How to sell a doll?

From your description you did everything you have to do.

The thing is, some dolls just don't sell. Or they only sell for way, way lower than what someone paid for it, because there's just no demand. It can be extremely frustrating, especially when someone needs the funds.
But so far, I got pretty much every doll I ever had sold. Sooner or later an interesting party pops up...even if that can take a year So I never gave up, just let it sit on the marketplaces and bumped it up regularly.
Once in a while I'd lower the price a bit, or I'd take new pictures just to make the listing appear new.

Some stuff you can also do:
- In case you try to sell the doll with unnecessary extra stuff (clothes, wigs, etc.)...don't. That drives up the price, for stuff most people have no interest in.
- If it's an ill-fitting hybrid, try to sell the parts on their own. People usually don't have any interest in buying a full doll where head and body don't match.
- If the doll has an amateur face-up, wipe it. People prefer dolls blank, unless the face-up is really good/from the company.
- Offer layaway, in case you don't yet. Most people just can't afford paying a full doll upfront.

 

I’m part of a lot of hobbies and by far selling bjds is just so hard. Unfortunately if you don’t have any popular dolls, like for example a minifee they dont sell or it takes a long time to sell.
The only way I found to sell is to lower the price than what you originally bought and also offer layaway. Also if your tacking on the price of a faceup most people don’t want to pay for that because it’s just going to be wiped and have it done the way they want. If it’s an amateur faceup I think your better off just wiping it off. I also believe if there’s any damages than that should reflect the price. I see people selling damaged dolls for the original price.
There’s nothing really to do about time wasters. I just try to be nice and if I feel like it’s not going anywhere i just let them know all the info is available in the description.

 

Hi @Bonbonchoco! I thought I'd chime in, since I've bought all of my dolls secondhand except for one, and I do not yet have marketplace access either. I will tell you how I browse, and what has made me purchase:

• Using relevant hashtags - I personally stalk #bjdsale on IG, and check it daily to torment myself
• Tagging the right people - I believe @bjdsale is the person to tag, and many also tag them periodically in an IG story to get the story reposted as well
• Like others have said, keeping a doll blank unless the faceup is gorgeous. I prefer to buy blank dolls myself, so if I see one with even a masterful faceup... I won't buy because I just know I'm gonna wipe it
• Joining BJD discord groups -- I found a couple through searching here on DoA, and honestly the "for sale" channel on them has been the biggest threat to my personal finances. I find talking to sellers via discord is way more interactive, and I've been able to search for specific dolls/companies much better that way than endless IG browsing.
• And of course... the price, haha. I always check and ensure I am not paying more for the doll used than it would be to buy new; the exception of course is if it's a really rare doll.
• I'll also add that Mercari is a great way to LIST your doll -- even if you don't plan on selling it through Mercari. Lots of folks who don't use IG/DoA/FB will post bjd items for sale, and I see a lot of dolls come through as well. If I see one i'm interested in, I'll simply look up the person's username to see if I can message them somewhere else to buy LOL but if you just want something to go and you're willing to majorly drop the price... Mercari all the way.

That being said, I'm kind of a weird buyer - I enjoy buying solo bodies or heads to hybrid, or damaged items on the cheap.

 

There are a lot of really good suggestions in this thread, but unfortunately, from my experience (and I've sold hundreds of things in this hobby), two months is really not a very long time for a BJD to be listed. There are many on the MP that have been listed for6 months or more, some have passed the year mark.

Most of the time when I list, they sell within 3 months. Things I see as both a seller and buyer that make things more interesting:

