Kids grow up really fast. The clothes they wear one week don't fit the next and they soon fly through those baby years and start attending school. Those things they ask for at Christmas time or for birthdays are so important one minute and then the next, they no longer play with them. Our homes are only so big and we only have so much storage. Whereabouts can we start selling second hand toys to make some money, reclaim some space in our houses for all those new toys and give toys a new life?
Before You Start selling second hand toys
When it comes to selling your childhood toys or your children's old toys, it makes sense that you want to make as much money as you can.
Before you get started selling second-hand toys, you are going to want to check for any items that are in high demand, as well brand names such as Hot Wheels or Beanie Babies.
It would be a good idea to make lists of your toy collection, separating them into different categories.
How to find top-selling items
Once you have the second hand toys that you want to sell it is time to see if you have any top-selling toys.
Whilst almost all second hand toys and new toys still in their original packaging can sell, keep an eye out for the following:
Mint condition toys
Mint condition toys can usually fetch lots of money, especially if they are vintage items.
What does mint condition mean?
Think about how a toy looks when it just comes off the shelf:
It has the original packaging in excellent condition with no rips or tears.
There is no visible damage, so no scratches, chips, etc.
There is also no signs of wear and tear – stickers aren't peeling off, etc.
To be considered to be in mint condition, the toy should be clean as well as being complete.
A “mint condition” toy is a term used by collectors to describe a toy that is in perfect or near-perfect
Brand name toys
If you think that you want to sell your toys, keeping an eye out for brand names can help you to make more money.
There are a wide selection of brand names that retain their value quite well when it comes to selling second hand toys.
Some of these brands include:
- Hot Wheels
- Funko Pops (even opened and without their box)
- Beanie Babies
- GI Joe
- Barbie – Barbie dolls as well as accessories such as clothing, plus other toys such as cars, houses and more.
- Marvel toys
- Disney
List on Facebook Marketplace
Selling on Facebook Marketplace has become an extremely popular way to find a potential buyer. With no shipping costs if you sell locally, it can take very little time to get your listings up and sold.
Facebook Marketplace is a great place to sell larger toys because you don't need to package them up and arrange a tricky delivery. Potential buyers can easily search for a specific item and then make a cash offer
Some toys might post better than others. For larger toys you might be better targeting parents in your local area. if you are on Facebook, using the Marketplace feature will allow you to list your products for free and local people will see them. If interested in buying, they will contact you via the platform and organise collecting the toys from your address. They'll pay cash in hand so there is now fees to consider at all.
Selling Second Hand Toys on eBay
If you want to reach a larger audience then one of the best places to consider selling second hand toys is eBay. There are thousands of daily users on there and so many people searching for the things you are looking at getting rid of.
Even though toys have been played with, the majority of them are still in good condition. You might need to clean them and stage them properly for photographs. However you can make some of the money back that you paid out for them in the first place.
With some toys, you might even make more than you paid! There are fees involved with selling on eBay so be sure to think about those, as well as postage/shipping costs.
Selling second hand toys on Vinted
Another great place to consider selling your second hand toys is the online marketplace Vinted.
Selling on Vinted is a good option because there are no listing fees or selling fees (the buyers just pay a Buyer Protection Fee) meaning that you keep 100% of the money something sells for.
Quite a lot of different toys sell well on Vinted. Baby gear, especially put into bundles of baby items, sell well.
You can also sell Limited Editions, board games, comic books, baby toys, plush toys and more very well on Vinted.
Check other online outlets
There are other places you can start selling second hand toys. Be sure to look at Gumtree as well as Preloved which is a great website where you can sell second hands goods. There are also specialist retailers who will buy vintage and collectible toys. Simply search for them online and you can start selling second hand toys for a profit.
Selling second hand toys offline
Away from the internet, a great place for selling used toys is at a car boot sale. These usually take place at weekends and you can set up your stall for as little as a few pounds.
Lots of people attend car boot sales to buy items, although you will usually have to deal with hagglers trying to get the best sale price.
Popular items at car boot sales include Hot Wheels cars, soft toys, children's books and unopened toys that can be given as gifts at class parties.
Another option would be to have your own yard sale on your front lawn. If you live near a school or on an estate you'll have plenty of passing trade. The best part is that it doesn't cost you a penny to set up.
Top tips for selling second hand toys
When it comes to selling your second hand toys, here are some of our top tips.
Group brands or similar items together
I've seen, first hand, the Monster Truck obsession. It has been so convenient (as well as cheaper!) for me to buy bundles of Hot Wheels monster trucks, Monster Jam monster trucks and all the other toys that come along with it.
By grouping or bundling similar items together you get rid of items faster if they are listed for a reasonable price, clear space faster and your listings attract more potential buyers.
Clean the toys
When it comes to selling second hand toys it is extremely important that you make sure they are as clean as you can get them. This is especially true for bath toys!
List them for sale in multiple places
You can list your toys for sale across various marketplaces (here is how to cross list from eBay to Vinted) to ensure that your listings are in the right place to get the most money.
Other ways to get rid of second-hand toys
If you don't want to sell your second hand toys because of the time listing them takes then you might want to consider some places that you can donate them to.
Children's hospitals are usually crying out for toys that are in good shape (clean and complete) with low infection control risks. You can get in touch with your local hospital's children's ward or your nearest children's hospital to find out more.
You could also donate them to your nearest charity shop/thrift store to help to raise money for a charity that does work that is important to you. You can get rid of things on the same day as you declutter them and do some good at the same time.
If you are starting to become inundated with stuff in your household, selling second hand toys could be a great way to make some space and earn some extra money.
