Decluttering Made Easy™: Toys and Collectibles

At CMFTO, we’re often asked, “What should I do with my family members’ toys and collectibles?”

This is an area with a lot of nuance, so no single answer applies. However, there are certain criteria that typically have to be met before a toy or collectible is considered valuable, including:

• The item’s condition (How worn is it?)
• The item’s age (Is it old, vintage, or antique?)
• Its availability (How rare is it on the market?)
• Its completeness (Is the item fully intact? Does it have all its parts? Does it come with the original packaging?)

All of these factors are taken into consideration when a vintage toy’s value is assessed. If the item is in perfect condition, it may be easiest to resell it online at an auction site, like eBay. If the toy is in good condition and is rare, it may do well at an auction house. However, if the item is incomplete but in good condition, it’s best to contact a toy buyer who might be interested in it for spare parts.

Photographing Your Toys & Collectibles

If you have toys and collectibles you’d like to sell, our suggestion is that you organize the items in one area and take a picture of them together. That way, a toy buyer, for example, can quickly scan your lot for items of value and advise you on how best to proceed. This is the easiest way to begin the process of clearing out toys and collectibles, without spending a lot of time on research and repair, as good toy buyers will know what they’re looking at very quickly.

At CMFTO, we work with a collectibles specialist who addresses our clients’ wide-ranging questions, and we’ve found it very helpful to have an expert assess the situation. Once you know what you have, you can make a decision to sell, donate, or discard. Ideally, you’re only discarding an item when there are no other options, and hopefully, you’re still able to recycle part of it.

All my best,
Claudia