WAHM Forums

Foranyone sells on eBay:specifically, do you sell 'just whatever' from garage sales, the house, etc.

If so, are you netting (after fees, etc.) $500 or more a month.

I'm not fishing for really what you sell, just want to know if you're not drop shipping, or a 'professional seller' that you can actually net that much with business.

I'm experienced on eBayin that I've sold out there and have a mid 300 range of 100% positive feedback. I'm thinking of opening a store.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much!Edited by: TwoBoysMommy

my husband sells on ebay all the time, there have been months he nets way over $500. he has a store and likes it because the fees are lower and he can leave it in the store until it sells, or he takes it down.
He has been on ebay for almost 10 years, and has over 1900 and 100%.
he usually sells personalized pencils and napkins, sometimes machines.
He has sold "garage items, and things from the house.
If you want his ebay id, just PM me

Thanks so much for the info. I sent you a pm. http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif

You must find a continous supply of marketable goods in order to make a consistent income from eBay. Unavoidably you'll need to deal with a wholesaler (or drop shipper if you don't want to hold your own stock) if you treat it as a serious business. I've been selling in eBay for 3+ years and am now making 1500+ net profit each month. If not in this scale, it won't be able to support my living.

You must find a continous supply of marketable goods in order to make a consistent income from eBay. Unavoidably you'll need to deal with a wholesaler (or drop shipper if you don't want to hold your own stock) if you treat it as a serious business. I've been selling in eBay for 3+ years and am now making 1500+ net profit each month. If not in this scale, it won't be able to support my living.

I respectfully disagree with louispin. It is not necessary to deal with a wholesaler or drop shipper. This is a personal choice depending on how you want to run your business.

Many, many sellers simply sell items from garage sales, thrift stores, clearance sales, free after rebate items, Walmart, Walgreens, Target, etc. Here are some links to where to find items to sell, as well as specific items that do well.

What to Sell on eBay (everything from garage sale items to services)
http://www.ebaysellingcoach.com/whattosell.html

Thrift Store Items
eBay Selling Coach: Thrift Store Items to Sell on eBay - Huge List (http://ebaysellingcoach.blogspot.com/2009/02/thrift-store-items-to-sell-on-ebay-huge.html)

Dollar Store Items
How to Find Items at Dollar Stores to Resell on eBay for Profit | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_4491282_dollar-stores-resell-ebay-profit.html)

Health, Beauty, and Grocery Items
eBay Selling Coach: Health, Beauty, and Grocery Products to Sell on eBay - Huge List (http://ebaysellingcoach.blogspot.com/2009/03/health-beauty-and-grocery-products-to.html)

Discontinued Health and Beauty Items
eBay Selling Coach: Discontinued Items to Sell on eBay: Free List (http://ebaysellingcoach.blogspot.com/2009/06/discontinued-items-to-sell-on-ebay-free.html)

Used Clothing
How to Sell Used Clothing on eBay | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_2152251_sell-used-clothing-ebay.html)

Used Shoes
How to Make Money on eBay Selling Used Shoes | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_4998889_money-ebay-selling-used-shoes.html)

Walmart Items
How to Make Money on eBay Selling Walmart Items | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_4512055_money-ebay-selling-walmart-items.html)

Groceries
How to Sell Groceries on eBay for Profit | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_5189308_sell-groceries-ebay-profit.html)

Hope this gives you some ideas!

I respectfully disagree with louispin. It is not necessary to deal with a wholesaler or drop shipper. This is a personal choice depending on how you want to run your business.

Many, many sellers simply sell items from garage sales, thrift stores, clearance sales, free after rebate items, Walmart, Walgreens, Target, etc. Here are some links to where to find items to sell, as well as specific items that do well.

The eBay Coach is correct in proclaiming it is not necessary, but to be honest, the methods she describes take a lot of work. More work than really needed, in my opinion. Running around town digging through thrift stores, bargain bins and dollar stores will not offer enough eBay sales to justify the work involved. Lets not forget the operating expenses of eBay and Paypal fees...who wants to add "gas" and "labor" visiting the local five and dime?

In addition, thrift store bargains do not allow the eBay seller to have a continuous marketable inventory. Sure, you might find a great golf shirt to sell today, but what about tomorrow?

I guess if you want a part-time, inconsistent income sourcing "one of" inventory type items, The eBay Coach can offer some good ideas.

I would venture to say that most want to do more than dabble with eBay sales. I would think most would like to turn an eBay business into a full time (consistent) income. To do this you need wholesale and manufacturers sources.