-Make sure your pictures are clear, and the doll is in a clean setting. Fuzzy blurry pictures, poor lighting, and having the doll sitting on a filthy floor or table makes people less likely to buy.
-Start your listing with the price you want for the doll, but be willing to negotiate or price drop. Some dolls hold their value, others may sell for less than half their original price, depending on popularity and availability.
-Be upfront and honest about the condition of the doll. Show photos of the full nude doll, any damages, as well as photos of anything extra that comes with it.
-Clean your doll. If the faceup/blushing is amateur, damaged, or very specific to a character, wipe it. Wipe off any dirt or stains. A clean doll makes it much easier for a buyer to see any damage and not have to guess if any smudges are dirt or stains.
-If you have the box and CoA, include it. If you don't be ready to trace the lineage or otherwise prove it's legit.
-Link your feedback. Many people won't buy from a seller with little to no feedback. If you don't have feedback within the hobby, link feedback from any other selling experience, like eBay, Etsy, etc.
-Keep bumping/reposting your item. Many people don't check old posts.
-Check your messages often and reply quickly. Some people want that instant gratification and will change their mind if the seller is too slow to respond. Generally, I think within 24-48 hours is acceptable on DoA, but with my Instagram sales, I had people back out because I didn't reply within an hour (though I think that's a bit ridiculous--most people have work, school, sleep, family and aren't on their phones 24/7...)
-Sometimes including free extras will entice people, especially newbies who maybe don't have a doll yet. It makes it easier to have a wig, eyes and clothes come with it. Though charging extra for these things usually hurts, unless it's a fullset doll.
-Offer international shipping. I know this can be risky, and that some countries aren't allowed to ship to certain other countries right now, so it may require some extra work on your end, but shipping only within your country prevents most of the world from buying from you.
-Offer free shipping within your country, and don't charge PayPal fees. I think most people would rather know a flat, complete total before contacting you. It prevents them from asking about the sale, then canceling if the additional fees are out of their budget.

 

I think I might just be lucky, but pretty much everything I've tried to sell has gone out within a week, a month at most. There is a definite strategy to this, but I'll admit that it nets you a bit less money than you might get if you're more patient. But for fast selling and fast selling only, this is what works for me:

- Price to sell, unless you're adamant about getting all your money's worth (which is fine). What I mean by that is sell the doll for exactly or a little less than what it usually goes for. For me, when I sell dolls, I'd rather have slightly less money now than slightly more money half a year from now. But this isn't true for everyone, and it's something you'll have to weigh yourself whether you think it's worth it or not. It is a strategy that has worked well for me in the past, but again I could probably have gotten more out of my items if I'd been more patient.
- Research sales for the doll and see what it's sold for in the past. Check here on the finished threads of the MP, for example. See what this doll has gone for secondhand. This will help you set a price that buyers will be more likely to expect.
- If possible, offer the doll/items at meet-ups. I find that for me personally, I'm much more inclined to impulse buy in person, because then I can take the doll home right now. The same seems to be true for other people as well.
- Cross post! I post my sales everywhere I am on social media, as well as here on the MP.
- Don't charge PP fees or ask that people send friends & family. This is seen as shady at best, and a lot of people will avoid it. Not accusing you of doing this, but just in case, that's often a turn-off for buyers.

Aside from that, just seconding what the others have said, there's plenty of good advice here. Getting the true value of a doll can take time, and it might be worth it to wait. I'm just an impatient gremlin who wants things gone now.

 

In my experience two months is not very long to have a doll up for sale, assuming it’s not a highly limited doll or other extremely sought after doll. I have found most dolls I’ve sold took a few months. Some that were just not very popular took over a year.
If it has not sold in two months, I wouldn’t assume that means it will definitely not sell even if you just keep doing exactly what you’re doing now.

 

Of course, happy to chime in!
I'm in two right now -- my favorite is I believe just called "BJD".. but right now it's April Fools themed, so keep that in mind haha.
Here is an invite, expires 4/7: Join the Mobile Suit Awesome Discord Server!

.. and I can't actually find the other one because all my servers are April Foolsing, haha, I'll check back once things go to normal!

 

This is a great thread and full of advice I desperately need. The only place I've sold is here - several years ago I don't have marketplace access yet although I'm really, really eagerly waiting because it worked great in the past - and eBay, which is dismal for BJDs (as people here pointed out) - I'm not listing any more BJDs on eBay, it's pointless. The learning curve for Insta or FB scares me but I might have to tackle it and I'm totally unfamiliar with even the names of some of the venues suggested here but I'm goingto investigate. Hopefully my mountains of positive feedback on eBay will translate to other venues. I have SO MANY BJDs to sell, part of my Scandinavian death cleaning program (although I don't plan to die soon - but selling all these dolls could easily take 10 years.) I wish there was a way to speed up marketplace approval but I assume everyone is doing the best they can so I'll practice patience.

 

It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one!

 

I've sold almost every doll I've put up for sale, but sometimes it takes a while. Also, I have better luck on FB sites than on the marketplace. Also I learned that there is no real profit in BJDs. I've only been able to sell at below what I paid.
As for other doll related items, I have had good luck on FB sites, but almost no luck on the Marketplace. I had a couple of wigs for sale on the Marketplace and after 6 years moved them to Facebook and sold them within days.