I'm ready to reveal my sources. Well, one of my sources.
When I was actively selling products from my own inventory, one of my favorite places to find liquidation sales and close-out bargains for resale was Graveyard Mall, "Where high prices come to die!" (Gotta love their slogan.)
I've found great deals in their collegiate products department, health and beauty, home improvement, and more. I could name several items that I purchased in bulk then practically gave away on eBay but still doubled or tripled (at least) my investment.
The best tip I can offer about buying on Graveyard Mall is to research the items first, before you get carried away because of a low price. Remember, these are close-out type items and sometimes they're being closed out for a very good reason: nobody wants them. Nobody. And that means your customers won't want them either, so do your due diligence before you buy. You will find some bargains, though. For instance, I see one particular item priced at $1.99 that's selling for $9.98 right now at Amazon.com. Seems someone could turn that one around and make some money, wouldn't you think? (I'll give you a hint: It's in the Dollar Store category.)
Sign up for the newsletter to to keep up with their specials and visit the site daily to check their Deal of the Day. Hope you find some great bargains!
For more ideas for product sourcing, check out Where to Find Stuff to Sell on eBay.
Showing posts with label product sourcing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label product sourcing. Show all posts
Friday, September 4, 2009
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Selling on eBay? You Need All the Help You Can Get!
When eBay sellers think of eBay these days, the one word that comes to almost everyone's mind is "change." Change in policy, change in fees, change in rules, changes here, changes everywhere.
While it's simple enough to go to eBay's site and read the rules (well, maybe it isn't all that simple), perhaps it would be easier to have a team of people, experts, to help you understand and interpret all these changes and help you understand how they affect you and your business.
If you're not sure what to do about your eBay business, whether you should hang tight or jump ship, I can tell you that doing the same things you've been doing for years, working hard and having little to show for it, may not be the right choice. There are alternatives. There are changes you can make in order to succeed online and, specifically, on eBay.
Do you have about six and a half minutes? I'd like to suggest that if you can spare that small amount of time, click on the banner below and watch the video. Take a look and listen and evaluate if this membership site might be right for you. Maybe it will, maybe the monthly investment is more than you believe your future is worth. That's fine, but I love to see people succeed and I love to see people enjoy what they do, rather than working more than full-time hours and seeing little to no results, and I think this is something worth checking out. Really, you have so little to lose to just take a look. How about doing it now, while it's on your mind.
P.S. Remember, the busy holiday selling season is coming up. Check this out before you miss out on information that could make a huge difference in what happens to your eBay business the rest of this year.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Didn't Make it to eBay Live? No problem.
So, you didn't make it to eBay Live in Chicago this year. Neither did I. Sorry that you missed all the great teaching that went on there? So am I. Well, we're in luck! Now we can access many of the seminars and presentations that were made in Chicago at eBay Live 2008, online and all in one place.
The EBay Live Presentation Download Center contains 80 downloadable presentations (PDF downloads) in six different categories, including topics for buyers and sellers at every level. Want to learn how to pack the unpackable? They've got you covered. Want to find out how to market your eBay business? Of course you do and you'll find that topic covered as well.
While it doesn't include t-shirts, pins, and the party atmosphere of eBay Live, the topics that you need to help you succeed on eBay are all there. Dig in and help yourself!
The EBay Live Presentation Download Center contains 80 downloadable presentations (PDF downloads) in six different categories, including topics for buyers and sellers at every level. Want to learn how to pack the unpackable? They've got you covered. Want to find out how to market your eBay business? Of course you do and you'll find that topic covered as well.
While it doesn't include t-shirts, pins, and the party atmosphere of eBay Live, the topics that you need to help you succeed on eBay are all there. Dig in and help yourself!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Why Now is the Best Time to Start Selling Books on eBay
Recently eBay announced pricing changes, including lower listing fees, effective February 20, 2008. Now the news is even better. Another announcement was made this week, this time regarding category-specific listing fee reductions for media categories.
Effective along with the previously announced changes, listing fees for books, music, movies, and video game software categories will be further reduced. Auctions listed at a starting price up to 99 cents will be reduced from 20 to 10 cents each, auction and fixed price listings in these categories with starting prices from $1 to $9.99 will be reduced from 40 to 25 cents, and similar listings with starting prices from $10 to $24.99 will be reduced from 60 to 35 cents.
What does this mean to you? If you're a bookseller (or music or movie or video game seller) this can mean a very nice increase to your bottom line!
Haven't started selling on eBay yet? Why not start with books? With eBay's listing fee reductions, now is the perfect time to get started. Books are a great product for a new seller to start with on eBay; most of us have too many and, if not, books are very easy to find at yard sales, church sales, and library sales. They're easy to handle, pack, and ship, and they're great sellers.
This book
will teach you all you need to know about selling books on eBay or elsewhere online. The used book business is booming and eBay's fees are coming down, so why not find out how to get started selling books on eBay today!
Effective along with the previously announced changes, listing fees for books, music, movies, and video game software categories will be further reduced. Auctions listed at a starting price up to 99 cents will be reduced from 20 to 10 cents each, auction and fixed price listings in these categories with starting prices from $1 to $9.99 will be reduced from 40 to 25 cents, and similar listings with starting prices from $10 to $24.99 will be reduced from 60 to 35 cents.
What does this mean to you? If you're a bookseller (or music or movie or video game seller) this can mean a very nice increase to your bottom line!
Haven't started selling on eBay yet? Why not start with books? With eBay's listing fee reductions, now is the perfect time to get started. Books are a great product for a new seller to start with on eBay; most of us have too many and, if not, books are very easy to find at yard sales, church sales, and library sales. They're easy to handle, pack, and ship, and they're great sellers.
