Advice Please - Again!!

[spock999]

Hi,

Just over 2 years ago (on the old forum) I raised the possibility of selling my Matchbox toys (1-75) and received some useful information about my old toys. I am not a collector just a retired old chap who enjoyed his toys around 50 years ago - probably too much! The advice then was that eBay was probably my best option but I left things because eBay was pretty slow at the time and it seemed better to wait until it had picked up a bit. The climate does seem better now, so I thought that it might be worth making the effort.

There is lots of useful info provided here about the models, variations and boxes and prices for the models in the best condition. I have been trying to research what my toys are worth but there is no clear guidance about what is meant by the various descriptive terms (excellent,very good, good, fair etc) used somewhat loosely on eBay and how the various defects affect the value. Obviously, I want to get a fair price for the toys but I do want people to know clearly what they are buying.

For most of my toys that won't be too significant but with the odd rarer ones it might. As an example Nick Jones said that my yellow Diamond T 15a was valued at about £400 but I would be lucky to fetch half of that. When I was checking recently, I noted with interest a yellow Diamond T 15a that sold for £510. It looks to be in a comparable state to mine although the box was a bit less battered. Mine is shown on flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/spockshot ... 298084431/. These are better photos than I did before giving a much more realistic colour. The old photos of my other stuff are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/spockshot ... 666097938/. I will do better photos to sell them as the colours are way out.

I have read the eBay guidance notes. I have used eBay quite frequently but more for camera equipment and I have been reluctant to use auctions because I have seen so often someone losing out because of lack of interest and a reasonable item going for a song. Thus I have usually researched likely prices and pitched the price so that I don't lose out even if it takes a bit longer to sell. Not knowing so much about the matchbox toys and the rarity of the yellow 15a makes that more difficult.

This is a long-winded way of asking if you know where there is some reasonable guidance on how condition affects value and any other relavent advice that would help me. Am I better trying to list them individually or grouping some together?

Thanks in advance.

[nickjones]

A toy at auction will only sell for what a bidder is prepared to pay for it so stop thinking about how much it should sell for and concentrate on selling it right.
A rare toy and all mint examples should be sold individually. The playworn and chipped ones should be sold as a joblot.
Take lots of clear large size photos from all angles, Give a brief but accurate and honest description, do not set a reserve and start them at £1, finally don't overcharge for shipping. Don't forget to wash your toys in soapy water except for the ones with paper labels. Clean toys will always outsell dirty toys.

[petethesweet1]

Hi Spock, I think you would be lucky to get a £100 for it in todays climate. If it was mint you would be looking at £500 plus Pete

[tjlglass]

Got to agree with Pete on this, collectors are still paying top $$ for mint boxed models but play worn has taken a tumble. It might make over £100 on eBay but then you got the fees.

[petethesweet1]

Hi Tim & all as we all know the bottom end has dropped out of the market, ebay is getting a waste of time. The last few things I put on ebay at 99p sold for 99p, minus their fees I wish I had given them to the kids next door. Talking to a few dealers some of them are struggling as there are very few new collectors coming into the game & most collectors have all the common models Pete

[fixer]

I think that's true Pete it's also getting harder to find bits too the market is generally stale

[petethesweet1]

Hi Reg I think you are right the market is a bit stale, there has only been a few good auctions this year, apart from Staceys & Vectis it has been very poor. I still struggle to find certain mint boxes especially E3, E4 & B3. I have only crossed off a couple off of the wanted list in the last three or four years. We need a few collections to come to the market Pete

[spock999]

A toy at auction will only sell for what a bidder is prepared to pay for it so stop thinking about how much it should sell for and concentrate on selling it right.

I have to admit to being fairly cynical about eBay. Much depends on how desperate you are to sell. The trouble with auctions is that in many instances things can go for a song. I quite agree that someone will only pay what they are prepared to pay. If it is an auction and there is no competition, then you never know what someone was prepared to pay. If you take the longer view and put it up for 30days at a fixed price, it may sell or not but you can reduce the price until someone is prepared to pay. When doing this much depends on researching the price you want to charge. This has always worked for me in the past selling camera stuff and some household stuff, so I see no reason to change.

