What Happens After the Hunt?

Finding the toy is the exciting part — but it’s only the beginning.

When I arrive home with a new haul or collection, the first thing that happens isn’t cleaning, researching or pricing.

It’s show and tell.

PPW is very much a family affair, so my husband and kids are usually just as excited as I am to see what treasures have come home. And because I’m me, there’s normally something in there I’ve found for them too.

Once show and tell is over, though, the real work begins.

Sometimes You Just Know

After doing this for years, there are plenty of things I recognise immediately. But I still take chances on things I don't completely know.

I've developed a pretty good eye for spotting something interesting, even when I can't immediately tell you exactly what it is.

And on the rare occasion I'm completely stumped?

Google Lens is a girl's best friend.

There’s always something new to learn, and honestly, that’s part of the fun.

From the Haul to the Website

Every item that comes through PPW goes through a process:

Inspection ➡️ Testing (if electronic) ➡️ Cleaning (if needed) ➡️ Photography ➡️ Categorised storage ➡️ Editing phase one ➡️ Editing phase two ➡️ Research & pricing ➡️ Listing ➡️ LIVE on the website

Electronic toys are tested before they're listed. If something doesn't work, it either heads to the repair pile or, if it's beyond repair, may still be sold clearly described as non-working. Sometimes another collector only wants something for display, spare parts or a restoration project.

Most toys arrive reasonably clean, while others just need a good wipe down before they're ready for their photos.

Then comes figuring out exactly what we've got.

Sometimes You Need to Call in the Experts

Completeness can be a whole challenge of its own.

Polly Pocket collectors, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Tiny pieces, variations and accessories can make identifying a complete set surprisingly difficult.

Luckily, I know a few people who know their Polly Pockets incredibly well.

A big shout-out to the Polly Pocket New Zealand group and admins Abbie, Hannah and Kirsten, who are an incredible source of knowledge when I need an expert opinion.

So How Do I Price Something?

There isn't one website I check and magically get the answer.

I compare information from lots of different sources and then consider the things that actually matter for PPW — current popularity in New Zealand, condition, demand and, if I've sold the same item before, how quickly it sold.

Sometimes we buy something and discover it's much more interesting or valuable than we initially realised.

That actually happens reasonably often — particularly over at our other business, Previously Powered On, where we sell tested and tagged second-hand electronics.

Of course, the opposite happens too.

Sometimes something looks exciting, you do the research and… nope. 😂

That's all part of the hunt.

It's Not Quite “Buy It and Flip It”

I think this is probably the biggest misconception about what I do.

From the outside, it can look pretty simple: buy something, put it online for more, sell it.

But there's everything in that process above before an item even appears on the website — and then there are the costs of actually running the business.

Tax. GST. Accounting. Shopify fees. Afterpay fees. Transaction fees. Mileage. Power. And probably several others I've forgotten while writing this.

People sometimes assume I must be raking it in.

The truth is much less exciting. 😂

I make less than you might think. A huge amount goes straight back into PPW, and we save hard so that we can continue growing the business and working towards what we want it to become.

And I'm okay with that.

Because I genuinely love what I do.

The hunt is still my favourite part. There's something about never knowing what you're going to find next that hasn't gotten old.

Running a business isn't perfect. I've even had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a customer who harassed and threatened me for months — easily the worst part of doing this.

But that experience is massively outweighed by everything I love about PPW.

I get to hunt for forgotten treasures, learn about toys I haven't seen before, talk to collectors who know an incredible amount about the things they love, and send toys off to people who are genuinely excited to have them.

This is my dream job.

And yes, this last bit might be slightly cheesy, but it's true:

Finding the toy is only the beginning, because the next step is working towards our hopes and dreams.