Broke? Try Ebay...

[Bigguns50]

Hey guys...I JUST discovered this thread. Great sharing, advice and value. Thank you.

I've sold a few things here and there on Ebay ... not much success, but after reading through this thread, I have some ideas to try. I'm in MI in the Detroit Metro area. Most items sell for really, really low prices. There are pockets of upper class areas here, but no stores 'across the street'. Even so, one particular store I've seen some very nice, brand name items with tags attached.

I haven't been focused on one niche and that's what I'm going to do.

Thanks again for all the great insight.

 

[CoMp1eX]

Nice post! I've done a lot of eBay'ing before and it can definitely be a pain in the *#%. I've also found some nice items at the thrift store and resold them for a nice profit.

My tip is to find related forums to your clothing and list them on there. In my experience, you'll make a lot more.

So do you go to the thrift store every weekend and purchase a few hundred items or how do you get all your stock?

 

[Anon3587x]

Jill has been helping me lately as well. (Thanks a lot Jill)

I've been buying some inventory and I'm learning what brands are worth buying. In a few days I should have my first listings up. It should only be a few items but I'm just trying to break the ice. I'm not so worried if they sale or not, I just want to get some motion going.

I'm currently looking for a mannequin so I can make the clothes look nicer in the listings.
I have a digital camera, internet, computer and car. . . I should be good to go.

I'm trying to raise money to re-invest in my other business ventures and this is a perfect way to start.

You mentioned Marketing on the e-bay listings. Do you write articles and do seo work to drive traffic to your listings?

Class for me started today (studying electronical bs so I can program, create my invention ideas) So if you intended to help at least one person out, I'd say the information you shared definitely gave me a better idea on what to expect.

Good day !

 

[snowbank]

Great job Luke. What's your plan with this?

Keep doing what you're doing? Scale it into something bigger? Use the funds you're building to start a passive company?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Luke12321]

Good questions.

You know, I have never really studied when the best time is to list stuff. I would imagine Sunday evenings are the best though. I have looked at my store traffic and typically on average Sunday is the highest.

I use to always do 7 day listings, but then I started building up so much inventory I decided to go to 5 days and essentially get two extra turns per month. I pretty much look at like, if somebody is going to find your item and bid, 5 days is plenty of time. The two extra turns per month is worth it for me to pay a few extra 100 in fee's.

As far as how I list them, majority auction with a fair starting price. I am going to more fix priced listings with free shipping as it suppose to get more exposure that way. All a way to make money by ebay really....you will get screwed either way on fee's. I probably pay 2k per month in fee's. Just gotta roll with it. That is why it is important to find a niche you can sell items for a solid profit and quickly.

If items don't sell after say 3-4 weeks, I just unload them for a low price and move on....

I was a $10k/month profit player doing Ebay about 7-8 years ago... Then the whole sh!thouse burned down, and my profits fell through the floor. I was buying bulk product from China or overflow from mail order companies, and reselling online.... But then others copied my business model, and before I knew it I was out of business.

There definitely exists an opportunity for people to replace their "day jobs" with Ebay... I'm really glad to see you are doing so well! I'm considering getting back into it on a smaller level just to get some extra cash in this crappy economy!

Ebay fees have gone through the roof in the past few years. I'm wondering how you list your items typically Luke to minimize them? Do you use a store fixed priced listing, or do you do an Auction and start it at .99 cents? Do you find that certain days are better to end your auction on?

Cheers,

- Hakrjak

 

[Luke12321]

She knows a lil bit about selling clothes on ebay....

But yeah, as far as your questioning with marketing. I have not did any article writing or SEO work. I look at it this way, ebay is not my website and I am not going to spend time doing SEO for them. Marketing, by that I mean....product presentation, retaining customers. Other than delivering a great product with a great picture, not much more you can do....IMO. You can become a "top rated seller" (which is a joke program I might add) and that will probably help your sales and it reduces your fee's.

I am glad my post helped and PM me if you would like to ask any questions as you get started and in the future.

Jill has been helping me lately as well. (Thanks a lot Jill)

I've been buying some inventory and I'm learning what brands are worth buying. In a few days I should have my first listings up. It should only be a few items but I'm just trying to break the ice. I'm not so worried if they sale or not, I just want to get some motion going.

I'm currently looking for a mannequin so I can make the clothes look nicer in the listings.
I have a digital camera, internet, computer and car. . . I should be good to go.

I'm trying to raise money to re-invest in my other business ventures and this is a perfect way to start.

