eBay Coach Featured on Freebies 4 Mom

Thanks to Heather for the invitation and opportunity to write a guest post over at Freebies 4 Mom for her Money 4 Mom series. Freebies 4 Mom is one of the hottest blogs on the internet with an unbelievable amount of information on freebies, discounts, coupons, and other money saving tips. Freebies 4 Mom has been featured on television on Inside Edition as well as on other top sites around the blogosphere.

Click below to read my guest post on Freebies 4 Mom,

"Yes, You Can Make Money on eBay!"

Be sure to check out all the cool (FREE) stuff she has on her blog while you are there.

Have a great weekend!

Thrift Store Item to Sell on eBay - Men’s Façonnable Shirts

Façonnable is a high-end retailer specializing in tailored men's and women's clothing. (Pronounced Fas-a-knob – it is French.) The company started in 1950 as a small custom tailor shop in Nice, France. By 1988 Façonnable came to the United States as a partner with Nordstrom and in 1993 it opened its first store on New York City's Fifth Avenue. The brand has been sold exclusively at Nordstrom stores since 1989. You may be more familiar with the sunglasses, watches, and cologne than with the clothing line.

I have found many items from this line of clothing in thrift stores costing between $2 and $5 each. Here are some recently completed listings. All of these listings are for "preowned" or used items.


FACONNABLE Men's Wool KNIT POLO SHIRT - Black - L




Faconnable men's dress shirt size L button up 16.5 x 36



XL Men BLUE & RED PLAID Faconnable Dressy Casual SHIRT

Click here to for my free list of thrift store items to sell on eBay for profit.

Happy Selling!

What Do eBay Buyers Want? Use Want it Now to Find Out!

Have you ever looked thru eBay Want It Now Section? Want It Now lets buyers post requests for hard-to-find items and allows sellers to respond to those requests with eBay listings. This is actually a cool way to find out what kinds of things buyers are looking for on eBay. Remember me telling you about Dansko clogs? (Click here to read that blog post.)

Now, look at how many listings are on Want it Now for Danskos:


You'll find thousands of posts for items in the Want it Now section and you can really tap into some great information by reading over what buyers are posting there. One entrepreneur has taken this feature a step further and has a software package that integrates with eBay Want it Now. This research software helps you understand what people want to buy on eBay, and find products high in demand with few competitors. Click here to learn more about this research tool.

Coupon Giveaway - $550 in Free Grocery Coupons

I love my neighbors! They keep giving me their coupon inserts so I can pass them on to you! We get a special free paper on Thursdays with the same coupons coming in the following Sunday's paper. This week, I have 60 inserts to give away. (These are whole inserts not the clipped out coupons - so I hope you are friends with Edward Scissorhands!) These will be divided between 4 winners who will each receive 15 inserts each. Total value of each set of coupons is $550! The inserts are SmartSource 2/22, Vlassis 3/01, and P&G 3/01. Lots of good ones - $2, $3, $4, $5 and bogos.

To enter, just leave a comment below. For extra entries do any of the following:

Subscribe to my blog
Follow my blog
Post on your blog
Post on Twitter
Post on Facebook
Post on MySpace
Post on a forum or group
Stumble this post
Digg this post

Be sure to leave a comment for each extra that you do. If you love coupons like I do, check out these sites where you can print online coupons. By signing up, you get email alerts for new coupons each week. Many are $1 or more.

CoolSavings

FreeFlys (coupons and free samples)

Coupons.com

Happy Selling!

Thrift Store Item to Sell on eBay - Ralph Lauren Equestrian Skirts

These are usually long skirts in a wrap-around style with leather buckle fasteners on the side. The print is either a plaid or a solid with an equestrian motif - such as riders on horses, equestrian accessories, or a hunting scene. The skirts are usually made of a rayon wool blend and are lined with either rayon or acetate.

Here are a few recently completed listings - please note that all of these items are in used condition and were probably found at thrift stores for less than $5. Nice profit margin!


