What to Sell on Ebay?

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I know...same old question

I'm looking for items that are small, light, easy to ship with only about $200 to $400 start up cost.

I'm aloud over 700 auctions a month now so even if the profit is only $2 to $3 (after product cost, ebay and paypal fees) thats fine.

P.S. I did do a search before I posted and didn't find any good ideas. I guess nobody wants to give good ideas away...I don't blame you...just thought I'd try.

Thanks for any ideas, Dale
#ebay #sell
  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Make up some clever political bumper stickers for the upcoming election. Stuff like: Reelect: NO One! Throw Them All Out. You might also consider T-shirts with similar messages. Here's a site with some clever messages for T-Shirts: The Best T-Shirt Quotes - 1 to 10

    Another place to get great content for stickers and slogans is Twitter. That place is loaded with really clever one liners. Bumper stickers are light and inexpensive to ship and T-shirts also fit the bill. The trick is to put out stuff no one else is doing. If your stuff catches on you're sure to be copied to some extent but as long as you can keep coming up with clever and original sayings you should be okay. Just a thought. Good luck.
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    • Profile picture of the author SoloAdMonkey
      Any type of decal usually sells well, very lightweight and easy to ship. You can make them at home by buying a cheap plotter and some vinyl. Make custom orders to make more money than the stock vector images you see everywhere.
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  • Profile picture of the author TopRated1
    I am currently selling all my video game stock on ebay. Getting out of the Business. Liquidation.com is an ok site, just have to price items right. I remember when power balance wrist bands where hot. Made a killing.
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  • Profile picture of the author MLMEXPERT
    Did you find items to sell on ebay?
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  • Profile picture of the author daleron
    Travlinguy,

    Yea I was just looking through the Hot Products on Ebay and came across the Bumper Stickers. If you produce them yourself that would probably be profitable.

    I'll check out Liquidation.com I also came across salehoo.com think thats the name
    or roam alibaba again

    Yea something you can produce at home seems to be the best bet
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    • Profile picture of the author c.t.coburn
      used to sell bookmarks, really simple stuff.

      would buy CDs without the jewel case and create a laminated bookmark with pics of whatever artist and some info on the back.


      creating something yourself is a viable method for ebay, then you can branch out to resell other things.
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    • Profile picture of the author cmknwvodelsa
      Banned
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      • Profile picture of the author thedog
        This hurts my brain

        Originally Posted by cmknwvodelsa View Post

        In That Respect experience constituted irrevocably interpolated by Hurricane Sandy. ' Kim Kardashian may be opining about a Room Decorator Kors Clutches and michael kors bid a more favorable than some think. She looks the particular closet wants of what we saw in some of the gamey and the full-year. 00 for other cosmopolitan partnership proposes. It's full to be replenishing inventory.

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        • Profile picture of the author Importexport
          Originally Posted by thedog View Post

          This hurts my brain
          Not surprising. This is typical of translations from Chinese to English, and you will see similar gibberish if you try using English versions of websites such as Tabao.
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          Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
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          • Profile picture of the author thedog
            Originally Posted by Importexport View Post

            Not surprising. This is typical of translations from Chinese to English, and you will see similar gibberish if you try using English versions of websites such as Tabao.
            In fact, there's so much bad/funny English here... menu's, signs, flyers etc... which is worse, as it's print.

            I've also seen a lot of Chinese sellers on Ebay who just google translate their descriptions, but have huge sales.

            99%+ rating goes a long way
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            • Profile picture of the author Importexport
              Originally Posted by thedog View Post

              In fact, there's so much bad/funny English here... menu's, signs, flyers etc... which is worse, as it's print.

              I've also seen a lot of Chinese sellers on Ebay who just google translate their descriptions, but have huge sales.

              99%+ rating goes a long way
              Do you know how they get such good ratings? The same way a lot of suppliers on certain B2B portals that I don't dare name - They buy them.

              There is a huge online industry in which people get paid to do reviews, and to buy products (they don't pay for them themselves) and leave great feedback.

              I sadly see warriors posting that one way to ensure that a supplier listed on those portals is reliable, just look at their feedback. So many people are gullible and take things on face value. I wish all members would remember that it's a jungle out there.
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              Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
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  • What my question is - why do they need to by small, light, and easy to ship?

    Why is your question not: "I want to find items that are profitable"

    I bring this up because a lot of people state that they want to sell small items because they don't want to sell items that 'cut into their shipping cost' - however, using this as a crutch can lose you a TON of money in opportunity cost!

    I'm not saying you need to sell items at a break-even, or even at a loss, because that's not the point of selling on eBay.

    You should ONLY sell at a profit.

    One of the first items I sold regularly was a heavy item that I could only ship via freight. It cost SIX HUNDRED dollars to ship.

    A lot of times, if people found just THIS out - they'd flip - and not take on the opportunity.

    However, the more IMPORTANT metric - is how much people PURCHASED it for. (2500 dollars)

    Even if you take the eBay/Paypal fees into consideration - plus how much it cost to get the item, I was clearing 1,200-1,100 per item.

    Remember - it's never ever about how much the fees are - or how much the SHIPPING is.

    It's ALWAYS about how much people BUY it for and how much you PROFIT from it.

    These numbers are very predictable before you ever sell on eBay - as you're never to just 'guess' or 'hope' what will happen on eBay. You can, and should, absolutely KNOW before you list.

    It's a technique I've been implementing and teaching for YEARS.
    Signature
    Famous for my '$1000 dollar challenge,' I've been teaching people how to DOMINATE on eBay for YEARS. Sell 100% of your items FOR A PROFIT. Rank higher, sell faster, sell more, and DESTROY your competition with a data-based approach. Quit listening to Guru's-in-training! Click now below!
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    • Profile picture of the author Arun Chandran
      You could get someone on fiverr to design some unique artwork that you get full rights to... fo eg. a caricature of Psy(Gangnam Style)... print stickers or mugs with the artwork you have and sell those on ebay.... It works real well. Speaking from experience.
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    • Profile picture of the author cotalex
      Originally Posted by Auctiondebteliminator View Post

      What my question is - why do they need to by small, light, and easy to ship?

