G-Star Marc Newson Shirt - eBay Seller Success Story

Helen sent in her story:

"Hi Suzanne, I love your blog, it really gives me a nice reliable list of items to look for in thrift stores and resell on eBay. I'm currently averaging about $250-300 a month which has been helpful since my work hours and pay were reduced.

I especially like reading your readers' success stories and thought I would submit my own category: fashion wear designed for men ages 20-30. If, like me, you are not familiar with popular mens fashion labels, it helps to have a male friend who is (my boyfriend is a wonderful resource in this!) I have found that shopping for mens clothing in thrift stores is not as competitive as womens and discovered some surprisingly profitable deals."

Here is Helen's listing:



Helen's price - $2.75
eBay sale price - $61
Profit before fees - $58.25

Excellent job! And Helen, I commend you on your listing, you did everything right! 30 day return policy, shipping with a flat rate envelope for only $4.95, great photos and description. Outstanding job!

Thanks for sharing with us. If you have a success story, send it in to ebaycoach (at) yahoo.com. Click here to see my full list of thrift store items to sell on eBay.

Also, check out my business fan page on Facebook and follow me on Twitter for more eBay and home business tips.

Happy Selling!




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Electronic Gift Cards Not Allowed on eBay

Lots of people do it. I was doing it too - as a way to sell some of my Swagbucks gift cards. Selling electronic gift cards is SO easy and fast. But, it has come to my attention that they are not allowed. (Hey, I can't know everything!)

Here is the policy directly from eBay:

"You can sell most gift cards on eBay, though there are a few restrictions. This includes things like the number of gift cards you can offer at a time, the maximum dollar amount of the gift card, and the type of cards you can list. Gift card codes or electronically delivered gift cards are not allowed."

So there goes another one out the window. But you gotta play by the rules. I just checked - there are 33 active listings for Amazon electronic gift cards. I will go back to selling the Starbucks cards that are actual cards you have to mail. Click here to find out how I get $150 a month in free gift cards. Yes, it is legal!

Happy Selling,

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Learn About Vintage Finds - Watch American Pickers

Have you heard of the TV show on the History Channel called American Pickers? These 2 guys go drive around the back roads of America looking for junky yards and barns and find old stuff to resell. Modern day treasure hunting! They actually supply antique dealers with items to sell.

This show is actually very educational if you are into selling vintage items from thrift stores, garage sales, and estate sales on ebay. You can see the kind of stuff they look for and what is valuable. For example, on one episode they were looking at old oscillating fans. They explained that the ones with the brass paddles are the most valuable. On another episode they found an old motorcycle windshield with a bunch of stickers on it and explained that anything motorcycle related is a good find. Here is a short video clip from the show:



Granted, you aren't going to find the same items as these guys, but you can gain insight on how to look for diamonds in the rough. I have my DVR set to record this show and love watching it on my down time. Check out YouTube for more American Pickers videos if you don't get the History Channel.

Happy Selling!


Want to know about more vintage items to sell on eBay? Check out Thrift Store Goldmines, which contains 61 pages of vintage items that sell well on eBay. You may already have some of these huge money makers in your house, and not even know they are valuable!

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eBay Newsletter Feature - It's Free!

Don't worry, you don't have to write a newsletter right away. But it is a good idea to start building the list so you can send out newsletters to a captive audience when you are ready. Your newsletter can be about anything you want including special sales (using Markdown Manager), new products, or any cross marketing such as announcing a Facebook fan page or your Twitter profile. Here is how to add the newsletter promotion box:


This is just another free marketing tool that eBay provides. You might as well use it!

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Famous Footwear - Source for eBay Inventory

Here is another place you can get great stuff at low prices to resell on eBay. Famous Footwear carries name brand shoes such as Born, Merrell, Sorel, and Naturalizer. Many cost over $100.

Here is how to work this system. First, sign up for the rewards program. You will earn points based on your purchases. I received a gift card for $10 in the mail this week.

Next, watch for the special "Buy 1 Get 1 at 1/2 Off" sale. This sale comes around several times a year. Famous Footwear always has shoes on clearance. Here is the deal I did yesterday:

Bought one pair for myself (which I needed) at $45. Scoped out the clearance rack. Found a pair of Born leather clogs with original retail of $74.99. Clearance price was $30. So, at half price, the Born clogs were $15. Applied my $10 rewards to the purchase which made the clogs $5.

Now, this particular shoe sells on eBay for around $60, new in the box. So my profit after fees will be around $46. After all is said and done, my eBay profit will cover the cost of the pair of shoes I bought for myself. How's that for savvy shopping?

Tips

When looking for womens shoes to resell, look for larger sizes - 9 and up.

Look at the original retail price on the box. Go for the higher retail prices. You will make more money.

For more ideas on where to get items to sell on eBay, look on the right sidebar under the heading "Where to Get Items to Sell."

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FREE Keyword Title Builder Tool on eBay

Your 55 character title is the most important part of your eBay listing. If buyers can't find your item on searches, you are limited to them haphazardly finding your listings through browsing. There is a great little FREE tool hiding on eBay that can help you improve your titles which will result in more views, more bids, and more sales. Here is how it works:


Summary:

1. Click on the applications tab
2. Find the Terapeak Keywords application
3. Click "Get It"
4. Go back to your applications tab to access
5. Start writing better titles!

The title builder is just one small aspect of what Terapeak can do. Click here to see some demo videos about what the full version can do. Terapeak subscriptions start at $24.95 a month - you can recover that investment in one sale. Give it a try and take the guesswork out of which keywords you should use and gain insight to what products sell the best.

Happy Selling!

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eBay Shipping Insurance

Alix sent in this question:

"I was hoping you could help me with something since I can't find any information about this on ebay. I am trying to add a shipping insurance option to all of my ebay listings. Ebay used to have it on the template, but I can't seem to find it anymore. Do you know where I can go to add shipping insurance to all of my listings (for domestic deliveries only)? Any help would be greatly appreciated."

According to the eBay Seller Best Practices Policy, "Insurance: You can't charge a separate fee for insurance, although you still need to make sure your item arrives as described. Tip: You should incorporate any insurance fees into an item's price or handling cost."

So, yes, Alix, the shipping insurance option is gone. I am guessing this is an attempt by eBay to prevent sellers from making money using unnecessary charges.

Do you have an eBay question? Feel free to email me at ebaycoach (at) yahoo. Or, post your question on my Facebook group where other sellers can help you out.

Happy Selling!




Find sloppy listings and resell the items for way more than you paid for them! Click here to see my personal examples.

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