Need advice :( about doll pricing

Hello everyone! I'm trying to build my doll 17" disney doll collection which is proving to be a lot more expensive and difficult then I imagined.

Im also in montreal Canada which makes it all that much harder. I really can't afford ebay pricing either.

Anyhow, I lucked out and found a girl selling some of her collection locally. Which is a plus! No shipping fees or customs!

So she just offered me her march Elsa doll and Anna and the purple rapunzel doll. All 3 brand new sealed in the box, her price is 1450.00$ for the set of 3(And she won't budge, trust me I tried)

im kicking myself in the *** for not buying that rapunzel for 350$ a few weeks ago... But the sale just got too risky..

anyhow is this really a fair deal? Or should I pass? This girl also says she will probably sell me the rest of her collection slowly...but I don't know if her prices are so great locally or not...

any advice?

I wold say pass.
I value Blonde Rapunzel at $600
and I value Elsa and Anna (March) at $750 for the set.
If she went down to $1,200 or even $1,250, I would say that was more fair. I do think it is possible to at least get Rapunzel for cheaper. I say don't pay the highest possible price unless there is just no other way and you have been looking for years and just can't stand it any longer. Or pay that premium for only that special doll that you can't live without.
If you HAVE the funds and you want them now, I guess it wouldn't be a terrible idea, seeing as I don't see these prices going down...it is a tough decision.

I looked on ebay to check some prices out. The March Elsa and Anna dolls seem to be selling for anywhere between $500 and $800 shipped in the US. I have no idea what customs fees are shipping into Canada, so I did a check and here's what I came up with:

http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shipping/cost/zones/customs_clearance.html

and

http://www.purolatorinternational.com/trade-regulations

So, it looks like about $62-100 in brokerage fees from UPS but it doesn't seem to include the actual duties/taxes (for just March Anna/Elsa).

I also found this:
http://www.thefinalcost.com/shipments/calculate/

It looks like Rapunzel is going up but I thought I saw a BIN for $600-800.

You should look at the convenience of getting them locally. You can inspect the dolls and boxes to see if there is any damage. But, at the same time, whoever you found selling them locally should discount you at least 10-20% ebay prices because she (1) doesn't have to pay ebay fees and (2) doesn't have to ship them and worry about them getting lost in the mail.

P.S. While I enjoy browsing through all the threads on DPF, I give a prayer of thanks daily that my wife doesn't collect dolls. :|

That sounds pretty pricey to me too :/

I would say if you are able to get it then go for it because it is hard to find a local seller. At least you will be able to save on customs and shipping costs. Also you are talking about two different currencies here so if she quoted you that price in CAD (which I believe is currently weaker than the USD at the moment, last I checked one USD was equivalent to almost 1.1CAD).

so that being said if you convert that it is about $1,330, so I would use that as a benchmark. Can you get thoSe three dolls for less than that amount plus shipping and customs? I don't think so. Rapunzel is already at around the $600-700 alone and that is in the US. The two frozen dolls would be around the $800 at most so you would already be saving getting that offer if it is in CAD since you don't have to pay shipping and customs.

Depressing...she says I have a few days to think it over or she will post it on ebay...

I offered her 1200$ but she's not budging

Mali said:

That sounds pretty pricey to me too :/

Click to expand...

I think its over my budget.... I think I can get those prices via ebay regardless....

wintersorcerer said:

I looked on ebay to check some prices out. The March Elsa and Anna dolls seem to be selling for anywhere between $500 and $800 shipped in the US. I have no idea what customs fees are shipping into Canada, so I did a check and here's what I came up with:

http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shipping/cost/zones/customs_clearance.html

and

http://www.purolatorinternational.com/trade-regulations

So, it looks like about $62-100 in brokerage fees from UPS but it doesn't seem to include the actual duties/taxes (for just March Anna/Elsa).

I also found this:
http://www.thefinalcost.com/shipments/calculate/

It looks like Rapunzel is going up but I thought I saw a BIN for $600-800.

You should look at the convenience of getting them locally. You can inspect the dolls and boxes to see if there is any damage. But, at the same time, whoever you found selling them locally should discount you at least 10-20% ebay prices because she (1) doesn't have to pay ebay fees and (2) doesn't have to ship them and worry about them getting lost in the mail.

P.S. While I enjoy browsing through all the threads on DPF, I give a prayer of thanks daily that my wife doesn't collect dolls. :|

Click to expand...

Thank you so much! She isn't giving me a deal I can see that..

shes not not willing to negotiate at all...told her to meet me halfway at 1200$ she refused. .love your ps line lol my husband really wishes I would of collected something else lol doesn't understand the doll craze!

ElysionsPrincess said:

I wold say pass.
I value Blonde Rapunzel at $600
and I value Elsa and Anna (March) at $750 for the set.
If she went down to $1,200 or even $1,250, I would say that was more fair. I do think it is possible to at least get Rapunzel for cheaper. I say don't pay the highest possible price unless there is just no other way and you have been looking for years and just can't stand it any longer. Or pay that premium for only that special doll that you can't live without.
If you HAVE the funds and you want them now, I guess it wouldn't be a terrible idea, seeing as I don't see these prices going down...it is a tough decision.

Click to expand...

I agree reed with your values...that's what I'm willing to pay which I think is fair but she's not budging. Darn it! I was so excited too...she's gonna list on ebay...

Is it in CAD or USD? Because if it is in CAD then it is a good deal. You won't find all three dolls for no shipping and no postage costs for that price especially with the hype over Frozen.

But if it is out of your budget range then definitely hold off but I am just saying that these doll prices aren't going down and if you had to order each from the US separately you could end up spending a couple of hundred dollars just for shipping and customs/taxes alone which will intimately make it a more expensive endeavor even though each doll may end up being cheaper by $50-60.

Also if you decide you don't want it due to the price then I would recommend just moving on from it and looking else where. By brooding over it you may end up caving in, by giving you a deadline to decide the seller knows that they are now pressuring you to decide in the hope that it will affect your judgement. It is a selling tactic so make sure once you decide what you want to do that you stick with it and just walk away from it.

There is the nice assurance that you can inspect the dolls beforehand and no chance of damage in shipping. Sometimes I would pay more to pick something up locally rather than shipping. Would she split them up?

Good liuck with your decision!


(Whoa! Checking eBay for ones that ship to canada, there are only afew and they are pricey for rapunzel).

take everything i say with a grain of salt cause honestly, it's late and i don't collect dolls. but i can relate to the whole "it's expensive but sooo good".

you could have them shipped to a border service if you live close enough, not sure if that would help in terms of dolls but i think so? oh, from ebay i mean! would cut down on shipping price but then you have to pick it up. still might be cheaper.

also... i don't really know. i've been kind of following the thread and i agree with polaris.

and it's more... "safe" to buy locally? like some people mentioned, you can inspect things. you are getting the product and don't have to worry about it being lost or the box punctured on the way to you, especially through customs which can be... yeah.

on the other hand, it's costly...

interesting opportunity too. that's a bundle of dolls there that you would have but perhaps you will choose to be more patient and see how other doll play out on ebay for a slightly lower-ish price?

either way, good luck with your decision! <3