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Price gouging BEANIE BABIES

Hi, I'm new to buying and selling Beanies but I am very experienced in other collectibles markets such as sports cards, comic books and vinyl records. Could someone who has been in the TY market and has observed trends, please tell me WHY most of the high value sales (or asking prices) of Beanie Babies on Ebay are being offered by sellers with "zero" feedback? For those who aren't aware of this just do a simple completed listings search for "Beanie TY" and sort to highest sold listings. As you already know there are some pretty ridiculously high sales prices for Beanies, but WHY is the seller (almost) always a zero feedback seller? I smell something fishy here. Is there price gouging going on? Are these zero feedback sellers getting together to try to inflate the market? I'm not asking are Beanie Babies worth $10,000 for example, I'm asking: are the people who are buying them for these prices on Ebay actually real collectors or fake sellers trying to inflate the market?

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Price gouging BEANIE BABIES

I brought up some similar things here and corridor86 did a great job answering. https://community.ebay.com/t5/Beanie-Baby-Collector/Have-Mint-Condition-Beanies/gpm-p/29727956#M278

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Price gouging BEANIE BABIES

Thank you for your response. This verifys my suspicion of the "price gouging" thats going on. Also, to clarify what corridor86 illuded to in his/her description of the scam, its important to understand that the people who are actually buying the $10K Beanies are involved in the scam and are not victims. They are partnering up with the seller to try to create an artificial "marketplace" for Beanies. It just boggles my mind that Ebay is not policing this in any way, at least it doesn't seem so. I'm still confused about how to price Beanie Babies. I've been relying on Ebay's Completed Listings for years for all other markets but  Beanie prices just seem to be all-over-the-place. There just isn't a reliable source yet. Be careful out there, thanks!

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Price gouging BEANIE BABIES

I have quite a few rare beanie babies from the first sets and I believe II sets but I have never put anything on eBay before and from what I see on the sold part of the eBay's beenie babies,the ones I have that I see that have sold are selling for thousands of dollars.
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Price gouging BEANIE BABIES

A reseller on YouTube said it might be some type of money laundering scheme. Mobster or drug dealer type stuff. I hate to think innocent little Beanies are being used for that.

 

I HAVE one of the ones I keep seeing for ridiculous prices. I have no idea how to price it. The Maple Beanie still in his un-opened package. I haven't had the nerve yet to list him for more than I paid for my car..lol. 

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Price gouging BEANIE BABIES

@rosiesstuff123, the selling price doesn't lie.

 

The actual selling price for Maple recently is less than US$10. Many have not sold that could have been purchased for $10 or less. That should tell you what need to know.

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=maple+beanie+baby&_sacat=0&LH_Complete=1&_sop=15

 

Money Laundering is the most reasonable (least offensive) explanation I have heard. Just because the listing says it for a {insert collectible here} doesn't mean that is what is being sold. eBay is currently dealing with stopping sales of human trafficking ... who knows what is actually being sold here.

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