This book
will teach you all you need to know about selling books on eBay or elsewhere online. The used book business is booming and eBay's fees are coming down, so why not find out how to get started selling books on eBay today!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Why Bettye Had Record Sales Last Month on eBay
My friend, Bettye, from Dragonfly Vintage Clothing, just reported on her fabulous eBay sales from last month. January was her highest sales month ever after opening her eBay store 18 months ago. Here are Bettye's top three reasons, in her words, of why her sales have continued to grow and why she believes she had the big jump in January.
1. I'm buying better - more selectively...which I'm able to do only because I'm shopping MORE - I get to at LEAST one thrift store 6 days a week, and, many days, two. On average, I'm in 10 stores a week. This is on top of my full-time M-F, 8:30-4:30 day job. You have to get to a LOT of stores, and see a LOT of items, to allow yourself the luxury of only buying the BEST items. When I used to try and do all my shopping in one day, I had to lower the bar for what I would buy, as I knew there would be no other buying opportunities that week.
2. When ebay works right, it's using a system of exponential growth - which I think only REALLY works when you have a niche. I've done both. I've studied both. I know people who do both, and ON AVERAGE, there seems to be MORE GROWTH in stores that specialize in a certain type of product. Niche sellers have more repeat customers, there is probably more word-of-mouth referrals...and over time, a specialty store gets more and more and MORE regular watchers...as you have more people watching, you have more people likely to bid...and all it takes is two or more people who want the same item, and prices get driven up. When every one of your items is totally different - not even in the same style or genre - repeat customers are not as likely, repeat watchers the same. This exponential growth takes TIME. To Really Succeed on Ebay, I think you need to have/offer one of several things (you don't need all, but you need ONE): HIGHLY rare or desirable and well-recognized things (Coach bags, Apple ipods, etc); or EXTREME savings - if you're The Cheapest in any category, you will get the attention and the sales; or TIME. Time listing above average, well-priced items, in an attractive format, with good pictures, clear descriptions, reasonable shipping, in a specialty - and in TIME, you WILL build up a customer base. I think I'm finally hitting My Time :-)
3. To reiterate #2, I have really taken care to have clean, unfussy auction formats; clear, large pictures (I'm a firm believer in the PICTURE tells the story - the text is just an aside); low starting prices and reasonable shipping with no handling fee. I've held firm to my gut feeling that MY clothes are best shown on a live model, even though it would be easier and cheaper to use a mannequin.
Many thanks to Bettye for allowing me to publish her tips and observations. Bettye's goal for 2008 is to double her eBay sales from 2007. Looks like she's off to a fabulous start. (You go, girl!)
Bettye's store
Bettye's other store
1. I'm buying better - more selectively...which I'm able to do only because I'm shopping MORE - I get to at LEAST one thrift store 6 days a week, and, many days, two. On average, I'm in 10 stores a week. This is on top of my full-time M-F, 8:30-4:30 day job. You have to get to a LOT of stores, and see a LOT of items, to allow yourself the luxury of only buying the BEST items. When I used to try and do all my shopping in one day, I had to lower the bar for what I would buy, as I knew there would be no other buying opportunities that week.
2. When ebay works right, it's using a system of exponential growth - which I think only REALLY works when you have a niche. I've done both. I've studied both. I know people who do both, and ON AVERAGE, there seems to be MORE GROWTH in stores that specialize in a certain type of product. Niche sellers have more repeat customers, there is probably more word-of-mouth referrals...and over time, a specialty store gets more and more and MORE regular watchers...as you have more people watching, you have more people likely to bid...and all it takes is two or more people who want the same item, and prices get driven up. When every one of your items is totally different - not even in the same style or genre - repeat customers are not as likely, repeat watchers the same. This exponential growth takes TIME. To Really Succeed on Ebay, I think you need to have/offer one of several things (you don't need all, but you need ONE): HIGHLY rare or desirable and well-recognized things (Coach bags, Apple ipods, etc); or EXTREME savings - if you're The Cheapest in any category, you will get the attention and the sales; or TIME. Time listing above average, well-priced items, in an attractive format, with good pictures, clear descriptions, reasonable shipping, in a specialty - and in TIME, you WILL build up a customer base. I think I'm finally hitting My Time :-)
3. To reiterate #2, I have really taken care to have clean, unfussy auction formats; clear, large pictures (I'm a firm believer in the PICTURE tells the story - the text is just an aside); low starting prices and reasonable shipping with no handling fee. I've held firm to my gut feeling that MY clothes are best shown on a live model, even though it would be easier and cheaper to use a mannequin.
Many thanks to Bettye for allowing me to publish her tips and observations. Bettye's goal for 2008 is to double her eBay sales from 2007. Looks like she's off to a fabulous start. (You go, girl!)
Bettye's store
Bettye's other store
Sunday, January 13, 2008
91 Things To Sell On eBay
What a great list! You probably have some of these things lying around your house. If not, your neighbor does or your mom does or the folks having the next yard sale you go to probably have several of them. They're that easy to find and the great thing is, they actually sell well on eBay. The research that proves it has already been done for you and is included.
To get the list, you'll have to download an ebook. No charge. Just fill in your email address to get the download link. Really. It's that simple and there's no catch.
Here's the link. Fast, easy, and a terrific bunch of items that you can find and you can sell on eBay. Isn't that just what you were looking for?
To get the list, you'll have to download an ebook. No charge. Just fill in your email address to get the download link. Really. It's that simple and there's no catch.
Here's the link. Fast, easy, and a terrific bunch of items that you can find and you can sell on eBay. Isn't that just what you were looking for?
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Free EBook & Limited Time Offers
I have a valuable freebie for you today.
