Best way to sell your LEGO sets and bricks?

[stackables]

Thought this would be an appropriate topic to discuss in this forum. Just wanted to post some options we have when we decide to sell. As for my experience, I have never sold a lego set but have sold various other collectables. Here is a quick summary off the top of my head. Feel free to add your opinions, comments, and pros and cons.

Ebay

Pros: most exposure, best chance to sell set

Cons: Fees (now take fees out of shipping/handling plus ebay double dips with paypal fees)

Craigslist

Pros: free to list, cash

Cons: limited exposure; most customers are looking for deals

Bricklink

Not really familiar with the selling aspect

Pros: good exposure

Cons: lots of similar products (hard to stand out unless your prices are the cheapest);

fees (not as bad as ebay)

So what else do we got?

[schmidtywerben]

I've never done it but I do believe you could sell on Amazon as well

[Ed Mack]

All four above options are valid places to sell LEGO sets. All have their advantages and disadvantages. EBAY is costly, yet gives the best exposure and security for seller and buyer. Craigs List is a great place to find deals, but selling and buying there could be a dangerous proposition. Too many lunatics around for my tastes to meet people in person. I'd rather sell stuff through the mail.

Bricklink has been having technical issues lately due to someone hacking the site. I have used it many times with positive results. For parts it is great, for sets...so-so. Photos and descriptions for selling sets are very subpar in comparison to EBAY. Also, there is very little protection for the seller and buyer and exposure is less, but the commission is less also.

Amazon is a quality site for selling new sets, but it is very pricey for the seller and probably not an option for most small sellers.

Another option for selling LEGO sets and bulk bricks, new and used, is BRICKS AND MINIFIGS.COM. John and David run quality stores in the Washington and Oregon area and will buy your old sets and bulk bricks for cash. They will even swap out one set for another. Check them out...

[Bricks]

Thanks for the post regarding Bricks & Minifigs. We LOVE BrickPicker because they are just like us. They're out to revolutionize the used Lego market which is why we feel such a strong camaraderie with them and look forward to a long partnership with them. We use BrickPicker almost exclusively to determine our pricing both for in store selling as well as all our Store Buys from customers and find their numbers are 99% dead on to the market at any point in time. Their website has allowed us to go to the next level of consistency across all our locations for buying and selling and it's made a huge difference for us. We are actually in 3 states now as we just opened a store in Albuquerque NM today and they've already done some store buys and of course BrickPicker played a part!! You can check out any of our locations and their respective Facebook pages by going to our website at www.bricksandminifigs.com and don't forget that we are a nationally registered Franchise company so you could open you very own Bricks & Minifigs Store so give us a call!! THANKS BRICKPICKER!!!

[Mos_Eisley]

Sounds interesting, I'd like to visit a store. I know you aren't official LEGO stores, but your video refers to LEGO products as "LEGOs" several times!

[JesusLovesLegos]

I wish I lived by the Bricks and Minifigures stores. I would be in there every day. LOL

[Bricks]

Sounds interesting, I'd like to visit a store.

I know you aren't official LEGO stores, but your video refers to LEGO products as "LEGOs" several times!

Yes and we sincerely apologize. That copy was largely out of our control from last year and we will be updating that video very soon. We appreciate everyone's understanding.

[JimBean4]

Yes and we sincerely apologize. That copy was largely out of our control from last year and we will be updating that video very soon. We appreciate everyone's understanding.

I like your idea. The term LEGOs does not offend most people in my opinion. Ask a kid what he wants for Xmas and he'll tell you "Legos," not "LEGO Bricks." ;-) Might not be the proper term, but political correctness in the toy world is not necessary.

[Mos_Eisley]

Yes and we sincerely apologize. That copy was largely out of our control from last year and we will be updating that video very soon. We appreciate everyone's understanding.

I like your idea. The term LEGOs does not offend most people in my opinion. Ask a kid what he wants for Xmas and he'll tell you "Legos," not "LEGO Bricks." ;-) Might not be the proper term, but political correctness in the toy world is not necessary.

I'm not offended by the use of the term LEGOs, but your statement proves why it is important for them to not use it. One of the first things you learn when you start getting involved with LEGO products is that the term "LEGOs" is considered incorrect by The LEGO Group. The only people who use the term "LEGOs" are kids and adults who aren't that familiar with the product. If I am going to invest $20,000 into a company that specializes in LEGO sets and bricks, I would expect them to be an expert in the field. I'm sure they know what they are doing, but the use of "LEGOs" would definitely make me think twice about their product knowledge.

Again, I mean no disrespect to anyone, I'm merely giving my opinion of what that term says to me when I hear it.

[TedZeppelin]

I think that if you're going to update it, you'll be all set. I guess I'm not proper, either, because I just capitalize the 'L'.

[Ed Mack]

LEGOs, Legos, Lego Bricks, legos...It's all the same to me. I try to say LEGO bricks, out of respect to the company's request, but I don't think there is a wrong way to do it, but if you are involved with a business or site, I would try to do it the way LEGO(TLG-The LEGO Group) wants it. It took me awhile to stop writing Legos myself... LOL

[stackables]

I always write legos. Didn't know that was considered inappropriate.

[buck brick]

Yes and we sincerely apologize. That copy was largely out of our control from last year and we will be updating that video very soon. We appreciate everyone's understanding.

I like your idea. The term LEGOs does not offend most people in my opinion. Ask a kid what he wants for Xmas and he'll tell you "Legos," not "LEGO Bricks." ;-) Might not be the proper term, but political correctness in the toy world is not necessary.