I have spent considerable time recently looking at matchbox toys on eBay, what has sold for what price and I have been surprised. Very rarely are the photos any good and I find it difficult to imagine that all of the mint examples are genuine. Looking at your forums, it seems like many of you would agree.

I sometimes think that there is always someone on eBay to buy almost anything whatever the price and condition. Over the years I have tried to save money on genuine ink cartridges for my printer. It amazes me that often people will pay more on eBay to buy something second hand when you can buy a brand new item cheaper (inc postage) by looking around.

I don't want to cheat anyone so I always try to let people know exactly what they are buying and I have often thought that my photos have made it much easier to sell because they are so clear. However, I don't want to waste my time and if I thought I was only going to get £0.99, I would rather give stuff to the local charity shop. All of my experience tells me that if you don't keep some degree of control, you will not get anything worth while out of selling on eBay - particularly with the penal charges you have to pay.

I hope I don't give you apoplexy with my attitude but I am a Yorkshireman and I have to be honest about things! I may well misjudge the Matchbox market but if so nothing will sell. But given the current free listing (and relisting once) I don't lose anything either. It all adds interest to my retirement.

[Tinman]

The high point for the Matchbox hobby market is during the winter months of the Northern hemisphere. Right now, things are at a bit of a lag from summer and from ebay completely changing its listing category's. The latter should work itself out by the time colder weather hits the Northern hemisphere.

That said, if I've learned one thing over the years it's this: Collectors in clubs, groups and forums hate being asked the question "how much is this worth" and most hated of all is "how much is my collection worth?" There are people you can hire to appraise your collection and models. As you have already discovered, there is a vast amount of online resources to help you price your stuff.

Since you have no investment in your childhood collection (and even sentiment does not seem to be an issue), the stuff can all be sold off at a profit with no loss. If you think you have something valuable, then price as such. If not assign a price that seems fair to all and move it out.

If the bulk of the models are common and if some are play worn, don't expect to get more than a few bucks for those. If something is truly rare or hard to find, it's very unlikely that the model will be given away for .99 cents ... plenty of dealers and resellers will discover the model.

If you get all worried that you might give away a possible buck or two by pricing this or that too low, then just put everything back in the box and shove it back in the attic; problem solved. If some unused item from the attic sells for any amount, that's found money. I think you worry too much about counting chickens from a bunch of eggs that haven't hatched and the potential of possibly leaving money on the table is bothering you more than being honest. Speaking of being honest, that's my honest opinion.

What ever you do, it's your junk/stuff, your decision to sell and you have to decide on the prices. We've given you all the assistance we can now you have to make decisions only you can make.

[spock999]

If you get all worried that you might give away a possible buck or two by pricing this or that too low, then just put everything back in the box and shove it back in the attic; problem solved. If some unused item from the attic sells for any amount, that's found money. I think you worry too much about counting chickens from a bunch of eggs that haven't hatched and the potential of possibly leaving money on the table is bothering you more than being honest. Speaking of being honest, that's my honest opinion.

It's more about aims and objectives. If you are buying you want a bargain, if you are selling you want a decent price. Auctions give the buyer much more control than the seller. Fixed price sales move that control to the seller. I just don't see how auctions satisfy the needs of the seller when there is little or no competition. The buyer always has the final say by deciding whether or not to buy.

I don't take offence at what you have said above (after all I am going against accepted practice) but it is inaccurate. If you look at my current listings (3 for furniture and 4 for matchbox) you will see that I give the buyer more opportunity to know what they are buying (by virtue of the detailed photos and a fairly blunt, accurate description) than many eBay sellers do. Thus my buyers can make a more informed choice. If it puts him/her off then so be it, that is his/her choice!

I have enjoyed looking into the matchbox market but there is no way I could ever be interested enough to be a collector. Wrong mindset! As it happens I have an expensive photography habit to feed and a son (with grandchildren) in New Zealand who we need to visit regularly. So you can see where my priorities lie.

I had my enjoyment from the matchbox toys some 50 to 60 years ago. If by the luck of the draw they help me enjoy the things that matter to me now, that is great. If not well I haven't lost anything either.