[AMA] Importing & wholesaling for resale on eBay.

[Ron Dee]

If you are buying labels through eBay or PayPal you are getting commercial base pricing I believe. I currently use Shippo for my website shipping. There are no monthly fees and they give commercial pricing. They charge 5 cents a label I believe.

I was under the impression that just gave you access to the usps online pricing. I guess for the smaller items it is. I haven't looked if it's a better deal for larger items.

 

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[TTG SS]

Are you currently only shipping products in padded envelopes or the small flat rate boxes at the post office?

 

[Ecom man]

Are you currently only shipping products in padded envelopes or the small flat rate boxes at the post office?

I ship using padded flat rate, cardboard flat rate, medium flat rate, and large flat rate. I'm sure that someone could save a couple bucks on shipping by buying their own boxes, weighing each package and doing different shipping for each item. In my opinion it is just so much easier to have 2 main sizes (padded and medium are about 98% of my items) and not mess with weighing printing labels individually etc.

 

[TTG SS]

I ship using padded flat rate, cardboard flat rate, medium flat rate, and large flat rate. I'm sure that someone could save a couple bucks on shipping by buying their own boxes, weighing each package and doing different shipping for each item. In my opinion it is just so much easier to have 2 main sizes (padded and medium are about 98% of my items) and not mess with weighing printing labels individually etc.

Yeah that is sort of how I was thinking, also.

I have noticed the medium boxes are kind of pricy(relatively)@ $12.65, right? I'm assuming these are your higher value items.

So essentially if you have a lowered priced, larger item, shipping can really eat in that?

 

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[WoodPenny]

Hey, been on the forum for a few days and already sourced a few products after reading this thread. I'm am by no means an expert like @Ecom man. What's made it easy to find products for me is taking the advice earlier in this thread and finding things you use everyday. Whenever I need or want to use a new product I go ahead and source samples to use myself and sell the rest. I figure it gives you better insight on what you are looking for in a product and your customers will appreciate it. Thank you for this valuable info!

 

[Ecom man]

Yeah that is sort of how I was thinking, also.

I have noticed the medium boxes are kind of pricy(relatively)@ $12.65, right? I'm assuming these are your higher value items.

So essentially if you have a lowered priced, larger item, shipping can really eat in that?

The mediums are 10.65 with commercial pricing (can get it through using shippo for labels). A lower priced larger item would have to have massive margins to cover fees and shipping.

 

[smartman]

be mindful as well that REALLY large items may be subject to USPS balloon charges for size, even if they don't weigh much. I am beginning to hate USPS>

 

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[PandaTank]

Hi guys. I have another question.

So from my research its pretty common practice when talking to a new supplier to talk your business up. Acting like the sales manager even if you are a one man show, or pretending that your business is a well established one that already deals in large amounts of sales even if it doesn't.

Now I've done this a few times, nothing over the top. Just one or two lines how my business is well established in my country and would like to add their product to our existing range. And I've gotten quite a few replies with suppliers asking to know more about my company, see our website and which channels we are selling on.

My understanding is that you don't necessarily want to tell your suppliers that you are selling on a platform like Amazon. And when you're starting out you obviously don't have a website or anything like that. What would you, or have you done in this situation?

Thanks

 

[Ecom man]

Hi guys. I have another question.

So from my research its pretty common practice when talking to a new supplier to talk your business up. Acting like the sales manager even if you are a one man show, or pretending that your business is a well established one that already deals in large amounts of sales even if it doesn't.

Now I've done this a few times, nothing over the top. Just one or two lines how my business is well established in my country and would like to add their product to our existing range. And I've gotten quite a few replies with suppliers asking to know more about my company, see our website and which channels we are selling on.

My understanding is that you don't necessarily want to tell your suppliers that you are selling on a platform like Amazon. And when you're starting out you obviously don't have a website or anything like that. What would you, or have you done in this situation?

Thanks

Sorry for the delay in responding. My wife has been in the hospital for the last 3 days.
Most Chinese supplier won't have a problem with you selling on Amazon or eBay. If push comes to shove you could always just look up a website that sells products similiar to you and give them that. Most suppliers just want website information so they can supply you additional products in the same niche etc. Telling them you currently sell on eBay and Amazon and are in the process of getting your website set up should be fine.

