- Visit a local collectible store so an expert can give a fair appraisal for your collection.
- Join a community like Crunchyroll to chat about anime and sell all your figurines.
- Keep your figurines in mint condition so they'll fetch the highest bids possible.
- Take high-quality pics and write descriptions of your collectibles to entice buyers.
Where to Sell Anime Figures
Local collectible stores. If you want to do business with an industry expert who can accurately determine the resale value of your entire anime figure collection, visit one of your local collectible stores. These shops make it a priority to keep their inventory well-stocked, so you’ve got a great chance of getting all your figurines off your hands while earning a tidy sum. Ask the store’s owner or a sales associate about which figurines are in high demand. If you just so happen to have a ton of those in your collection, then you might be able to make a lot more cash than you originally expected.
My Figure Collection. Seeing that this fun and vibrant marketplace has “collection” right in its name, it’s pretty clear what its community wants—tons of anime figures. Make a free account on MFC to banter and barter with other anime figurine enthusiasts. MFC is serious about cracking down on scams and only allows insured payment methods, so you're in good hands. If you happen to have some artbooks, manga, and other anime collectibles you want to throw in to sweeten the deal, MFC will let you list all of them.
Akiba Soul. Come on—what self-respecting otaku wouldn’t love the tagline, “We offer a second chance at laifu for secondhand waifus and husbandos!”? At Akiba Soul, you can sell pre-owned anime figurines (as long as they’re verified as authentic). Fill out an online form to confirm all your figures meet their standards and the company will tell you how much they'll pay you for your lot. If you still want to feed (and afford) your hobby, you can always use some of your profit to buy figurines to replace the ones you sold—Akiba Soul also specializes in selling anime collectibles at really competitive prices (talk about fan service!).
Amiami. List your figurines on Amiami to appeal to a huge international fanbase. Since the company ships anime figures all over the world, you’re likely to find at least one buyer who’s really interested in scoring your whole collection. Since Amiami is one of the largest marketplaces for pre-owned figurines on the web, it's an ideal platform to list your lot. Amiami also ranks its most popular anime figures on its front page, so if you've got one or more of these collectibles in your lot, you might be able to charge more money for each of them.
Crunchyroll. Sure, Crunchyroll is known as the best spot to stream anime, but why not use that to your advantage? Since all of Crunchyroll’s users are hungry for all things anime, the site now has a marketplace where you can list pre-owned merchandise. Just make sure your anime figurines are in good condition and you’re good to go. As an extra perk, Crunchyroll has a forum where you can post about your anime collection and attract bids. When you’ve accepted the highest offer, you can also just kick back and chat with other anime fans.
Reddit. Reddit is teeming with tons of communities (aka “subreddits”) that celebrate anime, so it’s an awesome platform to connect with folks who are nuts for figurines. When you post on Reddit, read the guidelines for any subreddit you list on, upload high-quality pics of figurines in their boxes, write details about your figurines, and watch the bids come rolling in. One of the most popular spots is r/AnimeFigurines, which has over 120K members. You also get a lot of freedom when you sell on subreddits because you get to set the price and make special offers. For example, you can throw in free shipping if a redditor spends over $100 for your collection. Keep costs down and turn more of a profit by passing the costs of shipping to your buyers.
Facebook Marketplace. Since FB users type exactly what they want in Facebook Marketplace’s search bar (for example, they might look for “League of Legends figurines”), it’s usually pretty easy for buyers to find your posting. After all, if you’ve already got what they’re searching high and low for in your collection, it’s a match made in heaven. For extra convenience, use your Android phone, your iPhone, or your iPad to list your figurines on Facebook Marketplace. To be really efficient on Facebook, cross-post on FB groups, too. For example, join Anime Figure Society's Official Marketplace, which has 5.7K members and counting. Scroll through the main group, Anime Figure Society, to get a taste for what's popular, then promote those figurines in your listings.
Craigslist. If you’d like to stay local to avoid shipping costs, whip up a Craigslist post in less than 5 minutes. You’ll have to limit your business to the general area you live—you can expand your reach to about a 20 mile radius. For best results, post your listing of anime figures in the “toys+games” subcategory, which is underneath the “for sale” section. If you plan to handle the transaction in person, then be sure to meet the Craigslist buyer in a safe place that's in public—for example, go to the food court of a mall during daylight hours.
Selling Your Collection Quickly
Keep your anime figurines in mint condition. You can definitely make big bucks on pre-owned anime figures, but here’s the catch—they’ve got to look brand new. Avid collectors typically want to show off shelves and shelves of their prized anime merchandise. Since they adore the aesthetics of their figurines, it really pays off to keep your wares in tip-top shape so you’ll charm all your bidders (and make a lot of dough).
Offer discounts to your buyers. Even though collectors are willing to invest in their hobby, they’re on the lookout for good deals, too. After all, the more money they save, the more figurines they can scoop up. If you want to entice bidders to buy your entire lot instead of cherry-picking anime figures, throw in a discount that sounds like a total steal. For example, offer free shipping and $10 USD off the buyer’s order if they spend $300 USD to purchase your entire collection.
Take high-quality photos of your figurines. To take a stunning pic that’ll help your listing shine, take high resolution photos with a DSLR camera or your phone. Make sure there isn’t any clutter in the shot and stage your figurines so they really pop. Crisp, crystal clear snaps help your customers visualize what it’ll be like to showcase your entire collection on their shelf.
Give your customers all the details about your anime figures. To really butter up your buyers, be specific—that’ll show you know your stuff. For example, explain whether your figures are articulated (fully poseable), “nenderoids” (small figures with large heads), or “to scale” (based on the dimensions of an anime character). Also tell people the anime franchise the figure’s from and if it’s a special edition collectible. Example Listing: Xenoblade 2 - Nia - 1/7 (Good Smile Company) Category: Prepainted, Articulated Origin: Xenoblade 2 Character: Nia Company: Good Smile Company Artists: Akimof (Sculptor), Akimoto Hajime (Color Producer), Saitom (Illustrator) Release: 06/2023, Limited Edition + Exclusive Materials: ABS, PVC Dimensions: 1/7; Height= 310 mm / 12.09 in; (1:1 Scale = 2.17 m)
Build a personal brand in the anime community. To win a lot of your own friends-slash-fans and convert them into customers, create a personal brand to become a reputable figure in the anime collectible world. Put your all into customer service by communicating with your buyers, packaging your figurines well, and shipping them on time. When you get glowing 5-star reviews for all your transactions, business will be booming. Grow your cred as an anime collector by chatting about figurines on forums, reviewing anime figures, and learning all the lore behind the collectibles you’ve amassed. If you’re into the idea of making your own vlogs, showing off your anime collection on YouTube can be a great way to drum up excitement. After fans gawk at your setup, they’ll probably be dying to buy the whole lot they drooled over.
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