It's from Worldwide Brands, the creators of OneSource. They have the world's largest database of genuine wholesale suppliers and every year they hold workshops for eBay sellers on how to find wholesale products for their eBay business. They recently compiled all of their 2007 eBay workshops into one eBook.
The eBay workshop titles included in the eBook are...
* From Hobby to Home Business
* How to Compete in a Crowded Market
* What is the difference between Liquidation, Closeouts, and Surplus
* Understanding the Basics to Importing Physical Products to Sell
* Building Supplier Relationships is Very Important, Especially for the Holiday Season
You can download it for free here.
It's a great book and I'm sure you'll get a lot of value from it.
Also, if you sell on eBay or plan to in the future, OneSource is a great place to find wholesalers and drop shippers for your eBay auctions.
And there are 2 big reasons you should become a member of OneSource today.
The first reason is right now, they are running a $30 discount to a lifetime membership to OneSource. The discount only lasts until the end of November. It's the lowest price you'll be able to get a lifetime membership to OneSource.
Click here to get the full details on OneSource and get the discount.
The second reason why you should get OneSource is wholesalers have begun offering steep discounts on their products. They are trying to get inventory out of their warehouses before the end of the year, so they won't have to pay taxes on the inventory.
That rarely happens this time of year. But, with the combination of the housing and mortgage market, the low consumer confidence index and wholesalers overestimating retail sales, wholesalers are looking for a way to liquidate goods immediately.
It's a great opportunity to stock up on items to sell right now and for the first quarter of 2008. But you need to take advantage of this now. This window of opportunity closes on December 31st, 2007.
Chris Malta, the founder of Worldwide Brands, explains how you can take advantage of this rare opportunity and buy low from wholesalers and sell high for nice profits in a brief audio. You can listen to his 8-minute audio here.
Enjoy the free eBook and the audio, and we'll see you back here soon.
It's from Worldwide Brands, the creators of OneSource. They have the world's largest database of genuine wholesale suppliers and every year they hold workshops for eBay sellers on how to find wholesale products for their eBay business. They recently compiled all of their 2007 eBay workshops into one eBook.
The eBay workshop titles included in the eBook are...
* From Hobby to Home Business
* How to Compete in a Crowded Market
* What is the difference between Liquidation, Closeouts, and Surplus
* Understanding the Basics to Importing Physical Products to Sell
* Building Supplier Relationships is Very Important, Especially for the Holiday Season
You can download it for free here.
It's a great book and I'm sure you'll get a lot of value from it.
Also, if you sell on eBay or plan to in the future, OneSource is a great place to find wholesalers and drop shippers for your eBay auctions.
And there are 2 big reasons you should become a member of OneSource today.
The first reason is right now, they are running a $30 discount to a lifetime membership to OneSource. The discount only lasts until the end of November. It's the lowest price you'll be able to get a lifetime membership to OneSource.
Click here to get the full details on OneSource and get the discount.
The second reason why you should get OneSource is wholesalers have begun offering steep discounts on their products. They are trying to get inventory out of their warehouses before the end of the year, so they won't have to pay taxes on the inventory.
That rarely happens this time of year. But, with the combination of the housing and mortgage market, the low consumer confidence index and wholesalers overestimating retail sales, wholesalers are looking for a way to liquidate goods immediately.
It's a great opportunity to stock up on items to sell right now and for the first quarter of 2008. But you need to take advantage of this now. This window of opportunity closes on December 31st, 2007.
Chris Malta, the founder of Worldwide Brands, explains how you can take advantage of this rare opportunity and buy low from wholesalers and sell high for nice profits in a brief audio. You can listen to his 8-minute audio here.
Enjoy the free eBook and the audio, and we'll see you back here soon.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Got Old Books and Magazines?
Tear them up and make money on eBay!
How about selling old books and magazines on eBay, in pieces? In this book you will discover, in precise detail, exactly how to operate one or a string of eBay businesses, all selling individual items removed from old books, newspapers and magazines, and how to turn every single page of those publications into a profitable earnings source for you.
Here's an extra hint. Consider advertising in the "Wanted" section of the classifieds for the type of old books, magazines, or newspapers that you'll need. Some people would love to get rid of boxloads and would be more than happy for you to take them off their hands. Click here to find out just what books and magazines you should be looking for.
How about selling old books and magazines on eBay, in pieces? In this book you will discover, in precise detail, exactly how to operate one or a string of eBay businesses, all selling individual items removed from old books, newspapers and magazines, and how to turn every single page of those publications into a profitable earnings source for you.
Here's an extra hint. Consider advertising in the "Wanted" section of the classifieds for the type of old books, magazines, or newspapers that you'll need. Some people would love to get rid of boxloads and would be more than happy for you to take them off their hands. Click here to find out just what books and magazines you should be looking for.
Friday, September 21, 2007
How to Run a Successful Drop-Shipping Business
Are you tired of looking for great stuff to sell on eBay? Would you rather use your garage to store your car instead of those boxes full of unsold inventory that eBay shoppers don't like any more than you do? If so, drop-shipping may be the solution you're looking for, and Doba may be the company to provide that service for you.
Doba is a certified eBay service provider with interfaces that make it easy to list their items in your eBay store. Doba offers a free 7-day trial with no obligation, giving you full access to the site including the wholesale prices of their one million item inventory plus their library full of educational articles to help you learn how to run a successful drop-shipping business.
If drop-shipping sounds like something that might be of interest to you, I would suggest signing up for the free 7-day trial and dedicating several hours to researching the site. That should give you plenty of time to explore the products and read the excellent educational articles. Then, with no obligation, decide if dropshipping is the right choice for you.
