posted on February 2, 2002 10:30:07 PM new
do you expect anyone to hand you the silver platter,hey sweetie,take the dough.
or rather like paypal said of billpoint-take food from your baby 's mouth.
posted on February 3, 2002 07:42:27 PM new
I don't expect anyone to hand me anything, but when I have a good product I sometimes tell people. And I'm just looking for ideas. It could be a type of product for example that I can get locally (Boston) and someone else couldn't get... or doesn't want to be bothered with. Or "gasp" there could be a wholesaler looking to sell me something
posted on February 3, 2002 08:44:07 PM new
how about lobsters??
cherrystone clams??
bread pudding??
clam chowder??
i envy you.
i have some interesting items i can sell you wholesale ,give me your email addr and we can talk turkey
posted on February 3, 2002 10:30:20 PM new
You know sometimes you people get me very, very exasperated. All this person is doing is asking for hints.
You don't like what she has to say, then ignore her- don't start getting sarcastic or nasty.
As for me, I do not think I am eBay's greatest seller but two things go well for me. Handmade items and clothes- especially young children's clothes that I find at garage sales or flea markets. Not much help there unless you are crafty (not sly-just like making things. LOL).
If you are, I have some crochet instruction booklets and other craft books you might like. My eyesight is preventing me from doing the finer crochet work any more. I am willing to share with you what I have. Contact me at [email protected] That is my personal email name. Be sure to use something like crochet books in the subject line because lately the porno sites have been attacking me and I delete without opening a lot of mail.
[ edited by curlectables on Feb 3, 2002 10:34 PM ]
posted on February 3, 2002 11:11:29 PM newcurlectables What a nice person you are. When I came home from the Superbowl game I sat down and read this thread and all the stupid and hurtful things people said. What is so hard about be civil and helping people get ahead. I know it's hard to give up any ideas of what you are selling but he/she just asked for ideas. If you come into this discussion group very few posters give up what they sell, but there are some that do. If I were you I would just sit and search ebay in many different catagories and see what is selling. Sell things that you like or have knowledge of. I don't have much wealth but I have knowledge and I like to share. Me I go to the estate sales and the thrift shops because I have no room to buy pallets. I find enough items there to supplement my income. If you are going to do eBay as a business, I have no idea what you should sell. So Good Luck in what every you decide to do. Good descriptions, but mainly if you are selling used clothing etc. make sure it is clean and doesn't smell of smoke or perfume. Just my suggestion.
posted on February 4, 2002 02:20:42 AM new
I don't think anybody is really being rude to this person. I think people here are sick and tired of others coming on this board and asking in a very subtle way, "what do you sell that's good, and where can I get that item?"
Ebay is saturated with competition. The cost of doing business on ebay has gone up. The cost of Paypal, along with many others, is another factor in doing business here. These costs all add up and the pie can only be sliced so thin. So when a person asks for "hints", he is really asking for information. Whenever a person asks for information, they have a need to act on that information. This is information that nobody can afford to give out.
I use this board to ask for information on problems concerning transactions that have already taken place. I have never asked anyone for the names of thier suppliers. That would be similar to the engineers at Ford going to Chevy and asking to look at next year's models. Doesn't make sense does it?
I found ebay in 1998 through an internet search. I taught myself how to use my computer amd how to do ebay. Many times it was trial and error. I spent the time to find my sources making many, many phone calls and putting the miles on my car. Sometimes, I drive 75 miles to get one. Over the last four years, I've spent literally hundreds of hours surfing on ebay to see what others sell.
drbrownauctions You need to re-think your position. I don't really think there is a person in Boston (or anyplace else) waiting for for you, so they can sell exclusively to you, and refusing to sell to anyone else. If you are in business, then you will know that business lives on research too. If you've come to this street corner to panhandle for free information on seller sources, then try another corner.
posted on February 4, 2002 07:51:19 AM new
To drbrownauctions..........
Bless your heart! You didn't know you were inviting this barrage of ungenerous eBayers when you simply asked a question.
Try to find a merchandise liquidator in your area...some even have auctions. Estate sales, yard sales, local auctions...those are all good, too. If you could hook up with a wholesaler, that must be the answer, because so many have multiples of items they must have gotten cheap somewhere. I don't know how to go about that, either, but I believe that's the question you're asking. Perhaps others may help. Good Luck.
