Selling airsoft, archery and self-defence products online

In this category, the same product can be a sports item or a weapon depending on its listing. Walmart prohibits items marketed as self-defence weapons, and says plainly that marketing decides. Etsy restricts items presented for personal protection. A flashlight, a keychain or a walking stick sold for hiking is one product. The same thing sold "for self-defence" is another.

This page covers toy and replica guns, the self-defence line, state limits, and what each marketplace asks.

What this page covers: airsoft and BB guns, toy and replica guns, archery, holsters, pepper spray and self-defence items.

The short version

• Toy, look-alike and imitation firearms must carry a blaze orange marking.
• Walmart prohibits items marketed as self-defence weapons; marketing decides.
• Etsy restricts weapons and items presented for personal protection.
• Pepper spray and air guns are state-restricted on Walmart.
• eBay has separate policies for airsoft, air rifles and BB guns, replicas and weapons; Amazon restricts the category.

Do toy and replica guns need an orange marking?

Yes. US rules require toy, look-alike and imitation firearms to carry a blaze orange marking. Your images should show it as it is on the product, never cropped out, hidden by a hand or edited away.

Can a product be sold for self-defence on Walmart and Etsy?

Not on Walmart, and only with restrictions on Etsy. Walmart prohibits items marketed as self-defence weapons, and the deciding factor is marketing. Etsy restricts weapons and items presented for personal protection.

Words that move a product into the barred group:

• self-defence, self-protection, personal protection
• "stop an attacker", "defend yourself"
• tactical, combat, when used about protection

Words that keep it where it belongs: the sport, the target, the hobby, the outdoor use.

Can pepper spray and air guns ship to every state?

Not on Walmart. Walmart treats pepper spray and air guns as state-restricted products. Sell them only where they are allowed.

What does each marketplace ask of airsoft, archery and self-defence sellers?

Walmart, Etsy, eBay and Amazon each have rules for these products:

What should airsoft and archery images show?

Airsoft and archery images should show the orange marking and the sport, never a product aimed at a person:

• Airsoft and BB guns with the orange tip visible, at a range or in a field.
• Archery gear with a target.
• No images of a product pointed at a person or the viewer.

How Commicorn helps

• Your product, as photographed. On the Untouched product route your photo's pixels are never redrawn, so the orange marking stays exactly as it is.
• Scenes you choose. Type the scene you want, such as a range or a field, and look at every scene before you export.
• Your words, from your details. The listing copy is written from the details you give us. Read it against the list above before you export.

Questions sellers ask

Do airsoft guns need an orange tip?

Yes. US rules require toy, look-alike and imitation firearms to carry a blaze orange marking, and listing images should show it as it is on the product.

Can I list a keychain as a self-defence tool on Walmart?

No. Walmart prohibits items marketed as self-defence weapons, and says plainly that marketing decides.

Which words move a product into the self-defence group?

Self-defence, self-protection and personal protection, phrases such as "stop an attacker" and "defend yourself", and tactical or combat when used about protection. Describe the sport, the target, the hobby or the outdoor use instead.

Can I sell pepper spray on Walmart?

Only where it is allowed: Walmart treats pepper spray and air guns as state-restricted products.

Which eBay policies cover airsoft and BB guns?

eBay's separate policies for airsoft, air rifles and BB guns, for replica firearms and for weapons.

Before you list

Have the blaze orange marking visible in every image, listing words that describe the sport, the target, the hobby or the outdoor use rather than protection, and the states you can ship pepper spray and air guns to on Walmart. On an edge case, the marketing decides it: Walmart's rule on items marketed as self-defence weapons, Etsy's weapons policy, and eBay's separate airsoft, replica and weapons policies, all cited above.