 

[William]

Main Competitor​

Advantages

-100+ sold
-1000+ feedback score
-Branded well
-Has line of complimentary products
-Background design with links and logos
-Has store

Weakness

-$26 compared to my $20
-Shipping from another Continent - 10+ days shipping time
-Weaker material

My product

-2-3 Priority Shipping
-Better Material
-Both of us charge for shipping
-Both of us have 30-day returns

I haven't sold one yet on a 30 Day BUY IT NOW. I have 6 watchers. If I put a higher price with FREE SHIPPING, I'm afraid it may intimidate the buyer. So, I hid the rest of the charge in shipping, similar to my Main Competitor. I am the first page of the Best Match for my specific category and I am on the second page for my general category.

Example:

Organic Lotion: first page
Lotion: second page

Anxious for that first sale...

Suggestions?

 

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[Ron Dee]

No one talks about their product liability insurance or certifications or testing labs they have used overseas anyone. Anyone using those services? I don't mean in your listing but with importing in general.

 

[sess362]

hey ecom man! i read this thread a while back and was so inspired. it sparked a whole new biz angle for me, ie importing rather than sourcing items one by one, selling one-off's on ebay, never able to repeat the action and "buy more", never able to scale up.

anyway i am JUST about to pull the trigger on a product i am excited about on alibaba, but, it is designated as "wholesale"... which is odd to me as i thought alibaba was all supposedly wholesale. anyway does this mean i'm not really dealing w/ a manufacturer but a middleman? or alibaba itself? the price is insanely low and i'm pretty confident it will sell well. but i wondered if you've run into the "wholesale product" designation and if it means something that i'm not aware of?

also just to let you know - i appreciate your efforts and this thread soooo much. i'm going to go back and continue reading here for more golden nuggets from you and so many awesome responders here. i read there may also be a progress thread? i'll search for it too. THANKS to you, and all involved in this amazing thread. so excited that as i really get into it i can hopefully shoot questions your way.

 

[Mass]

Hello everyone,

I've spent a few days reading this thread and I've a few questions. I've spent a good amount of time researching products and I've found a couple, but they all seem to be within the health product realm, I'm not sure if it's just the way I'm looking or if this is what other people are finding this? What method of finding new product are people finding most effective?

Also I'm in the UK and we generally catch on to trends from the States a couple of months after you guys, do you think it would be a good idea to see what is tending on amazon.com and then try and sell in it in the UK?

Cheers

Mass

 

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[Walter Hay]

hey ecom man! i read this thread a while back and was so inspired. it sparked a whole new biz angle for me, ie importing rather than sourcing items one by one, selling one-off's on ebay, never able to repeat the action and "buy more", never able to scale up.

anyway i am JUST about to pull the trigger on a product i am excited about on alibaba, but, it is designated as "wholesale"... which is odd to me as i thought alibaba was all supposedly wholesale. anyway does this mean i'm not really dealing w/ a manufacturer but a middleman? or alibaba itself? the price is insanely low and i'm pretty confident it will sell well. but i wondered if you've run into the "wholesale product" designation and if it means something that i'm not aware of?

also just to let you know - i appreciate your efforts and this thread soooo much. i'm going to go back and continue reading here for more golden nuggets from you and so many awesome responders here. i read there may also be a progress thread? i'll search for it too. THANKS to you, and all involved in this amazing thread. so excited that as i really get into it i can hopefully shoot questions your way.

Ecom Man's wife was in hospital last time he wrote, so seeing that I can help with this question I decided to answer.

First, if the price is "insanely low" that could be a bad sign. You will need to check out the supplier very thoroughly to be sure you are not being scammed. You can get prices that are way lower than you might expect and they can be genuine suppliers, but be careful.

Although the great majority of suppliers on Alibaba say they are manufacturers, most of them are not. If you are really keen to buy that product, you could PM me with the supplier details such as the Alibaba listing and I will check them out for you. I would hate to see you get burnt.