RALPH LAUREN wrap wool Equestrian skirt womens sz 4 S M




RALPH LAUREN Gorgeous Equestrian Scene Wrap Skirt sz 8


Ralph Lauren wool challis Paisley Equestrian Skirt 8

Click here for my free list of thrift store items to sell on eBay.

Happy Selling!

What to Sell on eBay - Items from Big Lots

"As the nation's largest broadline closeout retailer, Big Lots has the power to negotiate the best deals in the business. We sell a broad range of high-quality, brand-name products, including consumables, seasonal items, furniture, housewares, toys, electronics, home décor, tools and gifts." (Biglots.com)

Big Lots is a huge closeout store with discontinued or overstock items that have been removed from store shelves for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the item has just had a packaging change, other times it has been discontinued all together. You can find all sorts of products to sell on eBay including cosmetics, health and beauty items, toys, clothing, medicines, and non-perishable food items. Many items on my Hot Lists can be found at Big Lots. Here are some tips on working Big Lots merchandise into your eBay inventory.

Check out BigLots.com and sign up for the weekly ad. You can get a preview of what will be in your local store. Keep in mind that not everything will be in the weekly flyer - nothing replaces an actual visit to the store.

Join the Big Lots Buzz Club. You will receive special sale alerts and 20% off printable coupons. Keep these coupons handy. 20% can add up!

Always do your research on what is selling on eBay before you spend any money on inventory. You can search completed listings, use Terapeak, or Hammertap. Visit the store and pay attention to the products and prices.

Determine if items will be more profitable as lots or as individual listings. You need to be able to turn over items quickly before eBay becomes oversaturated with too much of the same product. Some items that do well in lots: cosmetics, shampoo, soap, DVDs, CDs, and health and beauty products, vitamins, medicines and diet products.

Check your Big Lots often. Stock turns over very quickly and you don't want to miss something that could be a good money maker. There is a small window to grab the good stuff.

Don’t list items on eBay without purchasing it first and having it in your possession. I had to learn this the hard way so I am speaking from experience. Some sellers list the products in their stores, then act as "order fillers" and purchase the item after a customer has paid for it. Bad idea with Big Lots. Since the merchandise turns over so fast, you might not be able to find the item later. Then you are in an embarrassing situation with your customer since you can't fill his order. Your customer could leave you negative feedback for selling an item you can't deliver.

Check all expiration dates - especially on makeup, medicines, and vitamins. You don't want a buyer to leave you a negative because you sent him a stale or expired product.

Stay under the radar when you are shopping and checking out. Don't announce to other sellers or employees that you are buying the items to sell on eBay. Some stores will blacklist you. Not fair, but true. If your cart is overflowing and someone comments on what or how much you are buying, either say nothing or reply with comments like,

Yep, stocking up!
I just can't pass up these prices!
These are hard to find - we hate to run out.
I can't believe how cheap this stuff is.

Or, just smile and don't say anything! Keep 'em guessing.

For more ideas on what to sell on eBay, visit Online Selling Coach.

Kroger Clearance Item to Sell on eBay - Nature's Cure Acne Spray

Nature’s Cure Acne Spray. The item costs about $9 at Walmart and Target. Kroger has the TWIN PACK with 2 bottles on clearance. It is selling for $4.74. Some of these twin packs have a $1 off coupon stuck to them, making your final cost $1.87 per bottle before sales tax. You may find only the single bottle, but it can still be a good investment for an item to sell on eBay. Either way, Kroger is clearancing them and they are marked down significantly from the regular price. Here are a few completed listings:


2 Nature's Cure Body Acne Treatment Spray


2 LOT...NATURE'S CURE BODY ACNE TREATMENT SPRAY

This seller has sold quite a few recently:


If you don't have a Kroger in your area, check other stores that operate under the Kroger banner. They include:

Ralph's
King Soopers
City Market
Dillon's
Smith's
Fry's
QFC
Baker's
Owens
JC Foodstores
Hilander
Gerbes
Pay-Less Supermarkets
Scott's
Fred Meyer

Also, if you haven't checked out FreeFly's site, you can download more printable coupons and get free product samples. Cheap is good, free is better!



