Hello All (1 Viewer)

[GTH114]

My name is Genevieve, I am a new member on this site. I have come to own a rather large collection of miniature metal soldiers all of which will be sold....problem is....wow this hobby is overwhelming and I do not want to misrepresent or wrongfully claim facts as my sale listings matter a great deal to me .

This is what I've done so far....

Separated boxed sets from loose figures

Took inventory of boxed sets being labeled correctly and checked for missing pieces

Separated loose figures into what seems to be three collections:

Napoleonic
Crusades (knights)
Roman

From there I have organized each collection into:

Marked/Signed
Unmarked/Unsigned

Then further into:

100% intact
Missing weapon/shield/flag or other small part
Broken

As well as separated loose parts, horses, cannons into respective collections.....

My question now is what is the next step to take? There is no way to list them all separately so should I...

Try to sell the whole lot? How and where should I look for buyers as the whole lot cannot be shipped easily.

List branded figures individually then group remaining into lots or group them all into lots?

How do collectors like to purchase these figures?

Should they be grouped by brand, by type, by era, ???

Oh boy, then I have the maker issue.... especially Russian makers...so many say St. Petersburg but symbols are different, some just have a flag painted on, some just initials, some markings are hard to make out.

Thank you for reading...any suggestions and sharing of ypur knowledge would be appreciated. I will try to upload a couple photos.

Genevieve

 

[Running-Buddy]

If you want the most bang for your buck you take the time to catalog as you are doing and list them separately as you go on a website of your choice for sale. Take time to research going rates so you sell at fair rate. Otherwise to sell it in one lot you will have to make a very attractive discount price but you will still need a comprehensive list of your collection.

Good Luck
Howard

 

[theBaron]

Welcome to the forum!

Another option is to talk to a dealer; many liquidate collections as part of their business. Probably the lowest price to you, but also the least amount of effort to get rid of the collection. It all depends on what your goal is.

Prost!
Brad

 

[paxtoysoldier]

You have lots of boxed Frontline Figures Napoleonics. Your table display is hard to categorize, but I saw some somewhat valuable and interesting figures there. Ebay and other sites help. It takes time to keep up with the trends and find figures like yours there, but it gives a good indication of value (if they sell).
For maximum profit I would visit ebay (which has difficulties) or whatever you like better. For saving time/work you can sell them to someone like Julie who runs this Forum, or whoever you prefer.
I have noticed that most collectors pay the most for that one set or figure that they want. Although selling in lots may work, such as for the unboxed (probably Niena studios) testudos and lots of Frontline Napoleonics by Country/Regiment.
Best wishes and we are always here for advice,
Paddy

 

[GTH114]

Thank you all so much for sharing your knowledge. The collection per my count is well over 800 including the figures in boxes. So many brands, conditions etc.
I would love to liquidate the whole collection as it is. I have found a few local hobby shops/toy buyers etc that I plan on reaching out to, the weight of the collection limits shipping options thus local seems most logical.
My other option is eBay which I am very familiar with as I have sold vintage jewelry for many years, but oh boy what a project that will be.

Thank you again, Genevieve

 

[jason foote]

Thank you all so much for sharing your knowledge. The collection per my count is well over 800 including the figures in boxes. So many brands, conditions etc.
I would love to liquidate the whole collection as it is. I have found a few local hobby shops/toy buyers etc that I plan on reaching out to, the weight of the collection limits shipping options thus local seems most logical.
My other option is eBay which I am very familiar with as I have sold vintage jewelry for many years, but oh boy what a project that will be.

Thank you again, Genevieve

If you are used to ebay them you can just list a few sets every week and they will soon be gone and you will do better than a dealer.the Frontline are easy and the Russian st Petersburg you just place the add as st petersburg figure, roman or ancient. St petersberg made has great variation in quality and ultimately the buyer will decide the price

 

[theBaron]

If you are used to ebay them you can just list a few sets every week and they will soon be gone and you will do better than a dealer.the Frontline are easy and the Russian st Petersburg you just place the add as st petersburg figure, roman or ancient. St petersberg made has great variation in quality and ultimately the buyer will decide the price

True, you can probably realize more per piece by selling them yourself, but you have to figure in the cost of the process, in time as well as money. It all depends on what the owner wants out of the collection-the most money possible, or to liquidate the collection as quickly as possible. The final decision will fall somewhere between.

Prost!
Brad