Did you know that the e-commerce corporation eBay has almost 200 million active buyers and over 1 billion active listings? And that’s just eBay! Because online shopping is so popular, there’s an endless number of ways to sell goods online.
Every day, billions of people shop online for everything from groceries to cars to furniture, creating trillions of dollars in profits each year. If you’re interested in learning how to resell items online and take a cut of those profits for yourself, you’ve come to the right place.
Specifically, we’re going to give you the information you need to resell toys online, whether that be on eBay, Amazon, Etsy, or your own e-commerce site. Keep reading to learn more.
Start With Research
As an online toy retailer, you can’t sell just anything. Because you’re reselling these items, you need to be sure that they’re worth your initial investment. To do this, you need to do plenty of research to find collectible toys worth money.
It’s helpful to choose a niche and learn everything you can about that section of the toy market. For example, let’s say that you’ve always loved professional wrestling, so you want to buy and sell both vintage and modern-era wrestling figures. Excellent – you have a starting point.
Now, take a look at some of the toys’ value. Values are going to differ from figure to figure based on popularity, age, rarity, and condition. Look at what your future competition is selling and what they’re selling each item for to get an idea of what you can expect.
Choose Your Platform
Now that you have a niche (or a few niches), you’re ready to choose your platform. As we mentioned above, there are many options to choose from, but one of the most popular is to resell toys on eBay.
Regardless of the route you choose, you’ll need to either create an account or build a website of your own. Keep in mind, however, that while owning your own website might sound appealing in terms of profits, it’s a much more labor-intensive route to take.
It’s better to start on an already established platform, build your brand and reputation, then branch out on your own if and when you find success.
Find Your Toys
Time to do even more research! At this point, the internet is still going to be a huge help, but it might not be your best bet in your search for toys to resell.
First, look up both where to buy and sell your desired toys. You might search “where to buy POP Figures” or “where to sell Beanie Babies,” make note of your findings.
Now, as helpful as this might be, you’re far more likely to find your best deals by chance, whether it be at a yard sale, a thrift store, or on a website like Craigslist. Oftentimes, people will clear out an old childhood bedroom or declutter their home and not realize what they have, allowing you to make a huge profit by reselling toys on Amazon.
As magical as making a career out of reselling toys might sound, remember that more often than not, it’s a grind. It requires a great deal of research, scouring the internet and brick-and-mortar shops for toys, and haggling with customers online.
And like any career, if you don’t have the passion for it, you’re quickly going to realize that it’s not for you.
Clean and Restore Your Toys
If you’re lucky, you’ll find toys that are MIB (mint in box) or BNIB (brand new in box). At most, the boxes will need a light dusting and they’re ready to sell. However, that’s if you’re very lucky.
You’re going to find toys that are dirty, scuffed, missing parts, covered in sticker residue, etc. Before you attempt to sell them, you need to do what you can to ensure that they’re in the best shape possible.
This might mean cleaning it off with a toothbrush or cotton swab, using a removal solution to clear away any sticker residue, or shopping online for missing parts. Although you can sell a toy with a missing part, you’re going to miss out on a large portion of your profits.
Take Appealing Photos
How many times have you been shopping on eBay and see a listing where the seller does nothing to make their item look appealing. You can barely see what it is, let alone what kind of condition it’s in. If you want to maximize your profits, this is a major no-no.
Each listing on your page should include multiple clear, well-lit images that show the toys from every angle. To appear as professional as possible, your images should have uniform lighting with a white background.
If any toy is damaged, take a picture of the affected area and give a detailed description of the condition. A sale is going to fall through every now and then, but being transparent with your customers will build trust and minimize the number of buyers who back out of purchases.
Start a New Career by Learning How to Resell Toys Online
If you’ve been in search of a new career path, learning how to resell toys online could be the perfect route for you. Remember, however, that although it’s enjoyable work for many people, it’s still work.
As with any job, you’re going to experience ups and downs and unavoidable daily stressors. But if you have a passion for collectibles and a talent for communication, reselling toys can be a life-changing career move.
Interested in learning more about starting a side hustle or a new career online? Take a look at our blog!
It all depends on what kind of collectables you have in mind. The coolest of the latest I’ve found in this area is https://woodandhearts.com/collections/balancing-boards. These are unique pieces, and I would love to get one for my child. It’s made of natural material, durable and can be resold later, I think 😉
Advertising is image, prestige, competitiveness, future profit and, in fact, science! Even if you produce the best product or service in the world, who knows? Do you have a desire for the whole city, country to talk about it and buy only from you? Then you need advertising! But even here not everything goes smoothly. Consider running a promotion.