Ebay Sellers

[VermontDem2004]

What stuff sells good on Ebay? I am thinking about getting into it and I want to know what kind of stuff will people buy on Ebay?

[elfwitch]

1. Things I've sold

I've sold comic book and Star Trek stuff on Ebay and they get snatched up pretty quick. A guy at my office is buying guitars at a wholesale plave in town and selling them on Ebay for about a 10-25 mark-up and mkaing a KILLING!!

[bamademo]

2. Old Barbies from the 60's

Made a killing! Old toasters and waffle irons sell well(from 40's, 50's and 60's) and telephones. If you can find anything in the original box that adds value.

[VermontDem2004]

3. I am not sure were to purchase stuff from the 60's

[Pattib]

7. I sell and buy on ebay...mostly buy

I mainly buy/sell books. I have sold other things as well. I find a lot of good stuff at flea markets, garage/yard sales and used book stores.

I have found some great things at yard sales. You have to sift through a lot of junk but sometimes you come across a buried treasure. I once found some barbie dolls from the 1960's that were new in their box.

I also went to an estate sale once just out of curiosity. I bought a box of "junk" for five-dollars. It had a lot of junk but also contained some old wooden and metal toys. Hope that helps.

[CanuckAmok]

15. Books sell better on Alibris.com. check it out. n/t

[corarose]

10. Yard Sales, Estate Sales, Etc.

It's kind of hard if you only want to specialize in selling things from the 60's.

If you want to stick with Barbie Merchandise then follow what I told you to do.

I was making around $4,000.00 clear every other week for our business.

[VermontDem2004]

12. I don't know where to find old barbie dolls either

I do know my grandma has over 50 dolls from the early 1940's and 1950's but I am pretty sure she is not interested in selling those.

[corarose]

16. I sold Collectibles

I made big money for our business and a few years ago it was great until the companies took over.

You can do it but it will be a bit harder and you MUST research before you spend you money on something to sell.

We have a gift show every year. If you are willing to come to Chicago I will take you there and show you how to choose something to sell.

I will tell you my downfall on eBay.

I pre-ordered Pokémon Cards before they sold real big. I ordered them from the WRONG company and when they found out how well they were going to sell they didn't ship my LARGE order instead they kept it.
We put all of over disposable income into the cards and it was like gambling in Vegas (I don't gamble) and we lost it all.

Our house sold for almost $490,000.00 last year and we could have paid it off after selling the cards.

I MESSED UP BIG TIME!

EMAIL ME I WILL HELP YOU!

[vi5]

4. People will buy anything and everything.....

I've sold records I've had lying around that fetched a ridiculous amount of $$$.

Some of the odder things I've gotten money for:

-A reprint from 1989 of the very first issue of Rolling stone that I had lying in my basement and found just last year fetched me $130.
-A large wood and metal unfinished Ikea wine rack brought in $20 and I only paid $10 for it.
-I bought a record off of eBay unopened, only to find that it was on a color of vinyl that was very rare. I purchased the record for $20 and sold it for almost $200

I've also sold used clothing that was worn and washed but simply didn't fit me any more.

You'd be amazed what people will buy on there if you are will to roll the dice on the minimal listing fee.

[VermontDem2004]

8. I spotted that SI magazines that I have are being sold at around $7

I have TONS of Sports Illustraited magazines and ESPN magazines. I guess I sell some of those and make some money.

[Syncronaut Seven]

5. Stuff out of my neighbors garbage can

One summer I picked thru my neighbors dumpster when he moved. It was good for about 20 items. Maybe $300 worth.
Cleaning out my garage was lucrative, I used to collect electronic surplus stuff. Street lights sold as grow lights from my local utility surplus store.

Super heavy stuff doesn't work as well as light stuff (shipping)

Books, CD's, Flower seeds.

Beware, E-baying can be addictive!

[corarose]

6. If you can find stores going out of business

You can buy up the good stuff for less then you would pay for it wholesale.

I use to buy Mavica Cameras from Sony outlet and I would make about $250.00 off of each one that I sold. Sony caught on that people were doing this and they put a stop to the number of cameras that you could buy at one time and they started selling them on eBay in a fictitious name.

I made big bucks off of eBay until I got sick.

This is what I did to find out what was selling and how much I could make off of that type of merchandise.

What do you want to sell? Type that in the search area of ebay and go to the area that the auctions are over and closed.
Find out how many people bid on that type of merchandise and how much was the going rate on it when it closed.
How many sellers are selling that Item or Merchandise. You need to find that out because you have to know who your competition is going to be.
Start buying small things from different people so that you can build up feedback but make sure that you buy from people that leave feedback.
It can be 100 $1.00 Items and you will get 100 feedbacks from it. I would start with auctions that are closing immediately so that I could start building feedback.

You also need to have a bit of disposable money that you can play with.
You might break even at first but you can make some money if you do the research.

I use to send out coupons with my products and I had tons of repeat business.

Also, you need a good ad maker so that your merchandise will stand out.
Good Luck!

[hlthe2b]

9. Collectables sell; electronics are basically give-aways...

FOr me, it is the stuff I thought would not sell, that sells well and high. So, go figure. Prices go in waves, it seems for the same items.

