Best Place to Sell Beanie Babies – 5 Top Options for Getting Top Dollar
At some point in the early ’90s, the Beanie Baby industry became a thing. It was thriving, and Beanie Baby collectors made a lot of money, especially if they had a valuable beanie baby or the rarest Beanie Baby in their collections. However, the sale of Beanie Babies petered out at some point.
At the moment, however, the Beanie Baby business seems to be making a comeback. So if you have certain old Beanie Babies, especially rare Beanie Baby collections, you should be looking to sell some of the Beanie Babies in your collection for some cool cash.
There are two major ways to sell Beanie Babies. The first is to sell Beanie Babies locally. For example, most original Beanie Babies are considered antique toys so you could sell them at an antique store. You must know, however, that you may be unable to get top-dollar selling these collectible toys to antique shops.
The antique dealer will likely sell to others looking to buy Beanie Babies at a higher price than you sold to them. Furthermore, you could consider selling at a flea market. Flea markets bring you an abundance of customers who may be interested in these stuffed toys.
Finally, you may want to have a yard sale. Selling on your turf is a way to dispose of most Beanie Babies in your collection and make some extra money while at it.
The second option is selling Beanie Babies online. There are different online marketplaces where you can sell Beanie Babies online. Of course, they all have other specialties and how much you can fetch on any of those platforms. One thing they all share in common, though, is an aversion to fake Beanie Babies. Hence, as long as you have authentic and mint-condition Beanie Babies, you should be good to go.
So, wondering what the best place to sell Beanie Babies is? Let’s look at top options that can help you get top dollar for these plush toys!
Rare Beanie Babies
Rare Beanie Babies are hard to come by and on the high end for price. Before selling, ensure you know what you have and the Beanie Baby’s value. Below are some rare beanie babies to be on the lookout for. Their rarity also means that they are vintage toys, are pretty expensive, and fetch the most money in the market:
- Beanie the Bear
- Snort the Red Bull
- Halo, the Bear
- Nana the Monkey
- Peace Bear
- Gobbles Turkey
- Halo Bear
- Peanut the Elephant
- Princess Bear
Retired Beanie Babies can also fetch a higher asking price. Some regular retired Beanie Babies include:
- Pretty Penny
- White Rose
Best Places to Sell Beanie Babies
Below are some of the best places to sell Beanie Babies and get the best Beanie Baby prices.
eBay
eBay is perhaps the most popular online site for selling any item, including cute little critters. Hence, it is a perfect platform for anyone who sells or buys Beanie Babies. One of the most significant benefits of this platform is that it already has history on its side. Many collectors use the platform to either meet with or sell beanie babies individually or as a collection.
eBay has an easy set-up process and a responsive customer care system if you get confused about any steps in using the platform. Furthermore, there is a thriving online community on the site. You will find sellers who have sold many cheap and expensive Beanie Babies.
You can reach out to them if you have any questions. eBay is arguably the platform you can use to generate the most interest in your beanies and make that extra cash.
Click Here To Get StartedEtsy
Etsy is also a platform like eBay for selling and buying Beanie Babies. The platform also has a thriving community of sellers to share experiences with and learn from. More importantly, they can provide price guides for these popular collectible toys so you can be sure no one will cheat you of your well-deserved dollars.
Etsy has sections for sold Beanie Babies, rare Beanie Babies, Ty Warner Beanie Babies, and so on. You can even sell your Ty Beanie Baby here. Another perk is that you will not have to search for long for buyers and will be offered a reasonable price for your valuable toys. This is because Etsy is a popular destination for Beanie Baby enthusiasts looking for valuable beanies.
You should, however, make sure that your collectible items stand out. Take the best pictures, label the beanies correctly and be on hand to answer any questions buyers may have. Then, when you make a sale, mark the Beanie Babies sold and ask the buyer to leave a review.
Click Here To Get StartedFacebook Marketplace
This is another easily accessible platform for selling online and making some dollars. Facebook Marketplace puts you in contact with potential buyers within your immediate vicinity, making it one of the best platforms for selling locally. However, it has its pros and cons. For the pros, you can quickly contact the people buying your beanies.
This saves you the cost of shipping to buyers in other countries. You will also not have to search for buyers for a long time before you get any beanies sold, and you can control the overall sale price. Furthermore, the beanies need not be in mint condition. Finally, you are not charged any fees for putting your beanies on the Facebook Marketplace.
On the other hand, the platform does not introduce you to many people. You may not find a lot of Beanie Baby enthusiasts within your locality, and those you see may not want to pay good money. As a result, the final sale price might be less than what you will get on other platforms.
Furthermore, to use the Facebook Marketplace, you should be willing to meet with your potential buyers in person. If this does not interest you, then you may want to consider other sites.
Click Here To Get StartedAmazon
Amazon is another platform to sell your beanie baby collection, including your most valuable ones. This platform is popular, especially for users in the United States. This is because this leading e-store sells almost every retail item you could think of. In addition, you can optimize the platform to sell some of the most popular collectible toys with original tags.
