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I will help you find a product to sell on Amazon

biophase

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Hey bio and all


Found another product using amazeowl and it was listed as "high"


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072FD1XTC/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

Pros:

Niche product
Decent sized market

Amazeowl lists the product as easy to enter and I don't see too many competitors

I found the same brush on alibaba pretty quickly,

I figure I could undercut the competition on price easily as well as add value by packaging the brush with another brush.

and the google trends for this particular niche has shot up the past few months(probably because of black panther)

View attachment 18799


Cons:

May have low volume,
might not be able to beat the brand loyalty of the customers

I'm having trouble thinking of any others.

Let me know what you guys think

This product is a big no. Any time your value prop is undercutting or bundling, it's a no.
 
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biophase

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Hey @biophase, i've been playing this game called magic the gathering very recently. it's a strategy card game like pokemon or something, which sounds silly, but the culture around it is insanely huge, it dates back to the early 90's and there are hundreds of players in my town alone.

people within the community have tournaments at stadiums and stuff, and people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on cards and decks alone.

so recently, i was browsing amazon to find out how i could help contribute to this large niche, and i saw (this product).
a bit of research through an extension called unicorn smasher (like jungle scout but free, can't really afford such extensions yet) shows me that there's $120,000 of monthly revenue on this product, and it seems that people are willing to pay $30ish for it. the one thing that seems sketchy to me is that there's 3,400 sales for the product, which i think isnt much, and there's only 2 reviews for the product as well. so i'm not sure if there is much demand for a bag like this.

I feel ready to jump on this idea, but not sure about sourcing the product. on alibaba there are lots of suppliers that make bags, but not specifically a bag for MTG (magic the gathering).

i was planning on using something like sourcify to get it done? not sure on how expensive it would be to manufacture it and then sell on amazon. the price might have to be bumped up for margins or just to stay in the green.

the one thing that i feel very strong about this is that i could definitely grow it into a brand. i could envision opening up a shopify store that sells things themed toward card games in general instead of magic the gathering, and i could sell things like mats and dice and such.

I do like doing bags. I don't know what sourcify is but my guess is that it is a camera bag modified to fit cards. I'd go to any bag company to make this, it's a pretty simple product and I'm guess it should be less than $6 to make. $35 is a premium for this, price will probably drop down to $20 in 6 months.
 

MoneyDoc

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Hey @biophase, i've been playing this game called magic the gathering very recently. it's a strategy card game like pokemon or something, which sounds silly, but the culture around it is insanely huge, it dates back to the early 90's and there are hundreds of players in my town alone.

people within the community have tournaments at stadiums and stuff, and people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on cards and decks alone.

so recently, i was browsing amazon to find out how i could help contribute to this large niche, and i saw (this product).
a bit of research through an extension called unicorn smasher (like jungle scout but free, can't really afford such extensions yet) shows me that there's $120,000 of monthly revenue on this product, and it seems that people are willing to pay $30ish for it. the one thing that seems sketchy to me is that there's 3,400 sales for the product, which i think isnt much, and there's only 2 reviews for the product as well. so i'm not sure if there is much demand for a bag like this.

I feel ready to jump on this idea, but not sure about sourcing the product. on alibaba there are lots of suppliers that make bags, but not specifically a bag for MTG (magic the gathering).

i was planning on using something like sourcify to get it done? not sure on how expensive it would be to manufacture it and then sell on amazon. the price might have to be bumped up for margins or just to stay in the green.



the one thing that i feel very strong about this is that i could definitely grow it into a brand. i could envision opening up a shopify store that sells things themed toward card games in general instead of magic the gathering, and i could sell things like mats and dice and such.
Quick tip, volume is not as high as you think. Unicorn smasher is using the secondary category ranking as the BSR. This is not 100% indicative of total sales. Use the 999 method to track the sellers sales for 2-3 days. That will give you a more accurate number to work with.
 

Sagemoney

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Alrighty back at it again!


