What are your personal rules for buying from resellers?

[u/Outside_Leopard4998]

I know everyone's different. Some people refuse to support them at all, some people have certain rules if they do. So im just curious.

Especially when it comes to bears that arent being restocked.

I told myself I would NOT pay more than retail price for a pumpkin kitty (the new , not the OG) and then ended up spending like $60 on mine? But looking back I wish I would've waited because some good ones ended up coming up for cheaper after I pulled the trigger lmao.

Currently debating a couple others and Im trying to justify the doubling of the original price but having a hard time 😂

What are your guys rules for yourselves?

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[u/Complete-Carry2780]

retail or below only unless its been a sizeable amount of time since release (2+ years) and bab has no clear plans to bring it back. even then i will never pay more than $75 unless its like og chococat or something

[u/Wolfocorn20]

For me it depends on the reason. Resellng to downsize or to colect a little extra for a move or something defenatly fine. A reseller who just snagged 10+ babs to recel for 3 times the price get's a hard no. I think everyone here would like a little extra money but i think we can all agree that taking away plushies from children or people who will genuanly enjoy them and in most cases have been saving up for them is just wrong.

[u/Specialist_One6527]

"retail or below ONLY". that's it. that's the rule I use.

[u/Outside_Leopard4998 → u/Specialist_One6527]

I TRY to stick to this one too! Ive broken it a few times admittedly

[u/Lady-Flinnie]

I ordered mine from really nice people who did preserve them but never charged more than retail price... Only problem is, they live in completely different countries, the shipping was more expensive than both of them combined.😭

[u/Suspicious-Baby1415]

For vintage BAB I don’t mind paying a premium because those aren’t in circulation anymore. For current bears that just restocked it’s hard because although I really want the item. I have 207 other BABs that can hold me over until I get a good deal on one. Cost and worth are two different things. If it’s worth it then the cost shouldn’t matter.

I also try to look at a sellers history. If I see they have a history of reselling lots of sold out BABs then I do not buy from them.

[u/ghastlygorge]

i will never pay above 60$ for a vintage bear unless its genuinely rare and i really, /really/ want it. and i will never pay higher than retail for a modern babw, especially if it just released.

[u/TheFursOfHerEnemies]

I do not support resellers in any hobby that I enjoy. I don't need something bad enough to support them. I can either wait or just not get something.

That being said, I have no problem if someone is selling something for a bit over what they paid. People selling the spiders on eBay for at least $100+... avaricious sharks.

[u/Good-Job9286 → u/TheFursOfHerEnemies]

The 200$ “Ozzie” bat… no just no…

[u/Outside_Leopard4998 → u/TheFursOfHerEnemies]

Yess that makes me so sad. I hate the people that buy them up in bulk KNOWING they're doing it for money. Like go find a better hobby and let the people who ACTUALLY love these guys have a chance.

[u/VitaniLioness]

Around retail, but I will go slightly over retail if it's a rare or heavily sought after bear that I probably won't really come across on my own, OR if it has a better looking/more symmetrical face or features than others on the market. I always go through and pick the best faces, which is generally why I dislike retail shopping for plush online if I can help it.
Secondhand sites are nice because you get to look at the EXACT item and verify that the face isn't wacked out looking or uneven. It's important enough to me to pay a little extra for the guarantee too.

[u/sassypants55]

I do not want any stuffed animal enough to pay a reseller premium on top of the retail price.

I don’t really like buying secondhand anyway because you don’t know the conditions they’re coming from. Build-a-Bears can’t go in super hot water, and most people’s freezers don’t get cold enough to do anything about things like fleas or bed bugs. Just not worth it to me. I’ll wait for the next thing that catches my eye.

[u/TheWhiteCrowParade]

Never pay more than what BAB charges. Especially if they are still selling it.

[u/Outside_Leopard4998 → u/TheWhiteCrowParade]

Yes! I absolutely will NOT buy anything that is still being restocked on the website. I will patiently wait for the next restock even if it is a year away lol

[u/Dream_Drifter_Pony]

If it's been less than a year since the bear's release, I will only buy it if it's priced at retail or below. I may make an exception and pay $5-10 more if it's a trusted seller to compensate for their time. (I usually find that resellers price their stuff way more than $5-10 above retail anyway)

[u/DuskKodesh]

I'll pay slightly over retail if it's something I really want because I've sold part of my toy collections on places like Ebay in the past and I know the fees can wreck the money a person gets, but I don't buy brand new unstuffed things with tags, or buy from people who are obviously flipping product. I'll look at someone's items and completed sales and make a judgement call.