Joette
posted on February 4, 2002 08:28:42 AM new
I really don't think people were being mean--they were just having some fun because of another couple of threads that were running. Anyhow that's the way I see it.
As far as finding items to sell, what do you know best and what do you like? Put the name of the item plus the word 'wholesale' in a search engine like Google and you should get lots of results.
See how the item is selling on ebay but that doesn't mean that you will get the same results if you try to sell.
Register yourself as a business and go to some trade shows and see the products available. Do some research on them but remember that if something is selling hot today it may not be that way tomorrow so be careful how much money you spend on one item.
Many people have found their own little niche and they aren't about to give up the information as there is already enough competition breathing down their necks. It doesn't mean they are cruel, it is like yeager says, it takes hours of time and work and you have to be willing to do it to be successful.
posted on February 4, 2002 03:31:01 PM new
If you want to know what sells good,check and see what the Power sellers are giving away and sell it at the Flea Market.But don't waste your time with it on E-bay. Leave that to the fools that are hungry.
posted on February 4, 2002 06:19:20 PM new
This response is just so much spitting in the wind if the original poster only wants to be told what sells well and where to get it.
(And in my experience, many people want it made as easy for them as possible. Some of them won't be satisfied with the phone numbers of your suppliers; they'll whine that you haven't come to their house and dialed the phone for them.
Business doesn't work that way, though.)
My suggestions:
Instead of waiting to be spoonfed, take some time to look into how entrepreneurs got going. Everybody started from zero, except those fortunate few who inherited a business. Lillian Vernon's bio is a little whiny and more than a bit self-serving, but if a pregnant housewife can figure out what might sell well through the mail, can't you?
Get out of the house and get around. Attend general auctions, maybe even storage auctions if you feel brave and lucky. Watch for Going Out of Business sales. Make a deal to clean up the leftovers.
Have you bought some product recently that's hard to get in stores but you really, really like? I did. I'll be selling them on eBay soon.
Start looking at *everything* with an eye towards eBaying it.
posted on February 4, 2002 08:28:28 PM new
Don't worry everyone, cruelty doesn't bother me. It's kinda hard to offend me. I like your suggestions, b/c they're what I was getting at. Just some vague references, like yard sales, liquidators, etc. I wasn't looking for anybody's distributor...
posted on February 4, 2002 08:47:23 PM new
Masonic Triangle Watches. They are going for about $750.00 each. Sell one or two of those a month and you'll have your business.
Oops. I guess you already knew about those.
posted on February 5, 2002 02:18:18 AM new
I sell mostly collectibles and books, not pallets of surplus or refurbished items. Here are some thoughts on your inquiry from my perspective. <p>I go to the book sales held by the "Friends of the Library" in various locations. (By joining the FoL, I get to attend the "early bird" sales.) I find the odd first edition on occasion, and (like last Saturday) a stack of old magazines that I will undoubtedly make a few cents on. <p>Live auctions can also be a good source, but sometimes you have to buy a large lot to get a relatively few saleable items. Never bid unless you've had an opprtunity to preview the lot, or have a comprehensive description in the catalog.<p> Of course, the yard sales and estate sales previously mentioned are good sources. Here's one that is "off the wall" - our local landfill has a "resale shop" for items that have been rescued from the refuse. Don't laugh - I've found a few good items there, cleaned them up, and sold them. <p>There is a sometimes productive way of obtaining items that can take a lot of time but might pay off. Going door to door offering to buy old and unwanted items from people sometimes yields results. I bought a whole library from a person who was despairing about the space it took up - we both did OK on the deal.<p>
I also buy things "wholesale", mostly from eBay sellers who sell in bulk to those of us who have the time to sell them individually. <p>I have a friend who goes "dumpster diving." When he sees that a place is going out of business (not necessarily a retail business), he keeps checking their dumpster and has found lots of saleable items, mostly unused office supplies. I wouldn't want to do it, but it works for him.<p> Here is one caution: before you go into selling a type of product that you haven't sold before, KNOW YOUR MERCHANDISE. If you buy something wholesale, you will probably get a lot of it, so after a while you won't be able to "claim ignorance" if you describe an item inaccurately, as you might if it was "one of a kind" for you. (There is a seller on eBay whose products and prices are good, but each listing says "I am not an expert in this type of item, so buy at your own risk" or words to that effect. I would think that after three or four years of gathering, pricing, and listing the items he would have learned something!?! Does he include the statement as a disclaimer? But, as I said, product and price are good, so sometimes I buy from him for my own collections.) But I digress... Get to know as much about your products as you can - if you are selling, say, Depression glass, read up on the stuff, buy the price books (or go to Borders and read the books while you have a cup of coffee) and become a Depression glass expert. I sell mostly things that I have my own collections of, so I know a lot already, but I have reference books available to add those details that a buyer needs to make an informed decision. A seller's knowledge comes through clearly in the item description and can lead to faster sales at higher prices, and isn't that what we all want? Good luck!
