In recent survey, it was estimated that over 500,000 Americans make a living on Ebay. For those of you who don't know anything about Ebay, it is the world's largest online auction site where you can put products and services up for auction and give eBay members the opportunity to place bids on them.
So just what can you sell on eBay? The answer is just about anything you can imagine. You can sell items you don't use anymore from around your house, garage and attic or you can buy products wholesale and sell them at retail prices. You can sell small items such as jewelry or large items such as cars, airplanes and even ships. eBay will accept literally anything other than pornagraphic materials.
With a large percent of the world population now a member of eBay, there is an evergrowing market out there for selling products and services. But, before you do anything, you need to decide on something to sell.
It's however important to do a little research prior to selling on eBay. One quick tip for researching the market is as simple as typing something into their search bar at the top of their home page. That will give you good idea as to what types of items are selling in that category and at what price they are selling for. One huge mistake many beginners make is buying in high volume to get a better price without doing some basic research on the items they are considering selling. And, what they end up with most of the time is a garage full of products no one wants.
Another great way of trying to find out what's selling is to listen to what people are talking about most of the time. For instance, cell phones and iPods are something you hear people talking about all the time. If you go to eBay and type in either of those terms, you'll probably find 1,000's of products in those categories. This should tell you that the market is very huge for those types of products and your chances for selling a product that fits in the cell phone or iPod market would be very good.
It's then a matter of locating a wholesaler for those types of products that can supply you at a good price. You'll mostly always get a better price for buying products in bulk. However, as mentioned before, start out with a few and test the market first to see if the product will sell. Who cares if you break even and make no money. Once you find out what is selling consistently, then go out and buy in bulk.
Finding good and reliable wholesalers is another issue you must do some homework on. Always check out suppliers before parting with any of your hard earned cash. There are a lot of scam websites out there just waiting to take your money. A good way to minimize your risks of being taken is to join wholesale buying group such as SaleHoo.com. SaleHoo.com has a gigantic database of suppliers in hundreds of different categories which have been screened by the company as well as other members. There is a small one time fee for joining SaleHoo.com however when you consider the cost of what one bad deal will cost you, it's well worth the price.
We hope this information will help make your buying and selling experience better. As you progress, you will find many tools that are available such as software that will help you monitor your eBay auctions as well as tracking what people are searching for. These tools can be VERY useful and will only increase your chances for success.
Selling on eBay is not as easy as you may think however if you stick to the basics outlined above, you shouldn't go too far wrong.
About the Author
Michael Roberts is a business consultant with over 15 years experience in the wholesale market and author for many online and offline businesses and an active member of SaleHoo.com.
How does an eBay newbie locate wholesale products for their business?
There are five basic steps that every eBay newbie should take when looking for wholesale products.
1. Determine what niche or business you would like your eBay business to be.
Just because an eBay seller starts out selling one thing doesn’t mean you have to build an eBay business selling that same thing. One question to ask yourself is, "What is it that gives you passion?" or "What hobbies are you interested in?"
2. Determine whether your eBay business will be based on selling products in volume or price.
eBay newbies need to determine if they will be looking to sell on many auctions and making a modest profit on each sale or if they will be selling on fewer auctions however selling higher priced items.
3. Spend some time to investigate the eBay marketplace.
eBay newbies need to spend some time investigating and determining whether there is a viable market for the wholesale products they are considering selling. A great way to find out what's selling is to do eBay searches to see if their are similar items being sold.
4. Locate trustworthy and reliable sources and suppliers for wholesale products.
There are many ways of locating wholesale products to sell on eBay. One way of locating product suppliers is using the internet search engines such as Google and Yahoo and typing in the word "wholesale". You must be careful however as many companies may not operate in an honest and ethical way. Another great source for locating products and suppliers are through companies such as SaleHoo and Aid and Trade who publish directories of reliable and proven wholesale suppliers and products. Both of these companies charge a low one time membership fee however when you consider you will be dealing with trustworthy companies, it's well worth the price.
