Toy trading

Trade for your collectible toys

During this economic recession period, you can still find ways acquire your wanted collectible toys.  One of which is instead of buying your collectible toys outright, you can consider trading (as in barter trading) your extra or unwanted collectible toys with other collectors for the toys on your want list.  Sometimes you can even do partial trades where you or your trading partner top up the difference of the toy value in cash.

Ask for references

Trading ponies and their accessories has been a common practice in the online My Little Pony community for many years already.  Of course before you work out a trade with a potential trading partner, you need to ask for each other’s online references or feedback records.

Fair value trade 

You also need to be realistic about the value of the toys you are trading.  Both parties have to agree that the toys to be traded are more or less comparable in their market values.  Market values are either found from the recently ended auctions on ebay or from checking with other members of your toy forums.

Where to find toy trading partners

Most toy trading partners are found in the toy forums where they have established their online presence and reputation for many years.  Of course your very first trade might be a kind of ‘risk’, especially if you are trading with overseas collectors.  Likewise that overseas collector would feel the same way about you. 

Start with online buying and selling

I was fortunate that I used to buy and sell ponies online with overseas collectors for a while before venturing into trading ponies with others.  My early online references with other prominent pony collectors helped me secure pony trades and I’m happy that my trades have all been fantastic!

Build up your online presence and references

Hence if you are new to toy trading, you’ll first need to accumulate a list of good online references either through online buying or selling.  Your references can be on ebay or on the toy forums you frequent.  You also need to be preferably quite active in the toy forums you frequent so that your potential trading partners have chances to know more about you first before they decide they want to trade with you.

Good luck in your toy collecting!