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21/08/2026 12:30 pm
For several decades now I have purchased and sold miniature cars via ebay, other auction sites, and person-to-person in addition to established retailers. I promised on Forum43 a while back that I would summarize any tips I have. So here we go.
Tip 1 – Beware of Potential Misrepresentation (intentional or not)
As an example, consider the myriad issues of the Brooklin 13 Thunderbird from 1955-57. If someone is selling a large collection that has been displayed, there is the potential to pack the wrong T-bird in the boxes. This happened when I bought what I was led to believe was a pink Marilyn Monroe version but was actually another pink version. I say led to believe, because it was paired with the black Marilyn version in the auction lot without a clear shot of the box label. So not only did I get a different one, but some poor soul got the wrong car in the 1994 CTCI set that was in the same auction.
Also, Zoom in on posted photos and ask questions about the item. I took a seller’s word about a Brooklin listed as “Excellent”. Had I zoomed in, I would have seen a paint chip. Many ebay sellers just say “look at the photos for condition”. I tend to shy away from anyone who cannot clearly describe defects.
The takeaway here is: If you have doubts about a listing, do an internet search for the item and remember to include the maker’s number. Use of hobbydb is also recommended. This is especially useful if the item has unattached parts, figures, or decal sheets that may or may not be present.
Tip 2 – Complain Immediately and Loudly for Packing Mishaps Leading to Damage
Some months ago I bought a Brooklin that appeared mint in the listing, though I did note that, unlike other Brooklins in the same auction, it was unattached to the base. This should have been a red flag. The seller, likely using packers unfamiliar with white metal models, packed the base ON TOP of the model, and the screws did their job, forcing down the cast-in windshield and scratching the paint. This was clearly a packing issue and not the fault of the shipping carrier. It took a lot of arguing back and forth but eventually I sent the model back and got a refund. And I found out why the model wasn’t attached – the screws were too big! Obviously not the originals. Would you believe a few months later it was relisted in “Good Plus Condition” and it sold?
Tip 3 – Watch for Paint Touch-ins or Nonoriginal Paint Not Always Indicated
This applies particularly to vintage diecasts, especially Dinky Toys. One overseas auction house grades toys from poor to mint, with many in the “Good Plus” to “Excellent” category. Sometimes paint touch-ins or extra detailing are mentioned, sometimes not. While the old Dinky production lines had diecasts by the hundreds running down the line, chips were inevitable and there were some employees tasked with touching these in. But those were accomplished with the exact paint as the rest of the model – a touch-up by a collector may not be exact. If touch-ins are noted, I usually steer clear.
Also, any model in my collection that is a repaint, built kit, or a modification of my own is so stated in my spreadsheet. I wouldn’t want my heirs to be taken to task for misrepresenting something someday.
Tip 4 – Don’t Get Carried Away at Auctions
It’s easy to forget during the auction that there will be the auctioneer’s fees, packing and shipping, and taxes to be charged too. The recent US tariffs also need to be considered. For UK auctions I used to apply a factor of 2 to the bid price in pounds to account for all this, but these days that should probably be closer to 2.2. Remember also that the more items you win, the lower the shipping cost per item, generally. Recently I didn’t follow my own rule and had only one successful bid on a UK auction. I had to pay more for shipping than the winning bid.
For selling on ebay the fees average about 17%, with sales tax billed to the buyer. I was looking at Etsy as a possible buying/selling location, since there are diecasts for sale there. As near as I can tell, fees are roughly 10%. Facebook Marketplace holds potential – no fees (yet) and you can offer shipping to appeal to a non-local audience.
Tip 5 – Ask for a Photo of the Base if None Is Provided
This applies mainly to old diecasts (Dinky, Matchbox, etc.) There can be variations to consider, such as the font size on 1950’s Dinky stamped baseplates. But mainly, for graded diecasts, a bottom photo will show the absence or presence of corrosion, especially on axles. An underside photo may also indicate if the base had been drilled for removal if someone repainted the model.
I welcome any additional comments or war stories!
21/08/2026 12:41 pm
Harv, please let me know your eBay ID so I can add you to my saved sellers, thanks!
