posted on December 10, 2000 11:29:37 AM new
I'm not really new to eBay, but I haven't done a ton of business. Mostly I garage sale shop and then turn around and re-sell the items for more. So far, I've turned a great profit, but I really would like to do more quantity, and sometimes the sales just don't turn up anything.
I'm not even sure what it is I'd like to sell, but I have no idea where to look for wholesale items. The only thing I might have access to is computer stuff, and I'm not really interested in doing that. So how do I find out about buying? Is it possible to find a wholesaler who will sell you small quantities to start? I realize I'm being vague as can be, but I don't have a ton of capital to start. I feel I'm really good at describing my auctions, and most of them end successfully. I guess I'm just looking for ideas. Be it toys, CD's, collectibles, etc., I don't really care, I'm just trying to find something I can do perpetually.
As an example, I found a box of print blocks at a sale for $1, and easily turned that into about $600. I know nothing about them, but if I could find an infinite supply, I'd be set. I realize this probably happen with this item, but I know there are others out there.
Now that I've managed to post this convoluted message, any help out there?
posted on December 10, 2000 12:07:28 PM new
Well .. I think we'd all like to find that 'infinate supply'!
I have a lot of things I inherited .. much too much for any one home! It WILL run out someday...I HOPE!! I 'hobby' sell cross stitch pattterns....not much money but I enjoy it!
My only suggestion to you is to get on a good search engine and search away. You never know what you're going to find. Use what you'd like to sell as key words and use the advanced search options to weed out unwanted info!
That's what I've done. If you want to 'specialize' I suggest you decide on a 'field' that you would enjoy dealing in!
I have a memory like a steel trap .. unfortunately it's rusted shut!
posted on December 10, 2000 12:15:15 PM new
There are wholesale/trade shows in every large city in this country. to be able to get in to them and to buy, you must have a tax number, either state of federal, or go with a friend who has one. These shows are where you will find wholesalers, distributers, and manufactureres, all selling at wholesale prices.
Quite a few companies will let you place an opening/first order for $100 to $150.
Hope that this info helps you, good luck.
posted on December 10, 2000 12:33:10 PM new
There are other way to have a suply of low cost new inventory as well thing is most will not let there source out because catagories are already flooded who wants to give advise that would make more competition to there catagories.
I have a few sources for some Items I am going to start working with after the Holiday to add varity to my Inventory I wont need to provide a tax number to get these Item either the tax number is only needed if you are trying to buy these item tax free Im willing to pay the sales tax.
by the way there are many One line wholesale auction sites out there check out the business to business message board to find just a few of the URLs for them.
and if you need a tax number or tin number Your SS # is all you need to use.
posted on December 10, 2000 12:45:15 PM new
I'm thinking I might go into miniatures. The wholesale convention thing is a good idea, I'm going to look into that. I don't need to do anything special to get a business license, do I? I can just come up with a name and pay the fee to get my paperwork, right? Thanks again for any advice!
posted on December 10, 2000 01:00:06 PM new
Miniatures is good. If you're starting out from scratch with a new product or line, consider the shipping. It's a lot easier to ship baseball cards than collectible logs.
Unfortunately, there is no ready supply of "buy for a $1, sell for $600" items. If you're lucky you can find a line that no one else knows about and get a good price on it. But even those markets get saturated, so much of a seller's time is spent looking for new items to sell.
Many regulars seem to overlook this, and you see posts like "this item has sold really well for two years, but now no one seems interested."
There are many wholesale lists being sold at eBay. Don't bother searching the web. There are too many retail sites that use "wholesale" as a keyword. Get a list at eBay, but get a good one from a reputable dealer. The "short" lists are often better than the "million wholesalers" lists.
Be careful when purchasing wholesale. You'll be buying in quantity so even a few cents can make a big difference. Today I found the same item I've been buying, but this one is $.75 less. I'll save $75 on my next purchase.
posted on December 10, 2000 01:03:10 PM new
Check with the city/county where you live for licensing requirements. Most likely everything you need to know will be on your city or county's web site.
