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The Marketplace => Selling Venues => eBay => Topic started by: Travis on May 31, 2014, 12:48:30 PM

Title: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: Travis on May 31, 2014, 12:48:30 PM
So, I have this opportunity to buy about 5,000 items (for next to nothing) which sell for about $6 on Amazon & $9 on eBay (shipping included).

Obviously, selling 5K items one by one is time consuming. Have any of you sold items like this and how did you make the process more efficient?

Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: luke on May 31, 2014, 12:59:14 PM
It really depends, how many different sku's?
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: Travis on May 31, 2014, 01:54:24 PM
It really depends, how many different sku's?

Three
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: House of Treasures on May 31, 2014, 05:13:56 PM
You could try to double or triple your money by selling it in bulk. Let someone else piece them out.
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: Travis on May 31, 2014, 05:25:43 PM
You could try to double or triple your money by selling it in bulk. Let someone else piece them out.

Yeah, I was considering that as well. I was also considering giving the merchandise to a professional eBay listing service and letting them deal with everything. I think there is 40-50K in merchandise. It may take years to sell and I might have to give away 50% to the eBay service, but 20-25K is a healthy profit on something I can pick up for a few hundred bucks.
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: alloro on May 31, 2014, 07:14:05 PM
What's the rush? Setup the listings and fill the orders as they come in. If it takes 2 years then you have income for 2 years.
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: mhuynh9 on May 31, 2014, 09:33:36 PM
I agree with Alloro.  Take your time and sell them on eBay.  You are probably selling other stuff too and just schedule trips to the PO a couple of times a week.  Plus it will do wonders for eBay rating.  Or if you want I will buy it at double the price you paid depending on the size of the product.
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: Travis on May 31, 2014, 10:15:07 PM
Or if you want I will buy it at double the price you paid depending on the size of the product.

If I decide to go that route, I'll let you know. We're only a few hundred miles from each other so that wouldn't be too inconvenient.
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: luke on June 01, 2014, 12:31:26 PM
If you go the ebay route with 3 sku's and you should..

Then set it up as a "BUY IT NOW" you can put in 1000 peices or whatever you have for the amount of that sku..

Select "GOOD TO CANCEL" - Try to offer free shipping - just build it into the price..

Take 12 photos (you must take 12)

"Good to Cancel" means when it rolls over to the next 30 days, you don't lose your watchers and the # of items sold (This really makes people feel safe buying it and that it's a good price)

Also ebay give items with a large # of watchers, better search placement.
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: Travis on June 01, 2014, 12:57:36 PM
If you go the ebay route with 3 sku's and you should..

Then set it up as a "BUY IT NOW" you can put in 1000 peices or whatever you have for the amount of that sku..

Select "GOOD TO CANCEL" - Try to offer free shipping - just build it into the price..

Take 12 photos (you must take 12)

"Good to Cancel" means when it rolls over to the next 30 days, you don't lose your watchers and the # of items sold (This really makes people feel safe buying it and that it's a good price)

Also ebay give items with a large # of watchers, better search placement.

That's good advice. Thanks
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: Alias300 on June 01, 2014, 01:06:37 PM
If you can get 5000 units for a few hundred and you have the storage it's a no brainer.
Let's say you don't sell any.  Donate and take tax write off.  Your even.

Or use you auction site to unload them and make money back.   Sell to independent convenience stores at $0.25/unit and you still make a profit.  Swap meet, flea market, out of your trunk.....

I figure if you have disposable income, with buying this stuff you can still pay bills, eat, even still go out to dinner......than why not.   All you have to lose is your time and even that can be called a learning experience so its not a waste of time.

So now that I've said this.....what's the product.   Because the above might not be true if your thinking of buying something that, yes, it sells....some.....eventually,  but the market has dropped out.   Like 5000 Rubix Cubes or Harry Potter bobble heads......
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: Travis on June 01, 2014, 02:00:10 PM
So now that I've said this.....what's the product.   Because the above might not be true if your thinking of buying something that, yes, it sells....some.....eventually,  but the market has dropped out.   Like 5000 Rubix Cubes or Harry Potter bobble heads......

That's a very good point, because there is a lot of competition in this niche and it isn't the latest and greatest product. Is there a way I can research sales volume for these products on eBay?
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: Alias300 on June 01, 2014, 02:17:52 PM
Ebay really isn't my thing.  Kind of given up on them so don't know all the tricks.

Best way I know of is to find other sellers of the product and watch them.  Watch feedback.  Keep searching that product under "listings ended".

Message me the product.  Now I'm curious! 
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: bakerben on June 01, 2014, 10:21:33 PM
travis, i would find a resellers auction house and have them get rid of them for you. I don't personally deal with anything under $30 on ebay or amazon as time is money. Also space is money so if its pallets of stuff, thats a lot of room to tie up. This is totally only if you think its something where the price will drop off. If its stable I would try to sell it over the years as posted by LUKE.
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: rulesforrebels on June 07, 2014, 12:11:35 PM
I gave up on low priced items, even at cheap prices too hard to compete with teh chinese sellers and drop shippers, also I find the people who spend $10 are my biggest headaches, the peopel who drop a few hundred are no problem ever not sure why that is. Figure out what the most economical shipping is as with cheap items shipping costs alot to the customer in relation to the product and laso wastes your profits as well. Probably first class mail as long as its under 13 ounces will be cheapest
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: fredgsanford on June 10, 2014, 01:48:39 PM
if your going to unload them on ebay look into paypal micropayments and set up a seperate paypal account . use first class shipping if possible

find someone who sells on amzon and research the rank on them if they sell well send them into fba (fulfillment by amazon)

a professional ebay reseller isnt going to want low dollar sales period most around here want $20 and up sales minimum some have a minimum of $50
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: luke on June 10, 2014, 03:00:06 PM
The problem with first class letter shipping is that it don't have tracking and counts against you for the top seller discount.
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: fredgsanford on June 12, 2014, 11:05:38 AM
first class shipping off ebay has tracking and is uploaded automatically
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: alloro on June 12, 2014, 01:49:46 PM
first class shipping off ebay has tracking and is uploaded automatically

He said first class letter, not first class package.
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: StorageAuctionFinds on June 12, 2014, 03:05:54 PM
And you can only use first class letter if it is under a certain thickness and size as well as a couple of other restrictions, so unless your smalls are light and flat, you have to do first class package, not letter anyway. Here is a link to usps: https://www.usps.com/ship/first-class.htm click on Rules and Regulations tab in middle of page.  :93:
Title: Re: How to efficiently sell products under $10
Post by: Alias300 on July 07, 2014, 12:48:15 AM
I just sold an item that didn't do well.  Sold for $10 + $12 shipping.
Considering I paid $6 for item, ebay took $2.20 and paypal took $0.96.  I came out making $0.84

Similar items are going for $20-$40.  Mine just didn't get bid on.  Lots of watchers.  Don't know.

But I set it low to sell cause ebay had a promotion that if you list and sell an item you get $20 gift certificate.   So really I made $20.84....