21/08/2026 4:19 pm
Thank you Harv for sharing your eBay experiences. There are a lot of excellent tips and comments here.
21/08/2026 5:13 pm
I've been buying and selling on eBay.com since the 90s, and then on eBay.de for the past 21 years, and the difference is significant. It is very common over here for sellers to be somewhat obscure about their offerings and leave it up to the buyer to 'find the Nemos' on the model in question, and only offering three poor-grade photos from which to make an intelligent decision. Yesterday, I sent a PM to a seller, asking about his listing, and received this note from eBay: 'This seller does not accept messages.' Yup. That's going to draw in the punters.
@mg-harv, your advice in Tip 2 is dead on. Make as much noise as is necessary to get the issue resolved. Here, it is common for sellers to state: 'Not responsible for any damage that occurs in transit.' Yeah, that's not going to fly. DHL shared with me their parameters for determining responsibility: 'All packages should be able to withstand a 3 meter (approx 9 feet) drop without damaging the goods inside.' Otherwise it is the sender who will be responsible.
I've also had sellers tell me it is my problem to contact the shipper, if there is a problem, which is a brush-off, as the buyer is not party to the contract with the shipper and therefore has no standing with the shipper. It's basic contract law, no matter where one resides. If there is a payout on the claim it goes to the party with whom the shipper made the contract, not the recipient.
I've shipped over 260 mannequins and countless works of art around the world, and I never had the need to file a claim. That comes down to careful packing. I wish I could say the same for many of the items that were shipped to me, such as the original work of art that was severely molested by a forklift tine. After twenty-four years I am still trying to figure out just how fast the forklift was traveling to send one of the tines straight through a heavily-reinforced crate containing the artwork.
21/08/2026 6:50 pm
great posts Harv, GDH, thanks. I too have been buying off ebay for about 25 years. My opinion is with diecasts everything has gone downhill. Right at this moment, 8.34am Aust time, there are only 14 models out of the first 100 'ending soonest' with bids, listed on DMs 1/24 page (used as an example). The rest are low demand but more often models listed at stupidly high buy it now, or starting bids. Then God help us there is ebays global shipping, inconsistent and generally excessively high prices. Box starts with USPS then its sent to the first of their handling depots, then its shunted around anything up to another 8 other U.S depots, then regularly sent firstly to Japan before being sent on to Australia. Usually the box appears to have been handled anything up to 40 times. 50% have arrived with mostly, note mostly, easily repairable damage, and on one occasion seller sold 2 models at the same time with the buyers receiving the wrong model. Ebay labels the box at their depot. Fortunately Europe, and here in Australia, we are not infected with ebay global shipping.
This post was modified 6 days ago by Geoff Jowett
21/08/2026 7:15 pm
@mg-harv Great post! I have a couple thoughts to add...
Tip 1 – Beware of Potential Misrepresentation (intentional or not)
I've gotten tripped up a lot on this one over the years. There are sellers who do the estate sale thing and end up with some white metal models from some widow's husband's collection that they immediately think are worth more than gold. They take fuzzy pictures with bad lighting and then default to "look at the pictures" if you have any questions. The lesson here is this is a huge red flag and a hard pass. Otherwise, you'll find there's also no box and it's missing a mirror or other small detail you can never replace.
Tip 2 – Complain Immediately and Loudly for Packing Mishaps Leading to Damage
I once had someone ship me a pristine Kenna Austin woody where they put it loose in the white box and then bubblewrapped outside the box. Well, it basically arrived looking like the inside of a maraca. Everything was broken, including my heart, because it was a very nice model at a great price and inattentive packing destroyed it. Got my money back but I'd rather have had the model.
Tip 3 – Watch for Paint Touch-ins or Nonoriginal Paint Not Always Indicated
This one is tough because people do things to the models they never intend to sell. But then they pass and other family members are left to liquidate the collection they know nothing about. I've found in the few cases where this has occurred the seller is understanding and apologetic and has offered either a discount if I keep the model or full refund if I return it.
