Big Bucks With Ebay Part 1

Big Bucks on eBay Part 1
Author: Angela Anthony

EBay has become the world’s largest online retailer. Basically, an online flea market, eBay provides a safe online marketplace where anyone can trade products with confidence. Tens of millions of people, worldwide, buy and sell millions of new and used merchandise on eBay every day, and with a customer base that large, you have at your disposal, customers with a need for what you are offering.

There are many people who make a living trading on eBay or who have made a living trading on eBay. Many people start off with items they already have, listing such items as clothing, toys, antiques, jewelry, automobiles, electronics, etc. Any item that you feel that may be of some value to others might be worth looking into. You can always search eBay to see if an item you have is selling, and the price for which it is selling.

Many people choose to make a business out of their eBay sales. Knowing what to sell or what’s selling is not a difficult task.

EBay’s Advance Search is one strategy to use is to search for items that have sold. By clicking on the Advanced Search link located at the top of eBay pages, and entering your keyword, whatever it is that you’re searching for, and selecting the Completed listings only checkbox, you will find out if items have sold, and what they sold for.
EBay’s Seller Central’s “What’s Hot” section helps to keep you on top of the “hot” items selling on eBay. In this section of eBay, you will find the Hot Categories Report which is updated monthly. This report lists what’s Super Hot, Very Hot, and Hot in each of the selling categories.
There are also hundreds of eBay statistics tools available on the web, such as Vendio, one of eBay’s first developer partners. With Vendio’s Sales Analyzer, you can understand eBay sales and improve your profits by getting a clear snapshot of sales history and recommendations to help you better optimize your sales, for $5.95 a month.
You can also search the categories listings to see what is selling.
Once you have decided on what you’d like to sell, you will need sources in which to purchase your goods. The idea is to buy low and sell high. There are hundreds of thousands of wholesale sources on the web that offer just about anything you’re looking for. It is very important that you do your homework and research various wholesale sources before you make any decisions. There are many wholesale sources on the web that sale wholesaler lists that are nothing more than fronts for middlemen and not true wholesalers. Many more sell lists of wholesalers without checking to see if the companies still exist or checking to see if they deal with small businesses. Many people have wasted money trying to buy merchandise from wholesalers that either require thousands of dollars in initial orders or unreasonable account setup fees. Any distributor who wants you to pay a “membership” or “setup” fee is probably not a true Wholesale Supplier. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s too good to be true.

There are reputable sources out there, you just have to do your homework. Alibaba (alibaba.com) is one of the sources used my many. Alibaba has millions of selling leads from around the world, and specializes in business-to-business trades, especially for international buyers trying to get into contact with Chinese sellers. With their Gold Supplier and TrustPass programs, Alibaba endeavors to provide transparency on the identity and legitimacy of your trading partner. Some people only conduct business with members that are TrustPass members. Of course, you should always do your own research when dealing with anyone supplier.

Another good source (if you are able to travel), is New York’s Wholesale District, especially if you’re looking for jewelry, clothing, and accessories. Most of the stores in this district require that you have a tax id number. Good bargains at wholesale prices are also found on New York’s Canal Street.

There are eBayers that search sales advertisements or other discount sources and try to find merchandise that is heavily discounted enough to buy and resell on eBay and make a profit. Some people even clip coupons from the newspaper and mailers, and sell them on eBay. Check eBay for various store coupons and you’ll see how it is being done. The key here is volume.

Local Auctions are also a good resource for finding things to sell on eBay. Check your local paper for upcoming auctions in your area. Depending on type of auction, you may be able to view a list of items available for auction or even view the items beforehand. This would be helpful because you could search eBay to see if any of the items available for local auction, are selling on eBay, and for what price.

State Surplus Auctions auction surplus property generated by the state government. These are usually one day auctions. You can sign up for notifications of upcoming auctions through your official state website. You can usually find good bargains at these auctions, including properties and automobiles, and you can preview items beforehand.

There are also auction and surplus resources on the internet. GovSales.gov and GSA Auctions are products of the Federal Government which features government assets available for sale. GovSales.gov allows the public to search assets available for sale, and makes it much easier for the public to find and purchase real estate and personal property from the federal government.

Liquidation.com is a business surplus auction that sells a wide variety of products such as apparel, computers, electronics, housewares, industrial equipment, vehicles, and more. Products are auctioned in single to bulk lots that range from new in a box to customer returns and used. Registration is free and easy. GoWholesale, a division of Liquidation.com, is a source that helps wholesale buyers connect with wholesale suppliers. Many auction sellers use goWholesale to find the products, services, and information they need for their businesses. You can find just about anything through these surplus and wholesale sources.

Trade Shows are also great venues for buying items at wholesale or discounted costs. As a jewelry seller on eBay, I got my start by attending a jewelry trade show in my area. I picked up some unique pieces and my first thought was to sell them on eBay. Before leaving the show, I made sure I had the contact information of the seller because I thought that I might purchase more from the seller. I photographed my items, wrote my descriptions, and posted my auctions. The items sold like hot cakes. I immediately called the seller and ordered more. It wasn’t long before I became a Power Seller on eBay.