| "What should I sell on eBay?" is the single most posed | | | | making money. Making a small margin on something |
| question I receive from my newsletter readers and | | | | that sells for over $500 is fine, but if you are only |
| book buyers. Let me say right up front: "There is no | | | | making 10% after expenses on a $50 item, you have |
| way I can answer that question." No one can answer | | | | to sell a lot of products to make $500 a week. If I am |
| that except you. | | | | selling anything for under $100 I look for a 25% net |
| Unless you have very deep pockets I can tell you | | | | margin after cost, shipping, and eBay and PayPal fees. |
| what you probably cannot sell on eBay: Plasma TVs, | | | | * Research, research, research ! Don't buy |
| iPods, the latest model laptops, digital camera and DVD | | | | anything to resell on eBay until you have thoroughly |
| players, Xbox, Gucci shoes, the latest perfume and | | | | researched the product, the market and the |
| other hot consumer products. The wholesale | | | | competition. Make sure the item will sell at a profit. |
| distribution of these products are tightly controlled by | | | | There are lots of research services. I have tried them |
| the manufacturer. | | | | all, but by far, my favorite is HammerTap from Bright |
| For example, if you want to buy iPods wholesale to | | | | Builders. This was always a good tool, but the new |
| sell on eBay, the distributor requires that you have a | | | | release really blows the competition away. You can |
| $200,000 line of credit. Channel will only sell their | | | | get a one-month trial run for just $1.00 |
| perfumes to a select few stores. You can buy | | | | * If you are really stuck, start by selling things |
| overstock or surplus famous designer items (Gucci, | | | | from around your home, then move on to selling items |
| Prada, Hermes, etc.) through a few outlets, but the | | | | you buy at garage sales and thrift shops. As you do |
| latest merchandise is only sold through their stores and | | | | this you will see patterns emerging --things that sell well |
| a few select upscale retailers. | | | | and are easy to buy. If you are patient and try a lot of |
| Lately several supposedly wholesale suppliers and | | | | things this will lead you to a niche. |
| drop ship companies claim to have Xboxes and iPods | | | | One person who did this found that old |
| at prices where you can make money. Be careful. | | | | fishing gear sold very well and was easy to find |
| Several of my readers have sent thousands of dollars | | | | cheaply at garage sales. He now has a large eBay |
| to companies for a shipment of Xboxes that never | | | | business selling vintage and collectible fishing gear such |
| showed up. Others listed them from drop ship | | | | as reels, fly rods, lures and so on. |
| companies that never delivered and never answered | | | | Another woman I know found that jig saw |
| emails once the item was sold and paid for. | | | | puzzles sold very well. Some went for just a few |
| Companies selling iPods via the drop ship channel have | | | | dollars while others would bring high prices --as much |
| such a high price once you add in the shipping and | | | | as $50 each. With experience she has now learned |
| drop ship fees that you can't make any money. Other | | | | which ones to buy that will return huge profits. A few |
| companies claim to have iPods, but once you pay their | | | | hours spent at garage sales spending less than $20 |
| $199 membership fee, all of a sudden they are "out of | | | | can often return over $500 in sales. |
| stock." The only place I have found iPods selling for | | | | |
| less than on eBay is at my local Costco. And they | | | | * Non-Fiction books sell very well on eBay. Look |
| were only about $12 less which is just not enough to | | | | for books in good condition on subjects such as art, |
| make a profit. | | | | photography, transportation ( cars, trains, planes, etc.), |
| So back to the original question: What should I sell on | | | | how-to books, courses (I once found a cassett tape |
| eBay? As I said, only you can answer that question, | | | | course with a workbook on Winning at Black Jack at |
| but here are some tips to help you figure out what to | | | | a garage sale for $5.00. I sold it on eBay for over $70), |
| sell: | | | | local and regional history, antique and collectible price |
| * You have probably heard this a dozen times, | | | | guides (less than 5-years old) and books on animals. |
| but sell what you know and love. I have collected | | | | Stay away from cookbooks unless it is a very |
| Starbucks mugs, bears and cards for quite a while. | | | | famous one. Children's books sell very well if they are |
| Last year I started selling and have built up a very nice | | | | in excellent condition and children's pop-up books can |
| small --yet profitable niche. Because I know so much | | | | bring a fortune if they are not broken or torn. The best |
| about them, I recognize a good value when I see it and | | | | sources for books are garage sales, flea markets and |
| can often double or triple my money when I buy a | | | | your local thrift shop. |
| collectible piece. | | | | * Information products and taking advantage of |
| I love my new laptop, but I am just not a | | | | eBay's new policy on selling digitally downloaded |
| computer expert. If I were a complete computer guy, I | | | | products may be the most profitable niche on eBay. |
| could not afford to become a distributor for a | | | | Last month I did a great teleseminar with Tim Knox |
| computer company, but there are sources of surplus | | | | who is an expert on creating and selling information |
| and remanufactured computers. If I really knew | | | | products. His book on creating information products is |
| computers and the market, I would know which ones | | | | one of the best on the market. Tim recently wrote a |
| were a good value for the price and how I could | | | | short article that I have posted on my free articles |
| market and sell them. Not having this knowledge | | | | page called How To Create Your Own Info Product. |
| however, would make it very risky for me to buy a | | | | You can either read the article or click here to read |
| pallet load of surplus computers from someone such | | | | about Tim's new book. |
| as | | | | I am working on a new product that I hope |
| * Try and find a niche. A niche can be a product, | | | | to launch in time for eBay Live. It is called How To |
| a product category or even how you market a | | | | Create and Sell Information Products on eBay. Watch |
| product. The main advantage of selling in a niche is | | | | my newsletter for the launch date. |
| that you really get to know the product, the market, | | | | Whatever you decide to sell, test with a small quantity |
| the pricing and the sources and because it is a niche, | | | | or research it first to make sure there is a market |
| there is far less competition. | | | | before comitting a large sum of money and make |
| * Pick products where you can be assured of | | | | sure you have a stable source of supply. |