# Toys and collectibles > Boxed and loose toys in odd sizes, packed from a station with boxes, padding and an accurate scale. Toys and collectibles range from loose minifigures to boxed sets. You need two or three box sizes and plenty of padding, because one mailer won't fit everything. A crushed corner cuts the value of a boxed collectible. Pack them like trainers: original box inside an outer box, with padding on every side. ## How to pack it - Bag loose small parts so nothing goes missing. - Wrap boxed items and put them in an outer box with padding on every side. - Send loose figures in padded envelopes. Avoid: Reused supermarket boxes for boxed collectibles. The weak board lets the corners crush. - **[Small single-wall boxes, 25 pack](https://sellersetups.com/product/single-wall-boxes)** (£8 to £14): Use these for boxed toys and beauty sets that a padded bag would crush, when double-wall board costs more than you need. - **[Kraft padded envelopes, D/1, 100 pack](https://sellersetups.com/product/padded-envelopes)** (£14 to £22): Enough padding for a lipstick, a small figure or a sealed booster pack, with no box to fold. - **[Bubble wrap, 500 mm x 100 m](https://sellersetups.com/product/bubble-wrap-roll)** (£10 to £15): A long roll costs several times less per metre than the small packs sold in shops. - **[Brown packing tape, 48 mm x 66 m, 6 rolls](https://sellersetups.com/product/brown-packing-tape)** (£5 to £9): 48 mm is the width tape guns take. Six rolls last a shop sending a few boxes a week for a few months. - **[100 x 150 mm thermal labels, 500 fanfold](https://sellersetups.com/product/thermal-labels-fanfold)** (£12 to £18): Fanfold stacks feed flat behind the printer and hold more labels than a roll. 100 x 150 mm matches the label size UK couriers and marketplaces print. ## Postage per order - Royal Mail Tracked 48 Small Parcel: £3.75. Clothing and small boxed items up to 2 kg, with tracking for less than untracked 2nd Class. - Royal Mail Tracked 48 Medium Parcel: £5.70 to £12.25. Trainers, homeware and electronics up to 20 kg, tracked and cheaper than untracked 2nd Class. - InPost locker to locker, medium: £2.59. Shoe boxes, books and bags up to 19 cm deep, sent between lockers when the buyer picks a locker. ## The kit for a toy seller Start with two or three box sizes and padded envelopes, plus a long roll of bubble wrap. Add brown packing tape, a tape gun and a parcel scale that handles heavier lots. Small zip bags keep loose parts with the right toy. Buy clear storage tubs with lids early. Toy stock is bulky, so buy tubs that stack. ## Packing toys so nothing goes missing Count and bag loose parts first, accessories and instruction sheets included. Wrap boxed toys in bubble wrap and place them in an outer box with padding all round, so the original box arrives with sharp corners. Check the box corners against your listing photos before you seal the parcel. Loose figures and small vehicles travel well in padded envelopes. Anything with long thin parts, like swords or antennae, gets its own wrap first. ## Storing stock you can find Sort tubs by line or brand, not by age, because that’s how buyers search. Number each tub and add the tub number to your listing notes. A quick photo of each tub’s contents on your phone saves opening lids. Keep complete sets together in one bag with a note of what’s inside. Incomplete sets are fine to sell, but list what’s missing. ## Photos and listings Photograph the toy on a plain background with every included part laid out beside it. Buyers of vintage toys look for missing pieces, paint wear and box damage, so show all three. State whether the toy is complete. Use the line name, character and year in the title on eBay. On Vinted, mixed bundles of play-condition toys often sell faster than single items. ## Selling toys live Whatnot has a strong following for collectable toys and figures. Run themed shows, one line at a time, and line the lots up in sale order before you start. Show boxes from every side on camera so buyers can judge condition. Pack straight after the show while you remember what each buyer asked about. Keep the show order list next to your packing table. ## Postage and growing past 50 orders Toy orders range from Large Letter figures to big boxed parcels. Weigh and measure the packed parcel, not the toy, and check the