      Why is your question not: "I want to find items that are profitable"

      I bring this up because a lot of people state that they want to sell small items because they don't want to sell items that 'cut into their shipping cost' - however, using this as a crutch can lose you a TON of money in opportunity cost!

      I'm not saying you need to sell items at a break-even, or even at a loss, because that's not the point of selling on eBay.

      You should ONLY sell at a profit.

      One of the first items I sold regularly was a heavy item that I could only ship via freight. It cost SIX HUNDRED dollars to ship.

      A lot of times, if people found just THIS out - they'd flip - and not take on the opportunity.

      However, the more IMPORTANT metric - is how much people PURCHASED it for. (2500 dollars)

      Even if you take the eBay/Paypal fees into consideration - plus how much it cost to get the item, I was clearing 1,200-1,100 per item.

      Remember - it's never ever about how much the fees are - or how much the SHIPPING is.

      It's ALWAYS about how much people BUY it for and how much you PROFIT from it.

      These numbers are very predictable before you ever sell on eBay - as you're never to just 'guess' or 'hope' what will happen on eBay. You can, and should, absolutely KNOW before you list.

      It's a technique I've been implementing and teaching for YEARS.
      Hi there,
      I'll appreciate if you please give me some advice for a travel website.
      Thanks in advance!
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  • Profile picture of the author Silas Hart
    If I only had $400 and I wasn't too experienced, then I would research what a couple mid level Chinese sellers are selling, then compare the price of what other people in the U.S. are selling it for then try to make a deal with the Chinese sell to buy in small bulk and resell to the local eBay (U.S.) Market.

    For example:

    Here is a Chinese Seller with good feedback and they sell in volume.

    eBay Feedback Profile for sanheshun

    I'm going to scroll down their feedback to see items they had sold within the past month or two. I found this:

    New Black USB Keyboard Cover Leather Case Bag for 10" 10 1 "10 2" Tablet PC Mid | eBay

    $16.39

    Now lets see what only our U.S. sellers are selling these for:

    Leather Style Cover Case with USB Keyboard FOR10 " inch Tablet Android PC Pink | eBay

    $16.95

    (I should note, with some digging, you can find WAY better deals on things you can make a bigger profit from)

    But now we have to make sure the Chinese seller is the cheapest. Lets assume he is, but normally you would go back to eBay, type in the same keywords and Lowest Price + Shipping. Many auctions will show up, and typically a sold auction price is lower than the sold buy it now price. Find out the average sold auction price for a specific item from a seller, and lets say in this case, its $14.00 per case.

    Now you have to figure out how many actually sell as a Buy it Now in the U.S. which you will use the eBay Advanced tool for, and you will have to manually count them and you only want to show items that sold from U.S. Sellers, and right now I'm showing roughly 340 of these have been sold by U.S. Sellers in the past 30 days.

    You only have $400, so you aren't going to be buying a full months worth of inventory so instead lets say only want to spend half of your budget on one item, and the other half on another item.

    Contact the Chinese Seller and say "Hey, I would like to buy 22 of these from you. Will you accept $200 USD to your paypal account?" - which means several things to them, they can save money on shipping because they won't have to send out 22 of these individually, its faster for them, they are attracted to the big number and the idea of getting a lump sum rather than a bunch of small payments, and and most importantly, their money won't be held for 22 days and they save a lot of money on bypassing eBay fees.

    Lets assume they say yes, which means your average item price is $9.00.

    Lets use SaleCalc and determine your profit margin based on current rates.

    You are going to list these for $16.94, which is one cent less than your current U.S. lowest price competitor meaning you will get a higher ranking for "lowest price + shipping" which is how most people purchase items on eBay.

    Your purchase price was $9.00

    Because these look reasonable lightweight and non-bulky, I'm going to GUESS (although you could contact the Chinese seller for specific dimension and weight, and if they don't respond you can find these details on Amazon) that its going to cost about $3.50 to send via USPS First Class Mail in a 25 cent bubble mailer, so your shipping cost is $3.75

    We input all of this data into SaleCalc and you have a profit of $37.64 for inventory that will likely be resold within a week based on the large amount that is currently selling on eBay and then lets assume the other $200 investment you made was on similar inventory with similar rates, and you are looking at a quick $75 profit on a $400 investment.

    Hey, its not AMAZING money, but its very minimal risk and gives you the experience and positive feedback you are going to need in the future, and its pretty fast and relatively hassle free, and it helps you earn more seed money for when you are ready to start doing bigger and better resale purchases.
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    • Profile picture of the author doomer
      Originally Posted by Silas Hart View Post

      If I only had $400 and I wasn't too experienced, then I would research what a couple mid level Chinese sellers are selling, then compare the price of what other people in the U.S. are selling it for then try to make a deal with the Chinese sell to buy in small bulk and resell to the local eBay (U.S.) Market.

      For example:

      Here is a Chinese Seller with good feedback and they sell in volume.

      eBay Feedback Profile for sanheshun

      I'm going to scroll down their feedback to see items they had sold within the past month or two. I found this:

      New Black USB Keyboard Cover Leather Case Bag for 10" 10 1 "10 2" Tablet PC Mid | eBay

      $16.39

      Now lets see what only our U.S. sellers are selling these for:

      Leather Style Cover Case with USB Keyboard FOR10 " inch Tablet Android PC Pink | eBay

      $16.95

      (I should note, with some digging, you can find WAY better deals on things you can make a bigger profit from)

      But now we have to make sure the Chinese seller is the cheapest. Lets assume he is, but normally you would go back to eBay, type in the same keywords and Lowest Price + Shipping. Many auctions will show up, and typically a sold auction price is lower than the sold buy it now price. Find out the average sold auction price for a specific item from a seller, and lets say in this case, its $14.00 per case.