I have been doing ebay for years now. Its not a steady income, but I am looking onto doing more on there. I have been researching dropshippers as well as wholesale. I usually just sell my sons clothes or mine and any household items I may have.
Problems I am running into is I dont have alot of money to start up, so wholesale is quite expensive to start up with... Dropshippers may be my answer for the time being... But there are soo many out there, what do you want to sell depends upon which company to go with... I jsut hope all of the work Im putting into it pays off.

The eBay Coach is correct in proclaiming it is not necessary, but to be honest, the methods she describes take a lot of work. More work than really needed, in my opinion. Running around town digging through thrift stores, bargain bins and dollar stores will not offer enough eBay sales to justify the work involved. Lets not forget the operating expenses of eBay and Paypal fees...who wants to add "gas" and "labor" visiting the local five and dime?

In addition, thrift store bargains do not allow the eBay seller to have a continuous marketable inventory. Sure, you might find a great golf shirt to sell today, but what about tomorrow?

I guess if you want a part-time, inconsistent income sourcing "one of" inventory type items, The eBay Coach can offer some good ideas.

I would venture to say that most want to do more than dabble with eBay sales. I would think most would like to turn an eBay business into a full time (consistent) income. To do this you need wholesale and manufacturers sources.

Wow, I wouldn't consider my earnings from eBay inconsistent income - I have been living on my eBay earnings for 6 years now. My eBay income pays $4,000 worth of bills each month.

I am sure you did not mean to sound condescending in your remarks, Mrs. WAHM, but every eBay seller's success depends on what inventory they have access to. I am fortunate to live in a big city with approx 15 thrift stores within a 15 mile radius - thrift stores such as Goodwill - that place 3,000 - 5,000 new items on the floor each DAY. So for me, I am not really doing any digging, the goods are there right in front of me. I have more than enough marketable inventory, in fact, I usually run out of time in a thrift store before I run out of store to look through.

I also disagree with your statement, that one needs wholesale and manufacturer's sources. This simply is not true. Jump on Twitter and Facebook and other message boards and ask around - you will find many successful eBay sellers who do not use wholesalers or drop shippers. In fact, many eBay sellers thoroughly enjoy the thrill of the hunt - they can't wait to get out there and explore their local thrift stores, dollar stores, and clearance outlets. Some are shopping for their own needs at the same time, so they don't see this as wasting gas and time. They are consolidating their tasks and incorporating shopping for eBay into their daily routine.

Let's see what other eBay sellers think, shall we? Check my blog for the "Point Counterpoint" discussion.

eBay Selling Coach: Point / Counterpoint: Can eBay Sellers Make Money Without a Wholesale Supplier? (http://ebaysellingcoach.blogspot.com/2009/08/point-counterpoint-can-ebay-sellers.html)

I love this! First of all, Suzanne, I think you have a fantastic blog and a huge following. I am a reader of your work and commend you for the effort you put into helping others.

Having said that, I have spent the better part of 8 years counseling eBay sellers who are at their “wits end” selling their stuff, the neighbors stuff, garage sale finds and thrift store bargains.

Can you make a living sourcing items and reselling in this fashion....I am sure you can, in fact you have stated that your bills are paid each month.

Is there an easier route? I think so...is it through buying a drop-shipping membership- No! Does the easier route entail buying wholesale items from one of the hundreds of “carbon copy” wholesale websites flooding the internet –No!

There are few people who actually know how to find the right wholesale and manufacturer sources to become successful on eBay.

I do promote wholesalers on my blog and I do make money through affiliate marketing. But hey...you are serving up Google adsense adds for some of my same affiliates? And yes, I do sell a very successful guide to buying liquidation merchandise. The guide offers my experience in the wholesale liquidation industry...lets not forget we both sell our experience.

There are some huge companies that started on eBay selling liquidation merchandise. A couple that come to mind are Gotham City Online and Bargainland Liquidations, each now run their own lucrative E-commerce ventures outside of the eBay confines.

You mentioned yourself that you live in a city where the thrift stores are plentiful, but what about those wishful eBayers who live in a rural area? What about those aspiring eBay sellers who do not have access to dollar stores or Costco's for those “gems” to resell on eBay? They need inventory.

Now, before I go any further I should mention that emotion cannot be fully understood through the written word. I am not in disagreement with you or your methods, I just think the right contacts and sources can propel you further than “paying the $4,000 monthly bills”.

I cannot say that $4,000 in not a great income, it is. All I can say is that $4,000 is not enough for me. Most of the people I have worked want more than $3,000 - $5,000 extra per month. Of those who I have worked with over the years most want eBay to be a starting ground for further business success.

I guess we can agree to disagree or at least realize that my audience is probably looking for something more out of eBay than just paying the bills.

I guess it really boils down to what it is you want from eBay....