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07896NDK8/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20



Not sure if this guy manipulated the rankings but the item is currently #1 in new baby gifts and similar items are listed all over gags and novelty items.



As for the product I feel its ripe for improvement, The most common complaint seems to be the quality of the wood is flimsy, it is too small and many people have received the item with broken glass. The glass and backing also seems to fail under the weight of the coins.

To start I would like to keep the material wood but perhaps making the entire casing plastic as well as the window would help alleviate some of the problems, or something as simple as adding those flip tabsmaking the box larger would be good too.

I could also add value by making custom sayings(almost there! keep going!) or names and offering a variety of different designs(bunny ears, pictures in the back etc) and improving customer service as the current sellers don't respond to any of the complaints. This opens the opportunity for branding.

Alibaba has a small amount of distributors and I could hopefully make the additions without increasing the price too much.



Appreciate all the thoughts and responses so far, not trying to bombard the thread but if it's gonna be my first time selling on amazon or anything entrepreneurial I kinda of want some validation the product isn't going to be an outright failure you know? Perhaps that is the wrong mindset but im not scared of failure just don't want to be doomed before I even begin.
 
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NaPal

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Hey biophase,

Thanks for all the golden nuggets in here. I went through this entire thread, and found a product that seems to fit many criteria for being a good opportunity.

StixToGo Beverage Plug - The "Stoppers" you get from Starbucks to prevent your coffee from spilling in the car
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IVNCJMU/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

It's a simple product, only has 1 manufacturer on Amazon, and I've estimated they have a healthy gross margin. However, the manufacturer has a Utility Patent - which as I understand, is a patent on the solution, not the design.

Even to innovate a superior design or cheaper material, you'd have to acquire licensing rights from the manufacturer.

Have you ever seen a product that is monopolized by 1 competitor?

I've always wondered what those were. I thought they were to seal in the heat and keep my coffee warm :)
 

NaPal

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Hey @biophase, i've been playing this game called magic the gathering very recently. it's a strategy card game like pokemon or something, which sounds silly, but the culture around it is insanely huge, it dates back to the early 90's and there are hundreds of players in my town alone.

people within the community have tournaments at stadiums and stuff, and people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on cards and decks alone.

so recently, i was browsing amazon to find out how i could help contribute to this large niche, and i saw (this product).
a bit of research through an extension called unicorn smasher (like jungle scout but free, can't really afford such extensions yet) shows me that there's $120,000 of monthly revenue on this product, and it seems that people are willing to pay $30ish for it. the one thing that seems sketchy to me is that there's 3,400 sales for the product, which i think isnt much, and there's only 2 reviews for the product as well. so i'm not sure if there is much demand for a bag like this.

I feel ready to jump on this idea, but not sure about sourcing the product. on alibaba there are lots of suppliers that make bags, but not specifically a bag for MTG (magic the gathering).

i was planning on using something like sourcify to get it done? not sure on how expensive it would be to manufacture it and then sell on amazon. the price might have to be bumped up for margins or just to stay in the green.



the one thing that i feel very strong about this is that i could definitely grow it into a brand. i could envision opening up a shopify store that sells things themed toward card games in general instead of magic the gathering, and i could sell things like mats and dice and such.

I'm no expert but this is making me question the validity of Unicorn Smasher. 2 reviews and $100k in sales/month does not add up.

If something seems fishy you're probably right. Like the product though!
 

Walter Hay

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Alrighty back at it again!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07896NDK8/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20
Alibaba has a small amount of distributors and I could hopefully make the additions without increasing the price too much.
Perhaps you are merely using the wrong term, but don't even consider agents, wholesalers, distributors or traders, go straight to the real manufacturers.

If you have a look through my AMA
GOLD! Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.
you will get some ideas on how to identify real manufacturers. Please bear in mind that I can't publish online the many pages that my book contains about that subject, but you will find a lot of help in my thread.

Walter
 
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Sagemoney

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Perhaps you are merely using the wrong term, but don't even consider agents, wholesalers, distributors or traders, go straight to the real manufacturers.