      Now you have to figure out how many actually sell as a Buy it Now in the U.S. which you will use the eBay Advanced tool for, and you will have to manually count them and you only want to show items that sold from U.S. Sellers, and right now I'm showing roughly 340 of these have been sold by U.S. Sellers in the past 30 days.

      You only have $400, so you aren't going to be buying a full months worth of inventory so instead lets say only want to spend half of your budget on one item, and the other half on another item.

      Contact the Chinese Seller and say "Hey, I would like to buy 22 of these from you. Will you accept $200 USD to your paypal account?" - which means several things to them, they can save money on shipping because they won't have to send out 22 of these individually, its faster for them, they are attracted to the big number and the idea of getting a lump sum rather than a bunch of small payments, and and most importantly, their money won't be held for 22 days and they save a lot of money on bypassing eBay fees.

      Lets assume they say yes, which means your average item price is $9.00.

      Lets use SaleCalc and determine your profit margin based on current rates.

      You are going to list these for $16.94, which is one cent less than your current U.S. lowest price competitor meaning you will get a higher ranking for "lowest price + shipping" which is how most people purchase items on eBay.

      Your purchase price was $9.00

      Because these look reasonable lightweight and non-bulky, I'm going to GUESS (although you could contact the Chinese seller for specific dimension and weight, and if they don't respond you can find these details on Amazon) that its going to cost about $3.50 to send via USPS First Class Mail in a 25 cent bubble mailer, so your shipping cost is $3.75

      We input all of this data into SaleCalc and you have a profit of $37.64 for inventory that will likely be resold within a week based on the large amount that is currently selling on eBay and then lets assume the other $200 investment you made was on similar inventory with similar rates, and you are looking at a quick $75 profit on a $400 investment.

      Hey, its not AMAZING money, but its very minimal risk and gives you the experience and positive feedback you are going to need in the future, and its pretty fast and relatively hassle free, and it helps you earn more seed money for when you are ready to start doing bigger and better resale purchases.
      The process is good, but those margins are too small to be sustainable. What happens when a few of these cheap Chinese keyboards are defective? Returns? They will happen with Chinese electronics, guaranteed. Poof, your margins are out the window. I generally aim for at least 100% markup.

      Backing into the solution is not the way to go. "What to sell on eBay" tells me the OP doesnt want to put the effort into finding a niche. I always recommend selling something you're familiar with (from a hobby or work). Fill a need, solve a problem, deliver value. You get out what you put in, like anything else.
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      • Profile picture of the author Silas Hart
        Originally Posted by doomer View Post

        The process is good, but those margins are too small to be sustainable. What happens when a few of these cheap Chinese keyboards are defective? Returns? They will happen with Chinese electronics, guaranteed. Poof, your margins are out the window. I generally aim for at least 100% markup.

        Backing into the solution is not the way to go. "What to sell on eBay" tells me the OP doesnt want to put the effort into finding a niche. I always recommend selling something you're familiar with (from a hobby or work). Fill a need, solve a problem, deliver value. You get out what you put in, like anything else.
        I agree with what you are saying about the margins being super thin. However, to answer your question, if you purchase the items from other sellers, they will arrive to you locally and you can test what ever the item is before you resell it yourself. If you do get a couple defunct products, a simple e-mail usually does the trick, of a paypal dispute is the last resort, and with you being the buyer PayPal will side with you.

        But again, the margin is super thin so this method is not for everybody.
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      • Profile picture of the author Importexport
        Originally Posted by doomer View Post

        The process is good, but those margins are too small to be sustainable. What happens when a few of these cheap Chinese keyboards are defective? Returns? They will happen with Chinese electronics, guaranteed. Poof, your margins are out the window. I generally aim for at least 100% markup.

        Backing into the solution is not the way to go. "What to sell on eBay" tells me the OP doesnt want to put the effort into finding a niche. I always recommend selling something you're familiar with (from a hobby or work). Fill a need, solve a problem, deliver value. You get out what you put in, like anything else.
        100% markup is peanuts.

        So many people have been brainwashed by the massive dropshipping supply industry that they can't imagine what huge profit margins are possible by using a different business model.

        Buying small quantities direct from real manufacturers at genuine ex-factory prices opens up the possibilty of margins that will blow your mind.
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        Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
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  • Profile picture of the author Cobaki
    Disposable and consumable products are great choices to sell. If your product needs to be re-ordered repeatedly then you can be assured you’ll have returning customers and you will always be confident that your products will be ordered all the time, that is, if your products are in good quality and strong in the market today.
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    • Originally Posted by Cobaki View Post

      Disposable and consumable products are great choices to sell. If your product needs to be re-ordered repeatedly then you can be assured you'll have returning customers and you will always be confident that your products will be ordered all the time, that is, if your products are in good quality and strong in the market today.
      I once thought that this was the case. However, I quickly came to the conclusion that it was better for my items to be IN DEMAND and PROFITABLE.

      So long as your items are in demand and profitable, you'll have a market for them. There are MILLIONS out there wanting your products. And if you only sold the consumables, then you could be short-changing yourself on profit-potential where others are just looking for the re-bill.

      It doesn't mean you don't retarget your audience. Because even people who buy 'non-consumable' products come back over, and over again to you - especially if they're redistributing their purchases from you.

