I recently moved into a much smaller apartment in NYC and had to box and store most of my collection (200+ dolls). I’ve come to the heartbreaking conclusion that Barbie collecting is just not a hobby I can sustain anymore in my current living space and need to downsize my collection by a lot. 

I’m feeling really overwhelmed by how to start selling and downsizing everything. I feel like the currently selling landscape is very different from when I was actively collecting 5-10 years ago. Many many more scammers and professional resellers it seems like. :(

I gave away or donated most of my NIB playline dolls already before the move, so most of what I have left are collector dolls worth around $25-30 each. Some boxed, some loose. Photo is indicative of the kinds of dolls / price point of most of my collection. 

I’m looking for advice on how to sell the rest. I don’t care about maximizing value - I just want them to end up with other collectors and Barbie enthusiasts and not with a reseller or in a landfill. I also don’t have a ton of free time, other than some upcoming time off from work for the holidays. 

I’d prefer to find potential buyers locally in NYC and meet them instead of shipping the dolls, but I’m not sure if there’s a group for doing that. Does anyone know?

But for selling across the US, I’ve used Mercari in the past because the app was convenient. Are Barbie collectors still on Mercari in 2025? Or is listing them on eBay my best bet now?

Or would it be better to post them on a group like this as a claim sale, and then individually invoice through PayPal goods and services?

Idk, I guess I’m just feeling really emotional about this whole thing and wondering if anyone here can relate. The unfortunate reality is that you need a lot of physical space for this hobby, and I truly cannot keep storing them anymore. 

Looking for advice - Need to downsize my collection and feeling overwhelmed and heartbroken