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Did you know there was a hysteria about Beanie Babies in the 1990s? In fact, during this time, a divorced couple couldn’t agree on how to divide their Beanie Babies collection valued at $2,500 to $5,000 and decided to split them up in the courtroom.
It may sound like ridiculous news, but those were the days when these little toys had a high resale value on eBay. Yes, eBay, one of the best places to sell jewelry today, was the first online auction site for Beanie Babies back then.
Nowadays, however, ordinary Beanie Babies are priced below $10. While the rarest pieces from the Ty Beanie Babies collection are still worth thousands of dollars, truly the easiest route to make $300 a day.
Is selling old baby stuff one of your hobbies to make money? Well, Beanie Babies should not be an exception. You can sell them online and to places near you.
As you might have known, I’m all for being frugal, and I promote living a life as minimally as possible. So, if you have ordinary or the rarest Beanie Babies, don’t just keep them only to gather dust – it’s time to make cash from them.
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How do I find out what my Beanie Babies are worth?
The tags attached to your Beanie Babies will tell you about their value. If your collectible toys have a “TY” swing or tush tag attached to their ear, they will most likely cost a tidy sum nowadays. On the other hand, non-collectible ones may not even cost $10.
If you’re in doubt, you can check online marketplaces like eBay to see how other sellers priced their Beanie Babies.
Best Places to Sell Beanie Babies Online
Letting go of your Beanie Babies can be a difficult pill to swallow. But you don’t need to keep them around for too long either as maintaining them in mint condition and finding storage space can become challenging over time. Should you want to sell your Beanie Babies, here are the best online marketplaces to make the most cash from them.
1. eBay
If you have those brown stuffed toys that may look like Mr. Bean’s teddy bear, look at their tags as they might have been from Ty Warner, Holiday, Britannia, and Hope’s collection. I had to mention these because they are worth thousands of dollars on eBay.
Haven’t used eBay before? Well, this is an original marketplace not only for Beanie Baby collectors in the 90s but also for thrifters and bargain hunters alike. The site has a baby section and handy filters to help potential buyers search for any baby item you have listed.
The best thing about this site is that it has been around for a long time and has a large buyer base. Listing your items for sale is also easy, thanks to the app’s user-friendliness. You can use this site, too, to assess the value of your toys. This will help you set competitive pricing.
To start listing your items, you only need to take good photos, write a title, and input an enticing product description. Make sure that each photo is taken in a well-lit environment with a lovely backdrop.
The platform takes commission fees regardless of the size of the items. Typically, a seller will pay $0.30 + 13.25% fees from the final selling price (composed of the item price and shipping fee). The good thing, however, is Beanie Babies are tiny and light. Overall, It’s a great app to make money online for small baby items because of lower costs.
For higher chances of getting bids and earning more, list your items on a Sunday evening (for great exposure), maximize the 7-day auctions, and never accept lowball offers.
2. Ruby Lane
Next up is Ruby Lane, a fancy version of Etsy. You might have known this site as a place for selling pre-owned furniture, but in reality, it’s a powerhouse of all things vintage, antique, and other collectible items.
So, if you want to sell your most valuable Beanie Babies, list them on Ruby Lane. Collectibles are doing great on this site because it’s a paradise for people who love collecting precious goods. For this reason, Beanie Baby collectors will buy your listed toys should they find them valuable.
Since Ruby Lane is a niche-focused platform, they cost more than other eCommerce platforms (unfortunately). Sellers are required to pay a commission fee for each sold item and a monthly fee to start listing on the site. The good news is that there are no listing charges, and your monthly payment can be rebated if you’re an active seller.
The site has a high Trust Pilot rating and offers a dedicated on-site chat with buyers, so it is less of a headache and definitely worth trying. Are you a first-time seller? Check the forums under your Home Page as it will help you better manage and promote your shop.
3. Sell2BBNoverties
Want to make money fast from selling Beanie Babies? A specialty website like Sell2BBNovelties is a reliable option for your instant need for cash. It takes away the pain of listings and auctions, so you should never worry about getting a buyer because the site directly buys from you.