5. Test the market.
eBay newbies should always test the eBay marketplace first by ordering a small number of units starting out and then try selling the items they have purchased. If for some reason you are not successful at your first attempt, as many may find, keep trying different products. Nothing takes the place of "trial and error" and experience. The more products you try, the better your chances of finding a product that takes off and makes you a nice income.
About the Author
Michael Roberts is a consultant with 15 years experience in the Wholesale and Closeout industry. Find more about this as well as other resources on Wholesale and Below Wholesale Merchandise at http://www.BuyWholesaleClub.com
There are thousands of people selling on eBay, but only a small percentage are ever truly successful. What is it about these individuals that makes them different than everyone else?
Experts have been studying successful people for years and their findings show that successful people possess a number of traits in common. Surprisingly, these similarities have nothing to do with individual talents, intelligence or even creativity.Rather, they are lifestyle choices which are available to all of us.
1. Love what you do
Loving what you do enough that you wake up in the morning ready to get started is a major reason why some sellers are successful and others are not.Loving what you do means you are able to put the time, passion and commitment necessary into your business to make it successful.
If you don’t love what you do, you are already one step behind as you won’t be inclined to spend your spare time thinking about your business, thus limiting your creativity.Contrary to popular believe, Eureka moments come after months and even years of thought around a particular area. Great ideas aren’t just random brainwaves, but the result of the brain quietly sorting and filtering information in the background, sometimes over a long period of time, until it suddenly hits upon a new direction.
However, often it’s not just creativity that’s important – good, hard work is unavoidable.You don’t need a scientist to tell you that working 15 hours a day is going to get you further ahead than someone working 8.
Common trap: Choosing a product to sell based strictly on ease of supply, hype or a combination of both rather than a product which you are truly passionate about .
2. Keep learning
A successful eBay seller clearly recognizes theirstrengths and weaknesses. They make the most of their strengths (often by choosing something they love to sell) and take the steps necessary to counteract their weaknesses (either by hiring staff with the required skills or learning methods to combat them).
A successful person uses the strength of their will power to make themselves continue to discover and develop new skills. Human beings by nature are lazy creatures. Once we’ve learned something a certain way, we don’t like to change – even if it means a better outcome in the long term.Successful people on the other hand force themselves to go beyond what most people are not willing to do. On eBay, this is even more important as changes are happening literally every week. If you don’t keep up to date, you’re at a tremendous disadvantage.
Common trap: Believing that ‘common sense’ is enough and that reading, research and learning are a waste of time.
3. Work hard
There is no avoiding it. To be successful at anything requires a significant time commitment.Successful business owners are prepared to put in 15-18 hour days to get the results they want. Many start out by working on their businesses in the evenings while holding down a regular day job. It’s tough but that extra effort is what separates a successful person apart from a non-successful one.
Common trap: Laziness, procrastination and poor time management skills.
4. A plan
Hard work is nothing if you don't have a good plan. Successful people are constantly visualizing how it would feel to be successful. They imagine making $10,000 a month profit and visualize that money appearing in their bank account.Successful people also take the time to create a solid business plan detailing every step along the road to success. They create a roadmap and they follow it.
Common trap: Not bothering to draw up a plan and believing everything will just fall into place.
5. Commitment
Commitment means not giving up on your dream at the first obstacle. Successful people don’t consider failure as an option. They certainly don’t drop an idea when it doesn’t make them millions in one month and move onto the next get-quick-rich scheme! Often we never truly consider just how much time successful people have spent on the job before becoming successful. To us, it seems ‘overnight’, yet in reality, just about every major success story out there was years in the making. Companies like eBay, Microsoft and Google are the greatest successes of our age, however they all started small and all required 3-5 years of hard work before they started to take off.
Common trap: Letting an obstacle overwhelm you rather than seeing it as a challenge to be overcome.
6. Take responsibility
Successful people always take full responsibility for their business. They don’t blame things like not enough time, family responsibilities or bad childhood experiences for why they aren’t successful. Successful people live in the moment and realize it is how they think now that matters.
Successful people literally create their own success – they deal effectively with life’s problems from time-wasters at work to the demands of family, friends and finances.
Common trap: Blaming past events, other people, bad luck and bad timing for failure.
