Introduction

Collectors of animals consider five main things:

• if the tag is still on the animal and in good condition
• if the animal has no marks, tears, or stains
• if the animal has been played with
• if the animal is CLEAN in general
• and if the animal comes from an animal (or child) free, smoke free home

Beanie Baby Basics

Collectors of Beanie Babies are especially picky!  Note that when selling these, grouping them in small parties of three to five helps them sell more quickly than one at a time.  Make sure that the animals have something in common, such as color scemes, animal breed, farm animals, time of creation, etc.  Be creative, but be willing to bargin with sellers/buyers, for some collectors (especially with rare Beanie Babies) are only looking for one.

When selling a Beanie Baby, set up a name for the auction that gives the buyer an idea of what you are selling.  Which of the following is best?

1. SET OF FOUR BEANIE BABIES
2. Set of four Beanie Babies: two cats, a skunk, and a pig
3. Set of four 1990s Beanie Babies: Prance, Nip, Stinky, Snort

The first one has a major turn off for serious buyers: CaPs LoCk.  The second one is an improvement, and at least tells you what the animals are.  The flaw: when a serious buyer does a search for a SPECIFIC Beanie Baby, they do it by YEAR or NAME.

Stuffed Animal Basics

When selling stuffed animals, be sure to put it in a category, just like the Beanie Babies.  If it's a Disney Dalmation, make sure you put it in the Disney category.  If it's Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean II, be sure to put the movie name in the auction name along with 'Jack Sparrow'.

With serious collectors, they look for three big things:

• how rare or old the item is
• the condition the item is in (especially concerning tags!)
• and how the item has generally been treated (smoking homes, a big turn off)

Now that you dig through your stuffed animals and find some you think you can sell, you notice they aren't as clean as you want them.  Here are the two best ways to wash them (NEVER PUT AN ANIMAL IN A WASHING MACHINE)

1. Take a brown shopping bag and put in 1tablespoon to 1cup (depending on the ammount of animals) of good baking soda into the bag.  Then slide in your animal(s).  Fold the top of the bag over tightly, without squishing the air from the bag.  Shake the bag for about three minutes vigorously (side to side, up and down).  Then remove the animal(s) from the bag.  You will notice immediately that smells and small marks have faded or gone completely.
2. For more durable animals, use the damp washcloth method.  Soap is not a good idea, for it usually doesn't come all the way off and leaves a greasey feel and look.  Gently rub the washcloth up and down the fur in circular motions.  If you find a spot that you can't get out, Tide-2-Go pens work wonders.  Don't forget to use the washcloth to brush all the fur back into place.  Air drying works, but for a good picture turn your hairdryer on low and slowly brush the animal.  A good brush to use are Build-A-Bear paw brushes, that run for $3.00 a piece and you can get easily online.

But I Just Want To Sell Them!

If you have some cute animals or Beanie Babies, missing their tags or worn from love, don't be afraid to put them for sale.  Grouping by size is good with these.  Beanie Babies should still be in groups, but larger, up to a dozen a lot.  Stuffed animals should be together (but related, such as two Wishbones) unless they are over a foot tall or long.  For these lots, adding free shipping is a major turn on for parents or kids at heart.

I'm Not I Professional Collector...

You don't need to be a pro to have a collection.  If you are starting out, look for the morn worn animals/Babies, for they sell for less.  Try aiming for a certain animal or movie, like cats or The Lion King.  Set a spending limmit, and really consider before bidding.  Once you have a nice shelf, start aiming for the animals or Babies with tags, brand new, and more rare.  Collecting takes a while, but if you progress slowly, you can have something fun.  And if you ever need to sell it, putting all the items in a few auctions helps it sell (you can get rid of the common animals by placing them moderately with the more rare ones).

I Just Want To Get One For Fun

Look for 'gently used' animals or Beanie Babies.  Most used animals come from real people, not companies, which is best in service.  They are usually willing to cut you a deal on shipping if you buy multiple ones, which is a major plus.

Another Note For Sellers

Be honest on the items condition and be reasonable about bidding and shipping charges.  Set prices are not generally a good idea on these items, for people will pay a lot of money for the right item.  Also browse eBay for similar items to understand a price range, and lower your starting bid from theirs by a few dollars.  That way, in price searches, yours will show and, in most cases, get a higher bid.

I really hoped my guide helped you!