eBay® PowerSeller Business Practices FOR DUMMIES®

Chapter 6. Finding Merchandise to Sell

if anything vexes the up-and-coming eBay seller, it's the question, "What do I sell?" And the second question that then jumps to mind is "Where am I going to find merchandise?" These queries, of course, morph into the standard "What can I sell to make the most money on eBay?" These are all good questions. Actually the answers are obvious — or will be, after I outline them in this practice. But think about the situation and consider this question: "What successful seller has answers that they want to share with the competition?"

When profitable eBay PowerSellers have a good, solid source of merchandise, they're not likely to share the name of that source with anyone — nor would any brick-and-mortar retailer. (Think about it a minute.) When I was teaching a class for advanced sellers at eBay Live (the annual eBay convention), I was asked the question in an auditorium-size room filled with PowerSellers. I answered a question with a question: Were there any PowerSellers in the audience who would like to share their sources with the rest of the group? You could have heard a pin drop. So I upped the ante — "I'll pay anyone $10 for one solid source" — still silence. Business is business.

And as an eBay seller, you find yourself inundated with e-mail — as well as seeing auctions on eBay — offering wholesale source lists. These messages guarantee that you'll find items you can sell on eBay, purportedly very lucratively. Yes, but will they sell? More importantly, ...