Wait Times how long does it take to sell a doll?

It is normal. Sometimes there's just no demand for a particular doll you are selling. Price matter a lot too. Sometimes a doll can have a buyer asking to buy it within 10 minutes of listing at the market place. Sometimes it takes more than 6 months before a doll is sold. Whether to adjust the price or not is subjective. Depends on what you want to get out of the sale (to make profit, to loose money to break things even....etc etc.)

 

I'm curious about this too. I sold a doll for the first time recently, and I had a buyer right away, but I see other sales threads that have been around for a while.

 

All depends on the price or how rare the doll is. Want to sell it fast, lower the price.

 

It depends on the price you're asking, the demand for that doll, and the condition you're selling the doll in. It's not even necessarily the rarity of a doll -- some rare dolls aren't terribly popular, and some common dolls are incredibly popular.

When I sell a doll I have to find a balance between how much I want to get it sold RIGHT NOW and how much money I want for it. Obviously the lower the price the faster it'll sell. I'm fortunate in that usually when I sell a doll I'm in no rush, so I just set the price at what I'm willing to sell for and wait.

 

There is no set way to determine how long it takes. I've had dolls wait months for a buyer, and others have sold within days. There are just so many factors that affect sales, most of which people have already outlined -- the economy, the price of the doll, the demand of the doll, the rarity of the doll, etc. Patience is key. Do not list something expecting it to sell overnight....or even next week. Though it's definitely possible you will get a sale that fast, it is definitely not the norm.


Here are my own personal observations as a seller and a buyer (all pronouns are generic):

I've noticed dolls sell faster at certain times of the year, such as tax refund season in the US and back-to-school time, when college students may receive financial aid reimbursements. At least half of my dolls have sold during these two periods.

Unless there are substantial discounts, standard models still available from the company sell slowly. When given the choice between a new doll from the company and a 2nd-hand doll selling at roughly the same price, most people will opt for the new, factory-fresh one. You will almost never recoup your full investment cost of a standard model doll that's still for sale. Be prepared to take a loss or have lots of patience bumping that sales thread.

Don't be afraid to make international sales. Again, I'd say a good 50% of my dolls sold have gone overseas. International shipping isn't that scary. If you're nervous insist on fully-insured EMS. That way, it minimizes shipping time and has full tracking during every step of the delivery process so both you and the buyer know where the doll is. By eliminating the possibility of international sales, you are also eliminating a huge group of potential buyers.

Dolls with a lot of random items included at an extra price (such as clothes, wigs, etc) wait longer to be sold, especially if they are not original fullset items and the buyer is not willing to split them. They may have been the perfect items for the doll as you envisioned it, but keep in mind that a buyer wants the doll for their character, not yours, and may have no use for any of the "extras" included. The added cost of all those items drives up the final sales price to more than people are willing to pay just to get a doll *and* leaves the burden of rehoming any unwanted items on the buyer. I have seen dolls I really, really wanted come with $500 worth of extras I had NO interest in whatsoever that the seller was not willing to split off. Needless to say, I waited for another doll to come up for sale without all the extra baggage.

Unless it's rare, dolls where buyers are asked to pay the seller's Paypal fees or reimburse them for their personal EMS costs of shipping the doll to them from the company or its previous owner tend to hang around on the MP a while.

Market Value fluctuates. A lot. Dolls that sold for $2,500+ when I first joined are now barely breaking the $1,200 mark. And, on the other side, dolls that weren't worth that much when I started are now selling for lots of money. Keeps tabs on what similar items are selling for to make sure you are not overpricing your own item. Don't assume that because something sold for $XX a year or so ago, that it still commands the same price today.

If others are selling the same item as you, pay attention to their prices. If there are 3 blank AwesomeDoll heads currently for sale at $110-$150 each and you list your blank AwesomeDoll head for $200, don't be surprised if the others sell first. Are you looking for a fast sale, or are you ok with waiting to possibly get the higher price? These are questions worth asking. If you want a fast sale, you are going to have to beat the competitor's prices, even if it means taking a loss.

Personally, I tend to stay away from sales with grainy, webcam photos or random photos that the doll just happens to be in. I'm not asking for sales threads to be a work of art, but they need to be clear, well lit, and focus on the doll and its features. If there are no photos, I have no interest. (This is also against the rules, as in image is required to post the thread in the first place.) "Image coming soon" threads are a waste of space. Don't put something up for sale until you have everything ready to be posted. To me, it doesn't generate interest in a sale, but makes the seller look disorganized and flaky instead. If they can't even be bothered to put up a photo at the time they make the thread, that sets off warning flags about potential delays in packing, shipping, etc.

Personally, I also won't bite on anything with the word "feeler." Either you want to sell something or you don't. To me, there is no in-between. "Feeler," to me means "I want lots of money for this and I may flake on the sale."


Again, these are my own personal observations, based on my own experiences. Others may have had entirely different ones.