I was strolling through the single minis for different sets. Are these really going for the prices on Paizo?
Maybe it's just me, but I can turn around and sell a lot that would pay off a credit card (mind you, a small balance one ; ).
For example, the Large Red Dragon from "Giants" is quoted at $100. Is this what everyone is really seeing? I have three of those, and I think 4 Behirs...
I am in a similar boat. I keep getting these iconics from Greyhawk, Dragonlance and Mysteria. I'm going to puke if I get another Warduke, Lord Soth or Morekainen. I mean I run a friggen homebrew - what the hell am I going to use these friggen minitures for?
Anyway I think these prices are a little higher then what you would be able to sell your Reds for but its ballpark correct.
I am in a similar boat. I keep getting these iconics from Greyhawk, Dragonlance and Mysteria. I'm going to puke if I get another Warduke, Lord Soth or Morekainen. I mean I run a friggen homebrew - what the hell am I going to use these friggen minitures for?
You can't use those as other NPCs?
My cleric of Ilmater carries a quarter staff, has a goatee, and is bald. We currently use a Mordenkainen mini to represent him.
I am in a similar boat. I keep getting these iconics from Greyhawk, Dragonlance and Mysteria. I'm going to puke if I get another Warduke, Lord Soth or Morekainen. I mean I run a friggen homebrew - what the hell am I going to use these friggen minitures for?You can't use those as other NPCs?
Sure but my complaint is I could use any common for this as well and I did not get a cool giant or other neat monster for my rares.
I buy a lot of minis on e-bay and other sites, and it seems to me that paizo is the most expensive place to buy minis.
I know some sites will give you a cash payout or store credit if they buy your minis, but as you can imagine you won't get much for them.
If you're looking to liquidate some of your minis I would say that ebay would be the way to go. To get pricing ideas just search for your mini and check the buy it now offers from others. Auction prices seem to go for about the lowest selling price listed in the buy it now's.
Or, I could wait until the mini sets start slowing down. Then, I can turn around and sell them off before they're worthless!
Now, timing is everything...
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Initially, I would buy the booster packs, but discovered I was spending a lot of money trying to complete a set. I turned to ebay, bought complete sets of commons and uncommons, then trawled the auctions for the rares. On average, I spend close to seventy to eighty dollars now to complete a set, and that's because of minis like the Aspect of Tiamat, which cost me $22.95US this morning from a store in Canada. Later, I return to ebay, pick up lots of, say x10 Orc Skeletons or x4 Purple Worms (which I paint green for a certain adventure we all know and love). But there are some stores
cough, ahem, cough, cough Paizo
with high prices my wife would divorce me over...
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
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I was strolling through the single minis for different sets. Are these really going for the prices on Paizo?
Maybe it's just me, but I can turn around and sell a lot that would pay off a credit card (mind you, a small balance one ; ).
For example, the Large Red Dragon from "Giants" is quoted at $100. Is this what everyone is really seeing? I have three of those, and I think 4 Behirs...
Paizo's prices are generally higher what you'll find them for at most other locations, including local game stores, online stores, and online auctions. On the other hand, they're easier to shop at that some random Ebay store front, and they have a wide selection. I'm a pretty heavy miniature trader/buyer (I have every mini from every released set, and all the repaints), but I don't buy from Paizo due to their high prices.
Huge red dragons supposedly go for an average of $80 now, according to a script that reviews stores and auctions. However, I bet there aren't many of them selling at that price. The priciest D&D mini is Drizzt, at just over $100.
I was strolling through the single minis for different sets. Are these really going for the prices on Paizo?
Maybe it's just me, but I can turn around and sell a lot that would pay off a credit card (mind you, a small balance one ; ).
For example, the Large Red Dragon from "Giants" is quoted at $100. Is this what everyone is really seeing? I have three of those, and I think 4 Behirs...
Paizo's prices are generally higher what you'll find them for at most other locations, including local game stores, online stores, and online auctions. On the other hand, they're easier to shop at that some random Ebay store front, and they have a wide selection. I'm a pretty heavy miniature trader/buyer (I have every mini from every released set, and all the repaints), but I don't buy from Paizo due to their high prices.
Huge red dragons supposedly go for an average of $80 now, according to a script that reviews stores and auctions. However, I bet there aren't many of them selling at that price. The priciest D&D mini is Drizzt, at just over $100.