posted on February 5, 2002 05:16:28 AM new
I found that childrens clothing always sells but the trick is getting them in great shape and CHEAP. I've also had luck with lots of childrens video tapes but again, you must buy cheap. I was so lucky last year..I went to a HUGE benefit tag sale for homeless animals and the items were all donated by what I call "wealthier" people. I purchased several video tapes that are well known (not the cheapo, no one wants type that you can get at the dollar store for $1.00) and I sold them on ebay for 4 times what I paid. Not too bad if ya ask me.
posted on February 5, 2002 07:37:40 AM newJust some vague references, like yard sales, liquidators, etc.
Yard sales are so 1999.
That was the last year I found a sufficient quantity of eBayable items at yard sales.
The problem, of course, is supply. And the choice (for me, anyway) is simple: 1) I can stay home Saturday morning and work using the big plastic bin of hundreds of pieces that comes from my supplier, or 2) I can go out and spend 3-4 hours driving around hoping to get really lucky.
The thrill of the hunt used to be enough to get me going Saturday mornings, but the thrill pales the hundredth time a seller tells you she had people knocking on her door before dawn.
posted on February 5, 2002 08:18:29 AM new
The time is near when eBay will be free of "dumpster drivers", and el cheapo merchandises. With fees (iuncluding shipping) going up as they are now, you need to sell higher value items and have a constant supplier -- what real businesses do, in order to survive.
If you're going to sell clothing, fees might eat you up unless they're new and fairly high value. Competition is also tough for clothing & collectibles on eBay.
I for one like my merchandise delivered to my front door, and I can start preparing them to list. I don't have time for all that flea market, estate sale hopping.
posted on February 5, 2002 08:40:31 AM new
I guess I am really Lucky then! Around where I live there are always great tag sales and I had successful sales on ebay with 95% of what Ive gotten. Besides, the fresh air and being off my butt is not going to kill me on a Saturday morning.
You wont find a goldmine every weekend but one will pop up and bingo! I found a 3 of the same widgets at a tag sale a few months ago. They were all new in their boxes. I purchased them for $3 each and sold them for $20 each on ebay. This tag sale also had a box of desireable action figures that were all new. I sold 10 of them for 4 times what I paid. The following day I came across a sloppy tag sale hostess who had tons of designer name girls clothing laid on a blanket. The items were nearly new. She just wanted to get rid of them so I gave her $5 for 30 peices. I cleared $70 after the fees.
I have had luck like this quite often. I guess somebody likes me!
posted on February 5, 2002 11:51:22 AM new
In order to make more than a few extra dollars on eBay you need to be making those finds every single day and you need to be making many more of them each day. Consistency and supply are the major hurdles to overcome if one chooses not to go with conventional supplier channels.
I buy widgets by the thousands. Yesterday (not a good day) we sold 49 at an average price of 4.5 times the individual item cost. You might think "Wow, you made 4.5 times what you paid." while I'm thinking "I need to sell twice as many or have higher margins if I'm going to make my sales projections for this month."
posted on February 5, 2002 12:05:33 PM new
I disagree...even if a seller is very part time, he can easily make $400 plus a month. I dont call $400 a few extra bucks. To alot of people that pays the rent, a car loan etc. $400 of course is hardly enough for a full-time income but most sellers are part time and wont shake a stick at 4 bills.
posted on February 5, 2002 01:02:19 PM new
i see the word "widgets" a lot lately... and not just on auctionwatch. Is that like a pronoun to take the place of an actual item or something?