Have a great day on eBay!

HammerTap eBay Market Research

Hammertap is another great resource for researching eBay items, knowing what products to sell, and understanding the little details that help items sell on eBay. Hammertap is offering a 10-day free trial so you can check out their tools and research information. (You can cancel at any time before your trial period expires, at no cost.)

Hammertap helps you understand what factors help our item sell on eBay. Some of these factors include:

* Best day of the week to start & end your auction
* The best start price to create a bidding frenzy
* Listing features (gallery pictures, bold, etc.)
* Keywords that get your auction found
* The best category to put your listing in

I am often asked questions like, "What can I sell on eBay to make the most money," or "How do you find the products for your Hot Lists?" Research tools such as Hammertap have the answers.

Click here to try Hammertap, risk-free for 10 days and discover how to make more money with your eBay listings.

Happy Selling!

WalMart Item to Sell on eBay - Leapfrog Tag System and Books

Denise over at the Centsible Sawyer posted about her readers finding the Leapfrog Tag System games marked down on clearance for $9-$10. These are great sellers on eBay! You can a $4 off printable coupon for a game at this link. Do your homework and check eBay completed listings here. If you are going to be in Walmart anyway this week, print out the coupon and keep it with you just in case!

Happy Selling,

Thrift Store Item to Sell on eBay - Ralph Lauren Label Clothing

Ralph Lauren is a steady, consistent seller on eBay. But, keep in mind, not all Ralph Lauren items are created equal. Here is a breakdown of the different “levels” as well as quality and pricing of the different Ralph Lauren label items. This report covers men’s and women’s clothing.

Black Label
The top level of Ralph Lauren is the Black Label. These items can retail for over $1,500. In my almost 17,000 item history, I have never found a black label item – but that does not mean they aren’t out there. (Click here to see all completed listings for RL Black Label.) Black label items are men’s and women’s - look for blazers, sport coats, pants, sweaters, dress shirts, skirts, denim, and polos. If you find a black label item, in any condition, it may be worth buying and listing simply for the traffic you will get from those key words. Black label is definitely the elite of Ralph Lauren products. Here is a recent listing for a Ralph Lauren Black Label sweater, used condition (somebody probably paid less than $5 for this at a thrift store):



Ralph Lauren Black Label 2pc Green Cable Knit Shrug Set

Purple Label
Purple label is also exquisite. I have found a handful of cashmere and wool sweaters, and polos. Purple label items will be men’s clothing. Again, purple label is an elite level of Ralph Lauren that will draw huge traffic if you can put this in your store. (Click here to see all completed RL Purple label items.) Here is a recent listing for a Ralph Lauren purple label jacket:


Ralph Lauren Purple Label Men's Black Leather Coat XXL

Blue Label
Still very high end, blue label is the next level. These will be women’s items. Some of these items can retail up to $800 – so don’t pass up blue label items if they are in decent condition.

Green Label
Green label is what I find most often. It is also known as Lauren. Green label is the most mainstream, but still considered a designer label. This line is more moderately priced than the black, purple, and blue labels. Retail price can still be up to $300.

Pink Label
This is a Women’s line. You will see a pink pony on the item, as well as the pink pony tag. These items can retail for over $200. I’ve only found a few, and they did well.

Polo, Ralph Lauren
This is the more mainstream line for men. I find these quite frequently. They will sell well, even if gently used. This line is more moderately priced, however, some of the blazers, sport coats, and overcoats can still retail around $1,000.

Chaps, Ralph Lauren
This is somewhat a discount level of Ralph Lauren. You will find this brand in stores like Kohls. Still good, quality clothing, but Chaps will not bring the same price as the lines above. However, if you find larger items, NWT, they are worth buying. Also, men’s sport coats and blazers in the larger sizes, EUC, do well.

Click here for my free list of thrift store items to sell on eBay.

Good luck!

How to Clean Thrift Store Items Before Selling on eBay

Thrift store finds will not always be in stellar condition, so you will have to do some work to bring them back to life. Here are a few of my favorite tools for cleaning up thrift store items to make them more sellable on eBay.

