Where can I sell my old toys?
There are six usual routes. They differ in price, fees, time, and in who carries the risk when something goes wrong.
- eBay. The largest audience for vintage toys, worldwide. In most categories in the US, eBay takes 13.6% of the total sale, item plus shipping, plus $0.40 per order over $10. On eBay.de private sellers in Germany pay no sales commission, and on eBay.it private sellers in the European Economic Area pay no transaction fees. You photograph, answer questions, pack and ship.
- Etsy. Etsy counts an item as vintage when it is at least 20 years old, so most toys from the 80s, 90s and early 00s qualify. A listing costs $0.20, the transaction fee is 6.5% of the price including shipping, and payment processing in the US is 3% plus $0.25.
- Vinted. Popular in Europe for toys and plush. Vinted charges no selling fee; the buyer pays a fee on top. Prices on Vinted tend to be lower, and you still pack and ship each piece.
- Local classifieds. Facebook Marketplace in the US, Marktplaats, Kleinanzeigen, Leboncoin, Wallapop and Subito in Europe. No shipping if the buyer collects. The audience is local, and fake payment messages are a known trick: confirm a payment only inside the platform itself, never through a link in a message.
- An auction. The right place for rare boxed pieces and complete sets. Buyers pay a fee on top of the winning bid (on Catawiki 9% plus €3), and ordinary toys are often grouped into lots.
- A toy buyer like TONEvintage. One offer for everything, a free insured label inside the EU, and payment within 48 hours of arrival. You do not write a listing or answer questions from strangers.
What the fees mean on a $50 toy
A worked example with each platform's published fees in November 2026, before shipping and packing:
- eBay in the US: 13.6% of $50 is $6.80, plus $0.40. You keep $42.80.
- Etsy in the US, with free shipping: $0.20 listing, $3.25 transaction fee and $1.75 payment processing. You keep $44.80.
- Vinted or eBay.it as a private seller in the EEA: no fee on the sale itself.
Fees are only part of the cost. Count the hours too: photographs, a listing, questions, a box, the post office, and perhaps a return. With twenty small toys, the time often matters more than the fee.
Selling one by one or as a lot
Rare pieces, boxed toys and complete figures with all their accessories sell best one by one. Loose, incomplete or very common toys are often worth more together, as a lot, than apart: a buyer of lots pays for the whole, and you only ship once.
Before you list or ship
- Take the batteries out of electronic toys. Old cells leak and corrode the contacts.
- Do not wash plush with tags or toys with paper stickers; it often lowers the value.
- Photograph the front, the back, the copyright stamp, any tags, and every flaw.
- Keep small parts together in one bag, and pack everything in a sturdy box.
Selling more than a few toys
Online platforms report some sellers to the tax authorities. In the EU, under the DAC7 rules, a platform reports you once you make 30 or more sales, or more than €2,000, in a calendar year. In the US, payment platforms issue a Form 1099-K when payments exceed $20,000 and 200 transactions. A report is not a tax bill: whether you owe tax depends on your country and on whether you sell your own belongings. Ask your tax office if in doubt.
How selling to TONEvintage works
Send photographs of what you have, with the names and years if you know them. We reply within one working day with an offer. Inside the EU we send a free, insured label; from outside the EU we agree a price by email first. Within 48 hours of arrival we check every piece and pay by bank transfer, PayPal or Wise. A whole box or a whole attic? We can come and collect it.
When another route is better
If you have time, enjoy selling and own a few rare boxed pieces, a marketplace or an auction usually brings the most. If you want it done in one go, a buyer is simpler. We would rather say so than buy at the wrong price.