About the Author
Michael Roberts is a consultant with 15 years experience in the Wholesale and Closeout industry. Find more about this as well as other resources on Wholesale and Below Wholesale Merchandise at http://www.BuyWholesaleClub.com
China is quickly becoming a popular resource of products for eBay sellers as they struggle to compete online. Wholesale sources in a seller’s own country are being abandoned as sellers find that discounts are not substantial enough to make reselling on eBay profitable. Many eBay sellers believe Chinese sources offer them a much better price on popular products, giving them a faster route to success on eBay.
Popular online wholesale directory, SaleHoo, has noticed the demand for Chinese wholesalers and manufacturers have increased over the past year. Company Representative, Chad Thompson says: “Many people are frustrated by eBay’s fee increases and the huge competition on eBay. Chinese wholesalers can offer very cheap prices for items and sellers can start making the profits they need to counteract these increased costs.” SaleHoo says it has been able to find some excellent Chinese wholesalers and manufacturers, which they are included in their member’s only directory.
China’s growing economy has been the subject of much discussion recently. At this stage, its evergrowing industry means manufacturing costs are very low. This is good news for eBay sellers who are able to purchase products at a very low prices and resell them for a good profit. – even after shipping costs are taken into consideration.
SaleHoo’s wholesale directory now has over 30,000 members – many of whom sell on eBay. While traditional wholesalers still work for some, Salehoo's staff have noticed that the demand for Chinese wholesalers and distributors have surged enormously in the last 12 months. “There is also a parallel demand for information on how to deal with Chinese wholesalers and how to organize shipping and so forth,” says Thompson, “It’s a much different and scarier game when you are spending thousands of dollars with a foreign company, rather than a few hundred to one not very far away.”
But not all eBay sellers are keen on this supply method. Some say they have been put off buying from China after hearing horror stories of thousands of dollars being lost when an unfortunate buyer purchased off a fraudulent wholesale website. Thompson says that while this does happen, problems like this can easily be avoided if buyers would take more care to check up on the background of the site. “Unfortunately, many people just see the dollar signs and do not take the time to consider why the prices might be a lot lower than others they have seen so far,” he says. “Paying by unsecure methods such as Western Union and wire transfer also gets people into trouble as there is no way of getting their money back.”
SaleHoo performs background checks on all Chinese wholesale sites in their directory, so members are guaranteed a safe transaction. As for wholesale sites found outside of the directory, SaleHoo recommends performing thorough research before making a purchase. The site advises sellers to contact the supplier by phone and ask for a sample before ordering. “SaleHoo members also get the benefit of being able to ask staff and other members about a supplier on their forum,” says Thompson. “This is invaluable when they come across a new website that looks good, but aren’t sure of the company's reputation.”
Thompson also suggests doing a general search engine search for the name of the company. “If any one has had any problems with a particular company in the past, you should quickly find out!” He says.
SaleHoo believes that Chinese suppliers are definitely the way of the future for eBay sellers and as this method of supply becomes more common, better data will be available on Chinese companies, shipping costs, importing regulations and so forth. “It’s always hard work to blaze a new trail,” says Thompson, “But those who get in now and do their homework properly will benefit the most in the long run.”
Michael Roberts is a consultant with 15 years experience in the Wholesale and Closeout industry. Find more about this as well as other resources on Wholesale and Below Wholesale Merchandise at http://www.BuyWholesaleClub.com
Thinking about Dropshipping? Before you get started, here are some things you need to consider before taking the leap.
The first step in getting involved with dropshipping is choosing a product. There are many factors you need to consider before making this decision. I have found that choosing products that you are personally interested in is a great place to start.
The next step is locating a supplier or dropshipper. There are many ways of locating a dropshipper. You can start your research by going to the search engines such as Yahoo, Google and typing in, Dropshipping or Dropshippers. You need to however be very careful when searching on the internet for dropshippers. There are many companies out there posing as dropshippers however, many of these companies are middlemen and any time you deal with a middleman, you’re giving them a piece of the profit pie which could be going into your pocket.