Most of your Amazon customers will likely be from the United States. These customers are famed for their generosity and will most likely purchase even an expensive Beanie Baby at the original price you set.
Click Here To Get StartedCraiglist
Craigslist is one of the secondary markets you can explore if you have valuable Beanie Babies to sell. Unfortunately, most collectors only explore Craiglist as a last resort. This is because the ads make navigating the platform less than ideal.
However, there is no harm in putting your beanies up on the platform. You could even be lucky to find a buyer willing to pay a higher price than you ordinarily would have gotten selling on traditional Beanie Baby platforms.
Craigslist provides a meeting place between the buyer and seller. To sell, the buyer must physically meet the seller to make the exchange. Thus, the buyer could reject the Beanie Baby if it does not match what they had in mind.
Click Here To Get StartedOpen Your Own eCommerce Store
If you have a challenge with online stores, you can choose to create yours. Opening an e-commerce store is pretty straightforward. However, going solo opens you up to possibilities you did not even know existed.
However, starting up something from scratch can be daunting. First, you have to meet the standards set by the other online stores. Thus, when opening online stores to sell these popular stuffed animals, you need to check other sites’ listings to know what price to set. Furthermore, confirm that the hang tag of each beanie is intact. Finally, consider advertising your online platform, targeting people who may love stuffed animals.
What Are the Best Times to Sell Beanie Babies?
There is a blossoming Beanie Babies market online. However, to get the best possible deal and make the most money, you need to take note of specific dates. Here are some of the best periods to sell your most valuable beanies:
Anniversaries
Some Beanie Babies are tied to particular global events. So selling the toys close to the period or at the event’s anniversary can give you a significant boost. For instance, it has been widely speculated that the anniversary of the death of Princess Diana could open the room for the sale of Princess Bear Beanie Babies.
This is because the Princess Bear was made to commemorate Princess Diana. Therefore, the expected turnout for the Princess Bear at her anniversary is so good that if you maximize it, you might be able to sell off all of the Beanie Babies in your collection. That amounts to quite a lot of money.
Holidays
Holidays also provide opportunities for collectors to sell their Beanie Babies. In addition, some beanie boos are considered holiday beanies. For instance, Valentino the Bear is connected with Valentine’s celebration.
The same goes for other holidays. This means you must identify the Beanie Babies in your collection that are tied to the holidays. Then, when these holidays approach, you can dust off the beanie bears and put them up for sale.
Major World Events
Major world events also allow you to sell your Beanie Babies. Like anniversaries, significant events will enable you to sell off all of the toys in your collection. So you could make the most money from your sales while selling during important world events.
This means that you have to keep up with global activities. For instance, you may want to sell your Beanie Babies at a sporting event where one of the team’s mascots is a bear. Enthusiastic fans will have no qualms about buying up your entire collection at a great rate.
Tips for Selling Beanie Babies
Apart from the places and the times to sell your Beanie Babies, there are a couple of other tips and tricks.
Know the Generation of the Beanie Baby
Beanie Babies all come in different generations. Some generations of Beanie Babies fetch more money than others. Thus, you need to learn the generation of the Beanie Baby you want to sell. The chief importance of learning about the generation of the Beanie Baby is to avoid being scammed while selling. To know the generation of the beanie bear, look at the ear tag on the beanie baby’s ear. You can also get other important information from the tush tag, swing tag, and hang tags on the stuffed animal.
Get the Details Right
When putting up your Beanie Baby for sale online, you must set up the item correctly. Firstly, you cannot compromise on pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words. So sometimes, what the Beanie Baby appraiser needs to conclude whether to buy or not is a look at Beanie Baby’s picture.
Furthermore, include the name, tush tags, style number, and the price you are willing to sell. You can check out the online marketplaces where Beanie Babies are sold to have a fair idea of where to place yours.
The Pellets Matter
Like other pellets-filled toys, the pellets inside the Beanie Baby determine its worth. The most valuable Beanie Babies have different pellets from a regular beanie baby, whose sale price might be a few dollars.
Cheap Beanie Babies have Polyvinyl Ethylene (PVE) pellets. They are common. Thus, if your Beanie Baby collection is mainly made up of toys with this pellet, your collection may not be worth much. The real deal is the PVC pellets (Polyvinyl Chloride).
They are found in rare Beanie Babies and are worth much more. If you want to sell your Beanie Babies, whether online or locally, make sure you know the value of your pellets before putting them up.
Conclusion: Best Places to Sell Beanie Babies
Whether your Beanie Babies are expensive or cheap, you can sell them with any of the platforms mentioned above. However, don’t forget the tips discussed, as they will help you get the best prices.
If you have other items to sell, like a guitar or jewelry, check out our best places to sell a guitar and the best places to sell jewelry online.