I've decided to sell my collection - New question

[BlackCurtains]

Not that I want to. I'm only keeping my childhood ponies and my Raincurl army and maybe a couple Applejacks. I need to keep some orange.

I need some advice on how to do it. I'd like to sell individually, and I'd like to sell here. I know I need good pictures. I'm really bad at valuing a pony as far as the terms go - Mint, near mint, flawed, etc. So I'd like to stay away from those. If a pony has obvious flaws or haircut or marks or something, of course I will list it. I'll also list if a pony has been restored or rehaired.

Is it worth getting a price check on them all? I do have some HTF G1s, G2s and even G3s. I know pony prices are out of control at the moment (along with everything else) and I'd like to actually *sell* them so I want fair prices, but I also need to make money. That's the whole point

I'll need to get supplies. What should I ship them in? Are bubble mailers okay? Should I use boxes instead? What about printing labels? Can you also print out customs forms? Where do you go to do this? I heard good things about Pirate Ship but I have no idea what's out there.

I was thinking of selling them in waves so I don't overwhelm myself and the sale thread won't be a slog to look through.

I can't think of anything else. Any advice is appreciated.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

A price check may help if you're unsure of pricing!

I do just ship my ponies in bubble mailers (with plain tissue paper or bubble wrap wrapped around them to preserve any hair I've washed), I've never heard complaints about it nor have I received a squished pony this way. People paying for more pricey ponies may prefer a box to ensure the pony isn't damaged, though.

You can print labels and customs forms on PirateShip. It will allow you to fill everything out online.

If you don't get the reach here, I do suggest Mercari for ease. It will show you when you list the pony how much money you'll make after fees, and you can either use their shipping labels or buy them elsewhere (I list all of mine with free shipping and then buy a label on PirateShip since a single pony is often under 4 oz). I know eBay is still around but I think Mercari is a little more used by ponyfolk now.

(I'm curious which G3 you have! I'll be keeping an eye out. ^^)

[Beth3346]

maybe post a list here and see if you get any quick sales? then move to something like Mercari after a week or so.

i agree on the bubble mailers. also, if you do USPS priority shipping the postal service will send free boxes and they will pick up shipments. i'm not sure if they will come to your door but i've had pretty good luck with the pick ups when i was selling off a lot of my collection.

[BlackCurtains]

Do you think they'd pick up at an apartment? That would be great. Free boxes would be great too. I'll look into that.

Okay, I'll try Mercari after I let them simmer here a while. I need to get them out of the boxes and photo them. I have a lot of photos already but I should update them incase anyone came down with a new issue (my Tangerine Twinkle was NOT sticky when I packed her, but she probably is now).

Thanks so much

eta: It looks like they can do pick up but I have to take the package down to ground level. The mailboxes are across the street so I could just go down and give them to the mailman.

[BlackCurtains]

I signed up for Mercari. For some reason I thought it was an auction site like eBay but it's not, is it? Hmm. Do ponies typically sell well there? PKW just gave me a PC of $300 for Dutch Diary. I'm tempted to put her on eBay but I haven't sold on eBay in like... 20 years. I rarely even buy or browse there anymore. I dunno. I just want to get the most I can without gouging people.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

The fees are about equal. The only difference is Mercari holds your money until it's confirmed delivered, whereas eBay puts it in your bank account. I rarely cross list anymore, but if you're trying to sell quick, I would just put them in both spots.

[Beth3346]

I sold on eBay back in 2020-2021. the sales process is a little more rigid and automated than it was back in the 2010s. people tend to pay a little faster and you can get money in your bank account faster which is good. not having to deal with paypal is nice. if i remember correctly they also take the fees before depositing the money. the international shipping is more painful though. the ebay global shipping thing is a pain and it's hard to know where the package is. also if you want to combine orders from the same buyer or refund extra shipping it's more of a pain. i ended up getting pretty annoyed with the whole process after a while. i haven't used Mercari so i can't really compare.

be sure to post a link to your sales here once you decide where to sell. Dutch Diary is on my want list

[BlackCurtains]

Well, I slept on it, and I don't want to deal with eBay. So, I'm going to try selling here first, then move to Mercari if I have to. I'll put everything I've got for sale here, with a BIN. I think it would be easier for me that way. I don't want this process to stress me out.

[BlackCurtains]

Okay, so I've sold a few ponies and I used Pirate Ship for the labels. The one label though is for USPS Priority but i don't have a priority box? Can you get priority without the box? It's a regular 6x6x6 box. Is the PO going to have me repack the ponies into a Priority box?

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Priority can be shipped in a normal box or mailer. I believe Flat Rate needs a special box, but I ship normal priority just fine in my own packaging.

[BlackCurtains]

Oh, okay! Thank you. I was so confused