Another good resource to check out is a company called SaleHoo. SaleHoo offers a screened directory of legitimate wholesale suppliers and dropshippers in over 15 product categories. By screening the companies, you can rest assured that you are dealing with reputable companies who won’t be out to steal your profits. Also, they update their directory almost daily with new suppliers and dropshippers. There is a cost for this directory however, it’s well worth it.
Once you find a product and company to work with, you need to do a little homework. First you need to read the dropshipper’s policy to find out what their dropshipping costs will be, payment details, shipping times and whether they require a Tax ID or resell certificate. Sometimes they may require you to fill out an application which can easily be done online, by phone or fax.
Once you are set up with your dropshipper, you are ready to start selling.
About the Author:
Michael Roberts is a Product Sourcing Consultant who have been involved in wholesale, closeout and dropshipping businesses for over 15 years. You can view more resources by visiting http://www.buywholesaleclub.com
In order to be successful as a niche marketer and be able to compete with other marketers you have to be able to find wholesale sources to buy your niche products from that still leave you enough room to mark up for profit while remaining competitive.
Before you begin looking all the way to China for low cost wholesalers check locally first. It just makes good sense. If you buy your products from overseas you are going to pay large shipping charges which will affect the amount you can charge and still make a profit. You may find that when everything is added up those long distance wholesalers may not be that great a deal, take the time to compare.
You generally will not find wholesalers advertised on TV or in normal print media because they aren't looking for the end user, they are looking for you, the middleman. Still, it is relatively easy to find the sources if you know where to get started. Here are some ideas to help you.
My first suggestion is of course, the internet. I live online and I can't imagine having to find anything using anything else to find what I need. There are even search engines that are wholesale specific bringing back only results that are related to wholesale inquiries. You can find these search engines by simply typing in 'wholesale search engine' in your browser search bar.
You can also look for trade associations that the wholesaler may belong to in the niche you are wanting to market. If you plan to market a particular product on a regular basis you should probably join a trade association yourself which will give you access to a wealth of information that can help you to find the wholesale sources you are seeking.
Be a little subversive and look at the packaging on products that you would like to sell that may be at your local competitor. Find the contact information or a website where you can reach the company with a wholesale inquiry.
Once you have done the preliminary research and have compiled a list of possible companies that you can purchase from wholesale you will now want to research their histories, policies, and reputations. Don't neglect this step it can save you a lot of money and headaches in the future by avoiding companies that are rip offs. Also pay particular attention to their billing and payment terms. It is advantageous if you can find one that bills 30 to 60 days out that way you can get the item and possibly have it sold before you even have to pay for it.
About the Author
Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about wholesale sources and buying wholesale at http://www.buywholesaleclub.com
I must confess that I, like many millions of people all over the planet, love eBay. I have used the online auction giant to buy and sell everything from vintage jewelry and old books to cars. It doesn't matter what you are in the market for you can find it on eBay. As the largest auction provider in the world, they offer the largest variety you will find on virtually any subject. You will even be amused by some of the strange things you find on eBay like a piece of toast with the face of the Virgin Mary!
If you are like me then you are probably oblivious to how incredible eBay really is. I have been using the site for several years, almost since the beginning. I wish I had had the foresight to buy some of their stock, but that's another story. What I do get a kick out of is the fact that I can buy and sell and do business with people all over the world from my home computer. Who would have thought that would even be possible for the average person as recently as ten or fifteen years ago? The way that eBay is set up by categories and the search engine that is used to help you find items is just incredible. You will stumble on things that you want without even directly looking for them.
As far as doing business through eBay, they have made it super easy. You don't even have to worry about currency exchange, or shopping carts or any of the other issues normally associated with e-commerce. If you have an email address and a Paypal account you are in business.
If you are looking for old or rare items eBay is like a giant treasure chest and sometimes if you are lucky and very attentive you can find really good deals on stuff that is truly valuable.
Now, on the other side of the coin we need to take a look at some of the negative aspects just so you have the full picture of doing business on eBay. I wouldn't want to leave you thinking that everything was totally perfect.
If you are going to do business in eBay, one of the things you must be aware of is shipping costs. If you are looking at buying a large item from overseas, let me stop you before you even get started.
