Listing and Selling Bean Bag Plush and Plush Toys

When you are listing items on eBay, it is important to think in terms of "what is the buyer going to be searching for," and list the items accordingly. The following is a list of tips that will be helpful when you post your items and will likely bring more people to your auctions.

Choose a Category:

Title your listing for easy search:

List the manufacturer FIRST, then the name of the collectable, and third, any relevant information that will catch a buyer’s attention.

Example: Ty Plush Sam by Sally Winey, mint with tags attached.

Description of the item:
If you have a picture available, include it in your listing. Buyers look at the auctions with pictures first. In your description, state the condition of the item, the tag generation information, and the condition of the tags. It is not necessary to get all caught up in semantics regarding tag generation names.

Give a detailed description, and ask bidders to feel free to email you if they have questions. Keep in mind not all buyers are collectors. Many items are purchased by friends or relatives who are searching for items as gifts and are not familiar with some of the jargon that is used by collectors.

Example: Disney’s Beanbag Flubber, retired, Mint with mint tags. Explain how long Flubber was on the market prior to retirement, and why Flubber is a sought-after collectable. Include the condition of the beanbag and tag condition. Always tell bidders to feel free to ask questions if they need more information on your item.

Example: Bamm Beanos Sammy Sosa Beanbag Bear, retired, mint with tags. Give a detailed description of the item and explain why collectors are scrambling for this particular item. Again, pictures are worth a thousand words in the case of online auctions.

NOTE: Sports promotional beanies, such as the previously mentioned Bamm Beano, are one of the hottest collectables on the market right now. New collectors and others may not be familiar with Bamm Beanos, or the Salvino (Bamm Beanos manufacturer) name. The name ‘Bamm Beano" is often misspelled by buyers that are searching for this item, so it is important to include the Bamm Beano player’s name in your listing (for example, Sammy Sosa). It is also important to mention that this item is a beanbag bear so the search engine can locate it quickly.

Example: Ty Sports Commemorative Card, Denver Nuggets Chocolate the Moose with Ticket Stub.

To describe this item in your listing, you would include the number of cards issued, and the number on the card that you have up for auction (if applicable). Mention information about the ticket stub from the game as well. List any other information that would be helpful to the collector. Other information might include the name of the team issuing the card, whether the card is printed on both sides, the size of the card, and whether it has an imprinted team logo. List the team names, and the date of the game. If there were records broken during this game, or other statistics that would be of interest to the collector, mention them. If the game was the first sports commemorative Beanie promotion done by a certain league, or if the game has other significance, be sure to mention it.

Since a lot of items could be placed acceptably in more than one category (for example, a Beanie with a sports theme could be placed in a Beanie category or in a sports category), it is important to list it properly so both collectors doing searches can locate your item on eBay.

Include information on how you would like payment (check, money order, credit card) and how much you are charging for shipping, handling, and insurance. If you decide to post a picture with your listing, it is helpful if the picture is in focus, without a distracting background, and close enough to see some of the Beanie’s detail.

If you indicate that you have attached a picture, a colourful "PIC" icon will appear after your title. Many people prefer to bid on items that they can look at, so a picture can help you get more bids.

Completing your listing:

You can set the length of the auction (3, 5, or 7 days), the minimum opening bid amount, and the reserve price (the minimum you would be willing to sell the Beanie or plush toy for). It's best to be realistic in setting the reserve price so you don't discourage bidders, but be sure to set it at an amount you are comfortable with and really willing to sell your Beanie or plush toy for.

Completing the transaction:

eBay will notify the seller and high bidder at the conclusion of the auction. You, the seller, will then contact the high bidder to arrange for payment and shipping of the Beanie or plush toy. Typically, in your message, you will tell the high bidder which auction was won and request that a cheque or money order in the amount of the high bid plus shipping and handling be sent to your address. Once you receive payment, you ship the Beanie or plush toy to the address the buyer provides. You may also want to look at feedback the buyer has received. The comments can influence how you handle the transaction.

If the buyer was prompt and courteous, give positive feedback so that other users will know this person is a good buyer to work with!

Terms for Listing or Buying

By Myrtle Cecil

Below are some terms that are used in listing or buying Bean Bag Plush or plush toys.

Attic Collectables: Jointed stuffed animals manufactured by the Ty Company, Inc. in Oakbrook, IL. They were formerly known as Attic Treasures.

Beanie Baby: Understuffed plush toys that usually have some polyfill inside to add the shape and detail of the Beanie. They contain PVC or PE pellets. Beanie Babies are approximately 8 to 10 inches long.

Beanie Buddies: Stuffed toys introduced in September 1998 that are larger than Beanie Babies. Some of the new Beanie Buddies are replicas of older retired Beanie Babies. A new plush fabric called Tylon was invented for the Ty Company to use for this new line of plush.

Gently played with: A Beanie or plush toy that has been played with but is NOT soiled or torn. When using this description in a listing, note whether the tag is attached and what condition the tag is in.

Mint with tags attached: A Beanie or plush toy that has not been played with and the tag is NOT creased or damaged. It is important to note that Bean Bag Plush or Plush toys with price stickers on the back of the swing tag DO NOT reduce the secondary market value.

PE/PVC Pellets: Tiny beads that are used to stuff beanbag toys. Dollmakers often refer to these as dolly beads.

Plush: Technically, the term plush is used to refer to the entire line of stuffed animals or toys. For our purposes, the most common use of the term plush refers to the larger stuffed toys.

Primo Retireds: Retired styles that are considered among the rarest of beanbag toys.

Retired: No longer being manufactured.

Secondary Market: The arena in which merchandise is offered to the public by means other than a retail or wholesale channel.

Secondary Market Value: The amount an item is worth in the Secondary Market.

Swing tag: A tag that is attached by thread or plastic to a toy by the manufacturer. Unlike the tush tag, this type of tag is not directly attached to the body of the toy.

Tush tag: A body label or tag that is sewn on the beanie or plush toy usually in the bottom or tush (rear) area.

Tylon: A fabric made for the Ty Company. It is currently being used for Beanie Buddies only.

History of Beanbag Toys
Why People Collect Beanbag Toys
Major Categories
Finding and Buying
Listing and Selling
Displaying for Your Collection
Books
Glossary

The preceding material was written by Myrtle Cecil. These are the opinions of the author, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.