[7th_Sephiroth]

11. i know how to make a killing

at the flea market this man sells a certain sword for $45 the lowest i have seen one go on e-bay is $80

[nono]

13. Old Electric Trains

Lionel Trains (pre war)
Marx trains (pre war)
Dolls
Diecast Hot Wheels Toys (Nascar)

[amazona]

14. anything selling WELL below wholesale

I don't buy anything to re-sell, that's pretty much a losing game unless you are an established power seller or have a bricks and mortar store behind you or something of that sort.

Everything sells if you can price it low enough. To tell you what to sell, I would need to know what your area of expertise is and also what you can get for free in your area. Dumpster diving used to be a great source of goods, and sneaking off with the neighbor's garbage bags after a garage sale or moving day is still good -- however, most people who know me, know I do this, so nowadays they just tell me to come get stuff they plan to throw out. Don't become a "free" hauling service, only take stuff you can sell unless you have a way to dispose of the real garbage for free. (I still have unlimited garbage pick-up at my residence.) When your name gets passed around, it is nice; for instance, a friend gave my name to a blind lady who wanted someone trustworthy to remove about several hundred pounds of rocks from her husband's rock collection after he died. I was able to identify these rocks and sell them for several dollars apiece (sometimes more), and she was able to clear her home for free and get it ready to sell. So everybody wins in this type of situation.

To get started, do a GOOD cleaning of your home and attic. Put up stuff worth selling for a low price, and be SURE to do a good job shipping items out quickly. Books are no longer worth selling unless you can put several of them in one package just to clear them out; bestselling books are not worth selling at all. (Exception: recent specialty textbooks can get a very good price.) Describe the conditions of what you are selling accurately. Provide photographs. Ask all of your buyers to please leave feedback if they are happy, and to please EMAIL you privately if they are unhappy, so you can correct their problems.

The prices you will receive on Ebay are only a fraction of what you would have gotten 4 years ago, but if you just need to pick up some extra Christmas money, and you are cleaning out your house and attic anyway, it can still be somewhat worthwhile. But please do NOT fall in the trap of buying stuff for resale; everyone I know who does that ends up in the hole. Would you buy stuff to resell at your garage sale? Ebay is just a bigger garage sale.

ON EDIT: I do not agree with the advice to BUY items to get feedback. It won't work because people can check and see that you got your feedback as a "B" rather than an "S." If you want to sell stuff for good money, you need lots of feedbacks from BUYERS telling of how fast you ship as a SELLER. I ship U.S. Priority Mail so from the very first feedback I have positive comments like: "WOW! Fast shipping!" That's what buyers are looking for.

[tjdee]

19. What do you say your job is?

I know you've been doing this for awhile--when people say hey, what do you do for a living, do you say that you sell on ebay, or is there a title for it?

Just curious....

[amazona]

22. i just say i sell on ebay

If there is a title other than "seller," I don't know what it is. Don't know any secret handshakes or anything either. :-)

[Fridays Child]

17. Well, just the craziest things...

When you search categories, click on "completed items." Then order them from highest price to lowest. Look at the items that have actually sold, as opposed to auctions that ended without a sale. That way, you can see how much things are really worth to the buying public, and you'll be amazed.

By doing that kind of searching, I learned, for example, that wooden box purses by Enid Collins, circa 1960, are very collectible. I found one for $12, and sold it for $167. And you know those old glass ashtrays that are surrounded by small rubber tires? My husband had one that a tire company gave him, and it had been sitting on his workbench for years. I sold it for $64.

Books can be big sellers, too. Certain early editions of Alcoholics Anonymous books can bring hundreds of dollars, believe it or not. And older children's fairy tale books sell very well. But the most incredible book auction I've ever seen on eBay was for an 1830s Book of Mormon. It ended at a price of more than $30,000.

One of my favorite categories is Pottery and Glass. Try looking at "Holt Howard." People will put out some serious cash for stuff you wouldn't believe.

Play around and search for things you would like. That makes it fun.

[tjdee]

18. Try to find something you have that others don't--something you like.

For instance, another DUer went to...Japan I think, and found this one item that isn't readily available in the US, was able to make a nice profit.

Try to sell something you know a thing or two about, so you don't buy something expecting to sell it when it's been on ebay for 3 months already, not selling.

Something I've heard on the seller boards is to try not to sell anything that you can't double your cost on at the starting bid. Don't forget, there are seller fees and paypal fees and all that, so you've got to factor all that in.

I'm still looking for the ideal thing, I really want to make a go of this.

[Speck Tater]

20. Buy and sell things you know about.

Trying to sell stuff you don't really understand is a recipe for disaster. Stick with things you're familiar with, or are willing to spend time getting familiar with.

For me it's books because I am a life-long book buyer/collector and once owned a used/rare bookstore myself. For me to trade in something like antique dolls would be crazy no matter how much money others might be making in that field. Knowing nothing about antique dolls, I'd be eaten alive by the people who really know the subject.

[corarose]

21. You are right

Someone will email you and ask you a question and you have to know everything about the product that you are selling.

I know everything about I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Betty Boop, etc.