I'm not offended by the use of the term LEGOs, but your statement proves why it is important for them to not use it. One of the first things you learn when you start getting involved with LEGO products is that the term "LEGOs" is considered incorrect by The LEGO Group. The only people who use the term "LEGOs" are kids and adults who aren't that familiar with the product. If I am going to invest $20,000 into a company that specializes in LEGO sets and bricks, I would expect them to be an expert in the field. I'm sure they know what they are doing, but the use of "LEGOs" would definitely make me think twice about their product knowledge.

Again, I mean no disrespect to anyone, I'm merely giving my opinion of what that term says to me when I hear it.

. At the top of this post it says "Best way to sale your legos" are you going to discredit this website for using the term legos and not LEGO bricks?

[Ed Mack]

I always write legos. Didn't know that was considered inappropriate.

I edited your title slightly. Please don't take offense. ;-)

[Ed Mack]

Here is what The LEGO Group actually wrote:

Proper Use of the LEGO Trademark on a Web Site:

If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs". Also, the trademark should appear in the same typeface as the surrounding text and should not be isolated or set apart from the surrounding text. In other words, the trademarks should not be emphasized or highlighted. Finally, the LEGO trademark should always appear with a

[force392]

Back on topic...We really need more options to sell LEGO sets and bulk brick. I'm surprised that there are not more selling options out there similar to Bricklink, but better.

[quakerlaker91]

Back on topic...We really need more options to sell LEGO sets and bulk brick. I'm surprised that there are not more selling options out there similar to Bricklink, but better.

I agree. Amazon charges very high seller fees (20% I think), plus of course PayPal fees. EBay auction format is 9% and their fixed price format is 12%. I think Bricklink is actually pretty good. I've only recently started selling on their site, but their fee is only 3%, which makes a huge difference when you start selling the more valuable sets at higher prices. The problem is, of course, the lack of exposure. No one knows about Bricklink, so it can be difficult to sell. It's a nice community, however. I have contacted the site administrator with questions several times and have received responses promptly.

[Ed Mack]

I agree. Amazon charges very high seller fees (20% I think), plus of course PayPal fees. EBay auction format is 9% and their fixed price format is 12%. I think Bricklink is actually pretty good. I've only recently started selling on their site, but their fee is only 3%, which makes a huge difference when you start selling the more valuable sets at higher prices. The problem is, of course, the lack of exposure. No one knows about Bricklink, so it can be difficult to sell. It's a nice community, however. I have contacted the site administrator with questions several times and have received responses promptly.

I have used Bricklink many times with positive results, but it takes some getting used to. The site is a little outdated, but it worked until it was hacked a week or two ago. I understand they are updating the site, so I am looking forward to that.

I agree with the original point though, the LEGO community could still use another option or two for selling and buying LEGO sets and bricks.

[Mos_Eisley]

I agree. Amazon charges very high seller fees (20% I think), plus of course PayPal fees.

There are no PayPal fees associated with selling on Amazon as all payments are made through Amazon.

[Brickarmor]

As if taking a fees out of shipping wasn't bad enough, eBay has begun another practice I do not like at all. I don't know how long it has been going on, I just noticed it this morning and wanted to share my ire. Directly beneath the photos, it now says "Have one to sell? Sell it yourself" followed by the average price!!!! Big red dislike from me.

[Ed Mack]

As if taking a fees out of shipping wasn't bad enough, eBay has begun another practice I do not like at all. I don't know how long it has been going on, I just noticed it this morning and wanted to share my ire. Directly beneath the photos, it now says "Have one to sell? Sell it yourself" followed by the average price!!!! Big red dislike from me.

Yes, I saw what you were referring to. I did a quick search for a MISB 10030 Star Destroyer and it said:

Have one to sell?

Sell it yourself $529.00Avg

The price estimate is only about $500.00 off...LOL I like the idea of promoting "selling one yourself," but giving people wrong price estimates(on the low side) is only going to hurt their bottom line. I know how difficult it is to sift through EBAY data to get accurate average prices. There are so many incorrect and BS listings that it is hard to be 100% accurate on 9000+ LEGO sets.

[kutaone]

There are a ton of other auction websites out there. I am curious if anyone has tried any of the others. I will be trying some of the new ones soon. I have been doing well on ebay but the price to use ebay is too much. I am a marketing specialist so eventually I plan on doing my own website but it takes forever to get good enough traffic to actually get a business going so in the mean time I will have to use someone else. Obviously, ebay is going to get the most traffic but a lot of the these smaller auction sites are still displayed in the Google index so when people search in google, your product will still show up so I imagine they still get plenty of traffic... Thoughts? Experiences? (FYI...I sell all sorts of toys, not just LEGO sets. I am just getting into LEGO collection.)

[kutaone]

I'll keep notes, probably worth a forum post to share my experiences...

[Ed Mack]

There are a ton of other auction websites out there. I am curious if anyone has tried any of the others. I will be trying some of the new ones soon. I have been doing well on ebay but the price to use ebay is too much. I am a marketing specialist so eventually I plan on doing my own website but it takes forever to get good enough traffic to actually get a business going so in the mean time I will have to use someone else.

Obviously, ebay is going to get the most traffic but a lot of the these smaller auction sites are still displayed in the Google index so when people search in google, your product will still show up so I imagine they still get plenty of traffic...

Thoughts? Experiences?

(FYI...I sell all sorts of toys, not just LEGO sets. I am just getting into LEGO collection.)

As the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for," applies to auction sites. There is EBAY and then there is EBAY. It might be somewhat costly, but the exposure and ease of use is unmatched. The problem you run into with other auction sites is protection. PayPal is the way to go and being that EBAY and PayPal are the same company, these other auction sites, even if they use PayPal, will not get the same treatment as EBAY customers will. I know the EBAY fees are high, but overall, they are probably worth it.

[kutaone]

I always forget about the protection and that's soooo important. One bad purchase/sale could make all the fees I was complaining about moot. That why I come here...