What to Sell on eBay - 7 REAL Tips for Finding Successful Products

This question has become one for the ages. There are many answers to it, few of which will actually help you. Today we will give you 7 tips you must keep in mind when you search for items to sell on eBay.

The problem with asking the question "What can I sell on eBay" is that you're likely to get one of a small group of boilerplate answers. These answers get repackaged and dispensed as brand new answers, however they are still the same, reworked, difficult advice.

The most common answers you will find are:

  • Look for items at garage sales, flea markets and estate sales.
  • Speak to manufacturing corporations and ask them if you can sell their products on ebay for them.
  • Buy from wholesalers.
  • Buy cheap items from retail stores.
  • Negotiate with stores to sell their overstocked items.
The problem with all of these things is they just don't work, they are too complicated, or they are just overdone.

How to Settle on a Product

There are 7 necessary tips to keep in mind when searching for a product that will sell well. To find the best product it must meet a number of guidelines.

  • Keep it small. Larger items bring with them a host of issues, from storage to shipping and everything in between. Unless storage is not a problem for you, keeping more than a few large items around can cramp up your extra rooms, basement and garage. The problem is that you need to be able to keep a large supply of items that you're selling to make any real money. Making $100 on a sofa is great, but it hardly pays the bills. If you have any ideas about quitting your job or supplementing your income, you will need to be selling a lot more of these. Heck, 3 or 4 sofas in a room should fill it up. So where are you going to put 10 of them? Keep your items small, and you can use shelves, drawers and closets for storage.
  • Can it ship easily? I know we covered the size issue in the previous paragraph, but it comes up again here. Even if you find the perfect product, you must be able to ship it easily and cheaply. You may find a great deal on rocking chairs, but how are you going to get a box around them? Not to mention, the shipping costs on large, heavy and bulky items can be in the hundreds of dollars. Look for products that can ship for a minimum amount of money. Anything from toothpicks to books fit the bill nicely.
  • Find a niche! If you try to sell everything to everyone, you will end up selling nothing to anyone. The more specialized you become, the better your chances of being able to offer unique items. For example, there are thousands of people on eBay selling DVD's. Prices have been cut down to nothing, and profits along with them. The only way to make money as a DVD seller on eBay is to be one of the few sellers who have huge volumes. Starting out that way is very tough indeed. On the other hand, if you sell a specific type of DVD, like old horror movies or cartoon sets, you will likely have better profit margins. The large DVD warehouses just can't move enough of them to make it worth their while. Come up with a few niches, and you should do pretty well.
  • Beware of seasonal items. Christmas decorations may sell well from October until December, but no one will be buying them in April. If you will be selling seasonal items, make sure you know when their season ends, and don't get stuck with a lot of leftover products.
  • Fads can be great money-makers for short periods of time, but after that, good luck getting rid of them. Think of Beanie Babies, Tickle Me Elmo and Cabbage Patch Kids. All of these fads enjoyed phenomenal sales due to their intense popularity. After the boom, however, sales (and prices) dropped immediately. Ride the waves of popular items, but beware of their life-cycle. Prepare for the end of the fad, even as you are beginning the selling.
  • Bring something unique to the marketplace. This seems difficult - and it can be. If you have access to something unique, such as a specialized book, health product or computer program that other sellers don't have license for, your products will be in demand. This tip is worth putting some time into. Think of ways to obtain such products, or modify existing ones (But be sure of your rights to do so!).
  • Sell what is in demand. Coins, stamps and other collectibles are always in demand. They are easy to buy and easy to sell and ship. If you spend time researching the ones that sell the best, for the most profit, you can do very well in this area. Try to come up with unique ways of presenting these items as well.
    • Hopefully these tips will get you started. Always keep in mind that uniqueness seems to be the key to eBay success. Even if you're selling existing and plentiful items, come up with a unique way of selling or packaging them, and you may just find the next winner.

    Good luck, and happy selling!

