Money Magazine Survey - Amazon Ranked Highest Overall by Online Sellers

In the May 2013 May issue of Money Magazine, there is an article titled "Getting the Best Price for Your Castoffs" that explains the differences between different online marketplaces. Choosing the right venue is the key to getting the best price for your item. Based on the 2013 Sellers Choice Survey provided by Ecommerce Bytes, Amazon scored the highest overall, and the highest for profitability and communication.

Many eBay sellers understand that eBay is limited in its capacity to help them sell items online. eBay is definitely the best venue to sell collectibles, one of a kind items, and items truly limited in number such as event tickets or autographed items. Also, since Amazon restricts some categories, and most sellers are not approved in those categories, items like clothing, shoes, jewelry, automotive items, and electronics will have to go on eBay. Amazon is best for used and new media (with the exception of rare, collectible, or very high priced items), retail items including health and beauty items, toys, groceries, office supplies, and other consumer goods new in the box or new in the package. Most sellers who sell on both sites will agree that Amazon's payment system has a lower "hassle factor," and the explosive growth of both the Amazon FBA System and the number of Prime Buyers are fueling their Amazon businesses nicely.

Understanding the different marketplaces and choosing the right one for your item will help you make more money and save time in the long run. In fact, Money Magazine quoted me on this (page 32):

Many of you reading this are striving to make online selling a significant income stream, or maybe your only source of income so that you can enjoy more freedom and flexibility in your own life. Knowing how to sell on both eBay and Amazon will help you reach that goal. Once you are proficient in selling on both sites, the world will open up to you and you will have more opportunities to sell items no matter where you find inventory. For example, I source items from just about everywhere including garage sales, thrift stores, retail stores, closeout stores, Craigslist, online retailers, eBay to sell on Amazon, Amazon to sell on eBay, etc. Selling online is a skill that you must develop and practice, and the more you know about how to sell online, the more successful you will be, and the more money you will make.

If you are an eBay seller and haven't tested the Amazon waters yet, here are a few FREE resources to get you started:

Podcast - Getting Started on Amazon

Free eBook - 90 Day Amazon Experiment

Amazon Help - How to List an Item on Amazon

If you are dabbling with Amazon and want to get more serious and take your business to the next level, you may want to enlist the help of an experienced seller to help you. Hiring an expert can save you time, money, frustration, and help you succeed faster than if you had to figure out the business on your own. I have been selling on Amazon since 2009, have sold over 25,000 items, and have learned a lot about this business by trial and error, experimentation, and spending time doing things that didn't work. I offer the following services to help you learn the Amazon business:

Amazon FBA Recipe for Success (downloadable course)

How to Make Money on Amazon Selling Toys (downloadable multimedia course)




The opportunities provided by ecommerce will only continue to grow as technology continues to advance and consumers continue to consume. Be prepared so you can seize this opportunity to make money from the comfort of home.

Read More

eBay Creates Selling Course for the Visually Impaired

Many of us are using eBay to replace income lost, to replace a corporate job, or even to supplement retirement income. eBay is now helping the visually impaired learn to use its site for selling . In partnership with the Hadley School for the Blind’s Forsythe Center for Entrepreneurs, eBay’s Accessibility Team has created a course is going to allow those with an impairment the same opportunities and abilities as everyone else who uses eBay.

The free, one-lesson course, Selling On eBay, is designed to not only explain how eBay works, but it also show how to set up a Paypal account and other basic eBay information including selling on the site. There are some rules, regulations and fees that must be known by all users, and the services are designed to help those people understand about the fees and what goes on with an eBay account.
With all of the services eBay is currently offering to other individuals, this is a great start for those who are visually impaired, yet still want to use the Internet in order to make a living at home. For more information about the course, click here.

Related links:

Online Seller Success Story – From Unemployed to Living the Dream
 
Tips for Selling on eBay – Huge List of Resources
 
Building Passive Income Streams – Anyone Can Do It

Read More

Irish Fisherman (Aran) Knit Sweaters on eBay

The fisherman sweater came about via the clans of the Aran Islands as a way to stay warm and dry when earning a living as a fisherman or merchant in the fishing industry. The sweaters are very thick and tightly woven providing protection from the wind and water. The patterns are unique to each clan and has symbolism. The designs of the Aran sweaters were also a way to identify bodies of fisherman who lost their lives at sea and later washed up along the shores.

