Selling Tips in a poor Second-hand Market

Most of my secondhand purchases are from Japan, because I mostly collect Volks and I live in Australia, meaning shipping from Europe or the US is often very expensive.
I have bought a doll from the US before because she was one I had never seen on the secondhand market and a reasonable price with all ageing and damage disclosed.
As a seller, I have a doll I'm trying to sell with no luck. My location and the doll's age probably don't help, even though the weak Australian dollar is better for overseas buyers. I've tried offering layaways, dropping the price and taking clear photos of all the angles of the doll and all the damage and modifications. Looking at the advice in this thread, I think I'm going to try taking a photo with eyes and a wig, even if the doll is blank.

Thanks to everyone for their advice! I managed to sell a doll body I've had up for months

 

Ok, I said in my comment earlier that I don't mind buying from pet friendly homes, and usually, it's totally fine. I love animals, and I don't mind a random stray pet hair or feather that just happens to get in the package. But things showing up smelling like (or covered in...) pet waste is really unacceptable. Pet pee has a really strong smell, and most people who don't own pets with litter boxes or puppy pads can smell it the second they walk in the door, even if you can't. If it's not changed as often as it should be, that smell, unfortunately, does start to cling to other things in the home. Same with hair. I once bought a black outfit and it arrived caked in so much white cat hair that it looked grey. If you can't keep your pets away from your doll stuff, please at least give sold items a roll of the lint brush or wash it first? I don't think that's too much to expect from a buyer.

 

@CloakedSchemer I own cats myself so I am very forgiving of pet hair. Anything fabric that I sell, I lint roll. And launder. Most pet allergies are due to the proteins in pet skin/hair/waste. So to me, it's important to really warn about that because pet allergy sensitivities vary. I also know pet hair and dander will float so even if you do your best to keep doll stuff away from pets, a stray hair can happen unless you kept the doll clothes/dolls properly stored in an air tight container. However, what I received was a Pet Pee smelling set and that wasn't disclosed. I won't go into it but that's why my advice is to have others give it a sniff, even after washing and lint rolling.

 

Just saying, water can reactivate cat pee smell. Even if you clean it… use the right stuff or disclose it. A simple wash might not be enough (as my ticked off cat and a favorite bathrobe can attest… learned that lesson the hard way.) If the buyer tries to wash off a stain or a faint smell, it’s going to get worse.

 

As a seller, definitely offering layaway is helpful I suspect offering trades as well, though I am extremely picky so rarely engage in trades, but I know others to!
I will say that nothing irks me more as a seller than when people ask a question that is easily answered by just seeking out the original sales page.
i.e. eye size, wig size, neck circumference etc. I don't even want to tread into the realm of anything not fitting or looking 'right'.

Things I look for as a buyer; specific things already on my wishlist. I will rarely see something at random and decide I want it since a lot of time and planning goes into selecting a doll for one of my characters. I tend to gravitate towards older dolls which are harder to find now so just finding a seller is usually the hardest part rather than pricing though that will play a factor, of course.

When it comes to commissioning artists, after their portfolio, the most important factor I consider is location. I only feel comfortable shipping my dolls domestically, which has been painful at times with so many talented artists around the world but I can't bring myself to do it.

 

I've noticed that saying why I'm selling seems to get a positive reaction from buyers.

It actually can make the difference for me if I'm between two very similar listings. Knowing why makes the seller more personable but also more trustworthy because they're being open.

I know it might seem like no big deal to some, but I think all of that can make a purchase less intimidating and more enticing. It can be especially scary to ask about something expensive if you're on the nervous side or a first time buyer.

 

I have had surprisingly good luck with sales despite the current market conditions. Here are a few things I do as a seller:

