Selling Tips in a poor Second-hand Market

2025 thoughts and feelings on selling:
I'm in the process of evaluating my dolls and doll outfits, and as such have been selling things I no longer want.
As an Australian, I'm outside of the EU/US English-speaking markets, so a lot of my experiences are similar to @aihre above.

• If you're in a country away from the EU/US, offering to combine shipping is a good incentive for buyers, as well as small discounts for buying multiple items
• I try to offer a shipping estimate for multiple countries (Asia, EU/UK, and Canada/US are all "zones" for AusPost, so the costs are identical)
• When I list clothing, I include a picture of it on a doll, and also a link to a list of what bodies I own in case a buyer wants to see it on a particular body
• Resin comparison pictures can be helpful when selling dolls, especially if you're selling parts
• Be prepared to either discount the item or have it sit in the marketplace forever. Of the dolls I've sold this last year, only 2 sold at my initial price, and 1 of those was a response to a WTB. The others sold at $35 less (body), $100 less (head with faceup), and $50 less (head with faceup)
• Being polite with prospective buyers and answering their questions goes a long way. I've seen a lot of listings on other platforms where the seller has said they won't try an outfit on a doll and don't ask what it fits. Poor attitude and low effort are instant turn-offs
• Take time to take the best photos you can. Even if you're just using your phone, getting a clear photo with natural lighting showcases the doll/outfit. If I see a listing where items are just haphazardly shoved in the shot, it's not appealing. I take photos of individual items, as close up as possible, and take lot photos with items neatly laid out so each item is visible
• Offering a layaway is helpful to sell dolls, but make sure to clearly state your terms and conditions in the listing in case things don't go smoothly
• Provide as much information as possible: provenance, potential resin matches, what fits the doll
• Be very clear about any possible wear and/or damage. Mandarake and Dollyteria listings provide good examples of how to list and photograph damage and wear in detail. Buyers don't like unpleasant surprises. If in doubt about wear or damage, mention it in the listing
• Offering international shipping opens the item up to more buyers. I've seen lots of clothing or parts that would be worth me paying shipping from the US for, but sadly the sellers weren't willing to ship overseas
• I understand Paypal fees are ridiculously high, but I personally will never buy an item where I have to pay the fees, especially if they're in excess of $20 USD. For many buyers, doing a transaction via friends and family with a stranger is a huge risk. The prices I list items for take into account the Paypal fees – a quick internet search will find a Paypal fee calculator. The only time I have asked for my Paypal fees to be paid was in exchange for free international shipping on an item that hadn't sold in 6 months after multiple price drops

 

Honestly the major problem I see with the 2nd hand market is lots of dolls with yellowing/damage/mods/bad makeup at 5% less than they'd cost new (I'm the third owner of this doll).

 

I just want to highlight this because I see the "no xyz, DO NOT ASK!" every now and then across platforms and it has put me off from buying more than once. Even if people glance over some terms sometimes and message about them, it's not that much work to politely answer - maybe they want to still get the item regardless, maybe they'd be interested in another sale in the future. It's also a bigger chance for problems to arise or not be solved well if the attitude seems kind of rude imo. There are a lot of second hand sales to choose from these days so making the effort with the first impression really does help.

 

It’s a tough one as there are going to be so many factors to consider including luck!

As a seller:

. Honesty and details will go a long way, being vague can seem like you have something to hide or you just don’t really care that much.

. Clear, well lit photos from front, side, back, etc. If it’s a full doll then also including extra shots of the head from all sides helps too. Nude shots are a must, buyers want to see what they’re getting!

. Neck measurements. As there’s such a huge range of sizes, especially with 1/3 sized dolls nowadays including the neck size of the body or if it’s just a head you are selling then the neck sizes the head will fit is incredibly helpful.

. Stating how long you’ve had the doll even if you do not know or remember the manufacture date. This information can help more than you think as some companies may have had resin colour stability issues at certain points or even if you don’t personally see it the doll may still have naturally yellowed slightly so age can mean a lot. It also gives any buyers a rough timeline to guide them in any further research they wish to do.

