Maybe you inherited a collection… maybe you want to downsize… maybe you just want to get rid of all of your department 56… Listed below are some of the best and easiest ways to sell them and fast!
1. Ebay
Ebay is one of the most common ways to sell department 56. This is because there are many potential buyers who frequent eBay often and your items will be seen by collectors around the world. Getting an account is easy and it does not cost anything. Remember though, eBay does take a fee (generally around 15% depending on how you list your item and how many items you have sold) off of every item you sell! Also keep in mind shipping. You will have to somehow get your villages to the buyer! List your piece with the official stock photo (From Department56.com) as your first photo – it makes it look more official and viewers can easily see what piece you are selling. If your piece is brand new than the one stock photo is all you need! Otherwise provide a few images proving the condition and displaying any flaws. In your title include the item’s name, condition, series, and any additional information. Stay away from listing flaws in the title – this may prevent people from clicking on your listing. Be sure to list any flaws, breaks, or reglued aspects of your piece in the description. Do not keep anything from the buyer! They need to know what they are buying. Make sure to mention whether or not the original box and lighted cord is included. There are only two ways I would suggest listing your items. The first is a 99 cent auction. Start your auction at 99 cents with no reserve and have your auction go for 7 days. Though this may seem intimidating, you will receive the most money possible for the piece because the piece will receive more viewers and it will go into a bidding war. If you do an auction, make sure to list the item to end on a sunday night because that is when most eBayers are online! The second listing route I would suggest is a buy it now with the best offer feature available. Set a price in your head of what you would like to get and then add around 10%. People can then make offers on your piece and you can accept whatever price you would like or counteroffer people and work with them to make a deal. When pricing your items, be sure to look at both what they are listed for, and what they are selling for. Never overprice a piece because it will never sell! If you have a large or small collection and you think you could handle eBay then I would suggest that as the best way to sell!
2. Craigslist
Craigslist is an excellent way to sell Department 56 if you don’t want to have to ship and you want cash for your pieces quickly. Posting a craigslist ad is really easy. I would not suggest putting your phone number because if people are really interested, they will email back. Photos are not necessary but I would highly suggest them even if they are just stock photos! When writing the description of the ad here is my best advice: Don’t say too little and don’t say too much. Include basic information about what you have for sale such as the series of the village and the years from which your pieces come (in a general sense – some people prefer the older ones, some people prefer the newer ones). Include a phrase at the end that says “Respond by email and please include a phone number.” I would not suggest listing every piece you have for sale in the listing. If someone emails back and includes a phone number then send them a list. You now have their direct contact and you can call them back to work out a deal! Do not list your pieces at high prices and do not assume your collection is worth what you paid for it. Unfortunately, most dept 56 pieces lose value. People on craigslist want to pick them up for cheaper than eBay. If you do not want to eBay and you want to sell local then I would consider craigslist as a next best option!
3. Find a reseller
This option is for people who want to get rid of a large amount of pieces quickly. Post an ad on craigslist that says something like “Department 56 for sale – reseller wanted”. You can also google for resellers in your area. What a reseller will do is look over a list of what you have for sale and add up what they are selling for on eBay. They will then make an offer for about half or a third of what they are selling for. If you accept their offer, they will pick them up and sell them on their own to make a profit. If you want to use a reseller make sure you know what your collection is worth! You do not want to sell for too cheap. Also keep in mind that it is your collection. If you don’t like the offer they give you then come back with a counter offer and your reasoning for why it is worth more. Remember that resellers know the product values and you should too! Do not expect to get full price for your collection but at the same time I would not suggest selling them for lower than a third of their eBay value because there is always someone out there who will pay a bit more. Look for a reseller if you want to get rid of your items quickly!
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