• Make my Feedback accessible with links. Don't make the buyer do extra work to find it
• Have a Terms and Conditions section, asking potential buyers to read it BEFORE messaging me. It includes common things on the MP sales template, such as that I have pets, live in a non-smoking home, ship within x days etc. I also include my layaway terms. I find this reduces a lot of up front back and forth.
• Take clear photos in daylight, natural light, and with and without flash. This helps to expose any imperfections. I try to highlight any damages, no matter how small.
• Detailed descriptions of everything, including small surface scratches or shiny spots in the resin. These things do not bother me at all, but they may be upsetting to a future buyer. Being as detail-oriented as possible can help eliminate any strife
• Cross-posting on multiple platforms. Sometimes it feels like spamming, but I'd rather just do a large blast radius. I post here on DoA, Facebook legit-only sales groups, discord, and Instagram. With the removal of tags, IG is more challenging. However, I have a designated sales account and tag bjdsale and bjd__sales in the post to have them reposted. These accounts are a godsend.
• Quick updates when something is sold or pending. It's good to respect everyone's time. I try to only list when I know I'll be able to reply to messages and update listings quickly.
• Leaving sold items up until received. I feel this gives any other potential buyers confidence that the listing won't evaporate before they receive it. It's nice to have that reference when things are in transit.
• Accepting both F+F and G&S payments. Whatever the buyer is comfortable with, I will do. I will add whatever fees/taxes to my price as applicable before listing, as I don't believe it's right to tack that on after someone is interested.
• Not nickle-and-dimeing shipping rates. I save old boxes and clean bubble wrap from other packages to reduce supplies costs. I always refund any overcharge in shipping and make this known. If something costs $28.52 to ship, I usually round down. As a buyer I hate when someone charges me for every extra cent. If the doll is $800, are we really going to be specific over an extra $0.50? It's ridiculous.
• Pricing the doll well. Unless it's an ultra-rare or limited and in-demand sculpt, I am more than comfortable asking less than retail or less than I paid. It is unrealistic to expect to make everything back that we pay for these dolls. Some become sought after and expensive, and that's great. But most are just loved and deserve to be loved again. If I "lose" money on a doll I consider that the cost of enjoying it for the time I had it. It isn't a negative thing.

Some of this has already been shared! But I wanted to detail what has been working for me.

 

I'd like to add that offering overseas shipping is a great way to draw in buyers!
There is a very limited BJD community in my country, so I wouldn't sell anything unless I offered overseas shipping. Offering to ship dolls unstrung is also a way to lower the cost for buyers who prefer a lower shipping cost instead of having the doll box.
I can see how overseas shipping is more expensive and could be riskier for sellers, but being honest and upfront with potential buyers about the cost goes a long way.

 

I sold a doll for the first time last fall, and I managed to sell it by:
-posting my sale on multiple platforms (DOA Marketplace, Instagram, Facebook groups, etc)
-being open to layaways and having some flexibility on pricing

As a buyer, I look for:
-Item comes with COA/receipt and is clearly stated in listing
-well-lit photos with uncluttered backgrounds, showing multiple angles of doll (including any noted damage)
-being open to layaways

 

I offer wicked-long layaway. Like I’ll take a yearlong layaway if I’ve got to. Usually “long” is just 6-8 months and not terrible, but I have no max duration, and no minimum cost for layaway, and that’s gotten me a few sales.

Be open to trades is my only other tip. I’ve had a ton of dolls that I couldn’t sell, but could trade. It’s a double-edged sword, because sometimes you end up with trade offers that are really not ideal, and you have to politely say no, but other times you can get lucky and get something really cool in trade for a doll you don’t want.

 

I am mostly a buyer. Huge factors for me are:

1. Layaway.
2. Reasonable pricing.
3. COA, just eliminates the possibility of recasted dolls
4. Being easily contactable and fast to respond. On Instagram, I just don't get why some dealers are so hard to contact. They insist on emailing, but they don't even respond or respond on time.
5. In good/like-new condition, If old: if the stringing is loose, if you had them re-strung, I would greatly appreciate that. Full dislosure of broken parts.
6. Like someone said on here, knowing the story why you're selling tells me you're a real person and not a suspicious scammer.

 

I am usually a buyer, but also try to keep some things in mind when selling: reasonable pricing, good (and quick) communication, offering all the paperwork of the doll, good feedback, adding measurements information to the doll / sculpt / body...
I've never asked for or done a layaway, but I think it's also a very helpful tip when selling especially if the item is up the $150-200 tag.

 

A bit of context...

I live in Australia and practically never buy BJDs and BJD stuff from EN-speaking markets anymore. The #1 reason is currency conversion. The EN-speaking market (especially DoA) is heavily focused on North America and EU (Australia/NZ are negligible markets), and right now the AUD<->USD conversion rate is absolutely abysmal. In an effort to increase my purchasing power and make my Australian dollar go further, I did a lot of market research comparing prices in different currencies, and concluded that my purchasing power is the worst when I buy in USD, practically all other relevant currencies are better.