I also sell on eBay by reselling my finds at yard sales and discount stores as well as top brand names that have been clearanced.
I have looked into drop shippers but never saw much profit in them. From what I have seen the cost to buy from them isnt that great of a deal and I havent seen the items to be that great of a turn around time on them. But, I havent invested that much time in it so maybe it could work but I prefer the hunt!
I enjoy shopping ,being able to see and touch the product and the thrill of finding the item at a unbelievabley low price then scooping it all up!
I ebay part time and look forward to the day my little one is in school so I can make this a full time career. But in the mean time I make enough to pay my mortgage each month with little effort.
I love having an eBay store, I was hesitant at first to open one but it has made my life so much easier. List once for 3 cents and done, let it sit and it will sell. I have done better with items in my store selling off season then when I put them at an auction in the appropriate season. For example I just sold a pair of Limited Too pajamas for 26.99 ..in August!
As for how one gets what they sell, I say do what works for you. If you are a shopaholic like me, then shop!
You will never run out of deals or things to sell, my problem is not getting a large suppply to sell it is finding time to get it all listed!

As a seller on eBay, Amazon and other online venues for more than twelve years, I have sold both new wholesale items and one of a kind used items. Although the new wholesale items are easier to list, the profit they provide isn't as great as the one of a kind used items. Just two weeks ago I spent .75¢ at a garage sale for two books. I sold those two books for a total of $144.95. After fees I made over $120.00 pure profit. You can't do this with wholesale and drop ship items.

Now, I don't make sales like this as often as I would like but if I can buy something for .50¢ at a thrift store and sell it for $10, $20 or $50 then my profit per sale makes up for the time it takes to source the product. I doubt drop ship and wholesale products provide this kind of profit.

The other thing to consider is the competition. Selling one of a kind or hard to find items results in very little competition unlike selling consumer electronics (which I have done in the past). I don't have to lower my prices down to cost in order to sell them against others who buy at a better price.

If you are worried about the hard work it takes to make a living selling garage sale items think about this. I only have to ship 18 items a day to make the profit I need to live the lifestyle I desire while a seller selling items they bought from a wholesaler may have to ship 40 a day to be at the same level. Sure, you look great on how many sales you made in a month (and eBay thanks you for all of the fees you have paid) but do you really want to spend all your time shipping?

What do you do with your inventory of wholesale products once the market is flooded or a newer version comes out? Anyone want to buy 27 RC Cars that I have had for two years? I sold about 133 of them for $60 each then the sales stopped. Oh, and I have 6 MP3 watches that used to sell for $200 but then technology changed, everyone got an iPod and the most I can get now is $9.95 (I paid $25 each on liquidation). At least with the items I source if I buy an item for $10 and it doesn't sell after a year, it isn't hard to donate it and find something else to buy.

I do sell online as a full time income and I do sell thrift store, live auction and garage sale items. It does take work but I have so much fun finding unusual things to sell. I believe you can find things to sell nearby no matter where you live. You can buy huge lots of items right on eBay then separate them out and resell them back on eBay. Many sellers don't want to take the time to list their collections as individual pieces so they put them all together and sell as one lot. I did this recently with some jewelry. I had a lot of 40 pieces that could have sold for between $80 - $100 if I had taken the time to sort through it. I am so sick of listing this jewelry individually I just put the rest in one auction and it sold for $9.95. I'm happy, the buyer is happy and I expect to see the buyer reselling this on eBay next week.

I hope you can see that selling used stuff is a viable option for many. It takes work but I work less now than I did in my job as an accountant working 60 to 80 hours a week and I make a lot more money. This business model won't work for everyone but if you have to make a living doing something, I recommend selling online.

I am not disputing that fact that someone can make a living selling ‘odds and ends’ on eBay, especially if you enter the arena of collectibles and such.

This reminds me of a great book by Julia Wilkerson who publishes the Yard Sale Newsletter. Her book, Big Buck Flips, highlights user submitted examples of treasures found and resold on eBay.

Big Bucks Flips (http://www.bigbucksflips.com/)

What I do hear from most who are responding to this thread and The eBay Coach’s blog is the fact that people are having fun and enjoying the thrill of the find. I can totally see this point as both my husband and I love to spend a Saturday traveling from yard sale to yard sale……Have we found treasures sell on eBay for a huge markup- Yes, we have.

It is simply not possible for the majority of eBay sellers to come across treasures all the time due to their geographic location.

Most sellers who discourage using a wholesaler or dropshipper have not actually taken the time to research and travels to visit with supplier sources. Choosing a supplier for merchandise be it a dropshipper or just an inventory source, requires careful consideration. I have traveled the country investigating wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers and let’s not forget the trade show circuit.