You can learn how to run a successful drop-shipping business. Sign up here for your no obligation free trial.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Advice from the Storage Auction Momma
I received a comment recently on a previous post about Product Sourcing with Self-Storage Unit Auctions. The person who commented wanted some examples from our own experience and wondered why people would buy old things and sell them again. My friend Karen Davis, author of Storage Auction Momma, was kind enough to leave a reply which I thought was worthy of its own post. Here's what Karen said:
Thanks, Karen, for that great response!
Hey Susan, if you don't mind, I thought I would drop in and answer the question "Could you give some examples of your own experience?"
But first, let me respond as to the benefits of buying "old things" and selling them again. Benefit number one: To make some money!! One of the secrets to making money is to Buy Low and Sell High. It doesn't matter whether a product is old or new, used or not, As long as there is someone out there wanting to buy it and you can get it for less than they will pay and resell it, you can turn a profit. This goes not matter where or how you are sourcing (finding) your products.
Benefit number two: It is good for the environment!! If no one buys those storage units that must be auctioned off, all that stuff goes into the landfill. Some of it may end up there anyway, but I put most of it back into use. Someone gets a bargain on something they need and I make GREEN money while being GREEN at the same time.
Benefit number three is really more of a comment: The stuff in storage unit auctions isn't necessarily old. Some of it may be new or unused. At my first storage auction, what caught my eye was a whole box of special Barbies - and they were in mint condition still in the box. There were enough to set aside for birthday presents for my daughter's friends and still some left over to sell.
Another storage unit yielded a boatload of high end Christmas decorations including Christmas Village pieces still in the boxes and Radko Christmas ornaments. Check those on ebay and you will see why I was excited.
I have found a Craftman tool box complete with tools, new artwork that still had tags on each piece upwards of $200, complete beds, nice sofas, designer clothes, videos/dvds, china cabinets and an antique desk that was worth $700.
In another unit, I found a solid gold heavy link necklace in a box of junk that otherwise went to the dump. You just never know.
Hope that helps!!
~Karen Davis
Storage Auction Momma
Thanks, Karen, for that great response!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Buying Wholesale Lots on eBay
Buy it on ebay, re-sell it on ebay. What a great place to get started! If you're already a buyer on ebay, you may have noticed the category called "wholesale lots" when you are searching for an item. While there is a "wholesale lots" sub-category included within most of the main categories, you can access all of them on this page.
A word of caution about lots advertised as "wholesale" on ebay. More often than not these items are not listed by true wholesalers but are repackaged lots from ebay sellers who are cleaning out their own inventories. Sometimes they will be items that the particular seller could not sell individually. Often, though, they are smaller lots that the seller has acquired in bulk and broken down into smaller, more affordable lots for other sellers on a budget or without a place to store a large inventory.
You'll also find that some people don't take seriously the definition of a "lot" and use this category to offer single items at what they consider to be wholesale prices.
So, as should always be the case, buyer beware. Make sure you understand exactly what it is you are bidding on. I have found real treasures from the "wholesale lots" page and you will, too, if you spend some time being a wise shopper.
A word of caution about lots advertised as "wholesale" on ebay. More often than not these items are not listed by true wholesalers but are repackaged lots from ebay sellers who are cleaning out their own inventories. Sometimes they will be items that the particular seller could not sell individually. Often, though, they are smaller lots that the seller has acquired in bulk and broken down into smaller, more affordable lots for other sellers on a budget or without a place to store a large inventory.
You'll also find that some people don't take seriously the definition of a "lot" and use this category to offer single items at what they consider to be wholesale prices.
So, as should always be the case, buyer beware. Make sure you understand exactly what it is you are bidding on. I have found real treasures from the "wholesale lots" page and you will, too, if you spend some time being a wise shopper.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Sell What's Hot!
Still haven’t decided what to sell on eBay? Think hot! Not sure what’s hot? Here are a couple of places you can check to find out.
First, check the pulse. The eBay pulse, that is. That’s where you will find up-to-the-minute popular search terms by category on eBay. These are the search terms that eBay shoppers use the most. It’s a great way to see what people are looking for today. Just go to pulse.ebay.com and you’ll see the top 10 popular searches in all categories. Click the drop-down menu to narrow the category. For instance, if I click on “Clothing, Shoes & Accessories,” now I can see the top 10 search terms for that general group of categories. When I use the drop-down menu again and narrow the category to “Women’s Shoes,” I find Gucci and Nike, among others. If I had Gucci shoes to sell, I would know that people are looking for them and it’s a good time to get them listed. Next, scroll down the page a bit and you’ll see the “Most Watched Items” in that category, which gives you even more of an idea what people are interested in today. On the top right of the page there's a section listing the largest ebay stores selling items in the shoe category. If you want to see how somebody else sells shoes, or what shoes are actually selling, explore those stores and look for things they do that you might do to improve your own shoe listings. So, check the Pulse for items that you think you might like to sell and remember to use those hot search words in the listing titles.
Next suggestion, google it to find out what’s hot. Google has a project called “trends.” Want to know the top 100 search trends on google, the terms that have suddenly gained in popularity? You should want to know because if it’s hot on google, then it probably really is hot and the trend may well spill over to eBay. An example of this would be when Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, died. You can be sure that thousands of people googled “Steve Irwin” and “crocodile hunter” and other similar terms when they heard the news. You can also be positive that eBay was suddenly flooded with Steve Irwin items. Talk about hot, now that was a very hot topic for a few days, then it cooled gradually and went back to normal over time. One-day auctions for Steve Irwin items were the norm that week on eBay; who knew if seven days later people would still be looking for the crocodile man’s items. (While it may seem inappropriate to take advantage of a tragedy such as Steve Irwin’s sudden death, you can be sure that a lot of people made money as a result of that event.) So, to find search terms that have gained rapidly in popularity and may be getting really hot, or to see what trends your favorite searches or keywords show, visit trends.google.com. Read the “About Google Trends” page for a full explanation of how it works.