The tax id number that some wholesalers will ask for is your state resale or state tax id number. Getting one involves paperwork, which also may be available online (try your state's web site). This is the number under which you'll remit collected sales tax to your state.
posted on December 10, 2000 05:05:00 PM new
The concept of buying wholesale and selling retail depends on some large-enough set of customers for whom you are the best supplier. In the brick&mortar world, this is usally because you're the most convenient.
Doesn't carry over very well to eBay.
Retailing of used stuff however does depend on real people going to real garage sales to get the stuff. Geographic advantages.
Real retailers (e.g. Walmart) make money by buying in huge quantities and accepting inventory risk. In return, as many local store owners have found, they can frequently sell at retail for well below "wholesale" prices.
Bottom line: ordering $1000 or $2000 worth at a time and listing them on eBay is never going to be much of a money maker. If it ever seems that way, the guy selling the $1000 worth is about to be put under by someone who knows how to run a business better.
posted on December 10, 2000 06:50:59 PM new
For many years now, I have been looking for a wholesale source of rare and valuable antiques. I am so tired of getting pushed and shoved at estate sales, and I am convinced that the only reason so many of these people walk with canes is to trip me up at just the right moment.
Seriously, if you are going to go the wholesale route, you must be prepared for even more intense competition, deadbeats, and be geared up to do a large volume. It's a different world, retailing new items. I stick with vintage items as much as possible - unfriendly in RL but very friendly on eBay.
posted on December 10, 2000 07:22:59 PM new
I agree with bemused's implied suggestion: distressed merchandise will remain a place where the little guy can make money. The big challenge is to avoid falling in love with something while ignoring the fact that it became distressed because it wasn't moving in its previous context. One big buy of something that JUST WON'T SELL is enough to wipe out a lot of profit.
posted on December 10, 2000 07:33:35 PM new
sg52: I am trying to understand your post but it seems contradictory, so give me a clue here. I have looked at many of the sites mentioned above, but came to the conclusion that crap is still crap, even when priced "below wholesale".
posted on December 10, 2000 07:40:43 PM new
I DIDnt find the sg52 post confuseing or contradictory since you can fall in love with an Idea or concept Just as well as Items
You could easily fall in love with the Idea of buying this distressed merchantdise buy a big lot of it that wont sell and loose your shirt
posted on December 10, 2000 08:11:07 PM new
Yep most of it is crap, but if you do the research one can find a pearl now and again. In fact I have identified a product on two of those sites above that always sells out on eBay and Yahoo! at a great profit and is always in need unlike collectible crap. Now my only problem is figuring out how much room I have for storage, the upside though is that the turnover is very fast on this item, perfect for "Buy It Now" although I could stand to make more with Dutch auctions given the consistent strong demand.
Btw this product is new not distressed, just hard to find on store shelves despite its popularity with a certain market.
[ edited by bemused on Dec 10, 2000 08:13 PM ]
Perhaps you could enlighten me as to what my implied suggestion was? Actually I was trying to address the originator's question as opposed to discouraging them from trying (as self serving as that might be). I credit them with being discerning enough to carefully choose what to invest in for resale.
posted on December 10, 2000 08:36:22 PM new
Currently, there is an item listed on tradeout.com for $8 per unit in bulk that interested me a lot. I researched it on eBay, and saw that it sold readily for $15-$24/unit. It may have been the same seller (auction description was identical), maybe not. But it seemed to good to be true.
So being the skeptic that I am, I decided that this is an item that would be very easy to counterfeit. Decided to walk away, maybe a mistake but I'll live with it.
posted on December 10, 2000 08:51:58 PM new ... crap is still crap, even when priced "below wholesale."
Yes and no. Just because a dealer is closing out a particular item doesn't mean it's crap. It may mean the dealer didn't want to make the necessary effort to sell the product.
I purchased a large lot of a Crayola drawing program for kids at a flea market a couple of years ago. The dealer couldn't wait to get rid of them. I bought them for $.50 each and have been selling them for nearly two years at $10. I played with the program for a while and spent several days writing up a good ad for it. I personally think it's a great product (put out by IBM/Crayola, both good names). I've had many similar products, including one that I bought for $2.50 and sold for a year at $30 - $40.
Sometimes dealers want to blow out a particular product to make room for a newer version or something different. Just because a particular line is closing out, doesn't mean it's not a good product.