Sell2BBNovelties buys collectible items individually or in bulk. Although it sounds easier to sell on this platform, in reality, they are a little strict compared to other eCommerce sites. To better market your TY Beanie Babies, the site requires them to be clean, odor-free, and, most importantly, in mint condition.
If you’re wondering whether you can buy collectible Beanie Babies on other platforms and sell them here, you’re not alone. People who are into buying and selling business are curious about this, too. But to answer your question, it is, unfortunately, prohibited.
On the other hand, you can guarantee higher sales once the toy is in its original packaging with tags still attached. Ownership history is also crucial, as being the original owner adds value. To know the potential offers of your precious toys, visit the website for the Beanie Babies price guide.
4. Mercari
Babies grow so fast, don’t they? They grow so quickly that sometimes you’ve got an expensive, adorable outfit that they only get to wear once or twice. That’s where Mercari comes in.
Mercari is doing a great job selling the best of both worlds – new and second-hand items. As such, you might want to sell old baby clothes, shoes, and toys along with your Beanie Baby collections.
The app is popular among sellers because of its lower fees and user-friendly app – just set up your profile, and you’re good to go. On the other hand, buyers visit the platform to find niche items and bargain deals.
To attract your target market (ahem, Beanie Baby collectors), take as many photos of your toys as possible, showing every angle. You can upload up to 12 photos for each item. I suggest you start with a wide shot and then upload a close-up photo showing every detail. Feel free to use the magic wand feature to make each listing appealing.
It’s also important to create a detailed description. For instance, you can describe when the Beanie Baby was manufactured and a little history of how you got it. Once done, it’s time to set your desired price. You can look at another listing to know the usual price of this precious item.
5. Beanie Baby Collectors Communities
Each platform on this list is the best place to sell Beanie Babies, but if there’s one avenue that will guarantee instant $100 a day or even higher offers for your classic toys, it’s no other than the people looking for them.
For instance, there are Facebook, Reddit, and other social media communities dedicated to the sole purpose of buying and collecting Beanie Babies. There are also entrepreneurs willing to purchase them for their buy-and-sell business.
Selling in these communities is convenient because people will actively look for you to acquire your Beanie Babies. You will get to meet a bunch of collector enthusiasts, and they might refer you to folks willing to buy your well-treasured toys.
You need not worry about listing and commission fees because you’re doing the transactions directly. What you only need to do to sell is to post your products on group pages and wait for people to contact you. Make sure to have a clear description and pricing so you won’t lose a sale from folks who are too shy to ask.
6. OfferUp
OfferUp is another local listing option commonly used for selling shoes for cash, furniture, and clothes. It’s free to post on this app, so if you love listing items on another free platform like Facebook Marketplace, I suggest selling your Beanie babies on this app, too.
Your Beanie Babies will be popular in the collectible section. Using the right section for each listing is important because it will help your products reach their target market.
For instance, I refurbished furniture in the past, and within 24 hours of uploading them to the furniture section, I’ve had potential buyers asking for my listings. Most of my flipped furniture is sold within a week.
To start, set up your account – it will only take you less than five minutes, and start creating your listing. If you think you’ve got a rare Beanie Baby, state the brand, the name, unique features, and the toy’s condition in the product description. Including this information will signal the OfferUp algorithm of what you’re selling and help your listing reach its target market.
Sellers love this platform because they can sell online or meet up with their buyers. I usually go for the latter option, and so far, the folks I’ve transacted here have been great. However, checking someone’s rating before meeting them is important. If something is off, you’re probably right.
Best Places to Sell Beanie Babies Near You
If you’re curious about where to sell Beanie Babies within your location, give these places a try. These will guarantee greater chances of selling them immediately.
7. Craigslist
Do you love your Beanie Babies so much that you wouldn’t want them to be sold overseas? Look no further. Craigslist is the perfect option to sell your beloved toys online to people within your area.