You mentioned Marketing on the e-bay listings. Do you write articles and do seo work to drive traffic to your listings?

Class for me started today (studying electronical bs so I can program, create my invention ideas) So if you intended to help at least one person out, I'd say the information you shared definitely gave me a better idea on what to expect.

Good day !

 

[max momo]

Great Post/Thread!

Our sales have done really well this summer, traditionally the slow time for precious metals and coins.

In part I know we are benefitting from larger trends: the precious metals have generally out performed every other market for a solid decade.

However, I also closely follow the coin/precious metal forums and PURPOSEFULLY filled the niches other folks gave up on b.c. ‘it was too hard’, ‘retail sucks’, ‘ebay steals my money’ and all the other excuses. You CAN milk another few percentage points by Learning from Others mistakes, working smart & hard, and taking calculated risks.

One thing I disagree on Luke, is your contention that ebay is not scalable. The trick is too simply have a website that is the same (or very close to) your ebay seller name. No other work needed to attract traffic of HOT LEADS, PROVEN BUYERS and folks looking for YOUR product.

The next step after building the system is perfecting the system.
The step after that is SELLING the system.

That is, begin to sell web site clones or affiliates.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Jonleehacker]

Nice job Luke, I'm very excited for you. Way to stick to it and make it work, that is very impressive.



And a pat on the back to Jill too for getting you started!

:yourock:

I spent a summer doing eBay when I was waiting for college to start and had sold my business and it is very hard work. One thing i learned that I wanted to pass on is that I tested starting auctions at what you called a "fair price" or just having them all start at .99.

It was really clear that auctions that started at .99 ALWAYS sold for more in the end.

Keep in mind I was selling computers, so maybe it's different in other markets, but worth a test probably.

 

[Luke12321]

I have thought about the entire going off of ebay thing. If I could find a good way to post items on site then directly on to ebay if unsold after "x days" then I would but I really don't know of a way to do it that would be efficient enough to make it all worth while. I guess it is hard for me to think outside the box to grow the business because I am not really PASSIONATE about it. Just a way to get to my next step more quickly.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[hakrjak]

The last couple of times I've hit my local thrift store I noticed a few women rifling through the racks with purpose and pulling out all the designer stuff. It was clear they are doing exactly what Luke & Jill do. I think there are a lot of folks doing this out there right now!

There is a local used clothing store that just opened up which is kind of playing on this model. You bring them a bag of your clothes and they'll go through it and offer you cash. Usually it's not much cash at all, then they turn around and sell your stuff in their store for profit. I don't think they put anything on Ebay yet, but they should!

Your fastlane opportunity could be turning it into a bricks & mortar store that you can franchise and sell processes for nationwide.

Cheers,

- Hakrjak

 

[Anon3587x]

There is a store in my town that will buy any type of clothing which is still in great condition and re-sell.
They have more trendy brands like lucky, abercrombie & hollister.

You can buy 5 pairs of 70 dollar pants for like 25 bucks.

 

[Forbes]

I've always told people who asked what's the quickest way to make money online is to sell stuff on ebay.

Women have an advantage for pre-owned clothing cause they are very patient in thrift stores.

 

[buckmajor]

Thanks heaps, this is an amazing post, only cause I know what's it like to be broke (um...wait a minute I am broke lol). Hhmm...ebay, might look into it and see how it all works.

CHEERS

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[FDJustin]

There's lots of little things I noticed from walking around in a goodwill and looking at pants that need judgement calls... Like, how acceptable is fraying around ankles? And how warn can the leather patch on some brands be?

I looked at some levi's that were in quite nice shape for example, and this is something that I didn't expect to see: Each pair had a bunch of wear marks all down the front that looked to be there by design. You know how jeans can turn white around the knees etc? Ok, so if they were there by design or not, what confused me was that the wear marks looked dirty. Like they were permanently coated in sand dust.

Learning about which brands will sell (used) is as easy as using ebay pulse and stumbling around. The answers to surprises like above can probably be found by google... But exposure will help you find questions.

So if you want to do something like this and don't know where to start, (and I'm not sure if any of this has been mentioned, it's been a while since I read this thread) it's a good idea to wander around the thrift store and just make notes of things. You see a feature? Make a note of it, find out if it's in demand at all. Some of the levi's I saw only had buttons, not a zipper.
If I had been looking at mens suits (Which I had) I would notice that the materials on sale were virgin wool and polyester.

And going through retail stores to check out the same brand stuff you hope to sell should also give you insight and more questions.