If you have a look through my AMA
GOLD! Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.
you will get some ideas on how to identify real manufacturers. Please bear in mind that I can't publish online the many pages that my book contains about that subject, but you will find a lot of help in my thread.

Walter


I definitely meant suppliers :/ overlooked that.
 

Telamon25346

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Alrighty back at it again!


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07896NDK8/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20



Not sure if this guy manipulated the rankings but the item is currently #1 in new baby gifts and similar items are listed all over gags and novelty items.



As for the product I feel its ripe for improvement, The most common complaint seems to be the quality of the wood is flimsy, it is too small and many people have received the item with broken glass. The glass and backing also seems to fail under the weight of the coins.

To start I would like to keep the material wood but perhaps making the entire casing plastic as well as the window would help alleviate some of the problems, or something as simple as adding those flip tabsmaking the box larger would be good too.

I could also add value by making custom sayings(almost there! keep going!) or names and offering a variety of different designs(bunny ears, pictures in the back etc) and improving customer service as the current sellers don't respond to any of the complaints. This opens the opportunity for branding.

Alibaba has a small amount of distributors and I could hopefully make the additions without increasing the price too much.



Appreciate all the thoughts and responses so far, not trying to bombard the thread but if it's gonna be my first time selling on amazon or anything entrepreneurial I kinda of want some validation the product isn't going to be an outright failure you know? Perhaps that is the wrong mindset but im not scared of failure just don't want to be doomed before I even begin.

it seems that you could definitely add value to the product listing itself as well. i kind of had to guess what the product was based off of the reviews and your comments about it. there's only 1 image and the description for the product is:
  • Save your pennies for your next adventure
  • Wooden bank reads: our adventure fund
  • Slot for money on the top
  • Measures 6 x 6
  • Glass front with screen printed design
i feel like rather than telling people what the product is, i'd say give them a reason to buy it, like: "this is a cute fun way to get your child to manage money" or, "here's a decorative money storage that'll fit well in a family home".

if the product was built better, had different colors and designs, and also had a product listing that told the buyer exactly what it was with well made images and descriptions. it could definitely sell.
 

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Just wanna say,

I'm going to do this item regardless of the consensus, No offense to Biophase or anyone else of course but I've been stifled with indecision for such a long period in my life that if I keep researching trying to find the "Perfect" product i'll never start.

The best way out of the meat grinder is to jump into it and come out the other end ready to be melded into something even more delicious...wait wut


I'll be starting my progress thread shortly. Here we go!
 
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Telamon25346

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Just wanna say,

I'm going to do this item regardless of the consensus, No offense to Biophase or anyone else of course but I've been stifled with indecision for such a long period in my life that if I keep researching trying to find the "Perfect" product i'll never start.

The best way out of the meat grinder is to jump into it and come out the other end ready to be melded into something even more delicious...wait wut


I'll be starting my progress thread shortly. Here we go!
looking forward to seeing that thread man! push on
 

biophase

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i like this product. Not sure what the competition is like, but I like the look and feel of it. I’d make a bigger one and sell for double. But it would need to be very sturdy.
 

GetShitDone

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Just going through this awesome thread.

1) Do you guys suggest starting on Amazon first and then building into your own eCommerce website afterwards?

2) Are you guys drop shipping these products or getting your own inventory beforehand?
 
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LateStarter

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Just going through this awesome thread.

1) Do you guys suggest starting on Amazon first and then building into your own eCommerce website afterwards?

2) Are you guys drop shipping these products or getting your own inventory beforehand?

1) Yes. Find products and prove they sell first.
2) Products need to be tweaked to be your own. Then you buy inventory and use Amazon FBA fulfillment.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
 

N.Entrepreneur

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Great thread - I was wondering if you (or anyone) has run into the issue of Amazon FBA with meltable products? Unfortunately, the food product I manufacture contains chocolate.

