a start point. As a website, is it too niche to create any sort of product exposure? What is the seller experience like here?

 

I mentioned BL. If you are UK based, Brickowl also has decent traffic. Just don´t expect amazing profit because buyers are much savvier than on ebay or amazon.

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3 minutes ago, roxio said:

don't forget the taxman :geek:

I know, so true. How would he take it though if I had a YouTube channel, that was essentially a business (theoretically making money from ads although it doesn't matter if I do or don't) to showcase my collection hence meaning I would never make profit because I would always be breaking even or less depending on sales volume, hence there would be no need to pay tax as there would be no profit.

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2 minutes ago, RonBurgundy45 said:

I know, so true. How would he take it though if I had a YouTube channel, that was essentially a business (theoretically making money from ads although it doesn't matter if I do or don't) to showcase my collection hence meaning I would never make profit because I would always be breaking even or less depending on sales volume, hence there would be no need to pay tax as there would be no profit.

you've lost me with the youtube thing, if you buy a set at 50% off and resell it at rrp there is profit and tax on said profit

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