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Starting out small... but how small, is too small?

by ERPLeadsWriter
10 replies
I've mentioned in my other thread that I'm trying to turn my trading card hobby into a little online business (on ebay) so it could be more profitable (or at least bite smaller holes in my pocket ).

One of the common tips I got was to start out small. I know that's only common sense but somehow, I feel like I may have hit another road block. >_<;;

Simply put, I fear I might not have enough to sell. It kinda bugs me already that I don't have anything valuable to begin with. I only have one or two items that could be considered rare but their value isn't pretty high either.

So what should I do? Should I buy a few more booster packs or something or should I just go with what I have?
#small #starting
  • Profile picture of the author Eddie Titan
    How about becoming the middle man for a while.

    Find people who are looking to sell valuable trading cards and find people who are looking to buy valuable trading cards. Sell the trading cards for a profit or a fee.

    The web is a great place to start something like this (not saying that there isn't someone already doing this) because you can get in touch with a lot more prospects online as apposed to offline.

    Establish a business presence that allows people from both sides to get in touch with you.

    Once you are making money, you will be able to collect/buy in bulk and sell to people from your own inventory.
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  • Profile picture of the author RobKonrad
    Hey there,

    don't worry, it's not about the size, it's all about technique!

    I go with the previous poster - that's the nice thing about the internet - you can start out with nothing! Just the knowledge of thing alone is an asset that you can turn into a business.

    So go ahead, get a website up, talk about your hobby, and start from there!

    Cheers
    Rob Konrad
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    • Profile picture of the author ERPLeadsWriter
      Originally Posted by Eddie Titan View Post

      Find people who are looking to sell valuable trading cards and find people who are looking to buy valuable trading cards. Sell the trading cards for a profit or a fee.

      The web is a great place to start something like this (not saying that there isn't someone already doing this) because you can get in touch with a lot more prospects online as apposed to offline.

      Establish a business presence that allows people from both sides to get in touch with you.

      Once you are making money, you will be able to collect/buy in bulk and sell to people from your own inventory.
      Originally Posted by RobKonrad View Post

      don't worry, it's not about the size, it's all about technique!

      I go with the previous poster - that's the nice thing about the internet - you can start out with nothing! Just the knowledge of thing alone is an asset that you can turn into a business.

      So go ahead, get a website up, talk about your hobby, and start from there!
      Thanks guys, at first I was hesitant about the whole middle-man thing but you guys just made me remember this friend I had. I think he's pretty much doing what you're suggesting. Maybe I should ask for his advice too.

      Okay, I'll try to see what he has to say. Keep the advice coming though!
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  • Profile picture of the author Goliath
    Just wanted to say that the way you "structured" your signature is brilliant! hehehe...
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  • Profile picture of the author BlackRob
    It does not matter whether you start big or small really. What you need to worry about is getting the page right on ebay so you attract buyers really.

    Also, if you still feel as though you don't have enough, then become a middle man, and sell things for others at a profit.
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    • Profile picture of the author Silas Hart
      It does matter how small you start out at.

      eBay is where I've made my money at, so I consider myself a guru in this area.

      There are millions of people like you, right now, on eBay. Many people trying to turn a couple hundred bucks and a couple boxes of baseball cards or model trains or vintage clothing into a full fledged business. Sure, a business might be considered something that brings you $20 in profit each month but lets be serious here, $20 a month isn't going to contribute much.

      You can split eBay sellers up into 2 categories, those who just want to recycle their goods online and get a little something out of what they own and have no use for, and then you have people who analyze profit, invest, and see their eBay business as a mere branch of their overall business. With both of these groups, 92% ( a percentage based off of my "Profit from eBay" classes ) of people have less than $1,000 to invest into their online venture, and because eBay is cut throat marketplace meaning the cheapest makes the sale and everyone else walks, you have sometimes hundreds of people in categories fighting over scraps. So, if you are smart and you can plan and you have just a little bit above that $1,000 investment you can exceed the large pool of people fighting over bread crumbs and enter the market with a large volume of products in different categories and with a couple continual reinvestments, you are making $3,000/mo comfortably.