      For example, if you're selling 'sinks', it doesn't mean your not selling to contractors that need to buy a lot of sinks!
      Signature
      Famous for my '$1000 dollar challenge,' I've been teaching people how to DOMINATE on eBay for YEARS. Sell 100% of your items FOR A PROFIT. Rank higher, sell faster, sell more, and DESTROY your competition with a data-based approach. Quit listening to Guru's-in-training! Click now below!
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  • Profile picture of the author mevora
    Pick up a specific niche with lease refunds and very clear product description. I would say pick up S4 cases
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    • Profile picture of the author iove234lifee
      Originally Posted by mevora View Post

      Pick up a specific niche with lease refunds and very clear product description. I would say pick up S4 cases

      The thing about cell phone cases is that there are thousands of sellers already doing this and many from china selling for very very cheap.
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    • Profile picture of the author AadhyaMehra
      Banned
      Originally Posted by mevora View Post

      Pick up a specific niche with lease refunds and very clear product description. I would say pick up S4 cases
      Yeah I agree with you, it's a great idea, choosing a specific niche and sell your products with its description.
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  • Profile picture of the author aceriker
    cosmetics and T-shirt are famous among e-bay
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    Interested to develop booking and rental website then choose booking software , popular in developing clone script like groupon and airbnb clone

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    • Profile picture of the author Chris Pappin
      Create your own digital product cd's or dvd's and sell them on ebay or make your own custom jewelry and sell that it's light and cheap shipping
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  • Profile picture of the author iove234lifee
    I make quite a bit off goodwill, value village and other second hand stores, more and more people now do it, it's getting quite competitive and would like to switch to importing from china soon.
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    • Profile picture of the author Importexport
      Originally Posted by iove234lifee View Post

      I make quite a bit off goodwill, value village and other second hand stores, more and more people now do it, it's getting quite competitive and would like to switch to importing from china soon.
      Importing from China can provide you with unimaginably high profits BUT you must buy direct from manufacturers to achieve that.

      Most people will tell you tbat you can't buy small quantities direct from the factory in China, but I have people doing it every day. It can be done at genuine ex-factory prices. Many of them have started off with very limited amounts of cash.

      They do their homework first, knowing exactly how much they can be sure of selling for, calculating their selling cost, postage, etc, and this enables them to know how much they can afford to pay when buying in China.

      They can know their landed cost by getting the supplier to include a price for door to door courier delivery, or EMS. (International Express Post).

      Once you get these prices, unless you have been dealing with a trader or wholesaler masquerading as a manufacturer, you will know that even if the product moves slowly, you can liquidate at 50% off and still make a profit. If your funds are limited, put your profits back into ordering more until you build up your business.

      Most popular B2B portals have huge lists of suppliers listed as manufacturers but they are not. Wholesalers cannot give you a price anywhere near as low as the genuine manufacturers, because they buy from the manufacturers and add their substantial margin before quoting you.
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      Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
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      • Profile picture of the author thedog
        Originally Posted by Importexport View Post


        Most people will tell you tbat you can't buy small quantities direct from the factory in China, but I have people doing it every day. It can be done at genuine ex-factory prices. Many of them have started off with very limited amounts of cash.
        I live in China, and know I can get cheap goods from the factory. The main problem is shipping.

        I have used shipping services, like, sendfromchina.com a lot in the past, I was selling t shirts. Now, the shipping costs are lower than heading down to the post office, but still high, and the shipping times are just too long, and, a little unreliable. sendfromchina was ok, but my Chinese suppliers, who I had sending to sendfromchina.com, they let me down on ocassion.

        It only took a very few neg reviews, and boom, tanked my sales... this was a while back, learned a lot, and am now repairing the damage, as I plan to do Ebay the right way next time.

        I have an English friend, also living in the same town as me here in China. He's doing quite well on Ebay, learning a lot from him. He was using a Chinese shipping company, who has UK fulfillment. They first tried shipping directly from China, but it took too long. They then just filled up a pallet, sent it to the Chinese fulfillment warehouse in the UK. They actually got free storage for 2 years... the problem was, they messed up around 1 in every 10 orders... few neg feedback, really hurt their sales.

        Sending directly from China is too risky, takes too long... and the shipping can kill you if the item is over .2kg.

        How do you buy in small quantities from China and sell to the US, UK?

        Are you using a fulfillment company? Which one are you using?

        We're looking into UK based fulfillment companies, they're a little more expensive than the Chinese one, but look a lot more reliable.

        You really need to over deliver on each order guys, if your shipping is slow, unreliable, it will kill you.

        So, Importexport, once you've bought your small quantity directly from the manufacturer in China... then what?

        When you say small quantity, what do you mean exactly... one mans large quantity can be another mans small quantity. I'm thinking, someone with a couple of hundred dollars to spend, so, lets say, 50 cashmere scarves. How do you fulfill each order?
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        • Profile picture of the author jkicks
          This very interesting. .
          They said everything is made by the Chinese.
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        • Profile picture of the author Importexport
          Originally Posted by thedog View Post

          I live in China, and know I can get cheap goods from the factory. The main problem is shipping.

          I have used shipping services, like, sendfromchina.com a lot in the past, I was selling t shirts. Now, the shipping costs are lower than heading down to the post office, but still high, and the shipping times are just too long, and, a little unreliable. sendfromchina was ok, but my Chinese suppliers, who I had sending to sendfromchina.com, they let me down on ocassion.

          It only took a very few neg reviews, and boom, tanked my sales... this was a while back, learned a lot, and am now repairing the damage, as I plan to do Ebay the right way next time.

          I have an English friend, also living in the same town as me here in China. He's doing quite well on Ebay, learning a lot from him. He was using a Chinese shipping company, who has UK fulfillment. They first tried shipping directly from China, but it took too long. They then just filled up a pallet, sent it to the Chinese fulfillment warehouse in the UK. They actually got free storage for 2 years... the problem was, they messed up around 1 in every 10 orders... few neg feedback, really hurt their sales.