. Selling overseas. Regardless of global currency issues or whatever fresh hell is going on you should always be prepared to sell overseas. Yes there will be places that are war zones or undergoing a lot of unrest which should be avoided (state that in your sale listing) but there are also countries with buyers who would love your doll or items.

. Don’t expect a quick sale unless you have something very very rare and desirable! At the best of times it can take months and sometimes even years. Update the photos or add new ones to your listing if the original ones don’t seem to be pulling any interest or add more information if you feel it will help but also accept the fact it could take quite a while.

. Be prepared to negotiate the price. Unless the doll is super new or desirable then the chances are it’s not going to go for full price. Also remember rare and limited do not always mean desirable!
Be realistic with pricing too and don’t inflate it to cover any duty fees or taxes or whatever you incurred as that’s like going out for a meal at a restaurant with someone and asking them to also pay for the outfit you bought to go there!

. We all want a quick sale but resorting to desperation needy/emotional blackmail or gaudy flashy writing type sales tactics doesn’t help, it’s tacky and unprofessional. It can make you look flaky and untrustworthy. Stick to clean, crisp photos and lots of truthful information, let the buyer decide and ask questions instead of trying to force your doll upon them. People are parting with a lot of money and in a world filled with scammers they want to know you are honourable.

. Safety! Always use safe and secure payment methods that cover you both should anything go wrong. While it may incur fees or costs to you it’s much better than having no backup at all. It will also make potential buyers more confident about dealing with you.

As a buyer:

. I like to see well lit photos taken from multiple angles and full body shots of the doll actually standing up. I’m always suspicious of listings where the doll is lying down in each shot especially if there’s no mention of stability issues. Some dolls cannot stand unaided and if that’s the case then say so!
One photo listings are something I avoid especially when accompanied by the bare minimum of sales information. It instantly makes me ask why they’re being so vague and doesn’t fill me with much confidence.

. Nude photos, if there are no nude photos of the doll then I will not even give it a second look. It makes me ask why the seller doesn’t want to show the rest of the doll.

. Dolls and parts still wrapped in packaging or in shiny reflective bags with no other photos that allow you to see what it looks like. While it’s nice that the doll is new or untouched I still, as a potential buyer, want to know what exactly I’m getting and if I can’t I will pass.
This especially goes for parts or heads that are wrapped in bags where light reflecting off of the plastic makes it impossible to see.

. Fees……ugh…another thing that instantly turns me off. There are some things we all have to accept for convenience and having to pay fees to use services is one of them. Swallow your pride and swallow up the fees please, most other people do.

. Inflating prices to cover import fees or duties/shipping costs and faceups will often make me pass over a potential buy especially if it’s a doll that I could get from an official dealer or directly from the company for less than the sale listing. I see this a lot with Fairyland minifee listings for just the basic nude doll. You do realise, especially for those of us who don’t live in the US and therefore can’t take advantage of any ‘free shipping’ offer that we can just get direct and probably pay less with waiting being the only inconvenience?

. This annoys me the most as a potential buyer…. ‘Will not ship internationally’. I can fully understand reluctance with big heavy dolls but smaller ones, heads, clothing, accessories? Really? Loads of times I’ve seen something I want to buy only to be disappointed by this. You expected the companies you bought from or other sellers to ship internationally to you didn’t you so why not extend the same curtesy to others.

Over all if something grabs my attention I will look closely at the photos first then carefully read the description before weighing up my options, any hint of sloppiness or a ‘so what’ attitude will instantly turn me off the sale. My next move is to check the feedback thread, everyone should do that whether buying or selling, and if I like what I see then I’ll contact the seller and ask questions. I also go on gut feeling a lot. The overall friendliness of the seller makes a difference too although there are exceptions to that rule as some people just don’t like to say more than necessary and some can seem incredibly nice but cause no end of headaches. I’ve dealt with both.

So be honest, be precise, be incredibly professional but most of all be patient!