How can i start my ebay business?

Question

I have a really low budget to start (maybe 50 bucks?) and I just want to test the waters... first of all what are some good products to start with and wholesalers to buy from?

Answer 1

Wholesalers require you to buy very large volume so $50.00 isnt going to get you anywhere going the wholesale route.

First start by selling items you have that you no longer want. Dont expect to make any real money off of it. The idea at the start is to build up a good feedback rating so that people will trust you. So start your auctions at 99 cents, that will be enough to pay your ebay fee's (if the item sells). No you wont make any profit, but offer good customer service and you will build up positive feedback. Once you have a few dozen positives then you will be in a position to start making a bit of profit. Also if you are not already a buyer on ebay, buy a few low priced items. Not only will this get you some more feedback but you will learn to see things from a buyers persective, which will help you be a better seller.

Now the best thing to start selling is items you know a lot about. Think of something related to a hobby of yours that you know a lot about. That is a good place to start. Do research on ebay of what those items tend to sell for. Find a nich market related to these items in which there are few sellers so you will have less competition. Expect to start small. Put all money you make at first back into buying more items to sell. There is no get rich quick sceme that works on ebay, that is an urban myth. It takes a long time to build up an ebay business.

Answer 2

If you want to test the waters as a seller you will need a bank account and or a credit card or both to set up your PayPal account to make things easier. The post office will send you boxes free from their website for your postage you can print off your computer when using PayPal. 50 bucks does not buy much so you may want to sell items puchased at thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, and stuff you want to get rid of. Do a Google search on "what's hot on Ebay". They have a list of the hottest items for each month and some information on trends. blujay.com will allow you to list items for free. Ebay is very expensive but what you sell can determine what you will make. Sometimes you can sell items you purchased that you thought were of no value but are indeed worth alot. I buy stuff all the time that people give up on and resell it after a little repairing. I have bought 50 items on Ebay and resold them for hundreds from a one dollar purchase. I have bought many one dollar items on Ebay that sold for over forty dollars after a minor repair. Ebay itself is a great place to buy to resell on Ebay. A good imagination is a great asset to sell on Ebay. Don't count out internet classifieds either like Postaroo.com and Craigslist. Wholesalers can be expensive but you can buy smaller lots of wholesale items to resell. Dollar stores have lots of stuff to resell. I can buy watches, caller i.d.s, picture frames, calculators, figurines, office supplies, etc. etc. at dollar stores to resell but it takes alot of time to photograph and type out the description plus it costs to sell. Ebay hits you with costs to list, a cost after it is sold, PayPal fees, postage, shipping supplies, time, etc. Good luck. It is alot of work. Answering emails and messages is alot of work too. Plus dealing with scammers and idiots.