This is my first holiday season as a seller. I have a few sets that I'd like to sell. Do prices rise around the holiday season? I have a friend who sells vintage video games and he said the prices soar when Amazon kicks the small timers off for the holiday season. What has your experience been? Thanks

I guess not, lol

It depends on the set. Popular sets that sell out at retail can be very profitable. Retired sets can have dips due to more people selling around the holidays (a good example is haunted house at halloween).

Basically if your flipping new sets xmas can be very profitable, if selling retired sets it won't matter much or may be better to wait until Jan when gift cards are getting spent. 

Many adult collectors stop buying for themselves around Christmas (to spend on others) & most kids want what they see in commercials.

So for sales of rare pricey Lego sets, I always notice changes - although if someone is a flipper, it's likely a great time.

The Christmas holidays will always bring the most overall sales (and headaches) - I much prefer the Jan, Feb post Christmas period.

Edited October 31, 20169 yr by KShine

Depends on what you're trying to sell. Increase in sales would be mostly due to parents or family buying gifs. You gotta look at what types of sets could reasonably be bought as a gift. As KShine pointed out most parents will just get what is currently for sale in b&m stores. This will be mostly Star Wars and City stuff. Could be an opportunity to flip things like the Police HQ or Firehouse if you managed to get them at 50% off.

You also got to look at what's missing in stores. Take advantage of sets that are out of stock or recently retired, but still have a strong following. A good example would be The Ghost from Star Wars Rebels. The show just started again, kids might have an old 2014 catalogue laying around and will put it on their wishlist.

Also Rogue One is about to be released, so there's going to be at least some increase in the demand for Star Wars. If the movie is well received, this will have a positive effect on the average price of most SW sets. On the other hand, a lot of people will try to use this is an opportunity to get rid of their stock, so there might be too much supply.

 

I have found it really all depends on the set. Supply always increases Oct-Dec but if you have a popular set that can absorb the extra supply prices may remain stable or climb a bit. Most Lego sets tank into Christmas tho. I'd listen to your friend there is alot better profit to be made in video games this time of year. Prices for those double or triple on Amazon around Christmas time and are easy to find cheap the rest of the year. By the time video games start tanking Lego prices start climbing again.

On 10/28/2016 at 1:39 PM, Super Dad SC said:

 

This is my first holiday season as a seller. I have a few sets that I'd like to sell. Do prices rise around the holiday season? I have a friend who sells vintage video games and he said the prices soar when Amazon kicks the small timers off for the holiday season. What has your experience been? Thanks

 

To echo what others have said, it all depends on the set.  Over the past few years, there have been fewer sets that spiked between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Some have, but many of the sets that were likely identified as "sure things" ended up declining in price when the holiday selling season picked up in earnest.  One example of this last year was the Spider Cycle Chase set #76004.  Between August and early November, the set was selling in the $36-$38 range, but fell to between $30-$33 as Christmas approached.  This pattern emerged elsewhere as well particularly on a number of large exclusives like TH, HH, and R2.  In the other direction, there were some sets that spiked, but it's hard to predict and there isn't always a clear pattern of what is going to rocket. 

2 hours ago, asharerin said:

I have found it really all depends on the set. Supply always increases Oct-Dec but if you have a popular set that can absorb the extra supply prices may remain stable or climb a bit. Most Lego sets tank into Christmas tho. I'd listen to your friend there is alot better profit to be made in video games this time of year. Prices for those double or triple on Amazon around Christmas time and are easy to find cheap the rest of the year. By the time video games start tanking Lego prices start climbing again.

It seems like games are so deeply discounted this time of year, how are you making profit?