Barbie Collection

[kgilro-24]

I am looking for the best way to sell/liquidate my collection for extra income and storage space. I have an extensive collection of 200+ dolls over the years. NRFB. Any direction/suggestions appreciated....without being robbed blind of my investment. Thank you. 

[mam98031 · Accepted solution]

I would encourage you to FIRST do some homework about how the site works.  We can give you all that training here in the Community.  We can answer questions as they come up, but you need to do your own studying.  

I encourage you to learn the basics about how your money is processed, how to create a listing and your responsibilities as a seller.  Don't assume anything.  That is the quickest way for you to get yourself in trouble as the rules on Ebay will not always work the way you may think they do.

I love Barbie dolls.  When my daughter was young, I collected a few dozen of them for her and some plates.  I would suggest researching some of the dolls on Ebay and see what other sellers are selling them for.  It will give you a far better idea of how you may like to approach selling that many dolls.

Here are some important links to areas you should really take the time to learn about as a new seller.

https://academy.ebay.com/student/catalog?locale=en

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling/selling?id=4081

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/get-started/seller-fees.html

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/service-and-payments/funds-availability.html

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold/pending-payments?id=415...

https://www.ebay.com/help/listings/creating-managing-listings/creating-listing?id=4105

And make sure you know this policy extremely well.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

Welcome to Ebay.  I hope 2025 is very good to you !!!

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hello and welcome. eBay does a brisk business in Barbies. But keep in mind that it's best for new sellers to start off slow, selling modestly priced items until you get the pulse of the place. In addition, buy a few needed items on the platform as well to get a full, well-rounded view of the operation. And learn the rules and policies that govern the site before listing anything for sale. Best of luck to you, come back anytime.

[toysaver]

Google the names to see a general idea of what they're worth.  Set aside the money makers to sell individually and group the others.  Barbie is mass produced on steroids.   I don't know who told you to consider Barbie Dolls an investment.  Not all worth more than you paid for them unless you have dolls from the 60's. 

NRFB doesn't always mean what you think with Barbie Dolls.   Mattel does not seal the boxes with the intention a collector will be saving them.  The cardboard and clear plastic are usually thin and cheap.  Bugs and dirt get inside easily.  For some of them it may be advantageous to remove them from the box and sell as in mint condition instead.  

[pickapaper]

The only thing I can add to the above is "be realistic".  Understand that many Barbies are not worth very much now due to the mass producing of them. 

A couple of years ago, an older woman called me because she heard I "might be interested in buying things".  She had a large collection of Barbies she was wanting to sell.   I went over to her house and sure enough, she had a couple of hundred - a bedroom full, all NRFB, no older ones.   She told me she had worked at Walmart for many years and any time a new one came into the store, she would buy it.  She told me because of her age she was giving up her collection; her children and grandchildren didn't want them, and she had actually tried to sell a few at a couple of garage sales but nobody bought any. 

I asked her how much she wanted for the collection and she told me $3,000.00 because she figured that was about what she had in them.  I told her I wasn't trying to insult her but she was not going to find anyone who would pay her that kind of money.   I offered to buy a few but she didn't want to do that.   She was not open to negotiating so I politely declined and left.    A few months later, my husband and I were having a garage sale and she and her adult granddaughter stopped by.  I asked her if she had ever sold her Barbies and she said no and she didn't know what she was going to do with them but she "wasn't going to give them away".  Her granddaughter was just shaking her head.    I got the idea that if it got to the point where her family was going to have to deal with those dolls, there was going to be a heck of a sale going on.