These are just a couple of ways to decide on what might be hot items to sell on eBay. You may have others and I would love to hear about them. So, how about it. No need to reveal your top-secret sources, but I’d love to read your comments and suggestions!
First, check the pulse. The eBay pulse, that is. That’s where you will find up-to-the-minute popular search terms by category on eBay. These are the search terms that eBay shoppers use the most. It’s a great way to see what people are looking for today. Just go to pulse.ebay.com and you’ll see the top 10 popular searches in all categories. Click the drop-down menu to narrow the category. For instance, if I click on “Clothing, Shoes & Accessories,” now I can see the top 10 search terms for that general group of categories. When I use the drop-down menu again and narrow the category to “Women’s Shoes,” I find Gucci and Nike, among others. If I had Gucci shoes to sell, I would know that people are looking for them and it’s a good time to get them listed. Next, scroll down the page a bit and you’ll see the “Most Watched Items” in that category, which gives you even more of an idea what people are interested in today. On the top right of the page there's a section listing the largest ebay stores selling items in the shoe category. If you want to see how somebody else sells shoes, or what shoes are actually selling, explore those stores and look for things they do that you might do to improve your own shoe listings. So, check the Pulse for items that you think you might like to sell and remember to use those hot search words in the listing titles.
Next suggestion, google it to find out what’s hot. Google has a project called “trends.” Want to know the top 100 search trends on google, the terms that have suddenly gained in popularity? You should want to know because if it’s hot on google, then it probably really is hot and the trend may well spill over to eBay. An example of this would be when Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, died. You can be sure that thousands of people googled “Steve Irwin” and “crocodile hunter” and other similar terms when they heard the news. You can also be positive that eBay was suddenly flooded with Steve Irwin items. Talk about hot, now that was a very hot topic for a few days, then it cooled gradually and went back to normal over time. One-day auctions for Steve Irwin items were the norm that week on eBay; who knew if seven days later people would still be looking for the crocodile man’s items. (While it may seem inappropriate to take advantage of a tragedy such as Steve Irwin’s sudden death, you can be sure that a lot of people made money as a result of that event.) So, to find search terms that have gained rapidly in popularity and may be getting really hot, or to see what trends your favorite searches or keywords show, visit trends.google.com. Read the “About Google Trends” page for a full explanation of how it works.
These are just a couple of ways to decide on what might be hot items to sell on eBay. You may have others and I would love to hear about them. So, how about it. No need to reveal your top-secret sources, but I’d love to read your comments and suggestions!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Online Auction Research: What's Hot? What's Not
A key factor in your success as a retail merchant is your ability to pick a product that's in high demand and then set a price that customers are willing to pay for that item. By employing savvy online research strategies, you can quickly determine what's hot, what's not, and the prices that people have actually paid for the products or similar products you're planning to sell.
In this article, you discover some cheap and easy research strategies that can help you select potentially profitable products and set prices that are inline with your market.
Remember: Never compete on price alone. This often causes a price war that drives down prices for all retailers, including you. Combine a reasonable price with effective marketing.
Checking the going rate on eBay
An important part of doing proper research on eBay is finding out what's selling and for how much. The simplest way to do this is... Read More
(Note that you must be a Doba member to read the rest of the article. Good news is this - You can sign up for a free trial with Doba during April and be entered to win a trip to eBay Live 2007! Click on the green button below to be eligible for the contest. Hurry! You must sign up in April to eligible!)
In this article, you discover some cheap and easy research strategies that can help you select potentially profitable products and set prices that are inline with your market.
Remember: Never compete on price alone. This often causes a price war that drives down prices for all retailers, including you. Combine a reasonable price with effective marketing.
Checking the going rate on eBay
An important part of doing proper research on eBay is finding out what's selling and for how much. The simplest way to do this is... Read More
(Note that you must be a Doba member to read the rest of the article. Good news is this - You can sign up for a free trial with Doba during April and be entered to win a trip to eBay Live 2007! Click on the green button below to be eligible for the contest. Hurry! You must sign up in April to eligible!)
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Sell What Sells, NOT What's Cool
(This is a bit long but one of the most important articles you need to read!)
by Chris Malta & Robin Cowie
Our company publishes the Internet’s leading Directory of genuine wholesale “Drop Shippers” (wholesalers who ship products, one at a time, directly to your customers; eliminating the need to stock inventory). It's called The Drop Ship Source Directory. We also publish the Internet's Leading Directory of genuine Wholesale Suppliers who will sell to you in small Bulk Quantities, while still giving you larger Bulk Quantity prices. That's called The Light Bulk Wholesale Directory. As a result of the information we research and publish, we get questions all the time about what products Home-based Internet Business owners should try to sell online.
I’ve been at this for years, and have become very successful in my Internet business. But let’s face it, folks. If I knew what was going to sell well on the Internet tomorrow, next week, or next month, I wouldn’t be writing this article. I would have retired and purchased a small private island by now. In the retail business, whether you are online, in a physical store in the local mall, or at a roadside stand, it makes no difference; choosing the products you are going to sell is always the hardest part of getting started.I can’t whip out a crystal ball and tell you what to sell. However, I can tell you about the biggest mistakes that I see new Home-based Internet businesspersons making, all the time.
Too many people are fixated on four things:
• Selling only products they like.
• Selling only products they know a lot about.
• Selling only products they think are “Cool” or “Sexy”.
• Selling only products they think “The Hottest Products on the Internet”.