 

[buckmajor]

Ok, I'm back with some info. Is this called 'Ebay Partner Network'? So I have to drive traffic from my website to ebay, but how do I sell the item from there? I have a feeling it's a different ebay tool. Where do I get the items from, and how do I compare the prices?

I am willing to learn and go the distance on ebay so I can buy my first ever car....I have a scooter so that's not counted. After reading this, I want to quit my part time job driving cabs, yep my friends laugh when I drive and trying to run a small business but I'm gonna turn this around. I was training and trying to become a MMA fighter to be the best in world (seriously), well I haven't joined a MMA gym yet (low in funds), until I got a numbness in my finger and 2 chip bones in my elbow, so I won't know until I see the doctor on Monday and see what they say (best of luck, anyway).

Can anyone please point me in the right direction, so I can sell items too ebay?

Thanks in advance
CHEERS

 

[buckmajor]

How come the thread title is called 'Try ebay' but no one wants to share their secrets . Ok, you left me no choice, I'm going to find out where the wholesalers are and then I can sell hundreds of items on ebay YES!!

Please keep it coming, I like this thread.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[buckmajor]

I don't see anyone here refusing to share secrets, buckmajor. Do you have particular questions?

Hi Jill,

Do I have to buy these items first and then resell them for a higher price? Is there like a wholesalers where ebay sellers buy their items from them first before they sell them on ebay? I guess for me I'm not sure where to start?? Maybe I should read from the beginning again, and see if I missed anything.

Sweet

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Luke12321]

What do you want to sell? They are literally thousands of items you can sell for profit. What have you researched so far? What niche interest you? What are you looking to achieve from selling on ebay? Do you want it to be a drop ship model? Do you want wear out your shoes and find products one by one and sell for profit? Buy direct from manufacture? Tons of choices, just got to figure out what you want to do and where you want selling on ebay to get you.

Luke

 

[buckmajor]

What do you want to sell? They are literally thousands of items you can sell for profit. What have you researched so far? What niche interest you? What are you looking to achieve from selling on ebay? Do you want it to be a drop ship model? Do you want wear out your shoes and find products one by one and sell for profit? Buy direct from manufacture? Tons of choices, just got to figure out what you want to do and where you want selling on ebay to get you.

Luke

Hhmm...good question Luke, I haven't thought of a plan or a goal to achieve on ebay?? Holy oaks!! That is the answer I was looking for 'Drop shipping'. I didn't know what it was until I researched it. I see the picture now, so I find a niche that interest me and then find a product to sell for a profit. For a moment, I wasn't sure what you meant by finding products to sell for a profit lol.

Does that mean, we all become salesman for the wholesalers? Is 'Drop Shipping' the only wholesalers to go through, and the cheapest to buy products from?

P.S Ideally, it is better to find a wholesalers with a cheaper price for any product, to make a bigger profit, correct? Is there a wholesaler list or do I have to research them? True! So there is a subscription payment to use 'Drop Ship' . Is that how ebay sellers started?

Thanks in advance

 

[displaced_chris]

This is a great post! Thanks so much for sharing! I've been grabbing stuff to sell on ebay but hav enever had the time to sit down and process them all. Hearing stories about it happening really inspires me to get working!

A great tip on finding one's niche as well. I have bene grabbing stuff at random but will try to do more research on that. We plan to use the earnings to pay off our debt. Thanks again

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[TK1]

Hey Luke,

Great thread. A couple things I took from it that I wanted to mention.

1) Yes it is hard work, but it's not any harder work than if you were working a job for someone. It's probably easier when you think about overall stress.

2) You have learned a great skill. You can be dropped off in any small town and your immediate thought is not to get a job, it is to find the nearest thrift store. You have skills to begin making money anywhere. Worth way more than any job experience. What could or would your banker friends do?

3) Have you thought about slowly transitioning off of ebay and open an online store? You have repeat customers and loyalty. You may not need the ebay platform and you certainly don't want to rely on it 100%. You should start branding your auctions on ebay. Maybe you can start with a few items at set prices and see how it goes.

4) I've also found that if you worry about the money too much that business starts to suffer. Like you said, give that refund and resell the product you might make more the 2nd time. Don't count your profits because you will stress over amounts of $10. As long as my account grows I'm doing ok.

Pure truth in this post!

#2 is so true, it's all that matters after all > learning

 

[Walawala]

I'm glad I found this forum!
Maybe somebody can help me.
I am an immigrant, studying computer engineering. Since 2008, I have been selling women's used name-brand jeans. I hada 40/60 sha with a huge supplier, but the margins were too low for me to make any real money, thus I gave up. i sold about 600 pairs of jeans, though.