Fisherman sweaters are a huge "score" if you can find them at thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, or consignment. Here are a few examples of used fisherman sweaters that have recently sold on eBay. Check out these prices!

Men's Fisherman Sweater - Gray Cardigan sold for $140.27

Oatmeal Fisherman Sweater - sold for $135

Vintage Aran Sweater - Sold for $108

The highest profit items on eBay are used and vintage items. They are relatively easy to find and quite abundant. For more information on selling used items on eBay, check this resource.

Read More

Storage Unit Auctions

Finding items to sell on eBay can be challenging and sometimes sellers have to get creative. Another option for securing inventory is Storage Facility Auctions. Once a tenant has stopped paying rent for their unit the management auctions off the goods in eviction. These auctions are usually advertised in your local newspaper a week or two prior to the auction and are open to the public. Be prepared. In some areas these auctions draw a large crowd of eBay and Craigslist sellers in addition to regular folks just looking for a bargain.

Here are few suggestions for navigating this type of auction. Sometimes the auction requirements will be listed in the newspaper announcement. If not, be prepared to pay cash. It is normally the only accepted method of payment. Keep an open mind. You might get lucky and uncover something valuable but in most cases storage units will contain furniture, clothing, miscellaneous household goods, and office supplies.

These auctions are a cash and carry arrangement. The unit contents need to be off the property by the end of the day. Plan ahead. Bring a large vehicle and the appropriate tools—a hand truck, rope, blankets and an extra pair of strong arms. In case you need to make a couple of trips from the unit bring a lock to secure it while you are gone. It is your responsibility to haul away the all the goods. There will be unwanted items and trash. These items should be disposed of properly by donating the usable items to Goodwill or another organization and disposing of the trash. The storage facility will not let you use their dumpster.

Click here to find out more about making money on eBay, Amazon, and Craigslist with storage unit auctions.

Read More

eBay Top Rated Seller - What is it REALLY?

You have seen the Top Rated Seller logo on eBay profiles, but what exactly does it mean? Is this something to strive for?

The Top Rated Seller status is a label granted by eBay that identifies you (according to eBay's criteria) as a seller with proven quality and service. To qualify as a Top Rated Seller, you must:

1) Have at least 100 transactions
2) Have at least $3,000 in sales with US buyers over the past year
3) Have very few instances of low DSRs from US buyers
4) Follow the Best Practices policy

So, Top Rated Seller doesn't necessarily mean that you sell huge volume, it means that you do the job "right" according to eBay's criteria. If you qualify, you are granted these privileges:

1) 20% discount on final value fees
2) Higher placement in search results (Best Match)
3) More visibility for fixed price listings
4) Top rated seller badge on your listings

So, if anything, look at the Top Rated Seller status as a way to help you save money on your fees. Click here to read all of the details of the Top Rated Seller program.

Happy Selling!

Read More

eBay Shipping Tip - Add Gallery Images to Shipping View

If you are like me, shipping might not be your favorite part of eBay selling. It can be boring and monotonous. I've made some pretty dumb mistakes when shipping, like sending the wrong item to a customer. Here is a cool trick for adding gallery photos to your shipping view, which prevents errors and makes the process move a little faster:



Summary
1) Go to your Selling Manager Shipping View.
2) Customize display.
3) Check the box next to PICTURES.
4) Save changes.

Do you have any cool tips for making your eBay Selling Manager more efficient? Send in those tips so we can all benefit!

Happy Selling,

Read More

Flipping Listings - Keywords to Search #2

Flipping listings is a great way to make a nice profit with very little work and a small time investment. The most common stumbling block to this process is thinking of words to plug into the misspelling tool. Let me help you out! I have been selling on eBay since 2003 and have sold over 20,000 items, so I can make some great suggestions.

Every week I will be posting 5 brand names, words, or phrases that you can plug into a misspelling tool. You can just copy the list and keep these ideas in a spreadsheet or WORD document.

This week's keywords:

Citizens of Humanity

Estee Lauder

Dansko

Pfaltzgraff

Brighton

If you aren't familiar with these brands or items, take a moment to research them on Google so you will know what you are looking for. To learn how I flip eBay listings, click here for a free 5 minute tutorial.

Happy Selling!

Read More