Photos courtesy of eBay.com
A few weeks ago, my thrift store consignment client presented me with about 50 collectible Barbie dolls to sell on eBay. The Barbies were obviously donated by a collector because they were all still on the original boxes, wrapped in another layer of cellophane, and could be sold as NRFB (never removed from box). The dates on the dolls ranged from 1980 until 1995. This was a huge lot of vintage Barbie dolls.
I have never been into the collectible Barbie scene and didn’t realize how many different Barbies exist. Let’s face it, these types of collectibles are for adults, not children. I was shocked to see that some of these Barbies retailed for up to $200. One in particular, the Bob Mackie Goddess of the Sun Barbie, had the original price tag of $198 on the box.
I got busy listing, listing, listing. (After 2 full days sitting at my desk listing, I was ready for a visit from Chiropractic Barbie!) As always, I offered international shipping on every Barbie. I am a diehard believer that international shipping will increase your sales exponentially and someone, somewhere in the world is willing to pay top dollar for an item if you will just take the time to ship it to them. In my opinion, the rewards of international shipping far outweigh the risks.
When the Barbies started selling, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many of them went to international buyers. I found this very interesting. I wasn’t necessarily the lowest price seller for these dolls, but I did offer international shipping which many other sellers did not. Global shipping gave me the competitive edge. Here is a short list of the Barbies I sold and where they went:
Circus Star Barbie – Canada
Disney 101 Dalmatians Cruella DeVil Barbie – Germany
Disney Alice in Wonderland Doll - France
Disney Pocahontas Braided Beauty – Norway
Disney Pocahontas John Smith Doll –Spain
Elizabethan Queen Barbie – Canada
Happy Holidays 1993 Barbie – Canada
Happy Holidays Barbie 1990 – Canada
Happy Holidays Barbie 1996 – United Kingdom
Island Fun Barbie – Germany
Island Fun Barbie – Sweden
Peppermint Princess Barbie – Canada
Skating Star Barbie – Canada
Spring Bouquet Enchanted Seasons Barbie - Canada
Super Hair Barbie – 2 sold to 2 different buyers in France
Victorian Lady Barbie – Australia
If you are not offering international shipping, now is the time. We live in a global economy and people just don’t see distance as a barrier any more. Now with eBay offering First Class International shipping labels via your selling manager, there is no reason not to offer international shipping on items weighing under 4 lbs.
Resources:
How to Print First Class International Shipping from eBay
10 Reasons Why all eBay Sellers Should Offer International Shipping
Ultimate eBay Shipping Guide – Free Download
Talk to Other eBay Sellers About International Shipping on my Facebook Group