The beauty of Craigslist is that it takes away the hassle of using a middleman. Most buyers also prefer local pick-up, removing the pain of preparing all toys sold for shipping.
If you need to quickly get rid of your Beanie Babies collection, like when you’re decluttering or moving to a new place and can’t take many items with you, this platform is ideal in that case. You can achieve your purpose yet still make money from your toys.
However, like other eCommerce sites, it takes patience and effort to sell items online. I observed that most people only visit the app to get free stuff online, while others most likely buy the most affordable item.
To ensure you can get top-dollar from your Beanie Babies, take great photos with lots of lights and angles. Selling on this site is visually driven because people are fond of using filters, such as viewing listings with images only.
As for the price, you should slightly overprice your item and then provide a price range where buyers can negotiate. Unlike eBay, where buyers can bid higher prices to get the item, Craigslist users will ask for a lower price.
Just make sure that you don’t overprice your listing; otherwise, people will lose interest in them. After a few listings, you’ll get a better understanding of the market pricing and find that sweet spot.
8. Facebook Marketplace
I don’t know about you, but this site comes to mind first when I think of selling second-hand pieces. There are many best-selling items on Facebook Marketplace, but I love selling vintage pieces on this platform. The reason is that Facebook is handy and free, and I find it easy to reach my buyers and deliver the packages in person.
It’s also worth mentioning that Facebook is a popular app, and almost everyone uses it. It has 3 billion users, and with an algorithm that recommends products to users based on their interests, reaching Beanie Baby collectors could be easy-peasy.
The negative side of this app is that some buyers are “tire kickers” while others are just exploring and may ask too many questions. Your Beanie Baby collections are valuable, so make sure you’re dealing with genuine buyers and not scammers.
To do so, check the buyer’s profile before talking to them. Don’t respond to inquiries if you think their account doesn’t seem real, especially when you have provided a clear and complete product description.
In my observation, most of my sure buyers reach out to me with “Is this available?” The generic question that Facebook suggests buyers should use when contacting sellers. It’s also the fastest way for both buyers and sellers to communicate and avoid wasting their time.
Buyers are wise, too; thus, create your profile as professionally looking as possible. To start selling, post up to 10 photos and write a detailed description of the brand, condition, and rarity. You can then set your desired price and wait for people to contact you.
9. Garage Sale
I’ve had a lot of success stories selling old video games, furniture, and used books at garage sales. This is my go-to event if I want to declutter and make money from old stuff. My best tip? Offer your Beanie Babies at a bargained rate and permit buyers to haggle prices, especially if they intend to purchase in bulk.
If you have many Beanie Babies or baby items to sell, it might be more practical to organize this type of event than photographing and listing each item on online marketplaces. Of course, weather may be an issue, so hold the event inside the garage, place a sign outside to attract passersby, and display all items for sale nicely.
Colorful balloons are good, too. They are great to entice kids and parents to pop into your garage. You should also promote your sale on Facebook to ensure more potential buyers. This is the best platform to inform your neighborhood or people near you about your upcoming event.
10. Flea Market
Flea markets target customers within your area, and it’s the best avenue for sellers who love talking to people interested in buying collectibles. If you don’t mind the effort it takes to set up a booth for a few days or months, you can really make quick and bigger cash selling your Beanie Babies in a flea market.
Like other physical stores, the mantra for this type of business is “location, location, location.” Aim to set up your booth near the entrance or in places where many people pass by. Most of the time, you might need to pay to get the prime location, or it may be on a first-come or first-serve basis, so get there early to snag a good booth.
A great way to promote your store is the signage. Make a clear one outside your booth. It should be obvious so passersby will say, “Hey, I’ll pop in.” To organize your toys, you can display or hang them – people won’t love to see them in a rummage.
Because many buyers will tend to negotiate prices, it’s important to set your price limit in advance. For example, you can set a general rule where you can’t accept an offer less than ½ of your original price. You can also provide discounts for people willing to buy in bulk.
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