There is a huge market for toys on eBay and the demand for these toys (both used and new) goes up considerably during the holiday season. You can cash in too! Here are a few tips to get you started selling toys on eBay.
First, try to find out what’s selling or what’s “hot” right now. One way of doing this is by visit pulse.ebay.com. This link will allow you to see which toys are currently the most popular. You can also visit the eBay Discussion Board for ToysSome generally popular toy items are action figures, board games, toy cars, toy trains, trading cards, and educational toys for all age groups. Certain stuffed animals are also quite popular. to get an idea of what toys are really popular right now. On this discussion board sellers will talk openly about what toys are selling, what toys aren’t selling, and about what their predictions are based off of sales from previous years. Make sure to watch, listen and read both the local and national news. You can sometimes hear about customers waiting in lines for hours to buy some of those more popular toy items. These items will always be very popular on eBay.
If you already have a toy in mind, you’ll need to do some research specific to that item. Visit Toys & Hobbies Seller Central to find out the average selling price of similar toys on eBay. You can also search completed listings on eBay to see how other similar toy items are selling. You’ll want to look outside of eBay as well. Check the listed prices at some of the major retailers. This can give you an idea of how much your toy is worth brand new. You can also find some product information out by visiting these retailers’ websites, along with the toy company’s website itself (i.e. you’re selling a Fisher Price camera; visit Fisher Price’s website for more information on the toy).
You also want to make sure that any toys you plan to sell on eBay haven’t been recalled by the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Recalled toys cannot be sold on eBay because of safety concerns. You can view a list of recalled items by visiting www.cpsc.gov.
One of the most important things you can do when selling anything on eBay is to make your listings discoverable. You must create listings with titles that include wisely chosen keywords. Keywords are going to attract buyers to your listings. Listing titles allow for 55 characters. Use those 55 characters wisely. Try to figure out and anticipate what buyers will be searching for to find your listed toy and include those key terms in your title. Include common search terms like brand names (Webkinz, Fisher Price, V-tech, etc.) when appropriate and list any important characteristics of the items you’re selling (model number/name, color, condition, appropriate age range). You can sometimes get a good idea of what works by searching completed listings that showcase toys similar to the one you’re selling.
You also need to describe your toys the right way! In listing descriptions you want to include the basic information you provided in your listing title along with specific details related to your toy. Use bold section headlines and bulleted lists to make your listing appeared more structured and easy to read. Offer information such as size, dimensions, features, materials, estimated value, related products and other important information. Note if the toy comes from a smoke free and/or pet free home. This will assure buyers that any item they purchase from you will be smoke-odor free and/or that it won’t trigger any allergies. Try to think about your listing from the buyer’s perspective. The more information you provide, the more likely a buyer is to bid on your toy. On the other hand, keep all of that information organized. Excessively long, unstructured listings can turn buyers off many times. You don’t want your listings to give potential buyers a headache! Include pictures and videos in your listing descriptions as well. More information on how to do this at no additional charge by eBay follows.
That old saying, “A picture’s worth a thousand words,” is true! Showcasing your toys with great photos and even videos can really drum up the bids. When taking pictures of your toys you need to use a good backdrop. You want to use a background that’s both contrasting and a solid color (black or white). This will immediately draw your buyer’s attention to your listings. Avoid background clutter at all costs since this will distract buyers. Take pictures from multiple angles and distances. Zoom in on important details and clearly show any flaws or defects in your pictures. Use natural light when possible when taking pictures of your items (indirect sunlight is best), and avoid using your camera’s flash which can distort and shadow the toy you’re trying to sell.
Always add a gallery photo that clearly represents the toy you’re selling since this photo will display next to your listing in the buyer’s search results.
You can also add other pictures to your listing for free in the listing description section. If you upload your auction photos onto a website to create html codes (photobucket.com is my method of choice) you can simply paste those html codes into your listing description (don’t forget to click on the tab that says “HTML” instead of “standard”) at no extra charge. You can also offer links to videos that highlight any unique features of your item.
Auction style listings can result in high selling prices when done right. The key to a successful auction is to get that very first bid and keep the bids coming. To do this you will want to have a low starting price. Set a starting bid that is below what the toy is actually worth. Not only are you avoiding paying extra eBay listing fees, you’re also jumpstarting bid activity. I always start my listings at 99 cents. Also, don’t set a reserve. Buyers can be turned off by listings that set reserve prices, either because they bid and find they don’t meet the reserve, or because they assume a seller is asking too much for the toy. “No Reserve” listings normally attract more buyers.
Accept PayPal as a form of payment. Many buyers prefer to pay with PayPal because they feel it makes their purchase on eBay more secure. By accepting PayPal as a method of payment you can build buyer confidence and boost your sales.
Keep shipping and handling charges reasonable. These charges can really jack up the cost of an item and many buyers will avoid auctions with high shipping charges. Only charge what it costs to mail the toy (think about including the shipping calculator in your auctions since shipping charges vary by location) and add the “handling” charge into the starting price of your auction. Remember to always state your shipping charge and shipping policy in your listings.
Have a return policy. Buyers feel more comfortable about buying from you when you offer a return policy. Not only that, but return policies help to protect and cover sellers themselves. Even including a simple policy such as “no returns”, “shipping charges non-refundable” or “a restocking fee may be charged” is a good idea.
Hopefully these selling tips will help you to make some money off of toys this year. Now’s the perfect time to start listing toys on eBay too, with the holidays being right around the corner. Good luck fellow sellers!
Resources:
http://pages.ebay.com/buy/guides/toy-selling-guide/
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/return-policy.html
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/seller-tips.html