 

[Ecom man]

hey ecom man! i read this thread a while back and was so inspired. it sparked a whole new biz angle for me, ie importing rather than sourcing items one by one, selling one-off's on ebay, never able to repeat the action and "buy more", never able to scale up.

anyway i am JUST about to pull the trigger on a product i am excited about on alibaba, but, it is designated as "wholesale"... which is odd to me as i thought alibaba was all supposedly wholesale. anyway does this mean i'm not really dealing w/ a manufacturer but a middleman? or alibaba itself? the price is insanely low and i'm pretty confident it will sell well. but i wondered if you've run into the "wholesale product" designation and if it means something that i'm not aware of?

also just to let you know - i appreciate your efforts and this thread soooo much. i'm going to go back and continue reading here for more golden nuggets from you and so many awesome responders here. i read there may also be a progress thread? i'll search for it too. THANKS to you, and all involved in this amazing thread. so excited that as i really get into it i can hopefully shoot questions your way.

Some sellers will throw that into their title so if someone searches for "wholesale x" their listing will pop up as well. It's just a little trick to help get their listing seen more often.

You never buy directly from alibaba. They are just a selling venue just like eBay or craigslist. You could have a manufacture or a middleman, honestly it doesn't matter. If the price works and you can make money order a sample of 5-10 products. Only pay using a credit card or PayPal through alibabas escrow service. Never send a wire to a new supplier. Every time I've wired money to a new supplier I've been burned.... Every single time.

 

[Mass]

Good Morning Everyone,

I’ve been reading this thread over the last couple of days and I’ve found a product that I think will sell reasonably well in the UK. There are a lot of suppliers for this product but there is a good profit margin in it which makes me think it’s worth a shot. Also the suppliers seem to be listing the product exactly how you would find it on a suppliers website rather than a consumer website which give me an angle of attack, also no one seems to offer same day posting so with these two changes I should be able to make a bit of leeway.

The costing of the unit is pretty good, I’ve been able to source 15 units for £72.50 which makes each unit around £4.84 a unit, these are selling on eBay for £17.99/£16.99 like hotcakes.

I plan to sell them at £14.99 which will give me £10 margin, deducting fees at around £3 and postage at £1 that give me a margin of £6 so over the 15 units I stand to make a profit of £90.

Not a massive amount but a good start, I’ve never really used eBay so I wanted to test something that wasn’t really high value so I can get a feel for everything. I’ll keep you posted.

Mass

 

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[mikeobi]

Hello,

1) So I'm trying to set up my own importing business and I wanted to know if you get duty, FOB, CIF fees invoiced via email from the company who shipped out your package
2) Does one get an option to use FOB or CIF or do suppliers already have that set up? If the former is the case, what should a beginner start using?
3) Is duty incorporated into FOB or CIF or is it a separate fee you pay?

Thanks

 

[Jurffy]

It is very possible to automate it. You can use a fulfillment center and send your items to them and they do all the shipping, uploading tracking, etc. when an item is sold. You can even use Amazon's fulfillment for eBay sales or for your own website.

This is awesome, exactly what I was wondering about!

 

[albertut77]

Hey everyone!

So I just made it to Top Seller rating last week! It's only a 10% discount on the final fees, but those fees are getting bigger and bigger...so can't complain.

I've got a question: how do you keep track of each and every sale you ship? I ship Signed For, so it's not tracked but I get a number I can check online to see if they signed. The thing is that I ship many orders, so if I ever want to go back to one because a customer hasn't received yet their order, it's hell.
Writing down every shipping number and the person that ordered it is not an option. So I was wondering, is there any efficient way to keep track of this? How do you go about it?

Also, @Ecom man, sorry to hear about that. I really hope the family is good.

How are your biz adventures? I would love to hear a bit on how your webpages are going and what your latest experiences are.

My last learning, by the way, was that it is not worth chasing after the return requests and trying to convince the customer to keep the product, regardless of how retarded they are. Not even if you offer them the best and longest warranty. Some customers are plainly stupid, and will request returns for stupid reasons that make no sense, but I just realized that the stress relief of having these cases dealt with promptly is way worth the extra money I could get by explaining them why they make no sense. And, in the end, the time I would spend in these would be worth more if I invested it in the biz itself (product research, webpage developing, etc).

I read this before but didn't apply it out of greediness. Error. If they ask for a refund, give them the damn refund and get rid of them. I don't even have them return the product anymore (if it is absolutely unsellable for me).

Cheers!

 

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[Ecom man]

Hey everyone!