Woolite. Wash fine garments and delicates by hand and lay flat to dry.

Shout Color Catcher Sheets. Use with multicolored garments to keep colors from bleeding.

Dryel in Home Dry Cleaning Kit - use to freshen clothing. Works well on sweaters, jackets, blazers, coats, and all types of clothing.
Click here to get a $3 off printable coupon.

Greased Lightning Multipurpose Cleaner - Use as a laundry pretreat for tough stains including grease, ink, grass, makeup, and food. Click here for a printable coupon.

Clorox Bleach Pen. Great for touching up spots on white garments.

Shoe Polish. Use to hide scuff marks and make shoes look newer.

Black magic marker. Use to "color" scratched zipper pulls.

Read my article, "How to Remove Mothball Odor from Clothing."

Feel free to add your own!

Happy Selling,

What are SwagBucks?

Ok, sometimes I am a little slow. The internet is so vast, I just can't keep up. I keep seeing SwagBucks banners everywhere, and even see this URL on my blog traffic reports as a referring site, and I am wondering what it is. So I went to Twitter and posted the question, "Why is SwagBucks on my traffic reports?" FrugalAtHome was nice enough to fill me in SwagBucks is a search engine that awards you SwagBucks for searching. You earn credits (Swag bucks) when you use their search engine. The credits can be used to purchase merchandise on their site.

Now, I will admit, I am not a big fan of reward programs that don't pay out cash. I don't need more stuff, but I can always use cash. But, one of the things you can redeem on SwagBucks is gift cards - which are like cash. You can get gift cards to Target, Amazon, Starbucks, Macys, an iTunes. I can keep these or or resell on eBay! Other items available to redeem are books, DVDs, electronics, and video games.

All you do is go to this link, sign up (it is free), and use the site as a search engine, the same way you would use Google or Yahoo. Periodically you are rewarded with SwagBucks when you use the search feature. You get three just for signing up.

Check it out, I've already earned a few today just doing my regular routine! If you are searching anyway, you might as well be earning credits.

Happy Selling!

New Podcast - ThriftShopper.com

New podcast with Michael and Cookie who own the website TheThriftShopper.com. Interesting discussion about their site, forums, thrifting experts, and what some thrift store items can bring on eBay. Specific information about books, Wilton cake pans, vintage Pyrex bowls, vintage clothing, and telephones.Click here to listen to the podcast.

Hot Item to Sell on eBay - Today Contraceptive Sponges

This tip was posted on my Facebook group back in September, and these are still hot on eBay.

Today Contraceptive Sponges. These are selling for 5 times the retail price, but are very hard to find. The company has temporarily stopped production as a result of a packaging change. Women love these and will pay big money for them - since they offer hormone-free, convenient birth control.

They have been found Rite Aid and Walgreens and other drug stores. Some have even been found marked down on clearance. They cost about $10 for a box of 3, or $20 for a box of six. Also look at flea markets. If you can find any, buy them and sell in a lot. Here are some recent completed listings:


Today Sponge Vaginal Contraceptive Box of 6 2010
That's right! One box of 6 sponges that costs $20 sold for $99!


6 ~ TODAY SPONGE Contraceptive New in Box Exp 6/10
Same thing, a $20 item sold for $99.95!


3 ~ TODAY SPONGE Contraceptive Exp 6/10 New in Box
Box of 3 sponges which cost $10 (or less) sold for $49.95.

Let me warn you, these are hard to come buy. But it never hurts to look if you are out and about and can drop by a drugstore and check. If you do decide to sell them, list them as a private listing. You will get more bids and buyers if the buyer's privacy is respected, because of the nature of the product. Click here for step by step instructions on how to create a private listing.

I had great luck with these last summer and fall, and have cleaned out most of the stores in Atlanta! Other sellers in my Facebook group reported finding the Today Sponges and making several hundred dollars.

Click here to see my FREE list of discontinued items to sell on eBay.

Congrats to Betsy Richeson for winning the Shell $25 gift card. Stay tuned for more giveaways to come!

Happy Selling,