eBay has been around for many years, and it has become one of the premier online marketplace platforms for sellers and shoppers worldwide. No wonder that it is also a go-to website for people who want to earn a few bucks selling LEGO sets! So let’s talk about some tips for selling LEGO on eBay.
eBay can feel a little daunting for anyone who has never sold something there before. You may be wondering how to ship the items you sell, deal with customer feedback, manage your payments, or create amazing listings for your products.
Selling LEGO can feel even more daunting. Do customers complain about any little dent in the box? Are there possible requests to return items due to the customer believing it is not authentic LEGO pieces? How important is a strong listing for selling LEGO?
So without further ado, let’s check out some of the tips experts have for selling LEGO on eBay.
1. Use your own photographs
One of the things a lot of people don’t like about selling items on eBay is the time it takes to create a listing. Sure, this has improved dramatically over time, but it is still much faster to list items on Amazon, where it can be done in bulk batches, photos are not required, and a lot of the information is pre-populated.
That’s no excuse though to default to using stock images on eBay. Stock images work well on Amazon because the buyer mentality is different there. Many buyers on Amazon believe they are buying from Amazon directly, and they’re not aware that they are actually buying from a whole host of third party sellers. Because of this, buyers on Amazon expect a certain level of professionalism, and they have more trust for the site they are buying from. They expect the items to be in new condition, without any flaws.
On eBay, buyers have a different mentality. They go there with the expectation that they will be buying from a small business or from another individual. The level of trust is a little less, and they expect that some items may not be brand new. They may go there to buy used, refurbished, or out of box items more often, for example. They also go to eBay for rarer goods and obscure items that are not typically available in retailers.
It’s important to understand this mindset difference between buyers on eBay and Amazon, because it contributes to what the buyers on eBay need to see.
Sure, some buyers are fine with less information, no photographs, and less feedback on your account. But many other buyers prefer more than that, so they can build up the trust to buy your product.
The solution? Take real photographs! It shows the buyer precisely what they will receive, including any flaws, and that you physically have the item in your possession and are not drop shipping it. It also shows them that you care enough about the sale to take the time to take photographs and upload them.
By now you’re probably thinking that I’m overthinking the importance of using your own photographs on eBay, but honestly, it works. Try it out. Stock photos will make you some sales. Real photos will make you much more.
2. Invest in good supplies and equipment
One of the best way to make it a painless experience when selling LEGO on eBay is to have the supplies you need at the ready. A huge headache that most resellers want to avoid is having to ship out an item and realizing you don’t have a shipping box that fits it.
You will then spend too much time trying to fashion a box big enough by taping other boxes together, and that’s not a good use of your time!
One of our important tips for selling LEGO on eBay is to invest in the boxes that you need for all of the sets you want to sell. If you place a lot of online orders for LEGO, then a great opportunity could be to re-use the boxes that your orders come in. Large LEGO sets for example can require pretty big shipping boxes, and they can be expensive.
Aside from shipping boxes, you may want to consider packing material, such as paper or air pillows. If you plan to sell a lot of LEGO sets online, it may be worth considering investing in an air pillow machine, such as the JZBRAIN YE300 Air Pillow Maker.
Investing in this level of equipment makes a lot of sense if you plan to sell a lot. If you only plan to sell a set or two, then you can easily make do with repurposing other packing materials around your house.
You will also need a shipping scale to weigh packages. If you’re selling LEGO by the pound, this scale will be a must.
3. Focus on packaging
Packing and shipping LEGO sets, pieces, or minifigs can be repetitive and boring for some people. It’s also easy to see this work as the necessary evil that none of us want to do.
It is because of this, however, that many sellers don’t put enough time and attention into their shipping methods and processes.
Have you ever ordered an item from an online retailer and been extremely impressed with the way the item was packaged? Subscription box companies such as Bark Box for dog owners or Blue Apron for people who love to cook have really nailed this concept.
The subscription box companies have recognized the importance of delighting their customers from the moment they open the package. They have excellent presentation, fun colors, accessible boxes, and other creative methods.
As LEGO resellers, we can do this too! Those of you who sell LEGO pieces on BrickLink may also have this down to an art. Preventability is important in the world of BrickLink. It is also important for eBay sellers!
One of our biggest tips for selling LEGO on eBay is to focus on improving how you pack and ship your sets.
Here are three quick things you can do to make your eBay packaging a little better.
- Use wet tape (gummed tape) instead of regular tape. This is what large e-Commerce companies such as Amazon and Walmart use. Not only will it dramatically speed up your shipping processes, but it will also immediately make your boxes look more professional the moment your customer sees it.
- Don’t use dirty or grubby boxes. Re-use boxes, by all means (as long as they still have structural integrity), but it is best to avoid re-using a box that is a little too beaten up. If it has stains on it, or any other issues, use a different box. This will instill a negative feeling in your customer from the get go, before they even open the package.
- Use the right sized box, and pack it well. By this, I mean make sure there is not too much empty space inside the box. Empty space leads to the LEGO set getting bashed around during transit, and even if the set arrives in great condition, the customer will know that they are lucky, and that the seller didn’t take the right precautions. Protect the items by using air pillows, packing paper or bubble wrap.
If you’re selling individual pieces, invest in some durable Ziploc bags to protect the pieces from the elements. You can also use bubble courier bags and heavy-duty cardboard boxes to pack and ship the pieces.
4. Include the key pieces of information in the listing
There are a handful of important snippets of information that you should include when selling a LEGO set.
Firstly, the identifiers so that the buyer knows specifically what set it is. You may think this is as simple as the name of the set, right? Not so much! It’s important to also include the theme, because sets from different themes can have similar names.
There recently has been two different Chevrolet car LEGO sets on the market for example – one from the Speed Champions theme, and one from the Technic theme.
Sure, the sets will have different names, but it’s still possible that a buyer can make a mistake if the names are somewhat similar. If that happens, you will likely get a return request or negative feedback. Better to avoid this!
Include the LEGO theme, set name, and set number in your eBay listing title. It will make sure the buyer is on the same page.
Secondly, it is very important to be clear about the condition of the item. If you’re using your own photographs for the listing as we recommend, then take a quick photo of any major damage to the box or the contents. This is particularly important if you are listing the set as New in Sealed Box, but the box has some shelf wear.
Customers are expecting the New condition that you outlined, so making sure they know of any wear is a good way to avoid negative feedback.
5. Make sure that the sets you’re selling are authentic
If you’re a seasoned LEGO seller, you’re probably good at spotting an authentic LEGO set from a fake one. But if you’re a newbie in collecting and selling LEGO, then it’s probably best to get a primer here.
LEGO is often counterfeited, with some companies even going as far as making exact replicas of specific LEGO sets that are often almost identical to the official LEGO product.
One of the first things you have to watch out for when buying or selling LEGO is the set’s packaging. If there are a lot of misspellings on the box or if it is flimsy or if the printed image quality is of poor quality, then it’s safe to say that the toy you’re holding is fake.
Now onto the elements themselves. Authentic LEGO bricks always have the company name stamped on each and every stud. Manufacturers of LEGO knockoffs usually do not bother to do that, while other manufacturers print other words on the studs to make them look more authentic. Authentic bricks are also a bit heavier than fake ones.
Authentic LEGO minifigs are stamped with the company’s logo, making them easier to spot. They don’t look and feel flimsy at all, and their print quality is quite superb. If you want a detailed guide on how to identify fake LEGO minifigures, check out this article we wrote, which covers it step-by-step.
Want to learn more about selling LEGO?
Do you want to become a LEGO seller but don’t know where to start? Head over to the free Facebook community and learn from others!
Go out there and get it!