My intent is not to harden hearts. I just find that most people who I work with prefer a constant source of inventory.

I do find it disheartening that The eBay Coach has copied and pasted my comments above to her blog…and will not allow me to comment there with her community? This tactic is a little one sided. Can we not have an honest discussion with varied opinions?

I am afraid some WAHM members are goign to try and meet me in the parking lot for a little "ruffing" up session.....LOL

I am new to this forum and but found it thru the ebay coach. I think she is just trying to have a friendly debate on the subject and see what others opinions are.

I personally love earing everyones opinion because I have tinkered with the thought of dropshippers but prefer the way I am doing things for now. but again, once my son gets into school and I take my career up a notch I may consider drop shipping.
I am however interested in the link you sent for the yard sale flips, right now that is whay peeks my interest.
I love yard sale flips. I bought a Little Tikes dollhouse size climber at a yard sale a few weeks ago and listed it for .99 and its now over 20.00 , I cant wait to see where it ends!!
I would be interested in hearing / sharing what finds have paid out well for everyone this yard sale season.
I also just found a Brady Bunch movie collection at a yard sale , havent listed it yet but hoping that will be a good one too!

Just wanted to thank you all for the great input. What you have suggested are great ideas and I think it will really help me grow my business.

Great discussions too!

Just like ppl live in rural areas that don' have a goodwill or a 2nd hand store at their disposal, what if they are homebodies? Like an elderly person or disabled, or don't have transportation. The only way you will be able to make any sort of income is thru wholesalers or dropshippers, cause the merch can come to you instead of vice versa. :)

I live in a small rural area. I do alot of research online daily looking always for the "in" thing and buy from yard sales, thrift store, and online from wholesales or dropshippers. My main issue has been dropshippers do not deliver on time and cause me stress that is not worth my time or small profit made. I have remedied this somewhat by once the bid is made I purchase and have it sent to me but I have gotten burned a time or two by deadbeat buyers. All in all i love to find things to list and enjoy the money I make. Some months are better than others. As the saying goes...You get what you put into it. I do have a full time job 8-5 during the week but the weekend is my time to as they say seek and ye shall find..

Hope you have a great day and if I can help please send me a PM.

Tammy

I think dropshipping is very nice option for those who want to start selling on ebay on a budget.
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Wow! This is a GREAT thread. Thanks MrsWAHM and Ebay Coach. My story is that I've been in sales & WAH businesses for 10 years. This past year, I ventured into amazon used book sales- it was fun to shop, mostly easy to find book and easy to sell them fast.

BUT, I am a mom with 3 kids and another business and my goal is to work as little as possible for as much income as possible and it seemed like I would have had daily scouting in order to keep a supply of salable items.

I realize that this may not have been true, but from my standpoint, it seemed like it would have been, so I just stopped...

I really want to pursue this amazon/ebay sales business plan more, but haven't fgured out the logistics.
I'll definitely hang around this thread some more and visit both MrsWAHM and Ebay Coaches sites more.

Ebay Coach, I respectfully ask the following. If this info is on your sitem, please send me a link to the page.
Is there a system you reccomend for scouting?
For example: How many hours per day do you spend scouting?
Do you scout daily?
How do you know if an item is a good thing to buy?
What is your investment in inventory in order to be able to net $4,000?
How fast do items turn around?
How much time do you spend daily doing administrative duties - like uploading listing pics and info, repsonding to customers?
Do you work full time or part time, approximately?
Why ebay? What's wrong with Amazon?

MrsWAHM or anyone else who is knowledgable, please feel free to reply.

I realize these are nosey questions, but they've been on my mind since I started my Amazon business.

Thanks!

I've been a successful eBay seller for about 7 years now (9900+ feedback)

I don't dropship or sell garage sale/thrift store items. I sell informational CDs from information I cull from the Internet. I collect the info, refine it and package it in a convenient format. Best of all, once I develop a product, I can resell it indefinitely.

Wow! This is a GREAT thread. Thanks MrsWAHM and Ebay Coach. My story is that I've been in sales & WAH businesses for 10 years. This past year, I ventured into amazon used book sales- it was fun to shop, mostly easy to find book and easy to sell them fast.

BUT, I am a mom with 3 kids and another business and my goal is to work as little as possible for as much income as possible and it seemed like I would have had daily scouting in order to keep a supply of salable items.

Hi MommaPigg - Love the name! What made you think of it?

you sent us a PM and we responded on our blog, you can find the question and answer here:

10 Rounds: Buying Wholesale or Scouting Thrift Stores | The Closeout Industry (http://thecloseoutindustry.com/closeout-education/wahm-forum-discusion/)

Lorie