[dunroven]

I'm not sure if this is where I should post this question, or just where to post it, but here goes. There is a company out there that talks about all these products they warehouse. You go in and pick some of the products and then put them up for sale on e-bay. There is a price to come up to on them, a reserve I guess, and once it hits that price, anything over the price that the item goes for, let's say the reserve is $20 and it goes at auction for $40, you get to keep the $40 as profit. On the other hand, if it only goes for $21, you get to keep $1, anyway, its profit.

My question is, has anyone on here tried doing this and if so, how has it worked out for you? Good or bad experience with it? You have (I think it said) a 14-day free trial, after which you pay the company $45 per month in order to use their pictures, and list the items. They drop ship everything for you, so you don't have to mess with that.

So what are your opinions on this?

Thanks!

Valorie

 

[donsgal]

I'm not sure if this is where I should post this question, or just where to post it, but here goes. There is a company out there that talks about all these products they warehouse. You go in and pick some of the products and then put them up for sale on e-bay. There is a price to come up to on them, a reserve I guess, and once it hits that price, anything over the price that the item goes for, let's say the reserve is $20 and it goes at auction for $40, you get to keep the $40 as profit. On the other hand, if it only goes for $21, you get to keep $1, anyway, its profit.

My question is, has anyone on here tried doing this and if so, how has it worked out for you? Good or bad experience with it? You have (I think it said) a 14-day free trial, after which you pay the company $45 per month in order to use their pictures, and list the items. They drop ship everything for you, so you don't have to mess with that.

So what are your opinions on this?

Thanks!

Valorie

Sounds like SMC. Anyway. Do some research and make sure that the items then have are what people want to buy. There is a limited market for "decorator items" that most people can pick up cheaper at wal mart or target and don't have to deal with shipping issues. As for paying to use the company's pictures, most likely you can use google images to find the same photos on the internet someplace. You just have to look around for them. I would not sign any long-term contracts which would make you responsible for that $45 a month for a long period of time (which is what they are making their money on in this deal. People who join up and then decide that putting the auctions up is too much trouble or that they aren't selling).

There are countless companies out there that will wholesale the same China-made junk that SMC sells and you don't have a huge commitment. I don't know about the drop ship though, that is SMC's only selling point in my opinion, that you don't have to have the money up-front. But you pay for that convenience.

I'd sign up for some "entrepeneuer" type (own your own business, self employed, etc.,) message boards that talk about the pros and cons of this kind of arrangement and really do my research before making a decision about it.

donsgal

 

[farmerscotty]

go to the forums or ebay boards and research this...bet it is answered for you many many times....

Have a good one!

Scott

 

[DenverGirlie]

this is called drop shipping, most of it is junk, do your research

 

[Windy in Kansas]

Well let us assume that a few hundred others have done just this and are currently selling on Ebay just as you described. Have you looked at the auctions to see what the items are bringing at final bid?

How many of the items do you currently own in your home? If you don't own any why do you think others would? It you do own some of the items what is the quality of the product? Was your purchase a good value for the product?

Since the items are drop shipped you have no control over the packing and shipping and I would suppose returns. When someone complains that they never received their item who gets the blame for shipment or lack thereof? While the company you are basically working for is responsible for proper shipping how do you know the product was indeed shipped or shipped timely? If shipments aren't made timely you will get poor Ebay feedback and fewer sales.

Will you have the capability to collect the proper sales tax for those states requiring it on Ebay transactions?

My main concern would be if the items are things people can use and actually need, or are things that would not sell should the economy turn sour with money for extras becoming tight.

Here's a nickel, do I get change from my two cents worth of thought?

 

[dunroven]

Well, this is not SMC, but I kind of figured it was something like that. I did do business with SMC years ago. Don't do that anymore. Never made a dime on it. I can't find stuff though that sells well on e-bay. I have actually looked back through the sales that have been completed, and there is just nearly nothing that anyone is buying. So how is anyone making any money on ebay?

Any tips? I really need to make some extra money. I am a medical transcriptionist and I type all day long. My hands are wearing out after typing for 33 years now. I need to do something at home, and figured that e-bay might be the thing, but how on earth can I make money if no one is truly buying any one item?

I looked for dishes, carnival glass, videos, books, cookware, lots of specialized (name brand) things, old toasters, old radios, even automobiles, and I can't come up with anything that people "really want." So how can I make some money?

We have very restrictive laws here in iowa about selling homemade food items unless we have a commercial kitchen, and I don't have one of those.

If anyone has some ideas, I would love to hear those as well.

 

[lewbest]

I think I'd run from it (though I know nothing about it). I have made good money on ebay though buying stuff at yard sales, auctions (best source) & flea markets. Just gotta have an idea what stuff is worth & jump in. The key is buying, not selling in most ventures to make them profitable. Another thing you need to do is if your buying capital is low (heck if you're careful you can start out with just a few bux) BE SURE to roll at least half of your profits back into more mdse to sell; you'll come up with quite a bit to work with rather quickly IF YOU'RE CAREFUL WITH THE BUYING END OF IT! If you have more questions I'll be glad to try to help.

