How to efficiently sell products under $10

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?

It really depends, how many different sku's?

It really depends, how many different sku's?

Three

You could try to double or triple your money by selling it in bulk. Let someone else piece them out.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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......

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?

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! 

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.

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