So I just made it to Top Seller rating last week! It's only a 10% discount on the final fees, but those fees are getting bigger and bigger...so can't complain.

I've got a question: how do you keep track of each and every sale you ship? I ship Signed For, so it's not tracked but I get a number I can check online to see if they signed. The thing is that I ship many orders, so if I ever want to go back to one because a customer hasn't received yet their order, it's hell.
Writing down every shipping number and the person that ordered it is not an option. So I was wondering, is there any efficient way to keep track of this? How do you go about it?

Also, @Ecom man, sorry to hear about that. I really hope the family is good.

How are your biz adventures? I would love to hear a bit on how your webpages are going and what your latest experiences are.

My last learning, by the way, was that it is not worth chasing after the return requests and trying to convince the customer to keep the product, regardless of how retarded they are. Not even if you offer them the best and longest warranty. Some customers are plainly stupid, and will request returns for stupid reasons that make no sense, but I just realized that the stress relief of having these cases dealt with promptly is way worth the extra money I could get by explaining them why they make no sense. And, in the end, the time I would spend in these would be worth more if I invested it in the biz itself (product research, webpage developing, etc).

I read this before but didn't apply it out of greediness. Error. If they ask for a refund, give them the damn refund and get rid of them. I don't even have them return the product anymore (if it is absolutely unsellable for me).

Cheers!

On eBay or PayPal you can print shipping labels directly on those sites. You get a discount on the shipping and free tracking numbers (at least with the USPS). It automatically uploads the tracking into eBay and PayPal so you are covered if someone claims they didn't receive an item. People can then go right onto their eBay transaction and track it or you can track it from your side as well.

Website is going well. I am currently selling solely on the site. I'm spending around 12-15% of sales on marketing right now but I'm selling 4-5 times more than I sold the same month last year so it's definitely working. Marketing is what I'm currently trying to learn all about. Figuring some things out about Adwords, SEO, etc. I set up a Pinterest account for my business a week ago. I gained over 125 followers in the last week. Pinterest is rolling out buyable pins so people will be able to buy products directly on Pinterest and it syncs with the shopify platform I'm using. Should make for a great boost in sales for Christmas time.

 

[Bananas]

Hey Ecom Man I hope your wife is doing OK.

Just got caught up on this thread and I wanted let everyone know in the US know that the USPS will pick up your packages, even dozens of them, each day during your regular mail delivery, for free as long as you have at least one Priority Mail package. This can be set up by going to the USPS website, logging in, and clicking on Schedule a Pick Up.

Since I have utilized this service I have saved so much time by not having to load my car and then unload it again at the PO. Leaving everything on the porch is so much easier. Usually I have at least one PM package by default, but if I don't I upgrade a buyer just to utilize this service (also the buyer is happy). There are many ways to choose which buyer to upgrade from First Class to PM - the least cost difference, the largest sale, the most frequent buyer...whatever works for you.

I've been doing this for over a year now and only one time did the mail person neglect to get my packages off the porch. I called my PO and they sent someone out to get them immediately.

There are some people that this probably won't work out for - if you live in apartment or if you live in a bad neighborhood and think your packages might not be safe sitting out for a few hours.

I didn't see this mentioned in the past 70 pages so I hope it helps someone!

 

[albertut77]

On eBay or PayPal you can print shipping labels directly on those sites. You get a discount on the shipping and free tracking numbers (at least with the USPS). It automatically uploads the tracking into eBay and PayPal so you are covered if someone claims they didn't receive an item. People can then go right onto their eBay transaction and track it or you can track it from your side as well.

Website is going well. I am currently selling solely on the site. I'm spending around 12-15% of sales on marketing right now but I'm selling 4-5 times more than I sold the same month last year so it's definitely working. Marketing is what I'm currently trying to learn all about. Figuring some things out about Adwords, SEO, etc. I set up a Pinterest account for my business a week ago. I gained over 125 followers in the last week. Pinterest is rolling out buyable pins so people will be able to buy products directly on Pinterest and it syncs with the shopify platform I'm using. Should make for a great boost in sales for Christmas time.