Tip 4 – Don’t Get Carried Away at Auctions
Oh boy, ain't that the truth! All you have to do is watch Replicarz auctions on eBay right now and wonder where the sanity is. Yes, there are some rare ones, but there are some that are still current (and readily available for purchase on other websites) that end up selling well above their retail price. It pays to do your homework, know if they are still accessible through the manufacturer, and set a threshold you won't go beyond.
I had a seller once tell me "That's a $1,000 model every day of the week!" when I inquired about the flexibility with his price. Yet, it sat for weeks at $1,000... then $850... then $750... then $650... until we got to what I wanted to pay. Of course, he still insisted I was getting a steal. At the end of the day, any model is only worth what someone else is willing to pay.
21/08/2026 8:35 pm
A great post, Harv.
Tip 2 – Complain Immediately and Loudly for Packing Mishaps Leading to Damage
This is mandatory if you ever want your money back. I have learned to begin my note to the seller with, "Before I leave negative feedback..."
Here's another tip for potential sellers: Don't think because a model is listed at a particular price, that's what it is worth. I've been watching Motor City Models and several other makes listed for hundreds of dollars more than they typically sell for, and I see that they never sell! If you're looking for a model's true value, you have to search "Completed Sales" for usable information, and I strongly suggest you add the "Worldwide" filter as well.
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
22/08/2026 6:29 am
" DHL shared with me their parameters for determining responsibility: 'All packages should be able to withstand a 3 meter (approx 9 feet) drop without damaging the goods inside.' Otherwise it is the sender who will be responsible."
The DHL person that said this is probably the delivery guy that I caught on my outside serveillance camera standing in the end of my driveway and pitching my model like he was throwing a football for a thirty yard pass onto my front porch. After I caught him doing this I went outside and gave him what for. He couldn't have cared less.
Speaking of Ebay's 17% fee, I have one major complaint about this. The shipping costs that the seller collects are included in the total amount that Ebay uses to collect their fees. I can understand how this came about. Sellers could list the price really low and instead, bump up the shipping costs to avoid paying higher Ebay fees. I think Ebay caught on to this and started calculating their fess on the price of the goods plus postage. However, with the introduction of the Global Shipping Program, the seller cannot set the postage amount collected in order to ship the goods to Ebay's hub. Ebay calculates this when the seller enters the dimensions and weight of the parcel when they setup the listing. It is based on the carriers rates.It is the sellers actual postage that he collects to send the goods to the hub. So why should Ebay still be getting fees on the postage amount? It's a money grab.
This post was modified 5 days ago by Ken Spear
Topic starter
24/08/2026 10:15 am
Thanks everyone for the additional tips, and sympathies for your horror stories. Thanks Ken for the explanation of how ebay ended up charging fees on shipping, I had not thought of how some sellers tried jacking up shipping to do an end run around sellers' fees. I should also mention that the primary reason behind my post was because of an overseas auction house that did a particularly bad job on packing and descriptions on a single shipment. Our friend Charlie told me they were going through a lot of personnel changes which might have led to the packing issues. I threw in ebay because of the fertile ground for complaints there.
To answer Paul's question: atomicdiecast
24/08/2026 3:20 pm
@mg-harv Does that overseas auction house start with a V? If so, my fellow Coloradan Richard Knaack has a similarly bad experience. Weeks of delays to ship and then when the package did arrive, several had broken parts that could have been avoided with better packing.
Topic starter
24/08/2026 3:22 pm
Not sure. It was between U and W I think. 
I hope he complained loudly and often.
This post was modified 3 days ago 2 times by Harv Goranson
GDH reacted
25/08/2026 1:44 am
Just a little tidbit that occurred over the weekend. I am still searching for a good FM 1921 copper-bodied Rolls Royce, such as the one below. I was in a short discussion with a seller who told me his photos were his description, along with minimal text, which touted the model as being in 'excellent condition.' When I asked if there were any missing parts, or damages that were not visible in the photos I was told the model was complete. I then asked him if he had the missing hub for the spare tire, if the model was complete. He didn't, but from that conversation it is evident he would have been very happy to sell me the model without that part. No, I won't be buying anything from this seller.
First photo is of a complete model and the second one is of the model for which I was negotiating:
Randy Rusk reacted