          Sending directly from China is too risky, takes too long... and the shipping can kill you if the item is over .2kg.

          1. How do you buy in small quantities from China and sell to the US, UK?

          2. Are you using a fulfillment company? Which one are you using?

          We're looking into UK based fulfillment companies, they're a little more expensive than the Chinese one, but look a lot more reliable.

          You really need to over deliver on each order guys, if your shipping is slow, unreliable, it will kill you.

          3. So, Importexport, once you've bought your small quantity directly from the manufacturer in China... then what?

          4. When you say small quantity, what do you mean exactly... one mans large quantity can be another mans small quantity. I'm thinking, someone with a couple of hundred dollars to spend, so, lets say, 50 cashmere scarves. How do you fulfill each order?
          Hi Rob,

          You have posed a number of questions. so I will number them in the quote and number my answers. Before I proceed with that, it appears to me that you are acting as a retailer sending the orders out from your own small inventory direct from China,.

          I know that presents quite a logistical problem for you, and that is something I may able to help with. Firstly your comments suggest to me that the item value to freight cost may be your problem. Although international air courier rates are among the most highly negotiable areas in business, there is a limit to how low you can get them to go and that may not be low enough if the product value is itself too low to absorb freight cost. Regarding fulfilment see my answer 1.

          Now to your questions:
          1. Almost 100% of the people I help are shipping the small shipments to themselves and are themselves then shipping the individual items to their customers in their own country. Some are using Amazon's fulfilment service and I have never seen any bad reports about that. You could possibly ship small bulk direct to Amazon and use their service in the UK and the USA.

          2. Although I ran an importing business for 22 years I am now in health enforced retirement so I no longer import anything. My former franchisees in 4 countries, including in the UK still do so, and they use my "just in time" ordering system which means they carry tiny inventories. They ship customer orders out themselves.

          3. I think answer 2. covers this.

          4. Small quantities can be as low as $200. In fact for all those years shipments were sometimes as low as $100, quite often below $500 and sometimes as big as $50,000, and you are quite right, some people would even class a $50,000 order as a small order

          I am pleased to note that you say you are buying direct from the factories because vast numbers of resellers are limiting their profitability because of the false idea that you can't buy small quantities direct from the factory.
          Signature
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          • Profile picture of the author thedog
            Originally Posted by Importexport View Post

            Hi Rob,

            You have posed a number of questions. so I will number them in the quote and number my answers. Before I proceed with that, it appears to me that you are acting as a retailer sending the orders out from your own small inventory direct from China,.

            I know that presents quite a logistical problem for you, and that is something I may able to help with. Firstly your comments suggest to me that the item value to freight cost may be your problem. Although international air courier rates are among the most highly negotiable areas in business, there is a limit to how low you can get them to go and that may not be low enough if the product value is itself too low to absorb freight cost. Regarding fulfilment see my answer 1.

            Now to your questions:
            1. Almost 100% of the people I help are shipping the small shipments to themselves and are themselves then shipping the individual items to their customers in their own country. Some are using Amazon's fulfilment service and I have never seen any bad reports about that. You could possibly ship small bulk direct to Amazon and use their service in the UK and the USA.

            2. Although I ran an importing business for 22 years I am now in health enforced retirement so I no longer import anything. My former franchisees in 4 countries, including in the UK still do so, and they use my "just in time" ordering system which means they carry tiny inventories. They ship customer orders out themselves.

            3. I think answer 2. covers this.

            4. Small quantities can be as low as $200. In fact for all those years shipments were sometimes as low as $100, quite often below $500 and sometimes as big as $50,000, and you are quite right, some people would even class a $50,000 order as a small order

            I am pleased to note that you say you are buying direct from the factories because vast numbers of resellers are limiting their profitability because of the false idea that you can't buy small quantities direct from the factory.
            Cheers. Cleared up a lot. I think the main hurdle for people, not living or visiting China is finding reputable, trusted suppliers.

            In my experience, you really need a Chinese friend to help you out, you get a much better safer deal.

            My friend has a Chinese business partner, actually 2, as his wife comes part of the deal... and for free

            I buy from Taobao, and need a Chinese friend to help me of course.

            But, then there's the trust factor... you really have to watch yourself out here, very cut throat.

            How do you suggest people find quality suppliers? I know there's a ton online, on the likes of Alibaba and madeinchina, but I wouldn't hand over any cash without having assurances, and even checking the stuff myself.

            Do you use product sourcers/quality control in China?

            I think to get the best deals in China, you really have to be here, or know someone here...

            Here's an excellent documentary about 3 UK businessmen, making their fortune in China... Anyone thinking of doing business in China needs to watch this,

            Check out Vance Miller especially, the guy's a legend.... favourite quote, "never bought a quarry before"

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            • Profile picture of the author Importexport
              Originally Posted by thedog View Post

              Cheers.Cleared up a lot. 1. I think the main hurdle for people, not living or visiting China is finding reputable, trusted suppliers.

              In my experience, you really need a Chinese friend to help you out, you get a much better safer deal.

              My friend has a Chinese business partner, actually 2, as his wife comes part of the deal... and for free

              2. I buy from Taobao, and need a Chinese friend to help me of course.

              3. But, then there's the trust factor... you really have to watch yourself out here, very cut throat.

              4. How do you suggest people find quality suppliers? I know there's a ton online, on the likes of Alibaba and madeinchina, but I wouldn't hand over any cash without having assurances, and even checking the stuff myself.