Per Amazon policy " A quick reminder that meltable products must be removed from fulfillment centers by May 1, 2017—don’t miss your opportunity to sell your products before the deadline."

I am slightly suspicious as I believe other chocolate / protein bars with chocolate are on Prime year round (i.e. quest). I'd like to ultimately get the Prime badge. I looked at seller fulfilled prime requirements, however, my fulfillment center won't be able to deliver fast enough to apply.
 

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Hey biophase,

Thanks for all the golden nuggets in here. I went through this entire thread, and found a product that seems to fit many criteria for being a good opportunity.

StixToGo Beverage Plug - The "Stoppers" you get from Starbucks to prevent your coffee from spilling in the car
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IVNCJMU/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

It's a simple product, only has 1 manufacturer on Amazon, and I've estimated they have a healthy gross margin. However, the manufacturer has a Utility Patent - which as I understand, is a patent on the solution, not the design.

Even to innovate a superior design or cheaper material, you'd have to acquire licensing rights from the manufacturer.

Have you ever seen a product that is monopolized by 1 competitor?

I might be stupid - but doesn't this kind of rebranding and reselling of existing products make you wonder why their Chinese (and other Asian) manufacturers aren't already seeing it through to the end in the way you intend to?

I struggle to understand the "value people add" when they are not willing to re-engineer a product from scratch and have the benefit of that unconstrained, out the box perspective. Now you're just buying something that's similar to what exists and slap on a logo or undercut the market leader in price. I am sure there are enough product categories out there that would fit every person's budget, capital or means in terms of true innovation and value creation. Zero to One by Thiel comes to mind. What's the point of the me-too (but cheaper, and branded, and mildly differentiated) Amazon SKU?

Not to be an a$$ or dreamcrusher, but I feel like maybe I am missing something here.
 
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Telamon25346

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Hey biophase,

Thanks for all the golden nuggets in here. I went through this entire thread, and found a product that seems to fit many criteria for being a good opportunity.

StixToGo Beverage Plug - The "Stoppers" you get from Starbucks to prevent your coffee from spilling in the car
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IVNCJMU/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

It's a simple product, only has 1 manufacturer on Amazon, and I've estimated they have a healthy gross margin. However, the manufacturer has a Utility Patent - which as I understand, is a patent on the solution, not the design.

Even to innovate a superior design or cheaper material, you'd have to acquire licensing rights from the manufacturer.

Have you ever seen a product that is monopolized by 1 competitor?
quick question: How did you find the patent information? is there a site that holds all these weird patents under them
 

NickB

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I might be stupid - but doesn't this kind of rebranding and reselling of existing products make you wonder why their Chinese (and other Asian) manufacturers aren't already seeing it through to the end in the way you intend to?

I struggle to understand the "value people add" when they are not willing to re-engineer a product from scratch and have the benefit of that unconstrained, out the box perspective. Now you're just buying something that's similar to what exists and slap on a logo or undercut the market leader in price. I am sure there are enough product categories out there that would fit every person's budget, capital or means in terms of true innovation and value creation. Zero to One by Thiel comes to mind. What's the point of the me-too (but cheaper, and branded, and mildly differentiated) Amazon SKU?

Not to be an a$$ or dreamcrusher, but I feel like maybe I am missing something here.

Well that's the idea - I'm not revealing the value-add I had in mind for this product. ;) It wouldn't be anything as easy as new branding, but I'm sure someone could make some money doing that.

However, since there's not really a way around the patent, the legal and financial hurdle of getting something new to market would not be worth the effort, as @biophase pointed out.

From everything I've read in this thread and others, there are always opportunities to add incremental value on existing products (i.e. lower cost, colors, packaging more units, etc), if that's your standard for adding value. I think it's healthy to hold onto that idea, otherwise you'll never find a product good enough.

But this kind of business isn't necessarily going from "Zero to One". And that's OK. Are the people who build multi-million dollar real estate portfolios going from "Zero to One"? Arguably not, but they are creating Fastlane wealth and income.

