edoubell wrote:I find I am in need of space, so I am selling off my collection. I have a couple of questions:
1. I am seeing a bunch of posts about people talking about buying/selling privately rather than ebay. Is this easier, more effective or more profitable?
2. Are there other good sources to refer to for finding the value of items? I see many of the item on this site have not been updated in 5+ years.
3. What is the best approach for selling very rare items?
4. Can anyone provide me with the contents of
R1 &
R3 pre-publication versions (so I can ensure my versions are complete)?
5. I have hundereds of Dragon, Dungeon and Polyhedron magazines. Is there much of a market for these?
Thanks in advance for your help and advice
You need to decide whether you want a quick sale or maximum profit.
You need to ask yourself how much work you are willing to put into selling your collection..
If you want a quick sale and do not want to research prices then auction it on ebay. Your collection will probably sell but you will very likely get far below maximum profit for your collection.
If you want a quick sale but are willing to do research on prices and CONDITION you can work out an informed asking price and sell privately on a few forums (Here, Dragonsfoot,
RPG marketplace come to mind) and avoid not only ebay fees but having to deal with the trials, tribulations and aggravations of ebay customers and ebays customer service.
Best place to work out value is ebay and check out completed auctions, noting CONDITION and also to check out what sellers are asking for Buy It Now prices. If you have several sellers all asking the lowest level Buy It Now price you can try undercutting them and see if the item will sell for that price.
The best approach to selling very rare items is to work out a fair asking price ahead of time and either trying a reserve auction (in case you get two or more collectors who are willing to pay more than a fair price for it) or to simply sell it privately or at a buy it now price.
Early Dragon mags in EXCELLENT condition , especially with mailing envelopes can sell. Some Dungeon Mags in EXCELLENT condition can sell for more than cover. I have seen a rising demand for polyhedrons.
NOTE: CONDITION - Condition is extremely important regardless of the rarity of the item. If you see a rare item in EXCELLENT condition sell for a certain amount, that does not mean that a lesser condition copy will sell for nearly that or at all. In the past Dragon mags in EXCELLENT condition have sold for me but even issues that were slightly worn would not.
For the most part you will get back what you put into it. If you want a quick sale then you will very likely not get as good a return as waiting weeks or months to find a customer willing to pay your price.