Unfortunately, that's not how it works in the UK. At least not with Royal Mail. I print all my labels from eBay, but as I do Signed For (not tracked) I don't upload anything. I could keep the barcodes of the Signed For labels and write down the name of each customer for each barcode, but that's way too much hassle. I'll try to figure it out.

I'm glad it's going so good! I seriously can't wait for after the summer to get serious with this. The Pinterest is a great idea, I will have it in mind.

 

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[mystery1994]

Question, how do you guys manage the shipping? Do you have some sort of contract with shipping companys?

Here in belgium is shipping considered to be 'expensive' costs start around 5€ for smaller boxes up to 2kg. Enveloppes are not so expensive though.

 

[albertut77]

Question, how do you guys manage the shipping? Do you have some sort of contract with shipping companys?

Here in belgium is shipping considered to be 'expensive' costs start around 5€ for smaller boxes up to 2kg. Enveloppes are not so expensive though.

I ship everything on my own. 5€ for a small box is not so bad, but what service do you get for that? I pay £4.4 for small box First Class Signed For (1 day delivery) here in the UK, £3.3 if I do regular First Class.

Being expensive or not is always relative to the price of your items. Just check what your competition does and see if you can make it better.

 

[mystery1994]

I ship everything on my own. 5€ for a small box is not so bad, but what service do you get for that? I pay £4.4 for small box First Class Signed For (1 day delivery) here in the UK, £3.3 if I do regular First Class.

Being expensive or not is always relative to the price of your items. Just check what your competition does and see if you can make it better.

5€ for 0 - 2kg national sendings, you can follow your package online and get a note when its delivered.

If you want to send something secured (insurance up to 500€) ,with a signature when delivered its 6€'s national here.

Sending enveloppes first class isnt expensive.. something like 3.4€ in Europe
Up to 100gr's.

 

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[mystery1994]

Dubblepost, sorry.

 

[fastattack03]

Hi Ecom man!

Are you mainly advertising your website in the UK?

I was really inspired when you posted about your success with your own website. I also did it on my own but found no success (yet).

 

[Ecom man]

Hi Ecom man!

Are you mainly advertising your website in the UK?

I was really inspired when you posted about your success with your own website. I also did it on my own but found no success (yet).

I am located in the U.S. I only advertise in the U.S. at this time.

 

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[Mr_Maravish]

Hey Ecom Man,

I want to start out by thanking you for dedicating your time to helping those with less knowledge than you on this subject. My name is Carlos and I am new to the forum.

I have spent the last couple of days researching products through Alibaba, DHGate, and Aliexpress. It’s a little harder than I thought to find good products that would leave a decent margin after implementing all of the costs. I see that most of the “manufacturers” on those sites have similar prices to those you would find on Ebay.

Today I went to the mall and stepped into Marshalls to get some product ideas. It shocked me that prices were actually decent. How would I or anyone else be able to compete with retailers like Marshalls that already have products at a low price, and all the costs associated with that product have already been implemented?

 

[Ecom man]

Hey Ecom Man,

I want to start out by thanking you for dedicating your time to helping those with less knowledge than you on this subject. My name is Carlos and I am new to the forum.

I have spent the last couple of days researching products through Alibaba, DHGate, and Aliexpress. It’s a little harder than I thought to find good products that would leave a decent margin after implementing all of the costs. I see that most of the “manufacturers” on those sites have similar prices to those you would find on Ebay.

Today I went to the mall and stepped into Marshalls to get some product ideas. It shocked me that prices were actually decent. How would I or anyone else be able to compete with retailers like Marshalls that already have products at a low price, and all the costs associated with that product have already been implemented?

Welcome to the forum.
You are not competing with big box stores and never will. You do not want to be selling items that Walmart sells thousands of on a weekly basis. You want to find products that sell just a few a day. (5-10 is my sweet spot) if you find a product that you can sell 10 a day, at a profit of $20 each that's 6k a month profit. Not a ton but it's decent money. Now find 2 more products that sell 5-10 a day, then find 5 then 10. If you have ten products you carry, each product sells 5 a day at a profit of $20 each that is $1,000 a day profit.

You don't want to jump into a super crowded market because "everyone is making money". If there are tons of people selling those products it quickly becomes a race to the bottom on price and your profit margins go out the window. Find a product that is sort of niche that you wouldn't find at a big box store. That is where there is opportunity.