Recently, when I went back to Pakistan to visit, I located the manufacturers of big name brands - Nike, Ralph Lauren, USPA, Hollister, Aeropostale, A&F, Ecko.. Etc. I have, since then, been getting my partner there to supply small quantities, and it is selling exceptionally well, with huge profit margins. These are all factory extras.

What I am concerned with, though, is that I feel a huge burden of risk. i feel like it is a huge liability. Selling brand-name merchandise, without being a licensed distributor.. Is tht illegal? Can the brand owners sue me, for selling something with amanufacturer's label of $75, for just $35? Please do note that these are all originals.. Not knock offs. i am scared to expand this business. I cannot affford a lawyer. Any advice will be appreciated!

 

[Vigilante]

This would be a fast way to get kicked off of eBay. Not only do brandholders regularly enforce their trademarks (and their authorized distribution) but you would be subject to eBay thinking you are selling fraudulent knockoffs, and you would have no way to substantiate you weren't.

Nike, Ralph Lauren, USPA, Hollister, Aeropostale and trigger brands on eBay. As long as your goods emanated from an authorized distributor, it is NOT illegal. However, that doesn't mean eBay is going to allow you to do it on their marketplace.

Your other risk would be U.S. customs if you were talking about selling the merchandise for shipment within the United States. They will take the merchandise at the direction of the brandholders if the merchandise was not intended for United States resale... and you are simply out of luck in that circumstance.

High risk.

 

[xtn5021]

What are you're opinions on dropshipping? I was thinking of paying that $60.00 a month to get an account with doba. But I'm concerned with the profit magin. To even compete nowadays, you have to be at a very low price.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[AgonI]

What are you're opinions on dropshipping? I was thinking of paying that $60.00 a month to get an account with doba. But I'm concerned with the profit magin. To even compete nowadays, you have to be at a very low price.

Forget about Doba. You don't want to compete with hundreds of other people who get the same prices like you do and put them on ebay. I'd much rather try Aliexpress.com - Online Shopping for Electronics, Fashion, Home & Garden, Toys & Sports, Automobiles from China. which is a site by Alibaba but you can order in lower quantities. Of course watch out for fakes so you don't get in trouble with eBay before you list them ... Heck you can even dropship from Aliexpress, just make sure you state the product will ship from outside of the U.S.

 

[jec1521]

I tried dealing with eBay back in the day. My biggest problem was shipping. I could never find the right sized box/packaging, and when I did, it always cost more to ship than expected. How do you all combat this?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[smartman]

obviously this is advice of little insight, but I've been selling on ebay for years and i'm at the point where everyone I know just saves their boxes for me. Ask around, buy a box cutter and a tape gun. you'll save yourself on shipping costs from here out.

I love the idea of using only priority boxes, but I've noticed that free shipping is really the only edge I can get in the ebay rankings, which means I need to cut as many corners as possible in shipping costs and use parcel post as much as possible when shipping.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[BobbyPenzero]

Hi, I just thought I'd chip in here as this is a little side hobby of mine and my girlfriends. We check out charity shops (thrift stores here in the UK) and usually pick up £100-200 worth of items in one day.

A really great tool that anyone can use is the Amazon App - it actually has a barcode scanner on so you can check almost anything with a barcode on and see how much it's listed for on Amazon. You may say "Oh, but some of Amazon's prices are way too high" and this may be true, but the fact is that it's a great estimator for any type of media. It's available on Android, Windows Phone and iPhone, so there's my recommendation!

 

[Jill]

... i'm at the point where everyone I know just saves their boxes for me. Ask around, buy a box cutter and a tape gun. you'll save yourself on shipping costs from here out.

I love the idea of using only priority boxes, but I've noticed that free shipping is really the only edge I can get in the ebay rankings, which means I need to cut as many corners as possible in shipping costs and use parcel post as much as possible when shipping.

Well, you could always get the free boxes and turn them inside out. Takes no more energy than collecting and cutting other boxes to size.

But the larger issue, to my mind, is that you need to find a higher margin product to sell. It sounds to me as if you are competing against the same, readily available commodity sellers in a market that is in a race to the bottom (price.)

 

[smartman]

I mostly flip cell phones, and although the product margins vary to a healthy amount ~30% there are simply so many listings that it is hard to get noticed in the ebay algorithm, even with 100% feedback.

I would love some suggestions on other products

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.