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How to Buy Used Warhammer Armies & Save $$$

How to Buy Used Warhammer Armies & Save $$$Check out these excellent tips on how to buy used Warhammer miniatures and armies, get your models ready, and save some cash along the way!

These tips cover everything from how to buy Warhammer miniatures and armies, hobbying on them, and finally hitting the table and playing!

How to Buy Used Warhammer Armies & Save $$$

First, let’s look at where you can get used minis, and how you can haggle on buying Warhammer models and armies.

reddit walThe first place we’d recommend is Reddit. R/Miniswap is where people will either trade armies for cash or armies for other armies. It’s all listed in the title.

While it’s not as secure as eBay, the community is very healthy, and there are plenty of precautions to protect the buyer and seller.

reddit timestampYou’ll have to timestamp your photos with your username and other info to make sure everyone’s identity is confirmed. But like anything on the internet, exercise proper caution. 

barter bucket walNext, we have the Barter Bucket on Facebook. This place is essentially the same thing as Miniswap.

The only difference is that you’ll likely be using your main Facebook profile to make deals there, which can add more security. You’ll find all kinds of new things listed there every day from codexes to dice, bits, whole armies, etc.

renegade knight hor walThe final tried-and-true way to get your hands on GW minis for less is with a friend at your LGS splitting a Box Set. You can also grab a Combat Patrol Box if you don’t have a friend. We saw their prices go up, so you’ll have to spend a little bit more than you would if you bought one box before all the price hikes in February 2022.

However, you should save around $30-$50 on these Warhammer models vs. buying everything by itself (or from Games Workshop).

eBay is also a Great Place To Save on Buying Used Warhammer

ebayeBay used to be a sprawl of cheap collections and bulk buys. While you can still certainly find that on their website, for the most part, has been taken over a bit by commission painters. As we’ve said before, there are always exceptions to the rule, and you can still find great deals.

However, there has been a growing trend of commission painters taking to eBay and charging a premium for their work. In contrast, we used to think of eBay as a second-hand buyer’s market.

necron pylon ebayThis Necron Pylon, for example, is on eBay for over $700. It’s a single kit from Forge World that only costs $89 unassembled. That leaves $646.77 worth of assembly and painting for this single model. Yes, that kind of money could buy an entire army’s worth of plastic kits outright.

Painted Warhammer On eBay Right Now

That’s just one example of many. Giving some honest advice, you may want to search the other avenues we’ve listed above before checking out eBay. Or at least explore your options before you click “Buy” next time.

More Tips for eBay

EBAY

With eBay, a lot of the “buy it now” deals are not great, but where you can score some deals in the auctions. My go-to strategy is to add the model I am interested into a watch list (with text alerts) and then in the last hour, throw my hat into the ring.

My rule is if it is 40% or more off from the retail price, I will bid, but once it gets higher I walk away. Also, do not forget to include the cost of shipping in this price, some auctions will look great, but then when you look at shipping it is stupid expensive.

Don’t be afraid the stop bidding on an item it is not going to be gone forever; eventually, another one will be back online for bidding.

The last thing to do is to make sure you are getting what is in the picture by READING THE ITEM DESCRIPTION. If it says the model is as shown, they zoom over the picture and ensure it has everything you are looking for.

Don’t worry about walking away from the seller if you have a bad feeling. Just find another one with more positive reviews and a better description.

Every once in a While: Craiglist

CraigsList

Craigslist, Let Go, or other meet-up and sell websites that are out there are great ways for someone who is unloading their collection to move it fast. Three things when buying via one of these websites to follow.

First, when contacting, introduce yourself and say you would like pictures of the items they’re selling and a complete list of the items (if not provided). If the pictures look good, you can try to negotiate a lower price, so it is $200 for the entire collection maybe offer $150 and see what they come back to you with.

casexIf they’re unwilling to back down on price, I again use my 40% off or greater rule, there is no harm in replying that you are no longer interested. Finally, if you agree upon a price that works meet in a public place at a busy hour, like the middle of a coffee shop, outside a police department, or anywhere where there are a lot of people.

