TollHouseGolem wrote:Hi John,I'll start off by asking if you are trying to maximize profits, or move everything with the least amount of hassle?If you are going for a bit of extra cash, then I would sell the boxed sets individually, regardless of them being complete or not. For the 3-Stage characters, sell your singles individually. Same for any other loose minis (individually, that is to say). Starting single minis at .99 is usually a safe bet.If you would just assume move them as fast as possible with the least amount of work, then sell everything in one big lot. You might not get quite as much as breaking stuff down into smaller lots, but it's a lot less work in my opinion.Just make sure you take good pictures of everything. If you go the big lot route, take one massive group shot of everything, and then shots of smaller groups (boxed sets, the 3-Stage characters, and then all the loose and single minis together, or in small groups of 6-10 minis). With regards to painted minis, I wouldn't list one for less than an unpainted one - after all, a bath in Simple Green cures any mini of a poor or middling paint job.When you decide to put them up for sale, make sure you post it over in the Classifieds section. There's a few of us lead junkies here who are always looking to give wayward figures a new home Regards,Tom
Wandering Monster wrote:Hi Tom,Thanks for the advice -- it's much appreciated! Naturally, I'd like to get as much for these guys (and gals -- and others) as I can, but as you say, it's a lot of work.Part of me was thinking of just trying to sell them here at the Acaeum rather than eBay, but I'd have to do some research first to see which might be the better route.Do you (or anyone else out there) know of any websites that detail the names and product code numbers of Ral Partha and Grenadier lead miniatures? I remember that most of my minis came in individual "blister packs" with evocative names, and I know that if I list any auctions with this info, those auctions would stand a better chance of selling for more than if I just describe them as "25mm Lead Miniature AD&D Elf Magic-User" and so on...And what is this "Simple Green" of which you speak?
benjoshua wrote:You have received good advice so far. Another alternative is to sell them in groups of ten to twenty minis on eBay. You cut down significantly on your work load and it doesn't hurt your profits too much. Group by type (fighters, humanoids, decor, etc...). Realize monsters do better than humanoids, so make those groups smaller. Giants, dragons and demons should all be sold individually.To determine make or group, there are several useful web-sites. Here are some of the best:http://www.miniatures-workshop.com/lost ... =Main_Pagehttp://leadpoisoned.com/http://www.solegends.com/maingallery.htmNone of these sites are complete and it may take a while, but it should help your eBay listing if you have some information about each mini.If you are wanting maximum value for your collection, eBay is the way to go.When taking a picture of your minis, place a quarter or ruler or some other well known item so buyers are clear about the size and scale of what you are selling.Packing them properly is sometimes a challenge for folks who have never sold minis before. It's time consuming, you'll want to wrap each one individually in bubble wrap and them pack them snuggly in a cardboard box, especially if there's more than one in the package. Box content movement usually results in damage during shipping.Do be careful to wash your hands after handling them as many of these contain lead. Another thing to look for is lead rot. Lead rot is to lead as rust is to iron. Rust is reddish brown and lead rot is greyish white. Rust is flakey, and lead rot is powdery. Like rust, lead rot is bad. It takes away details and impacts value. Lead rot is unfortunately more common among TSR minis and Grenadier minis than Ral Partha, for example.Simple Green is a cleaning product sold at Wal-Mart. It removes paint. I wouldn't mess with all that trouble. Paint does significantly limit lead-rot, so it's not all bad.I have bought and sold thousands of minis, so if I can help, just ask.
Wandering Monster wrote:Hi Ben,I've noticed that a couple of my "Ralladium" (i.e., non-lead) miniatures have a strange brownish cast to them -- is this a phenomenon similar to the lead rot that you mentioned?