Products You Can Sell On EBay For Profit
When selling products on eBay or from a personal website, your best bet is usually to build a solid product line sourced from a dropshipper or wholesaler. Selling a steady product line allows you to open an eBay store and build a name for yourself as the best supplier of Barbie dollhouse furniture or laptop bags. However, there are times when you might want to supplement your dropship or wholesale products with items from another source.
When is a good time to supplement dropship products?
1.When you’re just getting started on eBay, you might want to sell a variety of items to boost your customer satisfaction rating.
2. Around the holidays you might want to sell theme items like Easter baskets or Christmas stockings.
3. Before committing to a dropshipper or wholesaler, you may want to test the saleability of a new item by selling a few samples on eBay.
Where can you find products to supplement your dropship and wholesale items?
1.Costco and Sam’s Club
It may seem ridiculous that you can purchase items from Cosco and Sam’s Club and re-sell them on eBay for a profit – after all, aren’t eBay shoppers looking for a great deal? Won’t they know they can get the item cheaper at Cosco? Not necessarily – remember, a lot of people don’t have Cosco or Sam’s Club memberships, or simply haven’t seen the item you’re selling. I’ve seen gift baskets, calling cards, tools, and barbeques from Cosco and Sam’s Club sold for profit on eBay. It’s not always a staggering profit margin – the calling cards might be marked up $5 or $6, the tool sets $10 – $20, but it only takes a few supplementary sales per day to boost your profit margin significantly.
2.Outlet Malls
The great thing about outlet malls is you can purchase brand-name clothes for heavily discounted prices. Brand-name clothing sells very well on eBay, especially when you can advertise it as “tags still on”. Jones New York, Ralph Lauren, Nike, Adidas, Tommy Bahama, and Victoria’s Secret outlet stores are all a great place to find clearance clothing you can sell for profit on eBay.
3.Thrift Stores and Flea Markets
There are a ton of products at thrift stores and flea markets which can be re-sold on eBay for profit. Matching dish sets, tea pots, gently used brand-name clothing, anything leather, and vintage toys are all great finds. Cashmere, old lace, and antique buttons are also good. The more “like new” your purchases are, the better your chances of making a buck. Try to visit thrift stores on the day they put out their new merchandise, and arrive early to flea markets and bazaars – the best deals will be snatched up early.
4.Garage sales
Like thrift stores and flea markets, the key is to arrive early, cash in hand. Don’t be afraid to bargain, especially later in the day. Most people are trying to get rid of unwanted items – they’re not too particular about the price. Try offering, say, $10 for an entire box of children’s clothing, or $5 for a box full of old paperbacks or cosmetics. Look for products still in the original package and anything brand-name. Cowboy boots, brand-name perfume (even if the bottle is only 3/4 full), and gift items are all good garage sale discoveries.
What are the most important things to remember when selling supplementary products on eBay?
1.Research Before You Buy
I really can’t stress this enough – don’t just wander around your neighborhood, buying every piece of junk people have for sale. Make a list of products you think you can sell for profit on eBay: “Victoria’s Secret robe from outlet mall, china tea set from thrift store, leather cowboy boots from garage sale, etc.” Then, research those items on eBay. Perform an advanced search to determine what price similar products are selling for. Write down the prices – if you know that tea sets sell for around $20, you know you’re not going to make a profit unless you can buy yours for $10. Make a note of which products aren’t selling well, which markets are too saturated. Doing your research ahead of time will help avoid you stocking your house full of flea market items you have no hope of re-selling.
2. Stick with your strengths.
If you’re a fashionista, look for costume jewelry, vintage granny sweaters, lace dresses, and Burberry scarves at your local thrift store. If your style is more Rush Limbaugh than Michelle Obama, you should probably avoid purchasing trendy apparel items and stick with something you do know, like cookware or tool sets.
For more tips on selling garage sale and thrift store items on eBay, check out this blog post: Selling Antique, Used, And Specialty Products On EBay.