Lew in TX

 

[willow_girl]

Heck, I sold a piece of junk mail (2008 Ikea catalog) this week on eBay!

OK OK, so it only went for $3.25 ... it was still a piece of junk mail!

 

[Ken Scharabok]

Last I saw eBay did something like 15M transactions a week, that is, on on the average, 7M listings started and 7M listings ended.

If you are trying to sell what, say a dozen, other people are it becomes a price war. Eventually they all start trying to underprice each other.

If you are selling items you already own, such as out-grown clothing or such, or are offering something no one else does, you aren't likely to make enough to survive on eBay alone.

I've read numerous articles on people who quit their full-time job to eBay. I suspect 90+% of them are now back working for someone else.

Personally I eBay A LOT, and most of my listings are for things no one else offers there. My sales in January took a noticeable nosedrive and haven't recovered.

 

[dunroven]

So everyone keeps saying I sold "stuff" from yard sales. I bought "stuff" at yard sales. What kind of "stuff????????" No one says, I sold a wrench, I sold a cookie jar, I sold a hat. What did you sell???

If I buy the stuff that I would have in my house to sell, then I look it up on e-bay's past sales, it ain't selling, so how in the world do I figure out what I would sell for any money at all?

Nice going on the junk mail!

 

[donsgal]

Well, this is not SMC, but I kind of figured it was something like that. I did do business with SMC years ago. Don't do that anymore. Never made a dime on it. I can't find stuff though that sells well on e-bay. I have actually looked back through the sales that have been completed, and there is just nearly nothing that anyone is buying. So how is anyone making any money on ebay?

Any tips? I really need to make some extra money. I am a medical transcriptionist and I type all day long. My hands are wearing out after typing for 33 years now. I need to do something at home, and figured that e-bay might be the thing, but how on earth can I make money if no one is truly buying any one item?

I looked for dishes, carnival glass, videos, books, cookware, lots of specialized (name brand) things, old toasters, old radios, even automobiles, and I can't come up with anything that people "really want." So how can I make some money?

We have very restrictive laws here in iowa about selling homemade food items unless we have a commercial kitchen, and I don't have one of those.

If anyone has some ideas, I would love to hear those as well.

The best thing to do is decide on a handful of products and try to develop a niche market for them. Sell them over the internet (eBay or just an eCommerce page).

You say that Iowa has restrictive laws about selling food, but what about over the internet? Basically, how would Iowa know what you are shipping out from your kitchen?

The thing to do is look at what you know and what you understand and what you are good at. Then locate a niche market by advertising and marketing that product locally and on the internet.

One idea that you might think about is developing and marketing a Medical Transcription course teaching people how to do it. This is a big market for ladies such as yourself who are looking to work from home. There is a forum at wahm.com dedicated to medical transcription and billing. If you read the posts on this board, you will see that many ladies are interested in learning but don't know where to begin. This would be a good starting point for you to offer your course to them.

Another area that is big on eBay is hand made items. Anything that is knitted, crocheted, hand sewn or crafted. If you are good at any type of craft (and the results must be top notch, in order to sell), think about going into production and selling them on eBay and also the internet. Again, you are going to have to spend some serious time marketing your product to be successful.

Also, when you do put up a website to market your product, look into affiliate programs (such as Google Adsense and the Amazon affialite program). They can also be a source of income for you.

I hope that this helps a little. I'm sure the others have other good ideas for you too.
\

donsgal

 

[donsgal]

So everyone keeps saying I sold "stuff" from yard sales. I bought "stuff" at yard sales. What kind of "stuff????????" No one says, I sold a wrench, I sold a cookie jar, I sold a hat. What did you sell???

If I buy the stuff that I would have in my house to sell, then I look it up on e-bay's past sales, it ain't selling, so how in the world do I figure out what I would sell for any money at all?

Nice going on the junk mail!

Clean baby clothes and kids clothes sell well at yard sales here. Kids are always growing out of things so fast, lower income people don't want to spend a fortune on keeping their kids in clothes.

donsgal

 

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

I think the increasing shipping costs is what is hurting Ebay sales so much.

 

[lsulenes]

A lot depends on how much of your income you are looking to get from eBay and how much work you want to put in because it can take over your life more than working for someone else if you let it.

Back in 2003, we decided to homeschool for a year to work ADHD meds out of our 2 boys' system without the stress involved in the public education classroom. So I quit teaching for a year and then began substitute teaching when they went back to public school in case there were problems. This school year is my first back in my own classroom and it has been fun.

We were eBay buyers and occasional sellers at the time so I began checking out things over the summer to see if there was a way to supplement our income (since I wouldn't be working) without having any extra money to do it. It took me about 2 months of research to figure out if the things I knew I had, that would be renewable resources, would sell consistently. At the time, my mom had a huge flower bed that had not been thinned for at least 15 years and wasn't blooming well because of that. I also had a couple of breed of chickens that I had hatched eggs from and after watching those, I knew that some would sell there to help pay for animal feed. As I was a teacher and very frugal, I also knew how to create neat classroom items and find supplies for cheap.

