Can AI Sorting Tools Empower a Resale Renaissance?

In an intriguing April 24 news brief produced by Retail TouchPoints editor Adam Blair, the notion of AI-powered sorting tools was concisely examined via the outlining of two contemporary case studies.

The first, Lithuanian-based startup Sort A Brick, leverages the timeless appeal — and currently blazing-hot market — for LEGO in a new way. Intuiting that there could be tens of thousands (or more) of attics and basements playing host to unsorted, and perhaps forgotten, bins or bags of LEGO bricks, Sort A Brick proposed a unique solution.

By leveraging the power of modern artificial intelligence, the technology is able to scan, identify, and sort random assortments of odd LEGO bricks into complete sets. In doing so, the tool unlocks a significant increase in value for potential sellers looking to take part in the resale market.

The outlet cited Ilya Malkin, co-founder and CEO of Sort A Brick, on the subject.

“For many, a disorganized box of toy bricks seems to hold only sentimental value. But when properly sorted into complete sets, these same bricks may be worth hundreds or even thousands,” Malkin stated.

“Our AI-powered system can recognize individual LEGO pieces and match them to potential sets with a high degree of accuracy. This level of sorting and identification would be incredibly time-consuming and error-prone if done manually. By automating the process, we’re able to unlock value that would otherwise remain hidden in jumbled boxes of bricks,” Malkin added.

AI Sorting Tools in the Fashion, Collectibles Resale Space

Blair sketched out a second scenario involving Venus Fashion’s Tosha Hays, who stated the following in an interview.

“I had a situation where I had swim separates — styles that only had tops left over in certain prints and others that only had bottoms,” Hays said.

“For a human to go through and match the styles into [sellable] sets would have taken weeks. But we can ‘feed’ AI the SKU numbers, as well as what the number means in terms of color, size and style, and it will automatically create kits that we can resell to the customer instead of [the separate pieces] going into overstock,” she added.

And while these two examples are early proof of a potential AI-driven opportunity in the resale business, other subsections of that market could also see an uptick in a similar vein — particularly in the collectibles market.

For example, vintage toys belonging to properties such as G.I. Joe, Transformers, Masters of the Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, WWF/WWE, and similar remain hot commodities on the resale market. There’s one major headache confronting both specialty retailers and the collectors they service, however: Accessories, such as weapons, garments, and other add-ons, are often difficult to source and are both sought after and add to the value of the core item when present.

According to Grand View Research, vintage toys comprised a larger share of the overall global toy market (versus ancient, modern, and contemporary categories) — a market worth an estimated $294.2 billion in 2023, boasting a 7% CAGR projected from 2024 through 2030 — with no signs of interest slowing.

“Based on type, the vintage segment led the market with the largest revenue share of 40.60% in 2023. Collectors are seeking to relive or preserve memories associated with past eras and cherished memories,” the market research company stated.

Could the introduction of artificial intelligence sorting tools lead to something of a renaissance in terms of reassembling these collectibles (or vintage ensembles), unlocking greater value while driving renewed interest in sales?