On the other hand, I have several very good products that I can't give away. They are mostly children's educational software. People will spend hundreds or thousands on vanity items, but they won't shell out $10 for their kids' education. Sigh! (Pet peeve alert! )
There's more to eBaying than just packaging and mailing boxes. Knowing how to buy and how to sell are also important.
posted on December 10, 2000 09:37:54 PM new
if you go to a show to find sources you'll need
1)imprinted business card or check, if your a buyer they may require an open money order for 2000+ and a canceled paycheck
2)copy of your resale number
3)copy of business license
4)utility bill with your business name and address
5)a copy of your business listing in the phone book, white or yellow pages
6)picture of your store front
I'm not making this stuff up, the last show I went to my wife and I were picking up our badges and they were turning away dozens of people, all very mad I might add. We did have to show all of the above items and the twist this time was the picture of the store front, luckily I have a warehouse with our name on it so they took that. It seems they are trying to only sell to "legitimate" business with the people that are now selling on the net, I don't get it money is money.
posted on December 10, 2000 10:11:20 PM new
Wow, you guys are great. I am seriously spending WAY too much time reading the posts here. Anyway, I appreciate your help.
I've decided to stick with what's worked so far, and to just collect miniatures for myself instead of trying to make it a business. Maybe when I know more about it, I'll reconsider.
In the meantime, I'm keeping my eye out at garage sales, estate sales, flea markets and antique houses. I'd love to make millions on eBay, but the truth is, I really only need to make my insurance payments so I can stay home with my son. Too much success might take away from my time with him anyway. (He's already very familiar with the post office!)
Thanks again for your advice, and look for me on this board, I think I'll be around for a long, long time....
posted on December 10, 2000 11:02:04 PM newPerhaps you could enlighten me as to what my implied suggestion was?
bemused you posted a list of sites heavily weighted toward distressed merchandise, which wasn't (I don't think) quite what the original poster had in mind. It was an insightful, appropriate and helpful posting, and I hope my reaction conveyed that.
posted on December 10, 2000 11:18:10 PM newI am trying to understand your post but it seems contradictory, so give me a clue here. I have looked at many of the sites mentioned above, but came to the conclusion that crap is still crap, even when priced "below wholesale".
You and me both.
But..you might guess my story.
I've made good money on distressed merchandise. I've moved thousands of an item I paid under $10 each for at $40..$50. I bought a truckload at the right time. It can be done.
But of course I tried to repeat, and some of the rest of that story is still sitting around taking up space.
I think other AW posters could tell stories containing such events too.
I don't find any of the offerings of the referenced wholesalers worth recommending, but the field of distressed merchandise is a place where a little guy can make money.
posted on December 11, 2000 12:24:33 AM new
trinchgirl- My recommendation is to buy on Ebay & re-sell. Ebay is really, for the most part, a wholesale market. There have been a lot of posters here who say they do really well with this strategy. I tried it myself and I have made money. It only works in a category you know VERY well though- but it's great for a category that you collect in- buy box lots of your miniatures, pick out the ones you want for yourself, and re-sell the rest, hopefully at a profit.
you guys, what is distressed merchandise? that's a term I'm not familiar with.
posted on December 11, 2000 05:50:47 AM new
just saying "thanks" for all the insights. I have also wondered about the wholesale route, but so far I feel a bit "cold" on the idea of having a large number of the same widget to sell. I guess I prefer selling a variety of stuff [almost all books, though].
On the other hand, I recently sold a little paperback book on utility training for dogs. It went ASAP on Buy it Now, and my email was full of people asking to buy another copy. Having a dozen or more of those babies would be nice! Hmm..maybe I should give the publisher a call..? ; - )
posted on December 11, 2000 10:13:44 AM new
i forgot about the lease, but the inside of the store is a new one i have not had to have that one yet. Probably wouldn't hurt to take a few pictures just in case i need them next time.
posted on December 11, 2000 12:40:32 PM new
I've done ok with distressed merchandise, but it takes lots of effort and time to sell. Plain and simple, demand isn't there, not neccessarily a bad product.
Surprisingly, I do much better buying things retail and reselling it while the demand is hot. The risk is catching the demand right before the big drop, which can literally happen overnight, but the losses will be tiny at worst.