I think the "Zero to One" mentality is aimed at major innovative companies like Tesla, SpaceX, etc. I love the idea but that doesn't have to be a requirement for a Fastlane business.

quick question: How did you find the patent information? is there a site that holds all these weird patents under them

The retailer's website conveniently linked all of their patents. All US patents are available in text pdf format on the US patent & trademark database at this link - Patent Full Text Database. It's not as slick as Google, so you might have to search multiple keyword phrases to determine if something exists for a product you're interested in.
 

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I have a question and I believe this is probably best place to ask.

If some one has limited funds say $1000 bucks to start with, he/she may not be in a position to go for modifications or improvements. Probably not even rebranding as $1000 may not give you enough quantity for private labeling.

In that situation does it makes sense to just start with reselling a product you have researched, generate some cash and then at later stage (when you have gathered enough funds) look for improvement in same or some other product? How does folks who started with $200, $500 , $1000 managed this find, improve, sell strategy?
 
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I have a question and I believe this is probably best place to ask.

If some one has limited funds say $1000 bucks to start with, he/she may not be in a position to go for modifications or improvements. Probably not even rebranding as $1000 may not give you enough quantity for private labeling.

In that situation does it makes sense to just start with reselling a product you have researched, generate some cash and then at later stage (when you have gathered enough funds) look for improvement in same or some other product? How does folks who started with $200, $500 , $1000 managed this find, improve, sell strategy?
You can re-brand with that money,
I might be crucified for saying this: but you could look into Retail Arbitrage to build capital at first.
 

maverick

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You'll need a minimum of 5k to get a decent start. That is the working assumption of this topic so let's keep it that way. Any other topics (e.g. retail arbitrage) should be treated outside of this topic.
 

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So this looks like a really good product to sell.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016P8K3W/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

A lot of reviews, but they are mostly negative.
Product needs customization, new design to make it work properly.
A TON of search volume.
Really stiff competition, but mostly from a different kind of product.
Lightweight, easy to ship and relatively cheap.

With a few modifications and improvements, you could sell it for $25-$30 or more I bet, as the only similar product worth a shit is selling for $60.

Solves a HUGE pain point.
 
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So this looks like a really good product to sell.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016P8K3W/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

A lot of reviews, but they are mostly negative.
Product needs customization, new design to make it work properly.
A TON of search volume.
Really stiff competition, but mostly from a different kind of product.
Lightweight, easy to ship and relatively cheap.

With a few modifications and improvements, you could sell it for $25-$30 or more I bet, as the only similar product worth a sh*t is selling for $60.

Solves a HUGE pain point.
might i ask how you ended up finding this product??

usually i look through the movers and shakers on amazon and then start searching terms similar to the product. so it goes something like: fitness >> wire dumbell stopper >> wire tools >> etc.
i start from a niche and search down until i find an item. but so far this method hasn't been very fruitful. wondering how you found this thumb sucker. was it a personal problem you've experienced children do?
 

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might i ask how you ended up finding this product??

usually i look through the movers and shakers on amazon and then start searching terms similar to the product. so it goes something like: fitness >> wire dumbell stopper >> wire tools >> etc.
i start from a niche and search down until i find an item. but so far this method hasn't been very fruitful. wondering how you found this thumb sucker. was it a personal problem you've experienced children do?

No process to speak of... AMZ is relatively new to me, so you're better off asking @biophase or another seasoned vet.

I found this product doing research for something entirely different. Sometimes you just have to go down the rabbit hole and keep digging deeper and deeper.
 

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I have a question and I believe this is probably best place to ask.

If some one has limited funds say $1000 bucks to start with, he/she may not be in a position to go for modifications or improvements. Probably not even rebranding as $1000 may not give you enough quantity for private labeling.

In that situation does it makes sense to just start with reselling a product you have researched, generate some cash and then at later stage (when you have gathered enough funds) look for improvement in same or some other product? How does folks who started with $200, $500 , $1000 managed this find, improve, sell strategy?

