Selling 'Beanie Babies' - Ebay or car boot?

begley

Daughter is having a big de-clutter of her room, and has decided she wants to sell her (fairly big) collection of Beanie Babies. I'm a little bit gutted cos she's collected them for years, but I think I'm just being sentimental!! So, my question is, are they actually worh anything? They've all got tags and are in good nick. Thanks!

flea72

you are lucky to get £1 each for them at a car boot, and there are lots of people offloading them at the mo

having just looked on ebay the prices seem to be lower still (prob due to postage) - although most that have sold seem to be on BIN, rather than standard auction format

F

pulliptears

Personally, Id put the lot in a box, stick them in the loft and forget them for 15 years. The market dropped out of them dramatically and you struggle to give them away let alone sell them. At least in 15 years time you can stick 'vintage' in front of them and charge a quid lol

charlies_mum

I used to be a TY retailer and in their day, I could sell hundreds a week.

Now you are lucky to get £1 each, even for the rare ones.

soolin

charlies_mum wrote: »

I used to be a TY retailer and in their day, I could sell hundreds a week.

Now you are lucky to get £1 each, even for the rare ones.

I never paid top prices for mine and only bought ones I really really liked, but it is horrible seeing them sell now at 50p a go or thereabouts.

pulliptears

soolin wrote: »

I never paid top prices for mine and only bought ones I really really liked, but it is horrible seeing them sell now at 50p a go or thereabouts.

DD has a bin bag full in the loft, I worked in a Toy Shop at the height of the craze but never really saw the attraction. The ones DD had were odd ones from sales or ones that meant something (birthdates, the family dog breed etc)

Could never get over the amount of bears some people would buy just to get the 'rare' ones which are now the 50p a go ones at booties. Its quite sad really isn't it?

soolin

pulliptears wrote: »

DD has a bin bag full in the loft, I worked in a Toy Shop at the height of the craze but never really saw the attraction. The ones DD had were odd ones from sales or ones that meant something (birthdates, the family dog breed etc)

Could never get over the amount of bears some people would buy just to get the 'rare' ones which are now the 50p a go ones at booties. Its quite sad really isn't it?

About three years ago when the market had already started dying I got a book in a mixed lot that was aimed at the beanie baby collectors. I read with amazement the editors urging people to buy up stock as this craze was going to run and run, suggesting that £10 invested 'now' in a rare baby would triple or quadruple the money in less than a year.

Each bear and each animal was listed in great detail (it was a large book) with the current price and then the estimated price a eyar on..how I laughed at the fact that some of my animals were worth £30-£40 when I could pick up identical ones on ebay for less than a pound and not actually even sell mine for peanuts.

It amde me quite uncomfortable really this urging people to spend spend spend to accumulate , I wonder if it was published by Ty?

soolin

I have to say though that some are cute, I still have about a dozen of my favourite in a cupboard and intend keeping them, the rest I just keep trundling round car boots every time I go.

pulliptears

soolin wrote: »

I have to say though that some are cute, I still have about a dozen of my favourite in a cupboard and intend keeping them, the rest I just keep trundling round car boots every time I go.

The one that sticks in my mind was a pink stripy tiger, he was her favourite (though is in the loft bag). Some were cute I agree, but the Playmobil was a bigger draw for me than the Beanies.

I do recall seeing a book at work, so could well have been TY Published. I know when I first started work there you had to keep a book record of customer purchases as they implemented a "buy 5 standard bears before you can get a rare" type thing, and keeping track of who bought what was a logistical nightmare.

Customers would always justify their purchases with "its an investment!" wonder if they would do the same again.

Just looking on ebay now at the prices, such a shame

94 for £35
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Collection-94-retired-Beanie-Babies-FREE-P-P-option-/130504770513?pt=UK_Soft_Toys_Bears&hash=item1e62b0c3d1

Looks like the odd one is still worth selling though,
Issy for £23
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-New-York-Four-Seasons-Ty-Beanie-Baby-Issy-New-/250801028857?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a64e7fef9

soolin

Looks like the odd one is still worth selling though,
Issy for £23
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-New-York-...item3a64e7fef9

I rushed to look in my my car boot box and I have an Issy, but it is the wrong hotel

Never mind

Pembroke

If you feel that your really must sell them then put them on Ebay as a wholesale or job lot and say they're 'ideal for boot fairs' your bound to get someone who thinks they can make a bit by selling them on, just price realistically to sell and sort out all the rare (if any) ones first.