You sound like the guy to ask...
Is there some kind of profitable way of getting rid of the ones I'm not really interested in? I collect these things for my D&D game and there are some that I won't ever use. Furthermore I'd love to get a good deal on some of the more valuable rares I have. I mean if I can sell some of these rares that I have no use for and buy D&D books (or miniture booster packs) that sure would be a sweat deal.
Do you have any advice on how I would go about this sort of thing? Is there some place I should go to do this?
Would I be better off just trying to trade my way out of minitures I'm not interested in the hopes of trading for ones that I would like? If so where should I go to trade?
Is there some kind of profitable way of getting rid of the ones I'm not really interested in? I collect these things for my D&D game and there are some that I won't ever use. Furthermore I'd love to get a good deal on some of the more valuable rares I have. I mean if I can sell some of these rares that I have no use for and buy D&D books (or miniture booster packs) that sure would be a sweat deal.
Do you have any advice on how I would go about this sort of thing? Is there some place I should go to do this?
Would I be better off just trying to trade my way out of minitures I'm not interested in the hopes of trading for ones that I would like? If so where should I go to trade?
You could sell your minis yourself on eBay, or several websites have Buy lists, like miniaturemarket.com. If you're interested in trading minis, you need go no further than wizards.com. Look in the message boards for D&D Minis Tradehouse. There are also independent sites for this, like maxminis.com. I was able to expand my collection considerably through online trading.
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From Antiques Roadshow, we should all know that there is no one value for anything. In descending order, there is the naive buyer's price, the retail price, the insurance valuation, the auction estimate, and the naive seller's price. Leaving aside the naive prices (because they're random and reflect a lack of knowledge), the price depends to a fairly great extent on how long you are willing to wait to buy or sell and how much effort you are willing to expend.
If you can wait to sell, you can get a higher price when there is a short-term scarcity. If you can wait to buy, you can get a lower price when there is a short-term glut.
Retail sales (like Paizo's) are predicated on buyers that want what they want when they want it. They want simple sales (lower transaction costs) of specific products right now. And they're willing to pay for convenience.
Auction sales (like Ebay's) are predicated on buyers that are willing to accept higher transaction costs (time spent hunting for bargains and bidding in the last minute before the auction closes) and slightly higher risk for a lower sale price.
The analysis for sellers is something of a mirror image. Setting up a full-scale retail site is both expensive and painful, and keeping enough inventory in stock that you can count on satisfying customers is a job. Selling a few things on Ebay is simple and fast, but the price you get is lower.
Choose the option that makes the most sense for you, but understand that it's all tradeoffs. Welcome to the free market. 8-)
You could sell your minis yourself on eBay, or several websites have Buy lists, like miniaturemarket.com. If you're interested in trading minis, you need go no further than wizards.com. Look in the message boards for D&D Minis Tradehouse. There are also independent sites for this, like maxminis.com. I was able to expand my collection considerably through online trading.
Thanks!
I looked at minituremarket.com and found that even with their relitivly low offering prices I could still get rid of some of these rares that I use as common humans and zombies and still get a decent amount of money. I mean this is no way to make money or anything. I'll never manage to make back what I spend but I can use this to get more stuff that I will hopefully want.
Trading sounds like an even better option but involves much more work on my part.
At the OP - you could sell your reds today for $44 of course selling to minituremarket.com means selling at less then their full value but there is an official 'we'll buy these off you right now' value.
OK I have another question.
I'd like to organize my minitures so I know what I have? Can you suggest some kind of a spread sheet, word document etc. that I can use to do this?
I don't need their stats or anything lust a nice list.
I've bought quite a few from miniaturemarket.com and they are much better priced generally speaking than paizo.
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Here's an ebay tip: the sellers who don't accept PayPal or BidPay or StormPay--the ones who only want money orders or checks--almost always have the lowest prices for Buy It Now items, and their auctions almost always go the lowest. The reason? Sellers who don't take PayPal tend to have fewer sales, which tends to equal less trust on a site like ebay. Additionally, PayPal is easy, buying MOs, less easy.
It's the convenience angle another poster mentioned; much less convenient for me to write the seller a check and mail it, wait for him to get it, cash it, get around to going to the mailbox to mail my mini, than it it is to buy from a big seller who takes PayPal.