You can import with that money , buildup to an amount big enough for manufacturing a newish item and private labelling.
 

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I have a product that has been on my mind for a bit now, but I'm hesitant/unsure if it's a solid one. Would love some feedback on it.

Here's the link

What I would improve based on feedback:
- add stop function (easy)
- reduce noise (unsure, would need to take it apart)
- improve looks to differentiate from competition (no decent real-life photos etc)
- Bundle with batteries
- Improve durability somehow.. loads of complaints.

Cons:
- Electric
- "low" search volume - 55K/month?
- 1 brand/person selling this, even though it's a product straight from alibaba (is this good or bad?) (I'm unsure if there is enough organic demand)
- Not sure if the margins are good enough ; guesstimate at ~53% profit using FBA calculator - buy around $2 - sell for $20
- Current quality is bad (but leaves room for improvement, so might a pro)

Pros:
- Easy improvement (bundle with battery & stop function)
- Only 1 other competitor
- Small product
- No huge MOQ (though I realize this is always negotiable)


Thanks in advance!
 

exclusives88

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I imported a product that I suggested in this thread btw:

I only did a small order of 5 units. I had a container coming from China anyways so thought I would just add it in my container.

I added 3 pictures, some lame copy as a placeholder. I also don't have the buy box and still sold 2 units. AND I'm already ranked on page 1 in my main keyword. I think this would be an easy sell with the buy box (using FBA).
 
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Walter Hay

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I have a question and I believe this is probably best place to ask.

If some one has limited funds say $1000 bucks to start with, he/she may not be in a position to go for modifications or improvements. Probably not even rebranding as $1000 may not give you enough quantity for private labeling.

In that situation does it makes sense to just start with reselling a product you have researched, generate some cash and then at later stage (when you have gathered enough funds) look for improvement in same or some other product? How does folks who started with $200, $500 , $1000 managed this find, improve, sell strategy?

You can purchase a small quantity as a sample order. Ignore MOQs. Don't ask for labels to be attached. Depending on product type you have numerous possibilities for post-production labeling, whether simply printing a label or using more expensive means such as foil printing or foil stamping.

Whatever method you choose, make it look impressive. If you need help in that regard PM me.

I believe that when testing the market it is far better to use your brand name, logo, packaging, etc, that you intend maintaining as you build a brand. You can do that quite economically with small quantities.

Walter
 

Walter Hay

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I have a product that has been on my mind for a bit now, but I'm hesitant/unsure if it's a solid one. Would love some feedback on it.

Here's the link

What I would improve based on feedback:
- add stop function (easy)
- reduce noise (unsure, would need to take it apart)
- improve looks to differentiate from competition (no decent real-life photos etc)
- Bundle with batteries
- Improve durability somehow.. loads of complaints.

Cons:
- Electric
- "low" search volume - 55K/month?
- 1 brand/person selling this, even though it's a product straight from alibaba (is this good or bad?) (I'm unsure if there is enough organic demand)
- Not sure if the margins are good enough ; guesstimate at ~53% profit using FBA calculator - buy around $2 - sell for $20
- Current quality is bad (but leaves room for improvement, so might a pro)

Pros:
- Easy improvement (bundle with battery & stop function)
- Only 1 other competitor
- Small product
- No huge MOQ (though I realize this is always negotiable)

Reply
Thanks in advance!
I see two vendors on Amazon, but that's not much competition. The price doesn't give you much room to spare, so you will need to do your cost calculations very carefully.

I have one of these machines and it does work like a dream, but the instructions on Amazon omit a very important factor: The opener has a tendency to lift at the other end opposite the cutting wheel. A gentle downwards pressure with one finger is sufficient to keep it rotating.

The added jar/bottle opener, doesn't look easy to use, because people with arthritis in the hands could have trouble squeezing it tight enough to make it work.

I have PM'd you with a description of the product I use. It is not sold in the kitchenware market, because it is designed for use in a totally unrelated industry.

Walter
 

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