>> From
the beginning, eBay's primary growth came from the
collectibles market. There are two basic models for eBay
sales:
1. Currently available consumers goods. This is a price-
driven model, and although smart sellers can earn above-
average prices, buyers are there looking for a bargain
and
price is the #1 consideration.
2. Other buyers are collectors, looking for
one-of-a-kind
unique items that they can't locate elsewhere. Here,
price
isn't as important as it is with consumer goods. The
power
of this market is obvious because, before eBay and the
Internet, most collectors were confined to a local
market.
Dolls have always been big sellers as eBay collectibles
and
eight of them are especially strong sellers:
1. The Cabbage Patch Kids began in 1978 and are never
"sold". They are 'born' at Babyland General Hospital in
Cleveland, Georgia and proud parents pay an 'adoption
fee'.
The Cabbage Patch Kids were one of the greatest toy
phenomenons of the later 20th century. At one time, it
was a
common sight to see grown women shopping and lunching
with
their babies in hand. In restaurants, the Kids had their
own
chairs and were always appropriately dressed for the
weather.
2. Precious Moments began in the early 1970s when
creator
Sam Butcher began drawing the endearing teardrop-eye
children as gifts for family and friends. Today Sam's
Precious Moments artwork is among the most recognized in
the
world, and eBay prices reflect this popularity.
3. Madame Alexander dolls were created in 1923. These
beloved dolls range from Charlie Brown to babies and
children to elegant dressed women to glamorous and
famous
women like Greta Garbo and Judy Garland. With all the
varieties of costumes, a single doll can be a 1920s
flapper
as easily as a member of the court of Louis XIV.
4. Lee Middleton dolls, according to legend, are so real
in
appearance that grown men sent for a rescue squad to
save
"the baby" from a locked car! Mistaken identity is
supposedly a frequent occurrence and the dolls have been
counted as "passengers" on airplanes and rescued from
store
countertops to prevent the 'baby' from falling. As one
happy
owner says, "These dolls are so lifelike it's uncanny."
5. American Girl dolls are loved by millions of little
girls
(and grown ups, too!) They are not only from different
times
and places, but are ethnically diverse: Felicity from
colonial Virginia; Josephina from the 1830's in New
Mexico;
Kirsten is "a pioneer girl of strength and spirit
growing up
in Minnesota in 1854"; Addy is alive in the 186o's,
having
escaped from slavery with her mother; Samantha is "a
bright
Victorian girl living with her wealthy grandmother in
1904";
Kit is growing up in 193os, during America's Great
Depression; Molly lives in the 1940's while her dad is
away
at war; Kaya is a Nez Perce Indian living in the
northwest.
6. Hasbro dolls are one of the products of the gigantic
Hasbro company, who claim to have been making toys for
eight
generations, including famous games like Monopoly,
Scrabble
and Clue.
7. Bratz dolls, unlike older dolls like Madame Alexander
and
Cabbage Patch Kids, have no long history as favorite
toys or
collectibles. Nevertheless, their price has astonished
eBay
sellers and the Bratz collection was one of the 'super
hits'
of the 2003 holiday season and sales have been strong
ever
since.
8. And, no surprise, Barbie is the best-selling doll on
eBay. Since Mattel has recently announced that Ken and
Barbie will no longer be an "item", dolls from the 'good
old
days' when the name "Barbie" was rarely heard without
'Ken',
will inevitably become more valuable.
Anyone who loves and understands the doll market, can do
very well selling dolls on eBay. They've been strong
sellers for the 10 years eBay has been in existence and
are
almost certain to remain popular for years to come.
<< |