I get four basic emails from people who are stuck in this rut, and I can pretty much tell that right off the bat, by the way the email begins.
• An Email from a person who only thinks they can sell what they like starts something like this:
“Dude, I’m like, a Sk8ter, and I need to find a Wholesale Supplier for, like, Sk8tboards + wheels + stuff”.
The first problem this person is going to run into (aside from the fact that he needs to learn how to write a business email!) is a problem for all four types of people here. There may not be a Wholesale Supplier for the products they want, that will work with a Home-based Internet Business. We’ll talk more about that in a few minutes, though.
The second problem is “tunnel vision”. This person may actually find a Wholesale Supplier for “sk8tboards + wheels + stuff”. If he does, great. However, someone who has such a narrow vision of the Internet Marketplace will never branch out and fulfill his own potential in that Marketplace.
Say he does find the Wholesale Supplier he’s looking for, and opens a store. Because of the narrow vision that led him there, he’s likely to stick with that store, and that store alone. He’ll make some money, but unless he gets really lucky, he won’t make a really good income out of it. He’ll piddle along selling “sk8tboard” stuff forever, when he could have done so much more.
What he needs to do is broaden his scope. If he’s interested in “sk8ting”, wonderful. But instead of focusing on just that, he should explore selling all kinds of sporting goods.Sam Walton, the revered Founder of Wal-Mart, was once a starting quarterback on his High School football team in Columbia, Missouri. He also liked to play basketball. Can you imagine what would have happened if Sam Walton never tried to sell anything besides football and basketball equipment? There would probably be a pretty big store in the US selling just footballs and basketballs today, because Walton was a very good retailer. But it never would have grown to the size and scope of Wal-Mart today if Sam had allowed tunnel vision to crowd his overall view.
It’s okay for our “sk8ter” buddy here to open an Internet store or run Auctions that sell skateboard equipment. Niche marketing is a good thing. But in his overall business, he should look for other products with which to eventually run other Online Stores or Auctions as well. One store leads to two, two lead to four, and so on. Never get stuck limiting your entire business to just one type of product!
• An Email from a person who only thinks they can sell what they know about goes like this:
“Hey there;I’ve been riding horses all my life, and I own a small stable where I teach riding. I’m opening an Internet Store where I’m going to sell all kinds of stuff that other riders will want to buy. I’ve got to find a Wholesale Supplier for saddles and Western Wear and such”.
Again, this person’s first problem is going to be that he may not find a Wholesale Supplier of the products he knows so well, that's willing to work with Home-based Internet Businesses. But, we’ll get to that in a bit.His second problem is similar to the first person’s problem, but not exactly the same. This person isn’t fixated on selling only what he likes; he’s just a little bit scared of having to learn about something new. He’s obviously going where he feels safe. That’s okay, but let’s remember what I’ve mentioned twice so far: he may not find a Wholesale Supplier for the products he likes. Genuine Wholesale Supplier do not grow on trees, folks, and most of those who are out there do not want to work with Home-based Businesses. There isn’t one available to you for every possible type of product. It’s very important to keep that in mind when you start out!
So, what does this person need to do? He needs to understand that being in business is about learning new things every day. New ways to market, new software to get used to, simpler ways to do his monthly books, etc., etc., etc. Learning new products is just as critical. Again, never limit your business to just one type of product. You don’t have to like what you sell. You just need to make money selling it!
• An Email from a person who only thinks they can sell what’s “Cool” goes like this: “Hi;I’m looking for a Wholesale Supplier of electronics, like MP3 Players, Plasma TVs and such. Please tell me where to find them.”
A request for Wholesale Supplier of electronics is a dead giveaway. Almost everybody who starts a Home-based Internet Business wants to sell electronics at first. It’s the Cool, Sexy market, and even if you never sell anything, you can show your friends your site and say, ‘Dude, I can get you an Xlent deal on the hottest new stuff!
Electronics, like any other Cool or Sexy market on the Internet, is not the place for most people to start. That market is absolutely flooded with other people who already had the same idea, and the profit margins have plummeted. Why? Too many inexperienced Internet sellers. They start price wars, figuring they’re going to clean up by undercutting everyone else’s prices by a little bit. Problem is, the second guy comes along and undercuts the first one a bit. Then the third person comes along and undercuts the second. And so on.
Pretty soon all you have left are tens of thousands of people trying to sell electronics for pennies more than what they pay for them, just to advertise a slightly better price than their competition.
Not good.The person who wants to sell Cool and Sexy stuff needs to understand that they are not out here to look Cool or Sexy. They’re here to make money. Four Slice Toasters and Propane Camp Stoves aren’t sexy, but they sell and their markets are not overcrowded, and that’s what the goal is.
• Finally, an email from a person who thinks they need to sell only the Hottest Products on the Internet goes like this:
“Hello; Can you tell me were I can find out what the Top Selling Products on eBay are? I want to know what everyone else is selling and get in on it.”
BAD IDEA!
Look at it this way. If you were in a giant field filled with nothing but concession stands selling Salted Peanuts, what’s the smartest thing you could do? Set up yet another Salted Peanuts stand, or set up a Lemonade Stand?
I’d sell Lemonade, wouldn’t you? :o)
In our business, we look at the Lists of Top Selling Products on the Internet, too. Then we run the other way as fast as we can. We don’t want to be just another face in the crowd selling the same thing as everyone else. We want to think about products that may be complementary to the Hottest Sellers, that not many other people are selling.