      I gave my brother $2,000 last February to get started, I showed him how to find goods at garage sales, auctions, flea markets, storage unit auctions, craigslist, and we just started calculating his monthly income as of yesterday with it being near the end of the year, and in the last half of the year he was making on average, $4,200 a month from a $2,000 investment. If I have given him a $500 investment, he could have been like the thousands of other people and tried to do something like buy a cheap car in need of a good cleaning and hoping it would bring him a $1,000 profit, but those deals are so few and far between and so competitive that he wouldn't have stood a chance. eBay is the same way.

      You need money invested into different-categorized volume. That way if just 1 item within 1 specific category sells per day, you can still rest knowing that the other 1 item per day sales in 1 different categories will still be sold increasing your daily overall profit.
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  • Profile picture of the author jsanders4588
    Every successful business starts small..

    You'll never know that this 2 item will bring you to your success. Just be creative and think positive.

    Good Luck!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author nicelife
    Seriously ... take one step at a time and don't think to far, because if you start thinking about every problem that might eventually come down the road you'll probably end up getting nowhere!

    Take those two items that you have and start with them, write the best copy you can and try to get them sold.

    If you can just get pass your fear of not knowing how to solve potential future problems and get something done, you are much more likely to get somewhere with you business.

    Focus on: Getting them sold on Ebay : nothing else!

    The rest will take care of itself.
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    • Profile picture of the author ERPLeadsWriter
      Originally Posted by BlackRob View Post

      It does not matter whether you start big or small really. What you need to worry about is getting the page right on ebay so you attract buyers really.
      Do I need HTML know-how? I can't say I'm very good... (even before I shifted from Computer Science back when I was in college ).

      Originally Posted by FaJeeb View Post

      You can split eBay sellers up into 2 categories, those who just want to recycle their goods online and get a little something out of what they own and have no use for, and then you have people who analyze profit, invest, and see their eBay business as a mere branch of their overall business. With both of these groups, 92% ( a percentage based off of my "Profit from eBay" classes ) of people have less than $1,000 to invest into their online venture, and because eBay is cut throat marketplace meaning the cheapest makes the sale and everyone else walks, you have sometimes hundreds of people in categories fighting over scraps. So, if you are smart and you can plan and you have just a little bit above that $1,000 investment you can exceed the large pool of people fighting over bread crumbs and enter the market with a large volume of products in different categories and with a couple continual reinvestments, you are making $3,000/mo comfortably.

      I gave my brother $2,000 last February to get started, I showed him how to find goods at garage sales, auctions, flea markets, storage unit auctions, craigslist, and we just started calculating his monthly income as of yesterday with it being near the end of the year, and in the last half of the year he was making on average, $4,200 a month from a $2,000 investment. If I have given him a $500 investment, he could have been like the thousands of other people and tried to do something like buy a cheap car in need of a good cleaning and hoping it would bring him a $1,000 profit, but those deals are so few and far between and so competitive that he wouldn't have stood a chance. eBay is the same way.

      You need money invested into different-categorized volume. That way if just 1 item within 1 specific category sells per day, you can still rest knowing that the other 1 item per day sales in 1 different categories will still be sold increasing your daily overall profit.
      A thousand bucks huh? Normally, that would scare me. But... I guess you're talking long term (at least I think you are), thanks for telling me beforehand. It actually helps to know how much I'll be spending first to start getting bigger.

      Originally Posted by nicelife View Post

      Seriously ... take one step at a time and don't think to far, because if you start thinking about every problem that might eventually come down the road you'll probably end up getting nowhere!

      Take those two items that you have and start with them, write the best copy you can and try to get them sold.

      If you can just get pass your fear of not knowing how to solve potential future problems and get something done, you are much more likely to get somewhere with you business.

      Focus on: Getting them sold on Ebay : nothing else!

      The rest will take care of itself.
      Okay, I'll try to apply for a credit card this week and sign up for a PayPal account.
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  • Profile picture of the author Power Solutions
    Pay attention to FaJeeb! eBay is no longer the place it started out to be. You have major players on there, even wholesalers and importers themselves undercutting the same people they are supplying for eBay sales. Direct imports from China, drop shipped from China, fakes mixed in with reals, etc. You will either have to have rare items that everyone wants or have the cheapest price. I highly advise you not trying to compete on price.

    You can try becoming a trading card eBay sales expert in your area. Try consignment sales. Or become an expert in what is rare and scrounge around the local stores / garage sales. You could even try asking all the local stores if they want you to try selling some of their inventory as consignment.
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