              5. Do you use product sourcers/quality control in China?

              6. I think to get the best deals in China, you really have to be here, or know someone here...

              Here's an excellent documentary about 3 UK businessmen, making their fortune in China... Anyone thinking of doing business in China needs to watch this,

              Check out Vance Miller especially, the guy's a legend.... favourite quote, "never bought a quarry before"

              Brits get rich in China - YouTube
              Hi thedog,

              Again I have numbered your points and will answer or comment on them in order.

              1. I have never had a problem finding reliable suppliers and my franchisees in my former importing business still use my safe sourcing system.

              2. Tabao is almost impossible for non Chinese speakers, even if they use an English translation. If buyers use a Chinese intermediary they have noe way of knowing if they are being ripped off. You will also find that Tabao has on their list a number of suppliers who offer big brand products and that can get people into big trouble. There are much better ways to locate reliable suppliers.

              3. I have never had a trust problem in 22 years of importing from China. Yes, it is a cut throat business if you source the wrong way, but once you know how to find reliable suppliers you can buy with confidence.

              4. First, check out any B2B portals you are thinking of using and see if they get many complaints. Have a look at http://ripoffreport.com Be sure that you are accurate when you type in the portal's name. I know one case in which a reliable site and a questionable site have the same name, but one is hyphenated, the other is not.
              I only recommend a couple of sites that I know to be safe.

              5. I have never used product sourcing agents or quality control inspectors in China. Sourcing is easy and if you start off the right way, quality control never becomes an issue. Every now and then I or one of my franchisees had to have goods replaced, but this was done without even having to ship the faulty goods back. There are ways to build a good relationship right from the beginning.

              6. For the first few years of my importing business, I visited China frequently. Then I learned how to do the sourcing without having to go there. I still visited quite a few times, but those visits were more in the nature of fact finding missions. Few of my franchisees ever visited China yet they have been sourcing products and operating with only minor problems for years.

              I hope this is of help to you and others who are keeping up with this thread.
              Signature
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            • Profile picture of the author johnzhang
              Originally Posted by thedog View Post

              Cheers. Cleared up a lot. I think the main hurdle for people, not living or visiting China is finding reputable, trusted suppliers.

              In my experience, you really need a Chinese friend to help you out, you get a much better safer deal.

              My friend has a Chinese business partner, actually 2, as his wife comes part of the deal... and for free

              I buy from Taobao, and need a Chinese friend to help me of course.

              But, then there's the trust factor... you really have to watch yourself out here, very cut throat.

              How do you suggest people find quality suppliers? I know there's a ton online, on the likes of Alibaba and madeinchina, but I wouldn't hand over any cash without having assurances, and even checking the stuff myself.

              Do you use product sourcers/quality control in China?

              I think to get the best deals in China, you really have to be here, or know someone here...

              Here's an excellent documentary about 3 UK businessmen, making their fortune in China... Anyone thinking of doing business in China needs to watch this,

              Check out Vance Miller especially, the guy's a legend.... favourite quote, "never bought a quarry before"
              we are always do this business ,three years to help many people buy from china and shipping from china ,product sourcers/quality control in China,
              recently a coustomer have a nice idea you can see start the business of selling from Taobao | China Wholesale & Buy Blog
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              • If you want to sell clothes, CD's DVD's, blu rays or stuff like try genco or lucky dollar

                (depending on where your at there may be more local return wholesalers that will save you on shipping

                I have been doing returns on ebay for 2 years, money is good but alot of work.

                Clothes i can get for a less than a dollar a pound bundled and palatalized

                Pulbi**ers Clear** Hou*** a dollar an item


                Lost of W**mart and Km**t stuff for that kind of start up money

                I only deal with the expensive hard to break stuff but i generally only through out 10-30% and pay anywhere from 5%-35% of wholesale price (plus shipping)

                Cheaper stuff in your price range will be more junk broken and nasty more like 30%-50% trash

                for tips or more info just inbox me or try out google!
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  • Profile picture of the author eClicker
    Hi,

    You may want to consider doing an Amazon to ebay arbitrage business. I became a power seller on ebay with this business model.

    All the best,
    E
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    • Profile picture of the author SuccessMarketer
      Originally Posted by eClicker View Post

      Hi,

      You may want to consider doing an Amazon to ebay arbitrage business. I became a power seller on ebay with this business model.

      All the best,
      E
      Did you drop ship them to Ebay customers directly...?
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  • Profile picture of the author daleron
    "What to sell on eBay" tells me the OP doesnt want to put the effort into finding a niche"

    Look I'm just here getting ideas OK pal...I have a niche. I'm a top rated powerseller. That took me five months to achieve. I sell a product that CAN'T be manufactured in the Far East so I don't have that competition. Ebay just upped my selling limit to 900 auctions a month and I'm just here getting ideas.

    I don't believe in all this calculated risk bullshit...save that for the classroom or for the newbies who think you're onto something. I'm a blue collar grinder. I put project after project out and the ones that catch I tweak the shit out of the sales pitch till it reads like a well oiled machine.

    I'm not going to argue on this forum. I did that over a decade ago when Armand Morin and others gave Guru advice without acting like guru's

    To all who threw out ideas...I THANK YOU...I'll go through them and see if I can stumble onto something. Thanks again. I really appreciate it
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    • Profile picture of the author thedog
      Something that CANT be copied in China, I'm intrigued



      Originally Posted by daleron View Post

      "What to sell on eBay" tells me the OP doesnt want to put the effort into finding a niche"

      Look I'm just here getting ideas OK pal...I have a niche. I'm a top rated powerseller. That took me five months to achieve. I sell a product that CAN'T be manufactured in the Far East so I don't have that competition. Ebay just upped my selling limit to 900 auctions a month and I'm just here getting ideas.

      I don't believe in all this calculated risk bullshit...save that for the classroom or for the newbies who think you're onto something. I'm a blue collar grinder. I put project after project out and the ones that catch I tweak the shit out of the sales pitch till it reads like a well oiled machine.