You will have cash on you, and the seller knows how much, so use your head and don’t make yourself a target. Once you meet, look over all the models and ensure they match the pictures sent and the agreed items before handing the cash over.

On a final note, if there is a brand new model you want to buy at cost, go through your FLGS, to help out the local smaller business. The cost is generally the same, if not a little cheaper, to go through them, and they get a cut of the profit rather than it all going to GW.

Dicehead Games’ Trade-in Program 

Trade In

Dicehead has a great trade-in program that will get you funds you can use for other used items or new-in-box Warhammer miniatures that they stock!

Here are some of the details:

We have come up with yet another way for you to save even more on the hobbies you love!  Best of all is, it’s less work than selling on e-Bay and it pays just the same, if not more!
 
How does it work?

We offer higher buy prices than you can get anywhere else (if you compare what stuff sells for on eBay to this, and the fact you pay no fees for the sale, it’s a win-win for both of us!  

    • Books – We only accept the most current version on the market! To make sure you have the most update version of a book, be sure to check the manufacturer’s website!
    • New in Box Items- To make sure you have the most up to date version of said item, be sure to check the manufacturer’s website!
    • Assembled /used items- Except for books, as stated above, for used items we accept any version of the item on the market. 

This new program looks like a great way to save on the hobby you want and reduce your clutter. Make sure you click here to find out more today!

Tips From the Master Himself: eBay Miniature Rescue

He breaks this down into easy-to-digest steps, so we’ll do the same! Also, follow Casey’s channel for how-to’s and ways to save on buying Warhammer armies and miniatures.

Part 1:

buying used minis 2Anything on the cheap generally falls into the “lots of work” category. So, the first thing you do is type Warhammer army lots into eBay. Next, put in the filters of; buy it now and price. This gives you a quick way to filter out your searches.

If you don’t put in any filters, it will give you the auctions with the soonest end date. Just be sure to check often so that when you see the army you want, you can grab it immediately.

Check out these types of Warhammer army deals on eBay here.

He also recommends saving your searches for later viewing. You can also narrow your searches if you’re looking for something specific, such as a particular faction.

Part 2:

buying used minis 3When buying a used army, you want to make sure your initial purchase has the models to create a core of your army, you can always fill out the fun details later. Next, you have to look at the paint job. If you have a Sonic Cleaner, you want to ensure the paint isn’t too thick and nothing isn’t too broken.

Keep your expectations in check, these deals are generally not tournament lists.

So, when looking at the lots, make sure they have usable units and are something you can build upon actually to make a list you want.

If you get it for cheap, but will only be using a unit or two, it’s probably not worth it.

Part 3:

buying used minis 4Once your army is bought, you need to start stripping the paint. If you don’t have a sonic cleaner, you can let the models sit in a paint stripper for about a week. (or you can use the 1 minute Easy Lift Off by Testors that is amazing!)

Then, take a toothbrush (not one you’re using for your mouth, obviously), and get off the rest of the primer, and paint. Once they are stripped, it’s time to fix the broken minis.

Most lots have extra parts, which is nice. After that, be sure to fill all the gaps on the models so your paint jobs will look better once finished. Once the paint is stripped and fixed, it’s time to reprime them.

Part 4:

buying used minis 5This section is all about testing. If you’re using the models just to expand your existing army, you should already have your paint scheme ready. If not, you don’t want to just go all in willy-nilly.

Casey takes about four models in this video and tests what scheme he likes the most. Then tries a combination of colors until he is happy.

He does all four before deciding. This is super important because once your army is painted, you don’t want to have to go back and do the stripping all over again.

Once you have all of them painted, just decide what you like the most and start painting the rest in the same scheme! It takes some work, but it will save you money and give you a close connection to your new army.

Check out these types of Warhammer army deals on eBay here.

What tips do you have for how to save on buying used Warhammer miniatures and armies?

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About the Author: Travis Pasch