WHAT DO I SELL ?

This is the first and most important question every eBay seller has to deal with. To make money on eBay or anywhere else you need a product or service to sell.

To create a passive income stream you need a product or service you can sell over and over again.

Now this can be the same product or many different products, but it needs to be something that will sell over and over again with the least amount of listing time required.

Unfortunately it would be impossible for me to suggest a product you can sell since I do not know your interest or your resources for acquiring products to sell.

So let me touch on a few of the many ways to get things to sell on eBay and other online sites.

I'm going to quickly run through some that I have used and give you the pros and cons of each source and maybe you can get a feel if any of these will work for you.

When I first started selling on eBay I started out selling things around the house.

I searched through my closets, garage, attic and every corner to gather items to list on eBay.

Not only did I get rid of a lot of clutter around the house but I put some extra cash in my pocket.

It didn't take long before I ran out of things around the house to sell and began missing that extra cash I was making.

I also had discovered something that I loved to do:

SELL STUFF ON EBAY!

 Yard Sales, Garage Sales and Flea Markets!

The next place I started looking for items to list on eBay was at yard sales, garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores.

Now these are good places to find items to list and you can create a nice income stream from these sources, but they do have some drawbacks, although I still do visit these types of sources from time to time.

One problem searching for items to sell from yard sales, garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores is that it is hard to research an item of interest that you may not be familiar with.

Also listing items from yard sales, flea markets, garage sales and thrift stores can be very time consuming.

You have to write a new description and take new photos for each new listing you create.

You may find that this is something you enjoy, getting out and searching for those treasures and you can create a nice income stream by doing so.

You just need to find your niche!

There are many people creating a nice income stream selling stuff on eBay and other sites that they found at yard sales, flea markets, garage sales and thrift store.

One of the best e-books I've read on finding items from yard sales, flea markets, garage sales and thrift stores to resell for profit is a e-book  titled "Thrift Store Goldmines" by Brigitte Martinez.

Click Here To Check Out "Thrift Store Goldmines"!

Local and Other Auctions

Auctions are also a good place to search for items to resell, but they also have some drawbacks that you need to know about.

Auctions are very time consuming and you have to write a new description and take new photos for each new listing.

Auctions can also be very competitive.

There are different types of auctions. Estate Auctions, Liquidation Auctions, Seized Property Auctions, Governmental Auctions and many more different types of auction.

Estate Auctions

The first type of auction we will cover is the Estate Auction.

Estate Auctions are usually auctions where someone has passed away and their estate and personal items are being sold to settle the estate among relatives or creditors.

There is also the Living Estate Auctions where someone is moving or downsizing for one reason or another.

Estate Auctions, like yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores, are also a good place to to find items to resell on eBay, but like yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores, estate auctions also have some drawbacks.

Estate Auctions, like yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores are also very time consuming and hard to research an item of interest that you may not be familiar with.

Also you have to write a new description and take new photos for each new listing.

Another problem with Estate Auctions you may run into is competition.

Since you are buying to resell you may not be able to pay as much for an item as someone that is buying to keep.

Again you may discover that Estate Auctions is something you like to do and you can create a nice income stream using this method.

I have made some very nice profits from items I have purchased at Estate Auctions.

Liquidation Auctions

Liquidation Auctions are Excellent Resources for finding items to resell.

One of the things I like about Liquidation Auctions is that most of the time you can buy the same item in bulk.

If you can find a product at a Liquidation Auction that you know will sell on eBay and buy that product in bulk you can turn a nice profit and create an income stream with very little work up front.

Once, I purchased four pallets, which contained about 500 sets, of futon hinges at a Liquidation Auction of a furniture factory that went bankrupt.

I paid less than $1.00 per set for the futon hinges and sold them on eBay for $45.00 per set plus shipping.

It took me a couple of years to move them but I had a steady income stream coming and made a huge profit.

The drawbacks to Liquidation Auctions are the competition and there may not be that many Liquidation Auctions in the area you live in.

The following on line auctions are the two I visit often:

Liquidation.com ~ This auction site has warehouses in many different states. It is my experience that you will need to live close enough to one of their warehouses so you can pick up any auctions you win and save shipping cost.

If you need to have your items shipped to you the shipping cost will eat up all your profits.

GovDeals.com ~ This is my favorite online auction to buy items to resell. Use their Advance Search feature and drop down menus to locate the closest auction to where you live.

In closing I would like for you to keep these two things in mind.

Your best bet is to visit auctions and other sources close to where you live, so keep a watch in your local papers and other local adverts for auctions close to you.

Also keep your eyes open for items you can buy in bulk and sell over and over again with the least listing time involved.

NOTE: Research is one of the main keys to being a successful seller on eBay. If you can research an item you are not familiar with before you buy it to resell, it will save you a lot of time and money.

I will touch on the "Research" subject more in the coming weeks.

Have a Great Week!

...Jeffrey