      I'm not going to argue on this forum. I did that over a decade ago when Armand Morin and others gave Guru advice without acting like guru's

      To all who threw out ideas...I THANK YOU...I'll go through them and see if I can stumble onto something. Thanks again. I really appreciate it
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    • Profile picture of the author cheddarben
      If you find your product.... please update us. I look forward to learning how you found your niche and if it is working out for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author affilorama-portal
    I would recommend you sell customized items. Fiverr is a good site to get cheap graphics. You can use the designs to customize items like shirts, stickers, bookmarks, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author flowerz
    Very nice post Importexport. Totally agree on that.
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  • Profile picture of the author mominternet
    Basics you will need...
    1. Business Paypal or other 3rd party payment processing system to accept credit cards.
    2. Simple business books - keep accurate records of transactions
    3. eBay account - a great way to establish yourself when you are starting out
    4. Research to find what drop shipping products sell

    Best wishes to you.
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    • Profile picture of the author QuoteUS
      Why not check out some local businesses to see if they would like you to sell their overstock? Plenty of local companies have excess stock taking up extra storage room. Some are eager to work out a deal with you - even if you don't pay for the item until it gets sold.

      • Pawnshops
      • Mom and Pop Retailers - clothes, toys, crafts, fabrics, etc.
      • Commercial 2nd hand store, and possibly even charity 2nd hand stores
      • Local manufacturers
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  • Profile picture of the author acw
    good thread
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  • Profile picture of the author Silverton
    I have had good success with making CD products, the more of a niche the better. If you don't want to make your own, there are literally thousands of ebooks and audio that are in the public domain which you can repackage and sell as your own.
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  • Profile picture of the author johnzhang
    Originally Posted by daleron View Post

    I know...same old question

    I'm looking for items that are small, light, easy to ship with only about $200 to $400 start up cost.

    I'm aloud over 700 auctions a month now so even if the profit is only $2 to $3 (after product cost, ebay and paypal fees) thats fine.

    P.S. I did do a search before I posted and didn't find any good ideas. I guess nobody wants to give good ideas away...I don't blame you...just thought I'd try.

    Thanks for any ideas, Dale
    what item you wan to sell ?
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    • Profile picture of the author sanusense
      I have seen in past the most selling stuffs on ebay are the gaming stuffs, so if i would get a opportunity i will probably place a Video game or game dvds for sale. Just because they ain't so big for shipping.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ihasnogoodname
    I have read a lot of Ebay selling tips and it seems like a lot of people have success buying and reselling. Some people mentioned shopping cheap stores for seasonal items and selling them, stuff for Christmas as an example. You buy it cheap earlier in the year and then you can sell it later when everybody wants that "Antique Christmas plate". Figuring out demand helps.

    Also selling stuff around your house (Barely used clothing, electronics you never use, computer parts etc) can be profitable for quick money.
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  • Who cares what it is?

    So long as it is PROFITABLE and LEGAL.

    Just don't make the mistake by buying something 'just to see how it goes'.

    Big mistake - and something I have to reiterate over, and over, and over again.

    I feel it's almost a personal crusade now.
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    • Profile picture of the author thedog
      As long as you move away from the herd, you'll be grand. I'm finding loads of niches, some pretty strange stuff, that doesn't have too much competition.

      As long as it's ethical and legit, I don't really care either what it is.

      eBay's Most Watched/Popular Items and Auctions [USA] + How Many Watchers - WatchCount.com℠ is a great resource... careful, you could spend hours on there!
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      • A friend of mine that now sells returns used to sell used socks, (before they banned it)

        She would hire feet models then take pictures of them with and without the socks then would put them on auction.

        There is a lot of fetishes out there that can be very lucrative.
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        • Profile picture of the author thedog
          Originally Posted by piedmonttradingpost View Post

          A friend of mine that now sells returns used to sell used socks, (before they banned it)

          She would hire feet models then take pictures of them with and without the socks then would put them on auction.

          There is a lot of fetishes out there that can be very lucrative.
          ha ha, that's class... they banned it! and I thought banning E Cigs was dumb.

          I'm in China, I may give that a go on Taobao!

          Feet models and socks are both pretty cheap here!!!
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          • Profile picture of the author Importexport
            Currently I am helping someone decide what products to sell. This is not my forte, but I suggested that she look at sold items on eBay, check out current listings etc., and both she and I were surprised at how many products have a high sold % but have negligible competition.

            Next step was to guide her with sourcing and sure enough those items can be bought in small quantities direct from manufacturers in China (and one other country) with staggering profit margins. Incidentally there are only two suppliers offering those products. That probably accounts for the very small number of listings on eBay.

            I happen to know the end market for those products and the demand is huge. This all goes to show that there are profitable niche markets out there to be found.
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            • Profile picture of the author raiko
              I remember seeing a lot of fetish stuff on eBay such as the above mentioned socks as well as dirty slippers (they had to be really used), and, believe it or not enemas. Murderabilia was a big thing for a while too. eBay put an end to almost all of it a few years back. It's weird what people will buy. It teaches you never to underestimate the market.

              Personally, I buy used media such as books, CD's, DVD's and vintage items and resell them ob eBay. It's work but the money can be pretty good. You can start with very little money and a smart phone if you have to.
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  • Profile picture of the author SuperKC
    I have a billion insane products I used to sell for kicks and made great money but now that I only do 'big' projects I can't mess with that stuff anymore. I'll be glad to share.. like the time I bought curtain rods from Lowes and sold them as Magic Wands on ebay.. made a MINT. Idiots.
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    • Profile picture of the author MrJohns
      Originally Posted by SuperKC View Post

      I have a billion insane products I used to sell for kicks and made great money but now that I only do 'big' projects I can't mess with that stuff anymore. I'll be glad to share.. like the time I bought curtain rods from Lowes and sold them as Magic Wands on ebay.. made a MINT. Idiots.
      That's funny. I've seen people selling just a box on eBay claiming that there is a "real live ghost inside" going for like $25-30. People are retarded. But hey, if it sells, sell it.
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      • Originally Posted by MrJohns View Post

        That's funny. I've seen people selling just a box on eBay claiming that there is a "real live ghost inside" going for like $25-30. People are retarded. But hey, if it sells, sell it.
        That's going to be taken down really quick.

