Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend stores I’ve actually ordered from or researched thoroughly — my opinions are my own.
The Problem: Selling Is a Completely Different Skill Than Buying
Everything I usually cover on this site is about buying figures well — but eventually, most collectors end up needing to sell a few. Maybe your taste shifted, maybe you’re downsizing, or maybe you just have duplicates from a gift that didn’t quite land. Whatever the reason, selling comes with its own set of risks that buying simply doesn’t: pricing something fairly, avoiding scam buyers, and getting a fragile item safely into someone else’s hands without it arriving broken.
In my experience, collectors who’ve only ever bought figures tend to underestimate how different selling is — it’s not just buying in reverse. This guide covers where to actually list your figures, how to price them realistically, and how to avoid the scams that specifically target sellers.
Who This Article Is NOT For
- If you’re trying to sell a bootleg or recast, knowingly or not, stop and read my guide to spotting fakes first — selling a counterfeit, even unintentionally, can create real problems for you as the seller, not just the original bootleg seller.
- If you’re expecting to make a profit on figures you bought at retail, it’s worth resetting expectations — most figures depreciate rather than appreciate, and treating a sale as “recovering some of what you spent” is usually more realistic than expecting a profit.
- If you only have one or two figures to sell, the lower-effort options (local Facebook groups, a quick Mercari listing) are probably more worth your time than setting up accounts on multiple platforms — save the heavier options below for larger collections.
How to Approach Selling
1. Know what you actually have before you price it. Condition, box status, and whether it’s a genuinely limited piece all affect price — my guide to identifying real limited editions is useful background here.
2. Match the platform to the size of what you’re selling. A single figure and a fifty-piece collection call for different approaches.
3. Protect yourself from the scams that specifically target sellers, which look different from the scams that target buyers.
Where to Actually Sell
| Platform | Best For | Tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Mercari | Individual figures, relatively quick sales | Fees apply; pricing can be inconsistent buyer-to-buyer |
| eBay | Rare or high-value pieces, broader buyer reach | Listing/selling fees; more setup effort for a single item |
| Facebook groups / collector communities | Direct connection with engaged collectors, sometimes better prices | Requires more manual back-and-forth; payment safety is entirely on you to manage |
| MyFigureCollection (MFC) marketplace/forums | Reaching serious, knowledgeable collectors | Smaller audience than eBay, but often better-informed buyers |
| Local shops or conventions | Fast, no shipping hassle, immediate cash | Typically the lowest payout, since the shop needs their own margin |
A general pattern worth knowing: community-based options (Facebook groups, MFC) sometimes yield better prices than broad marketplaces, since you’re reaching people who specifically collect and understand what they’re buying — but they also require more manual effort per sale than a straightforward marketplace listing.
Pricing Your Figures Realistically
- Check recent sold listings, not active ones. Active listings show what sellers are asking, not what buyers are actually paying — sold/completed listings on eBay or Mercari give a much more accurate picture.
- Condition matters more than you’d expect. A figure with a well-preserved box, no dust, and no handling wear will sell for noticeably more than the same figure in rough shape — box condition specifically is something collectors care about a lot.
- Know whether it’s genuinely limited. If you’re not sure, my breakdown of limited edition terminology can help you figure out whether a piece is likely to command a premium or whether “limited” was more marketing language than real scarcity.
- Price to sell if you actually want it gone. Pricing at what you originally paid, or above, often means a listing sits for months. If your goal is actually clearing space rather than maximizing every dollar, pricing modestly below recent sold comparables moves things faster.
Writing a Listing That Sells
- Photograph in good, even lighting, ideally without harsh flash that washes out paint detail — natural light near a window works well for most figures
- Show multiple angles, including close-ups of any damage, discoloration, or wear — being upfront about condition builds trust and reduces disputes later
- Include the box in photos if you still have it, since box condition is a real factor in how collectors value a piece
- Be specific and honest in the description — exact release name, manufacturer, and any known flaws. Vague listings get fewer serious offers, not more
Shipping Safely (So It Arrives in One Piece)
- Individually wrap and secure parts that could shift during transit, especially removable accessories or delicate extensions like weapons or flowing hair
- Use snug-fitting boxes with real padding — bubble wrap or packing paper, not just loose space that lets the figure shift around
- Double-box for extra protection on higher-value pieces, especially scale figures — an inner box with the figure and padding, placed inside a larger outer box with additional cushioning
- Buy shipping insurance for anything valuable enough that a loss would actually hurt, since standard carrier liability rarely covers the full value of a rare figure
Avoiding Scams That Target Sellers
Selling comes with a different set of scam risks than buying, and it’s worth knowing what to watch for specifically:
- Overpayment scams: a buyer sends more than the asking price and asks you to refund the difference — the original payment is often fraudulent or later reversed, leaving you out both the figure and the “refund” you sent
- Requests to move off-platform: a buyer asking to pay outside your selling platform’s official payment system removes your dispute protection entirely — legitimate buyers rarely have a strong reason to insist on this
- Chargeback abuse: a buyer claims an item never arrived or was “not as described” after receiving it, then requests a refund through their payment provider — tracking numbers and delivery confirmation are your main protection here, so always ship with tracking
- Payment before you’re ready to ship: don’t feel pressured into skipping your normal packaging process because a buyer is impatient — a rushed, poorly protected shipment is a real risk to the item itself, separate from any scam concern
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I expect to make a profit selling my figures? Generally no — most figures depreciate rather than appreciate, so recovering a reasonable portion of what you paid is a more realistic expectation than turning a profit, except for the genuinely rare pieces that do hold or increase in value.
Is it safe to accept payment through Facebook Messenger or similar direct methods? This carries more risk than a platform with built-in buyer/seller protection, since you’re relying entirely on the payment method’s own dispute process (or lack of one). If you do sell through community groups, using a payment method that offers some form of seller protection is worth prioritizing over convenience.
Does it matter if I don’t have the original box anymore? It affects price, but it doesn’t make the figure unsellable — just expect a lower price than an equivalent item with box included, since box condition is something serious collectors specifically look for.
How do I know if I’m accidentally selling a bootleg I didn’t know was fake? If you bought the figure secondhand or from an unfamiliar source originally, it’s worth checking it against my guide to spotting bootlegs before listing it for sale, particularly if you never fully verified authenticity when you first acquired it.
Final Thoughts
Selling figures well comes down to the same theme as buying them well: be accurate, be patient, and don’t skip the steps that protect you. Price based on real sold data rather than wishful thinking, photograph and describe honestly, package like the item actually matters, and stay alert to the scam patterns that specifically target sellers rather than buyers.
If you’re selling because your collecting priorities have shifted rather than stepping away from the hobby entirely, it might be worth revisiting my guide to choosing between Nendoroid, Figma, and scale figures — sometimes clearing out figures that no longer fit your collection is really just making room for the ones that do.