Here is how to get the best price for your Moomin mug—get expert tips for buying and selling!
Did you know certain Moomin mugs can cost more than a luxury watch? Whether you’re hunting rare gems or selling everyday pieces, here’s how to make smart moves in the mug market.
Determine your Moomin mug's value before selling
Moomin mugs are constantly changing hands on Facebook, at auctions, and through resale businesses. So before you decide to buy or sell, it’s wise to check actual selling prices. For example, the Mukify app and website offer price estimates for every mug produced. Meanwhile, Finmug provides a calculator that approximates the value of an entire collection. You’ll find the top 10 list of the rarest and most valuable Moomin mugs here. [in Finnish]
Seasonal mugs are always popular
Seasonal summer and winter mugs tend to be top sellers, often fetching dozens of euros. Certain discontinued character mugs, such as the brown Sniff mug, also find new owners quickly. They’re popular because their resale value isn’t as high as that of extremely rare special-edition mugs. Mugs from the 1990s also interest collectors, but the tighter economic climate has affected buyers’ willingness to spend.
Moomin Day, August 9, always creates a buzz
Every year on August 9, Moomin Day stirs up activity on online marketplaces, as many people buy the mug just to sell it at a profit. On the last release day, the mug was searched on the Finnish Tori.fi for a whopping 41 times a minute. A savvy buyer waits a few months for resale prices to drop.
There are exceptions: The Home anniversary mug raffled by Arabia in March remains one of the most valuable mugs, with prices on Tori.fi sometimes hitting thousands of euros.
Moomin mug with or without a sticker?
Nearly all new Moomin mugs have a sticker that wears off quickly, for example in the dishwasher. Because of that, a missing sticker indicates use and can lower the mug’s value by a few tens of euros. One exception is the Millennium special edition mug, whose price can be up to four times higher if it’s unused.
Buyers should also check where the handle meets the mug: hairline cracks suggest it has been heavily used.
Some collectors even inspect the bottom stamp: for example, the Love mug’s stamp has changed four times in 30 years, which can affect its value. A typical hobbyist often cares more about finding a mug they like, so the sticker isn’t a deal-breaker.
Remember, you don’t need to own everything
There’s a huge variety of Moomin mugs, so a beginner aiming to collect them all faces high costs and space constraints. You might instead collect mugs character by character. It’s not uncommon for collectors to sell certain mugs and start collecting new ones.
Experts: Lauri Rantala, Mukify; Jenni Tuomisto, Tori; Rasmus Rantanen, Muumimukit Rahaksi; Hanne Merikanto, Helander
The best places to sell Moomin mugs
- Huuto.net This well-known Finnish online auction site usually has over a thousand mugs for sale at any given time.
- Franckly An online marketplace for used design products.
- Tori On this popular Finnish marketplace, Moomin mugs are searched for about 20,000 times a month.
- Facebook Numerous groups exist where mugs are bought and sold. Compare prices and consider meeting in public to avoid scams. Devoted collectors might also check Swedish groups, for instance.
- Helander A respected Finnish auction house that also deals in Moomin mugs. The company handles marketing, international product listings, and other sales tasks for a fee.
- Muumimukit Rahaksi and Finmug These Finnish companies buy single mugs and collections, then resell them.
- Tradera A Swedish auction site, where trading is international. Offers as many mugs as Tori.
- Vinted You’ll find hundreds of Moomin mugs in this flea market app. Before buying, check the seller’s feedback first.