    ©2005 Matt Blasses

    Matt Blasses is the author of the groundbreaking ebook "How to Get Rich Buying and Selling Stamps on eBay - Even if you don't know anything about stamps."
    This ebook is available for immediate download at http://www.stampebook.com

    You can reach Matt Blasses at: mblasses@comcast.net

    In The News:

    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Finding Antiques And Collectibles To Sell On eBay

    Many people who decide to make a living selling collectibles... Read More

    Tips on How to Profit from eBay Buy It Now Auction Listings

    eBay is an online auction site so it stands to... Read More

    Taxing Your eBay Profits

    As a small business person-slash-advice columnist I dread the first... Read More

    The Secret Of The Ebay Money Machine And How To Get Your Share

    If you have all the money you need, then this... Read More

    Your Junk is Another Persons Gold

    Saving money can be quite hard to do if you... Read More

    The Secret To Real eBay Success

    Q. I hear so much about people who started selling... Read More

    Louis Vuitton -- Avoiding the Ebay Nightmare Fakes

    Without a doubt, eBay was one of the cleverest on-line... Read More

    A WIN-WIN Scenario On eBay For Buyer/Sellers: Tips For Hunting Want It Now Postings

    "Ask And You Shall Receive" Policy Works!You're one-of-a-kind baby clothes... Read More

    Is The eBay Fee Increase Actually Good For Business?

    Fee Increase Leaves Some Sellers Angry, Others ThrilledMuch of my... Read More

    Importing Products to Sell on eBay

    The interesting thing about online buyers is they are extremely... Read More

    Negating Negative Feedback on eBay

    Taking some pride in my one hundred percent positive feedback... Read More

    Selling on eBay? Heres a Success Tip for Your Online Auctions

    Are you planning to sell on eBay? Or have you... Read More

    Royal Memorabilia ? An eBay Prince or Pauper?

    There has always been a fascination with royalty and as... Read More

    Low Cost, High Profit Dream Products To Sell on eBay and Amazon

    Finding quality products to sell is the key to continuing... Read More

    2 Step Secret Reveals How You Can Find Wholesale Suppliers

    Have you spent hours on the internet searching for a... Read More

    Profit through Other Peoples eBay Errors

    There are many issues that influence how an eBay auction... Read More

    How To Use A WYSIWYG HTML Editor To Make Stunning Ebay Auction Listings

    What kind of browser are you using for online surfing?... Read More

    Rent A Coder & Other Service Auctions

    You may be in the market for a new website.... Read More

    EBay: No Way?Yes Way (Ten Seller Themes)

    Hearing that there are more than 1.2 million registered eBay... Read More

    Making Your Auction Business Stand Out From The Crowd

    When my sons were growing up they started playing hockey... Read More

    Smart Ways Your Business Can Benefit From Online Auctions

    It seems as if everyone is talking about online auctions.... Read More

    Using Online Ebay Auctions to Promote Your Website - Confessions of a True Traffic Junkie

    If you are looking for traffic to your e-commerce site,... Read More

    Killer Tips To Succeed With eBay Auction

    For just a moment, try to comprehend the power of... Read More

    What to Sell on eBay - 7 REAL Tips for Finding Successful Products

    This question has become one for the ages. There are... Read More

    To eBay or NOT to eBay

    FACT: eBay's Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) 2003 - GMS, the... Read More

    7 Steps to Easier EBay Shipping

    If you're like me, you probably hate packing and shipping... Read More

    Four Reasons Why You Should NEVER Use Animations In Your eBay Auctions

    Inexperienced auction sellers, or those lacking in confidence, often want... Read More

    Sell Your Items at Cost and Make a Fortune on eBay!

    Like all ebay sellers I wanted to sell all of... Read More

    EBay Feedback, 5 Key Things All EBayers Should Know

    eBay's user feedback system is one of the site's most... Read More

    Free Auction Templates: How to Set Your Border Color With FOAM

    If you have not heard of Foamtemplates.com yet, home of... Read More

    Boosting Your EBay Auction Profits: Just Add Audio

    According to a recent report, adding audio to your eBay... Read More

    5 Ways to Drive Traffic Away from Your EBay Auction

    eBay is a one-stop solution to any one who wants... Read More

    How Professional Ebay Auction Templates Can Boost Your Ebay Sales

    Do you like to sell on eBay ? It's easy... Read More