International shipping costs are outrageous, which is why most eBay sellers in the United States will only sell to and ship in the U.S. and Canada. You could buy a lamp for $1 and pay $75 for it to be shipped!
Another issue that I have to warn you about is that there are tons of people who prowl around eBay that are crooked. They are fraudsters who will send thousands of emails to people claiming they bought an item and will demand payment or threaten to report you. I get this garbage everyday. Just be aware that they are there. You also have the people who place items up for sale that are non existent or not what they claim them to be. This is why it pays to only do business with people who have a long history of good feedback ratings.
Hopefully this has helped to give you a good overview on buying through eBay, now put the information to use!
About the Author
Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about using auctions and buying wholesale at http://www.buywholesaleclub.com
People make things more difficult than they have to in many cases and finding jewelry wholesale for most is no exception to this. I think that with the access we have to a world of information through the internet it is quite easy. You can find anything you are looking for at wholesale prices, you just have to be willing to take the time needed to sort through all the garbage to find the jewels.
For starters you must know that there is a world of difference between jewelry stores online and their wholesale counterparts. The regular online jewelry stores are just like the ones you would find at your local mall selling jewelry at highly marked up retail prices. The wholesale jewelry companies sell at wholesale only and it is through them that you can find your bargains.
What you need to do first is find a source of wholesalers to check with in order to find the best deals for the items you are searching for. You can buy wholesale directories online for this purpose but with the information readily available at your fingertips it isn't really necessary. Just fire up your browser and use your favorite search engine to find a source for the jewelry you are looking for. If you are searching for moissanite jewelry, then type it in like this 'moissanite jewelry wholesale' to hone in on search results for just that subject.
Just so you know, most of the wholesalers online sell at the prices they offer in bulk only which is why they offer them at such low prices. This may make your search a little more difficult if you are just looking for one ring or one stone but there are companies out there that will sell in smaller quantities, you just have to be willing to take the time to find them.
On the other hand if you are a non techie or just don't like the idea of buying jewelry online you may want to consider enrolling in one of the discount buyer clubs like Costco or Sam's Wholesale. I don't think you will find the prices as good as those on the internet but they will be better than those at most regular jewelry stores.
Just keep this in mind when you are shopping online. Make sure that the wholesaler you are buying jewelry wholesale from has a refund or exchange policy and guarantee on the items they sell for authenticity. Do not buy from a company that does not offer these benefits.
About the Author
Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about buying wholesale and jewelry wholesale at http://www.buywholesaleclub.com
Vintage or antique jewelry is worth a lot of money in most cases and it can get really expensive trying to acquire a collection. Actually with a little research and effort you can find antique jewelry wholesale just like any other product if you are willing to invest a little time.
The majority of the population would probably tell you to look on eBay or other online auction sites but the fact of the matter is that these really aren't good sources for finding antique jewelry wholesale because the sellers at the sites usually know the value of what they are offering up for sale. There are other ways to find vintage jewelry at or even below wholesale so let's take a look.
One very easy no cost way of finding antique jewelry wholesale is checking your local paper for garage sales, estate sales, and even divorce sales. In a lot of cases these people may have items that they don't know the value of and your chances of finding something are great. It is very possible for you to pick up items worth thousands just buy rummaging through sales like these on a weekend.
When you are trying to pick up jewelry in this way don't study the items too hard, you don't want to give the hint to the owner that it may be worth a lot of money. The best thing to do is kind of glance over the items. Don't feel bad about getting a good deal or feel like you are taking advantage of someone. If it was truly important to them they would have taken the time to have the item appraised. If all they want for something you are looking at is a quarter, give it to them and get out of there before the look of surprise and joy on your face gives it away!
Looking for jewelry in this way is a lot of fun, almost like being on a treasure hunt. You never know what you will find on these weekend excursions. I have found very valuable items in this way. I once found a vintage cedar hope chest worth hundreds of dollars that I paid $30 for! You can also give eBay a try, just bear in mind there thousands and thousands of other people doing the same thing!
Try misspellings to lessen the competition and have a better chance at getting the jewelry you are looking for at the lowest price possible.
About the Author
Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about buying wholesale and jewelry wholesale at http://www.buywholesaleclub.com