Nowadays, when I buy from Korean or Chinese stores, I buy from their local-facing stores instead of the EN-facing/USD stores, because AUD -> KRW or CNY is substantially better than AUD->USD. I do have to use shopping services to buy from Korea or China, but even with proxy fees I still pay less in my currency than if I bought from their EN-facing stores in USD. And yes, that's for the identical, new product from the very same store. The currency used for payment made all the difference.
Furthermore, when I use a shopping service, I can consolidate shipping and pay less for one big shipment home, whereas if I buy from (say) North America I have to pay individual shipping from each seller which is less cost-effective. All this ends up in real money saved.

This is a very long preamble to say that, on top of increased cost of living and less discretionary income, currency conversion means that buyers (especially non-NA-based ones like me) are looking to more varied markets in order to maximize their purchasing power and optimize shipping costs. NA-based hobbyists may be having a field day buying BJDs from overseas, but selling is likely a different story - some EN-speaking buyers (including me) probably have self-selected themselves out of EN-speaking doll markets because other markets are more competitive.

So my strong advice to EN-speaking sellers is: if your doll is made in an Asian country, do your market research against the doll's "home market" prices, convert to USD, and compare what it costs to buy a doll new or secondhand from the home market vs your doll. For Volks - look up Dollyteria or Mandarake. For KR dolls - many companies have KR-facing shopfronts (like Naver) that sell in KRW as well as their EN-facing shopfronts that sell in USD. Unfortunately for CN dolls, this is harder because Taobao and Xianyu are login-gated and you usually need the mobile app and an account to browse listings. But do your best and consider that your buyer audience may be a lot smaller and more localized/continent-based.

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As for selling... I seldom sell dolls, but have been able to move everything reasonably briskly (within 2 months of listing). What seems to have helped me...

• market research: DoA's Sold Dolls Archive has been invaluable in helping me price things meaningfully and competitively.
• very clear photos of the resin from multiple angles, of only the things on sale. If it's in the pic, it's included. I may have one photo with not-for-sale wig/eyes on to show how a doll looks normally, but that's it.
  
• detailed written information about everything - age, provenance, condition, damage.
• I also include pertinent, helpful info such as resin matches (that I know of), important body dimensions, what size clothes the body can wear. I know that, as a buyer, if I have any doubt or uncertainty about a listing, it's much easier to go "nah, I'll give this a miss and move to the next option" than to make the effort to ask the seller for more info. So, if I can include any info to reassure the buyer and help them evaluate my listing without needing to chase me, I'll include it.
  
• shipping options and price estimates. I give a ballpark figure such as "shipping begins at USD $10" or "USD $30-40 unstrung, USD $50-60 strung in doll box". Everyone is concerned about shipping fees these days, so I don't see why I shouldn't help a buyer factor that cost. And personally speaking, as a non-American buyer, I find international shipping estimates in the listing to be a very kind and inclusive gesture to me - that the seller has given consideration to an international audience.
• being courteous, prompt and professional at all times in communication.

 

The CAD sucks almost as bad as the AUD right now. Shipping from the US to Canada is definitely cheaper than the US to Australia, but it’s not a super fair generalization to say all NA currencies are strong, when PayPal’s conversion rate for CAD to USD is like 0.68-0.70. I dunno what the Mexican Peso is at right now either, but I feel like it’s solely the USD that’s really good to buy in at the moment.

 

@Chameleon I see... sad to see CAD is performing about as poorly as AUD. That's frustrating - to have a market geographically close but not good to buy from because the currency conversion sucks. I might be wrong, but I think shipping across the US-Canada border isn't necessarily cheap either? Currency conversion really influences buying a lot... it's completely changed my BJD buying/selling patterns.

 

It’s not super cheap, but not nearly as expensive as shipping to other continents. I pay probably $40 to ship a full doll to the us, where shipping heads to Australia cost me $85.

 

I haven’t shipped any dolls from Canada to the US but here in B.C shipping even small packages weighing less than 1kg can cost over $100.

 

There’s a trick to it—if you get an account on NetParcel.com and pay for shipping there, you can get it much cheaper!

 

My response is more along the trades route, so it may or may not help people here. But!

My two cents is don’t be afraid to approach people asking if they would like to trade if they have said they’re open to it. I think there’s definitely a degree of intimidation and fear that goes into approaching someone, but sometimes all it takes is a leap! I recently did so and it worked out really well. It sounds cheesy, but you never know what will happen unless you try!