        That's actually a listing violation as you can't really sell an 'apparition' on eBay. If you see it, report it, and it will be taken down pretty quick.

        "Intangible items--things that people won't be able to use or be able to confirm whether they've received the items
        Items where the value is placed on an intangible factor. For example, listings that offer someone's "soul" or a container that claims to have someone's "soul" are not allowed.
        Listings that have no item or service for sale
        Listings that tell people to contact the seller for info, including buying the item outside of eBay (see also our policy about avoiding eBay fees)"

        (From No item listings and inappropriate comments policy)
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        • Profile picture of the author Importexport
          Originally Posted by Auctiondebteliminator View Post

          That's going to be taken down really quick.

          That's actually a listing violation as you can't really sell an 'apparition' on eBay. If you see it, report it, and it will be taken down pretty quick.

          "Intangible items--things that people won't be able to use or be able to confirm whether they've received the items
          Items where the value is placed on an intangible factor. For example, listings that offer someone's "soul" or a container that claims to have someone's "soul" are not allowed.
          Listings that have no item or service for sale
          Listings that tell people to contact the seller for info, including buying the item outside of eBay (see also our policy about avoiding eBay fees)"

          (From No item listings and inappropriate comments policy)
          Thanks ADE. It's good to see that someone reads the fine print and can make it clear to those who don't bother.

          As the saying goes: "The devil is in the detail", but people continue to get a great idea and rush in without really knowing what they are doing.
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  • Profile picture of the author TemperThompson
    Halloween goods are pretty profitable, you can only sell them one time of the year though, but it has huge demand each year!
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    • Profile picture of the author thedog
      Originally Posted by TemperThompson View Post

      Halloween goods are pretty profitable, you can only sell them one time of the year though, but it has huge demand each year!
      Very stiff and established competition though... maybe if you found a specific niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author kite6w
    Would anyone think selling bulky items feasible, especially importing? I have done a lot of research and able to find things to sell now.
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    • Profile picture of the author thedog
      Originally Posted by kite6w View Post

      Would anyone think selling bulky items feasible, especially importing? I have done a lot of research and able to find things to sell now.
      I wouldn't rule it out. I've found an item I can have made here in China, that's heavy. It would cost around $120 to ship... but I can still offer it cheaper than the competition and make a $100 profit per order.

      So, sure, as long as your making a profit, why not.
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  • Profile picture of the author aluck19
    Rather selling on ebay you can better try tabao which can facilitate in many ways, if you are going for a big deal then you can even appoint a taobao agent who can help you to get discounts and your task becomes easy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tdavis
    The best nich that fill your description is - Jeweleries!!
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  • When you research an item to sell - whether it be eBay, website, or other venue, just don't assume it will sell because a lot of people have/want it.

    You need actual numbers and data to back it up.

    Make sure it is IN demand, you have MANAGEABLE competition, and it has COMMERCIAL INTENTION.

    Otherwise you'll be buried. You have to find a balance.
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  • Profile picture of the author Benht
    Some of the niches you might want to consider:

    Electronic and cellphone accessories
    Jewellery
    Art
    Apparel/Accessories
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  • Profile picture of the author startup
    Originally Posted by daleron View Post

    I know...same old question

    I'm looking for items that are small, light, easy to ship with only about $200 to $400 start up cost.

    I'm aloud over 700 auctions a month now so even if the profit is only $2 to $3 (after product cost, ebay and paypal fees) thats fine.

    P.S. I did do a search before I posted and didn't find any good ideas. I guess nobody wants to give good ideas away...I don't blame you...just thought I'd try.

    Thanks for any ideas, Dale
    If you know what to look for you can find branded items at dollar stores and liquidation stores etc that can be presented to a hungry market for decent returns. The item the market, the packaging, quantities are all important.

    Stay away from products that are prone to returns when purchased from discounters especially such as electronics or anything that needs batteries. It is a good way to profit while you learn and grow if you want test and build
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    • Profile picture of the author salehoo
      Originally Posted by startup View Post

      Stay away from products that are prone to returns when purchased from discounters especially such as electronics or anything that needs batteries. It is a good way to profit while you learn and grow if you want test and build
      I completely agree with this! Accessories for electronics that aren't actually electronic themselves can be a really good option instead though. Much of the popularity, not so much risk.

      There's some info about cellphone stands for example here: Wholesale Cellphone Stand | SaleHoo

      Market research (which looks promising), types of stands, pros and cons for selling them.... I thought it'd be particularly useful here because two of the pros are that they're light so cheap and easy shipping, as well as being non-electronic so low risk.

      Worth a look anyway. Hope that helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author marco005
    Hy,

    I sell webdesign services on ebay (Europe) since last year.
    It's not a huge income- a little but nice income.

    Last year from Dec-May I got 2-3 clients every month.
    But now from Juni- today (September) no one sale, absolute nothing.

    I don't know what is wrong here, bad ebay karma or something...

    Had satisfied clients, references, but non of the satisfied clients can bring me into a network where I get more new clients, they are "mayflies".

    I have an basic store, so that ebay shows my full profile, but I had 48 positive likes in the past,but now ebay shows only 20 likes- the others are gone?

    What is wrong here?

    best wishes
    marco005
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