If everyone and their Grandmothers are selling Salted Peanuts, we want to be the ones selling Lemonade. :o)
BIOGRAPHY: Chris Malta and Robin Cowie of WorldwideBrands.com are the Writers and Hosts of The Entrepreneur Magazine EBiz and Product Sourcing Radio Shows. Click Here for more FREE eBiz info from Entrepreneur Magazine Radio!
by Chris Malta & Robin Cowie
Our company publishes the Internet’s leading Directory of genuine wholesale “Drop Shippers” (wholesalers who ship products, one at a time, directly to your customers; eliminating the need to stock inventory). It's called The Drop Ship Source Directory. We also publish the Internet's Leading Directory of genuine Wholesale Suppliers who will sell to you in small Bulk Quantities, while still giving you larger Bulk Quantity prices. That's called The Light Bulk Wholesale Directory. As a result of the information we research and publish, we get questions all the time about what products Home-based Internet Business owners should try to sell online.
I’ve been at this for years, and have become very successful in my Internet business. But let’s face it, folks. If I knew what was going to sell well on the Internet tomorrow, next week, or next month, I wouldn’t be writing this article. I would have retired and purchased a small private island by now. In the retail business, whether you are online, in a physical store in the local mall, or at a roadside stand, it makes no difference; choosing the products you are going to sell is always the hardest part of getting started.I can’t whip out a crystal ball and tell you what to sell. However, I can tell you about the biggest mistakes that I see new Home-based Internet businesspersons making, all the time.
Too many people are fixated on four things:
• Selling only products they like.
• Selling only products they know a lot about.
• Selling only products they think are “Cool” or “Sexy”.
• Selling only products they think “The Hottest Products on the Internet”.
I get four basic emails from people who are stuck in this rut, and I can pretty much tell that right off the bat, by the way the email begins.
• An Email from a person who only thinks they can sell what they like starts something like this:
“Dude, I’m like, a Sk8ter, and I need to find a Wholesale Supplier for, like, Sk8tboards + wheels + stuff”.
The first problem this person is going to run into (aside from the fact that he needs to learn how to write a business email!) is a problem for all four types of people here. There may not be a Wholesale Supplier for the products they want, that will work with a Home-based Internet Business. We’ll talk more about that in a few minutes, though.
The second problem is “tunnel vision”. This person may actually find a Wholesale Supplier for “sk8tboards + wheels + stuff”. If he does, great. However, someone who has such a narrow vision of the Internet Marketplace will never branch out and fulfill his own potential in that Marketplace.
Say he does find the Wholesale Supplier he’s looking for, and opens a store. Because of the narrow vision that led him there, he’s likely to stick with that store, and that store alone. He’ll make some money, but unless he gets really lucky, he won’t make a really good income out of it. He’ll piddle along selling “sk8tboard” stuff forever, when he could have done so much more.
What he needs to do is broaden his scope. If he’s interested in “sk8ting”, wonderful. But instead of focusing on just that, he should explore selling all kinds of sporting goods.Sam Walton, the revered Founder of Wal-Mart, was once a starting quarterback on his High School football team in Columbia, Missouri. He also liked to play basketball. Can you imagine what would have happened if Sam Walton never tried to sell anything besides football and basketball equipment? There would probably be a pretty big store in the US selling just footballs and basketballs today, because Walton was a very good retailer. But it never would have grown to the size and scope of Wal-Mart today if Sam had allowed tunnel vision to crowd his overall view.
It’s okay for our “sk8ter” buddy here to open an Internet store or run Auctions that sell skateboard equipment. Niche marketing is a good thing. But in his overall business, he should look for other products with which to eventually run other Online Stores or Auctions as well. One store leads to two, two lead to four, and so on. Never get stuck limiting your entire business to just one type of product!
• An Email from a person who only thinks they can sell what they know about goes like this:
“Hey there;I’ve been riding horses all my life, and I own a small stable where I teach riding. I’m opening an Internet Store where I’m going to sell all kinds of stuff that other riders will want to buy. I’ve got to find a Wholesale Supplier for saddles and Western Wear and such”.
Again, this person’s first problem is going to be that he may not find a Wholesale Supplier of the products he knows so well, that's willing to work with Home-based Internet Businesses. But, we’ll get to that in a bit.His second problem is similar to the first person’s problem, but not exactly the same. This person isn’t fixated on selling only what he likes; he’s just a little bit scared of having to learn about something new. He’s obviously going where he feels safe. That’s okay, but let’s remember what I’ve mentioned twice so far: he may not find a Wholesale Supplier for the products he likes. Genuine Wholesale Supplier do not grow on trees, folks, and most of those who are out there do not want to work with Home-based Businesses. There isn’t one available to you for every possible type of product. It’s very important to keep that in mind when you start out!
So, what does this person need to do? He needs to understand that being in business is about learning new things every day. New ways to market, new software to get used to, simpler ways to do his monthly books, etc., etc., etc. Learning new products is just as critical. Again, never limit your business to just one type of product. You don’t have to like what you sell. You just need to make money selling it!
• An Email from a person who only thinks they can sell what’s “Cool” goes like this: “Hi;I’m looking for a Wholesale Supplier of electronics, like MP3 Players, Plasma TVs and such. Please tell me where to find them.”
A request for Wholesale Supplier of electronics is a dead giveaway. Almost everybody who starts a Home-based Internet Business wants to sell electronics at first. It’s the Cool, Sexy market, and even if you never sell anything, you can show your friends your site and say, ‘Dude, I can get you an Xlent deal on the hottest new stuff!
Electronics, like any other Cool or Sexy market on the Internet, is not the place for most people to start. That market is absolutely flooded with other people who already had the same idea, and the profit margins have plummeted. Why? Too many inexperienced Internet sellers. They start price wars, figuring they’re going to clean up by undercutting everyone else’s prices by a little bit. Problem is, the second guy comes along and undercuts the first one a bit. Then the third person comes along and undercuts the second. And so on.