current Royal Mail or courier size guide for the band. Bulky boxes often cost less with a courier than as a Royal Mail parcel, so compare. Past 50 orders, standardise your box sizes so you can buy them in bundles, and keep a pre-cut stack of bubble wrap. A shelving unit by the packing table stops boxes taking over the room. ## Common mistakes - Reusing thin supermarket boxes for boxed collectables crushes the corners, so use new single or double wall boxes. - Listing a set as complete without counting the parts leads to disputes, so check the parts against a list before you photograph. - Weighing the toy instead of the packed parcel underpays postage, so weigh after packing. - Taping straight onto a collectable box tears the card when the buyer opens it, so wrap the box first and tape the wrap. - Loose small parts rattling around a box go missing, so bag each small part separately. ## Setups - [Christmas toy rush setup for October to December](https://sellersetups.com/setups/christmas-toy-rush): Stock shelving, a packing bench and a fanfold label printer for selling toys through the Christmas peak, from pre-orders to January returns. - [eBay packing station setup for 50 to 100 orders a week](https://sellersetups.com/setups/ebay-packing-station-100): A fixed packing station with shelving, a thermal printer and supplies in reach, built for one person shipping up to 100 eBay orders a week. - [Toy and collectibles live selling setup](https://sellersetups.com/setups/toy-collectibles-live): Box protectors, double boxing and coded shelving for selling construction sets, die-cast cars and vinyl figures live on Whatnot and on eBay. - [Preloved toy bundle setup for Vinted and eBay](https://sellersetups.com/setups/vinted-preloved-toy-bundles): Bag the small parts, photograph the whole bundle in a light tent and post sorted LEGO, Playmobil and family toys from a spare room. ## Guides - [Kids' clothes bundles and baby items not to resell](https://sellersetups.com/guides/baby-items-you-should-not-resell): How to build kids' clothes bundles that sell, and the baby items safety charities tell parents not to buy second-hand: car seats, cot mattresses and more. - [Best time to sell on Whatnot, Vinted and eBay](https://sellersetups.com/guides/best-time-to-sell): When toys, school uniform, festival clothes and Halloween stock sell, plus Whatnot show times, Vinted Bumps and eBay auction end times. - [What Whatnot, Vinted and eBay sellers keep](https://sellersetups.com/guides/reseller-earnings-maths): UK fees on Whatnot, Vinted and eBay, worked examples of profit per item after postage and packaging, and the levers that change what you take home. - [Buying return pallets and job lots to resell](https://sellersetups.com/guides/return-pallets-and-job-lots): Return pallets and job lots for UK resellers: the real cost per item, sorting and testing stock, electrical safety, and your rights as buyer and seller. - [Trend reselling and spotting fakes](https://sellersetups.com/guides/trend-reselling-fakes): Labubu, Sonny Angels, Pokémon cards and trainers: read demand from live viewer counts, check stock before you buy, and stay on the right side of UK law. ## Questions ### How many box sizes should I keep? Two or three sizes cover most toy sellers: a small box for figures, a medium box for boxed sets and padded envelopes for loose small items. Add sizes only when you keep wasting void fill. ### Is bubble wrap or paper better for toys? Bubble wrap is cheaper per parcel; honeycomb paper is plastic-free and goes in the recycling. Pick one, buy it on a long roll and stick with it. ### Do I need to test toys before selling? For anything electronic or battery-powered, test it and say so in the listing. Remove batteries before posting so they don’t leak. ### Are there safety rules for selling used toys in the UK? Toys sold in the UK must be safe. Check the government’s guidance on toy safety for resellers, and avoid selling items with broken parts that could be a choking risk for young children. ### Should I keep the original box? Yes, if you have it. For collectable toys the box can add a lot to the price, so pack it as carefully as the toy. ### How do I post a large toy cheaply? Pack it in the smallest strong box that fits with padding, then compare courier prices for that size and weight before you set postage.