To make a long story short, I was able to begin operating an eBay sales business using the things that I knew and I had on hand, we were able to utilize the whole sales/shipping/recordkeeping process as part of our homeschool curriculum, and I didn't have massive stress trying to locate/purchase things and then worry about whether they would sell. If my stuff didn't sell, I was only out the auction fees and I have found over the last 4 years that if it isn't selling right now, wait because it might sell better in a month or so. I was able to make something like $500-$600 each month without leaving my house, the kids learned many business skills, and I have developed a sideline that paid for all their school activities, small purchases, and just let us have fun without stressing. If I need to take a break I just don't list for a while. While finishing my Master's degree, I took a school year off to keep from being too stressed, but begin listing when I finished and things took off.

The biggest key (as others have said) is to remember that you need to research your sales in depth and keep you overhead down so that you don't have to take a hit on loss. Someone mention handcrafted items which isn't a bad idea. But if you have too much time involved for not enough money, it might be easier to work for someone else and let them have all the bookkeeping and overhead worries, because it could sap the joy out of making the items when you have to rush to finish in order to ship. BTDT

~Lisa~

 

[CraftyDiva]

Hate to be the one to tell you this but, do you really think someone who is making money selling an item on eBay is going to tell you what they're selling?
No offense. Does Macy's tell Gimble's what the hot item they sell is that keeps them in business?

There's no easy cut and dry answer to your question. You have to research what's selling and what kind of profit is to be made selling it. Keep in mind 100's of others are doing the same thing. Once an item is spotted doing well on eBay, tons of others start selling that item cheaper.

Even if your making crafts and selling them, there will be copycats jumping in trying to get your market (buyers). You have to keep moving and staying one step ahead of the copycats to make any sales.

If your not crafty, then you'll need to buy your products cheap enough to turn a profit. In most cases this means buying wholesale. More research!

Check the message boards on eBay, there's tons of info to be had. Take away what will do you the most good from that info and research, research, research. There's no quick and easy money making way, it's work. You maybe sitting at home in your jammies doing all of this, but it's still work.


.

 

[dunroven]

I'm not crafty, and I'm not a person to teach someone else how to do what I do, especially since I am getting to the point that I hate it so badly. I have no skills other than I can make candy and jams and jellies, but none of that is going, and I am not wanting someone to say, well, watch for The Barbie Doll that has the cute little frufru on and she is the biggest seller out there.

All I'm wanting to know, is generalization type things, do coffee pots go well, do horse halters, jewelry, that kind of thing.

I have done research till my eyes burn, and I can't find anything on there. I guess this is not a thing that I will be able to do. I need to be making more than $500 to $600 a month. That's wonderful, but I'm needing a bunch more than that.

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll just have to continue typing for the rest of my life. I guess that's just the way life is.

I do appreciate everyone's help though.

 

[CraftyDiva]

If you enjoy making jams/jellies, then make a batch and try selling them on ebay. If they don't move for you, at least you have something you can use or give away as gifts.

What's your passion? Horses? Look into something to do with horses to sell to other horsey people. You should be aware of what you as a person whose into horses would sell. Would you buy it? then in most cases, others will also.

You might only make $500/600 a month, but that would mean less typing for you. You could cut back on that. And if your jams/jellies are good, it could take off into bigger sales (word of mouth).

 

[texican]

Hate to be the one to tell you this but, do you really think someone who is making money selling an item on eBay is going to tell you what they're selling?
No offense. Does Macy's tell Gimble's what the hot item they sell is that keeps them in business?

My SO makes money on ebay. She's sitting here beside me right now. If I told you what she sells, she'd schmack me upside the noggin...

What I can safely say is, buy low, and sell high... or better yet, get your stuff for free, and then any sale (above listing fees) is profit.

 

[MariaAZ]

All I'm wanting to know, is generalization type things, do coffee pots go well, do horse halters, jewelry, that kind of thing.

An acquaintance of mine used to shop thrift stores and yard sales for bowling ball bags, an item she had collected for many years and knew a lot about. She sold the bags on eBay and said she did quite well.

 

[lewbest]

Hate to be the one to tell you this but, do you really think someone who is making money selling an item on eBay is going to tell you what they're selling?

I disagree with this; I'll tell you exactly what I did (& still do but to nowhere the extent now I used to) was watch the garage sales, auctions & flea markets for tools, machines, etc. or anything else that "just looked too cheap." All 3 of these places have limited customer bases so bargains can be found. Main key is to find something you like & study it but be open to other stuff also.

Coupla examples of real windfalls; I was at an auction where there was a floor buffer (like the big ones they use in commercial buildings) but smaller designed for home use (IIRC it had about a 10"-12" buffer wheel) with the Oreck name on it. No idea if it worked but I was the only bidder; got it for a buck! It worked, sold on ebay for 100. Nuther time I was at the flea market bout closing time the last day; guy had a set of antique scales that were quite unique; got them for bout 40-50 IIRC; they sold for bout 160-170; buyer paid to get them shipped from TX to Illinois. These kind of profits are rare; I go by the idea an old timer told me. He said "buy low enough that you expect to double your money on everything. Occasionally you will, usually you won't & some stuff will never sell but you'll come up with a good overall profit margin." It's worked for me!

Lew in TX