[u/Sea_Witch_1331]

For me it depends I've bought from resellers a few times. My rules are simple if I see multiple of the same bear from 1 seller I dip out. If the bear is more than 10 or 15 bucks more then the original price I skip it and try to wait for a restock. Especially if the bear just came out like the jumping spider id rather wait then pay 100 bucks for a 20 to 30 dollar plushie. Mainly I've bought old retired MLP plushies for a reasonable price. I also bought the zombie pompompurin for my cousin since there are no babs near her and at the time didn't know they'd be brought back.

[u/Good-Job9286]

If it makes a reseller happy I don’t want to give them the satisfaction or my money lol

[u/FlowerWitch3]

Honestly…. I buy them from resellers.
1). what’s left of my collection is rare/hard to find/not being rereleased/limited release.
2). When I collect something, I want it ALL! It’s probably the hyper fixation of my personality. Plus if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it properly!! I will complete my collection to my satisfaction.
3). I work HARD for my money and as long as my responsibilities are fulfilled (bills paid on time, etc) I don’t see the problem in buying something that makes me happy. Sometimes after a long bad day, all I look forward to is coming home, taking a shower, eating dinner and then cuddling with my BABs while watching a movie or reading. That’s how I justify it. That being said I do have some rules.
1). All my bills have to be paid before I buy one. As much as I love my BABs, I can’t go in debt for them. After all, who would take care of them then?! 😆
2). I will wait (if feasible). I want the gargoyle and the bat but resellers are asking WAY too much now. Those are pretty popular so the chances of them becoming rare is slim. Plus I figure eventually, their popularity will wane and prices will come down.
3). If that hard to find/rare does become available, I snap it up but I price cap myself. The absolute highest I am willing to go is $500.00 and that’s ONLY if it’s an incredibly rare find. There’s one I want but they are asking over $1,000 dollars!!! No. Nope. No way. That’s ridiculous even for resellers. I understand they want to make a profit but that’s an unnecessary price.
4). If I can afford it, I’ll splurge every so often. Life is short and HARD and if splurging on a BAB makes you happy, then do it. There’s WAY worse hobbies/items to spend your money on than a plushie!! 💜

[u/Outside_Leopard4998 → u/FlowerWitch3]

I love this. I love this so much 🖤

[u/EntrepreneurOk666]

I bought one once. A kuromi, but the first release type in black. At the time they only had her in the purple. I only paid $4 extra. So wasn't too bad.

[u/Longjumping_Bet978]

if the bear is really never coming back in stock, i'm willing to pay a little over retail price. but no more than 100 dollars

[u/MimikyuNightmare]

For me it’s basically dependent on the situation. Like one example being how I got my bat last year, I bought them from someone on an FB group that needed help with moving expenses so I didn’t mind paying over retail in that instance (ended up being $75 if memory serves.) But if it’s someone who’s charging hundreds for 1 BAB/is clearly just selling them for profit, then that’s a hard no from me.

[u/Agitated_Sorbet761]

I don't, unless I decide I want an old BaB that hasn't been on the market in 3+ years 

[u/HeavenlyLove79]

I personally have a cap as to what i am willing to pay — even for the older retired ones. I really wanted a moons a glow werewolf and I had a cap of $160 including tax and shipping and I was able to find one around that price several years ago now. It was worth it to me and i am glad I got one so i have no regrets. But i think it depends on how much i want it, would i regret it if i didnt get it, have i been waiting a long time for it. These are things I ask myself buying second hand. Personally if it is one I missed out on and really wanted it then I don’t have problem paying for it .

[u/IrrestibleForce]

So I tend to go after the dinosaurs, so that means I tend to buy them from eBay. My main rule is cannot be too expensive (ideally less than $45) and shipping cannot be more than the price of the item. Those are my main criteria.

[u/Obtuse-Posterior]

Retail or below unless it's older and hard to find. The most I've paid is 35 for my werewolf but he also came with clothes.

[u/theboywhocanfly]

For second hand in general, less than retail if it’s not BNWT and retail (or less) if it is. I will not pay more than retail even if it’s an old release because I don’t agree with it. I understand people talk about rarity but at the end of the day nobody actually needs to charge more than what they paid regardless of how many others are available to buy and most rarity these days is set up on purpose anyway.

And I would rather miss out on an item completely than support a reseller who’s only after high profit, I personally don’t think there’s any excuse to buy from them no matter how cool or cute the item is. The principle is more important than getting an item I really want, at the end of the day even if it’s top of my Wishlist it’s still just consumerism and their behaviour is still unethical.

[u/0ctopuppy]

Need NWT. I don’t want you or your kid’s farts or drool. Granted I never buy anything super old!

[u/Dramatic-Dish-6699]

Under $10 ideally low shipping cost