One huge difference as an example: this morning I won a beholder lich for $7 and $4 shipping: total $11 for this uber rare mini, but the seller only takes checks and MOs, so it'll be the end of June before I get my lich, versus if I bought it from a Power Seller who will get me the beholder in the next week, but it'll cost me $30-45...
OK I have another question.
I'd like to organize my minitures so I know what I have? Can you suggest some kind of a spread sheet, word document etc. that I can use to do this?
I don't need their stats or anything lust a nice list.
I like Hordelings.com for it's collection tracking software. Enter in what you have, and how many you actually want. Simple, visual, and whatever you have in excess of your wants is shown as available for trade with other users, which makes online trading far easier.
CEO
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Are these really going for the prices on Paizo?
I tend to post a messageboard post about this once every half year or so. :)
The prices on paizo.com are true market prices. About every month or so, I look at the mini sales. If a mini is just sitting there and not selling, I drop the price a bit. If the mini is selling out quickly, then I bump the price up a bit. If it seems to have steady but unremarkable sales, then they price stays where it is. In this way, the market forces of supply and demand on paizo.com dictate the prices for the minis. I don't bother comparing our prices to any other website or eBay. They are strictly driven by whether somebody is wiling to buy a miniature for the price listed here.
So the prices are set by our customers. I think that is a pretty fair and democratic way to sell singles. :)
-Lisa
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Here's an advantage of Paizo over ebay:
Occasionally, I buy a mini through ebay...
...wait...
...wait...
...wait...
...mailbox still empty...
"Uhh...hello, buymyminies786564? I bought a dozen D&D minis from you about five weeks ago...spent about $60...I still don't have my minis..."
"Too bad. I mailed them."
"Well, ummm..." I begin to reply, only to be quickly cut off at the knees.
"Not my responsibility, chump." click. End of conversation.
This never happens with Paizo.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Here's an advantage of Paizo over ebay:
"Uhh...hello, buymyminies786564? I bought a dozen D&D minis from you about five weeks ago...spent about $60...I still don't have my minis..."
"Too bad. I mailed them. Not my responsibility, chump."
This never happens with Paizo.
Absolutely true.
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wow, you guys have some bad luck with ebay... funny the low price dealers I found also turned out to be power sellers with several thousand feedback and all accepted Paypal as the preferred method of payment. *shrug* I get my stuff in about a week, never had a problem. *shrug*
Granted I prefer buying anything and everything that I can from Paizo, preferring to give them the money, or my local ame shop. Yeah, and granted I don't actually buy THAT much. :)
I think you guys have had some real bad luck.
This is how I go about collecting a set of minis:
1. Miniature Market has the best wholesale price that I've found. I take that price to my FLGS and see if they want to match it. They have for the last 6 or so sets. I get a case or two and the FLGS gets some money.
2. Whatever I'm missing I pick up on ebay during the first week or two of release. The glut of new figures that shows up after release makes it easy to shop around for the best deals. I try to hit during odd hours like early in the am. I also try to buy up any rares going way less than standard. $11 for a beholder lich would make my month.
3. I like to wait a few months and then sell off any duplicate rares. Demand might be down a little, but there is less competition. The best time to post them is Thursday or Friday after 5 pm.
And btw, on ebay a Large Red Dragon goes for around $40 usually.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
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Here's an advantage of Paizo over ebay:
Occasionally, I buy a mini through ebay...
...wait...
...wait...
...wait...
...mailbox still empty..."Uhh...hello, buymyminies786564? I bought a dozen D&D minis from you about five weeks ago...spent about $60...I still don't have my minis..."
"Too bad. I mailed them."
"Well, ummm..." I begin to reply, only to be quickly cut off at the knees.
"Not my responsibility, chump." click. End of conversation.
This never happens with Paizo.
I don't know. I've never gotten burned with a mini purchase on Ebay, and I've bought a lot there (72 purchases in the last year, according to Ebay). I do tend to be careful who I buy from, though.
I don't have issues with Paizo setting their prices to target occasional sales from naive buyers, but I do shake my head at people being willing to pay those prices, when a little research would save them a fortune. Honestly, I could have half my Ebay purchases fail to ship, and still be ahead in dollars. I love Paizo for buying many things, just not minis. And arguably, a well-informed miniature consumer like myself is not their target audience, and more power to them.
However, my main path to completing sets has been trading. I do my trading at maxminis.com. They also offer collection tracking, though for that you're probably best off using Bifur.