What Should I Sell on eBay?

But what keeps them from going under, and what will keep you in the game as well, is having a determination to keep up with the market and adopt methods that are relevant to eBay as it exists right NOW. Strategies that may have worked in the past aren't necessarily the best choice today. But if you are willing to stay abreast of new strategies, you will have no problem creating an enduring and successful business.

In the coming weeks I plan to deal with several methods relevant to today's market, but today I would like to just focus in on one essential strategy. It's called "flipping."

Flipping

Flipping is a three step process that is easy; requires only a small initial investment; and is guaranteed to make a profit provided that you conduct the proper research. Here are the three steps:

1. Buy inexpensive but quality products in bulk.
2. "Flip" them by changing their nature or presentation slightly.
3. Resell them individually for a small but substantial mark up.

Where to Buy Products

In order to complete step one of the flipping process properly you will need to find a reliable wholesaler to buy generic products from. Although we don't have time to go into all of the possible options right now (I'll save a complete discussion of wholesalers for a later issue), I'll go ahead and give you a short list of companies that I have found myself to be very reliable:

LightInTheBox.com
SmallVolume.com
SourcingMap.com

You can try any of these three without too much worry as I have tested them each personally. Of course if you know of a local wholesaler that you like, that may also be a viable option. Try to look especially for cheap but sellable products, and products that can be easily repackaged. Necessary items such as batteries, and inexpensive amenities such as toys and makeup are often a good choice.

Now it's Time to Flip!

Now that you've got your products together it's time to do the actual flipping. This means improving the product in ways that give it a little extra value. Here are a few examples of what you might try to do:

Give your product a glamor portrait!
The general rule on eBay is that if something LOOKS good, it's going to sell. If you take shoddy pictures at low resolution of your products they are not likely to sell. Take the time to frame your photos with good lighting and composition. And don't forget the close up! (I'm not kidding, customers LOVE close-ups of products.)

Give your product a new package.
You can get new suave packaging for you products for a fraction of the value increase that this will result in. Lets say that you are selling necklaces that cost you under a pound each. Put them each in a cheap but fancy looking box, and you will find that they sell for a much higher value.

Try adding a brand name.
Invent a compelling brand name for your company and put it on your product packaging or on the products themselves. People will feel like they are getting a much better deal if they receive a product with a professional looking company name on it rather than a bland generic item.

Try creating combo packages.
In some cases, combination packages that include complementary items sell for more than the sum of each of their constituents alone. For example: you could sell a cell phone charger, head set, and leather case in a set for more than you would get for all three separately.

Now it's time to move on to Step Three!

List your products for sale and start making a profit! Watch FREE VIDEO "The Inventor's Mindset" to discover How To Make Money on eBay by flipping cheap, everyday stuff!