Pretty soon all you have left are tens of thousands of people trying to sell electronics for pennies more than what they pay for them, just to advertise a slightly better price than their competition.
Not good.The person who wants to sell Cool and Sexy stuff needs to understand that they are not out here to look Cool or Sexy. They’re here to make money. Four Slice Toasters and Propane Camp Stoves aren’t sexy, but they sell and their markets are not overcrowded, and that’s what the goal is.
• Finally, an email from a person who thinks they need to sell only the Hottest Products on the Internet goes like this:
“Hello; Can you tell me were I can find out what the Top Selling Products on eBay are? I want to know what everyone else is selling and get in on it.”
BAD IDEA!
Look at it this way. If you were in a giant field filled with nothing but concession stands selling Salted Peanuts, what’s the smartest thing you could do? Set up yet another Salted Peanuts stand, or set up a Lemonade Stand?
I’d sell Lemonade, wouldn’t you? :o)
In our business, we look at the Lists of Top Selling Products on the Internet, too. Then we run the other way as fast as we can. We don’t want to be just another face in the crowd selling the same thing as everyone else. We want to think about products that may be complementary to the Hottest Sellers, that not many other people are selling.
If everyone and their Grandmothers are selling Salted Peanuts, we want to be the ones selling Lemonade. :o)
BIOGRAPHY: Chris Malta and Robin Cowie of WorldwideBrands.com are the Writers and Hosts of The Entrepreneur Magazine EBiz and Product Sourcing Radio Shows. Click Here for more FREE eBiz info from Entrepreneur Magazine Radio!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Product Sourcing with Self-Storage Unit Auctions
The first question I hear most people ask when they decide to sell on ebay is, “Where do I find stuff to sell?” While there are many answers to that question, my good friend Karen Davis has written a great e-book with her solution to the product sourcing question.
Storage Auction Momma - Turning Storage Auction Bargains into Online Auction Gold contains a wealth of information on finding products to sell in abandoned self-storage units. You know the places – they’re everywhere – with rows and rows of little attached garage units where people temporarily park their excess belongings. Occasionally the renter of a unit will default on paying the monthly fee. After a predefined period of time, the owner of the storage facility is, by law, allowed to offer the contents of said unit to the highest bidder. That’s where you and I come in.
Storage Auction Momma is directed particularly to moms, even stay-at-home moms, but if you’re not a mom don’t let the title scare you away; this e-book contains information anyone can learn from and use. Karen takes the reader step by step through the process of acquiring the contents of these storage units, assuming her reader has never done this before. The book was perfect for me. I had seen ads in the paper for storage unit auctions, but I had no idea what to do after I read the ad. Since I have read the book, not only do I know what to do and what to expect, I have complete confidence that I, too, can show up at one of these auctions and not look or feel like a totally uninformed newcomer. In fact, I have learned how to conduct this aspect of my online auction business in such a way that the owners of the facilities will be happy to see me each time I come back.
Karen taught me how to find auctions, what to expect, what to take with me (cash and a broom are on the list), how to quickly evaluate the contents of the storage unit, and even taught me that it’s okay not to bid. She also gives suggestions of how to get rid of items that I might not want to sell on ebay, such as large items or hard to ship items. Going back to the “momma” aspect, she even tells her readers how to get their families involved.
In short, I really like this e-book and feel very comfortable recommending it as an inexpensive resource with a whole lot to offer to anyone looking for a source of products to sell on ebay or elsewhere. The subtitle, Turning Storage Auction Bargains into Online Auction Gold, may not fit every single storage unit auction situation, but I am confident that self-storage unit auctions may well be my own new product sourcing gold mine. I can’t wait to put these suggestions to work.
Now, what are you waiting for? Check out Storage Auction Momma today!
Storage Auction Momma - Turning Storage Auction Bargains into Online Auction Gold contains a wealth of information on finding products to sell in abandoned self-storage units. You know the places – they’re everywhere – with rows and rows of little attached garage units where people temporarily park their excess belongings. Occasionally the renter of a unit will default on paying the monthly fee. After a predefined period of time, the owner of the storage facility is, by law, allowed to offer the contents of said unit to the highest bidder. That’s where you and I come in.
Storage Auction Momma is directed particularly to moms, even stay-at-home moms, but if you’re not a mom don’t let the title scare you away; this e-book contains information anyone can learn from and use. Karen takes the reader step by step through the process of acquiring the contents of these storage units, assuming her reader has never done this before. The book was perfect for me. I had seen ads in the paper for storage unit auctions, but I had no idea what to do after I read the ad. Since I have read the book, not only do I know what to do and what to expect, I have complete confidence that I, too, can show up at one of these auctions and not look or feel like a totally uninformed newcomer. In fact, I have learned how to conduct this aspect of my online auction business in such a way that the owners of the facilities will be happy to see me each time I come back.
Karen taught me how to find auctions, what to expect, what to take with me (cash and a broom are on the list), how to quickly evaluate the contents of the storage unit, and even taught me that it’s okay not to bid. She also gives suggestions of how to get rid of items that I might not want to sell on ebay, such as large items or hard to ship items. Going back to the “momma” aspect, she even tells her readers how to get their families involved.
In short, I really like this e-book and feel very comfortable recommending it as an inexpensive resource with a whole lot to offer to anyone looking for a source of products to sell on ebay or elsewhere. The subtitle, Turning Storage Auction Bargains into Online Auction Gold, may not fit every single storage unit auction situation, but I am confident that self-storage unit auctions may well be my own new product sourcing gold mine. I can’t wait to put these suggestions to work.
Now, what are you waiting for? Check out Storage Auction Momma today!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)