"Selling 15mm single figures in an ebay shop?" Topic

I was wondering if it would be in poor taste, or would step on many manufacturers toes if I had an E-bay shop where I sold 15mm single figures, for people like me who use 15mm for skirmish and dungeon gaming.

Just curious because while I would love to see something like this, I would hate to be hurting any company's sales.

Take a look at the fee structure – I don't see how it could be workable in all honesty….

Well, maybe not an e-bay shop than, but an on-line store, it's more of a question of morals right now, would the various 15mm companies out there consider it rude of me to do something like this, would I be hurting them? could I even be helping them?

I can't see any moral objection – bottom line is that once you've bought the stuff it's yours to do as you please. If you're actually buying wholesale I'd discuss it with your supplier to avoid any dispute, but in all honesty I can't see why not. The bottom line is that most firms sell in packs simply because it makes filling orders a lot less labour-intensive for them, so they're unlikely to object to someone else selling singletons.

I unloaded a couple thousand "singles" left over from my miniatures reviews. I can tell you it is a huge pain to sell 10 different figures to a customer for $5 USD plus shipping.

The other issue you run into is how to keep inventory. For example, in pack KH-1 there are four distinct figures. If figure A is the most popular to replenish you have to also buy B,C and D. So at some point you have to stop selling A until you've sold down B, C and D. Forcing your customer to either wait (possibly a long time) or just buy the whole pack from the source anyway.

There's also the question of managing the online shop. You'd need pictures of each individual figure, to at least a shot of the pack with what I'm buying pointed out.

Some manufacturers allow you to buy single figures anyway (AB, Eureka, Resistant Roosters for example). So there must be a market out there or why would they do it?

There is no moral issue here. You are buying and selling like anyone else.

But I honestly can't see it being anything other than a huge pain in the ass generating little profit.

How about instead you put together skirmish packs from various lines? So I can buy 8 or 12 different orcs from you without having to buy a pack of 8 with swords, another with 8 bows, another with to command sets, and another with 8 spears?

Go for it, and then post us your link!

Have to agree with Mark, not sure it's going to be worth your time. You have to create an ebay auction page (or worse, a webstore profile) for a model you might sell for .25US to .75US. Is that really worth it?

Then you have to deal with customer service issues too. "I never got my Slimeman with laser cannon pose B.". So now you have to either spend forever tracking a package with a .50US model in it, or buy another one and now you are out of pocket.

As to manufacturers, I can't speak for others but I would not have an issue. Others *might* worry that you are recasting and if that word gets around there might be bad will.

When I have a few extra models from a purchase I usually toss them once the unit's been painted.

Well, Maybe you could just toss them my way.

The shop stock would be mostly random, including everything from old OOP ral partha figures to whatever I happened to buy recently, it's more of a nice and easy way for me to get rid of the miniatures I pick up from buying multi packs for the single minis, rather than setting up a trade/sale post, I'll just have a shop.

I think I would probably sell them at a buck a piece, to make it worth my time, and still be reasonable to buy as a single, that's what SLM charge for their single pieces.

My brother is a very savvy web designer, and I would need his help. But he could work up a webpage that keeps track of stock numbers.

I think I might give it a go and see what happens.

I do singles, until I get the problems worked out with my cart I'm just pulling to order.

I wouldn't have a problem with you doing it with the AoA figs or the others once there in production, but just to warn you I have people bitching already that 90 cents each is to much to pay, So at $1.00 USD each they might not sell at all.

Your best bet is to lot them into single sculpt lots by type (dwarfs, barbarians, ect.)

I think there could be a small market for PAINTED warbands in 15mm. It's a nice affordable way to try a new skirmish system or period.
A.

ganeshagames.blogspot.com

…once you've bought the stuff it's yours to do as you please..

Well, with a couple of caveats but you can sell them any way you want :-)

Well, Maybe you could just toss them my way.

I'd be happy to provided you're as accessible at that precise moment as the bin!

Guess I need to move.

You might try advertising them first here, in the Marketplace, and/or creating your own website, if you have a lot to sell.

Both are cheaper than eBay.

As mentioned, once you buy them, they are yours to do with as you please.

Business is business.

However, if you turn out to be wildly successful, don't be surprised if the manufacturers try to horn in on your concept.

We have offered individual figures for the past 10 years! (So it's nott a "new" idea.) Sure, you have to pay a little more for them than the per piece pack price (especially since we went to cast to demand), but MUCH cheaper than having to buy another pack just for 2-3 figures! (And to us, it makes no difference if it's a command figure or a grunt-- same effort-same price.)

Tom Dye
GFI