Don't Miss Sale Event This Saturday At Big Lots

If you are looking for a great way to buy inventory to sell on eBay, then get ready to search this Saturday. On Saturday, January 28, Big Lots is having a big savings event for its Buzz Reward cardholders. Just find your deals, check out and show your Buzz Reward card to receive an automatic 20% off your entire purchase. For more information, click here.

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Hot Items to Sell For Valentine’s Day 2012

Valentine’s Day is less than a month away but it is not too late to stock your eBay store with the things your buyers want! Look at a list of the current hot items buyers are looking to purchase for their sweethearts.

For women, the hot gift items seem to be accessories. Designer handbags and sunglasses top the list. Brands like Michael Kors and Prada are popular gift items. Also, silk scarves and nighties are on the list. Sunglasses are popular for men, too. Rayban and Oakley are the brands that buyers are looking for. Ralph Lauren, Hilfiger and Perry Ellis wallets are on the gift lists, as well. As always, cologne is popular. Buyers are looking for Dolce & Gabanna Light Blue for Women and 212 for Men, just to name a couple of brands. Of course, Paco Rabanne 1 Million and Marc Jacobs Daisy are on the list, too.

Electronics like iPads, eReaders, and headphones are making the list. Buyers are grabbing cameras like the Nikon J1 and home theater systems like the Panasonic 3D Blu-ray system. Apple products like the Macbook Air, the iPod Nano, and the iPod Touch are on the list again this year.

And old standards like candles, jewelry and vases are hot items. Plus, tickets to Broadway plays, sports events, and concerts are being given, too.

Other popular items include:

Men’s scarves

Tablets

Camcorders

Smartphones

Expresso Maker

Rings

Bracelets

Earrings

MLB Spring Training Tickets

While being able to sell these hot items will boost your sales, there are other tips that may help, as well. Offering gift-wrapping services will help you increase sales as well. Make sure your listings are clearly marked to show the additional services you are offering. Increase your sales by offering expedited shipping. This will help make your listings even more appealing to the last minute buyer.

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Free Kindle eBook - Barcode Booty

Today (January 19, 2012) this eBook is free for Kindle users. Learn how find bargain inventory anywhere including garage sales, grocery stores, Walmart, Target, drug stores, warehouse clubs, home improvement stores - anywhere you can buy merchandise. Learn about free apps and strategies for determining the potential selling price of an item. I read this book last year and it is very informative.

Click here to get your free download, today only!

Happy Selling!

Hot Item to Sell on eBay and Amazon – Baby Monitors

Image Courtesy of NewParent.com

Pay attention to your feedback comments on eBay and Amazon. You can glean valuable information about why consumers are buying your products, and learn how products are being used for other than their intended purposes. This information can help you market your products better, and discover product niches that you may not have thought of.

I learned this a few years ago when selling on eBay UK. One buyer clued me in that Preparation H ointment as a wrinkle treatment. (People keep it in the refrigerator and dab it around their eyes in the morning to reduce swelling.) Another buyer left a comment about using Swiffer Sweeper refills as anti-static packing material for computer parts. And yet another buyer informed me that Kool-Aid powder is used as a non-toxic hair dye, or for art projects. Finally, one customer left a feedback that said, “Can’t get this in UK because of health care system.” The product was toothpaste with peroxide – it was not available for purchase in the UK. After reading that comment, I listed almost every brand of toothpaste with peroxide for sale in my UK store, and toothpaste became one of my best sellers.

I recently received this comment after selling a baby monitor, “Great product- does just what I wanted without static. I use it with an elderly parent since I sleep upstairs.” Aha. I had purchased quite a few baby monitors and surveillance systems on clearance from Babies R Us last summer. They all sold well at at least $20 profit. Later I learned that people also use baby monitors to monitor their pets kept in another part of the house or basement.

The point I want to make here is to pay attention to the feedback comments your buyers leave. Listen to your customers so you can provide the products they want.

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Amazon FAQ – What if an Item Has No Sales Rank?

Here is another common question I have received from my clients and see on message boards. Part of the decision making process when determining whether or not an item is a good fit for Amazon is sales rank. But what if an item does not have a rank, or the rank is zero?

No sales rank. We (experienced Amazon sellers) believe this means that the item has sold at least once in the past but a long time period has passed. It could have been months or even years since a sale.

Zero rank. The item has recently been listed and no sales has occurred yet.

So, your next question is, what do I do if there is not a rank, or the rank is zero?

Here is how I approach a zero rank situation. If I have a gut feeling about a product, based on my own experience with a brand name or type of product, I will watch the item and see what happens. Eventually a ranking will appear when some are sold. My feeling is that someone obviously knows enough to have taken the time to list the product and do all the work. If I don’t have enough experience to make the call, I can take advantage of another seller’s initiative and pay attention to the situation.

I also pay attention to the seller who listed the item. I look at these factors:

1. Does the seller have a lot of feedback – meaning are they experienced?


2. Does the seller have a large product offering?


3. Does the seller specialize in a certain category, such as toys or health and beauty?


4. Does the seller have a lot of products with a zero ranking, which would indicate that they experiment regularly?

If you don’t have the experience or knowledge to understand whether a zero ranked product is worth listing, watch other more experienced sellers.

Also, a note about zero ranks. I have experimented with products with a zero rank and sold maybe 25-30 of the product before a ranking showed up on the listing or FBA Scout. So, although the rank may show as zero, and it APPEARS that no sales have occurred, you can’t always make that assumption.

My best advice on zero ranked products is to go with your gut. If your inner voice is telling you that the item will sell, you know the brand name is a good seller, or you yourself use the product and like it, follow that instinct. Buy a couple and see what happens. You may discover a situation where the item sells and the ranking stays a zero for a few months. Competitors will look at the item thinking none have sold yet. And you will be laughing all the way to the bank!

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What Should I Sell on Amazon, and Where do I find It?

I receive this question daily from both readers and clients. There are infinite answers to this question depending on many different factors. I wanted to share a few items that I was successful selling on Amazon this holiday season, just to show how diverse your product line can be. Also keep in mind that I am a real person out there selling, just like you, every day.

K-Y Touch Massage Variety Pack. I found this on clearance at grocery stores last summer. My cost was between $5 and $9. This item sold on Amazon for between $29 and $32. I sold 50 of these between August 1 and December 31:


Here is the info on my last sale, so you can see the selling price:


I was also able to find this item online and bought out the seller. (Not on Amazon, another site.) This product is now discontinued. I was the only seller for most of the 4 months I offered this item for sale. Profit on this item averaged $13. Total profit $13 x 50 = $650. You can click here to see that this item is currently unavailable on Amazon.



Sonic Scrubber Power Cleaning Tool. I found these on clearance at grocery stores, hardware stores, and home improvement stores for between $6 and $13. Selling price was up to $44.95. I sold 45 of them between August 1 and October 31:


Here is the info on my last sale, so you can see the selling price:

My average profit on this item was $24. Total profit was $24 x 45 = $1,080. You can click here to see that this item is currently unavailable on Amazon. This product has been discontinued which explains the exorbitant price buyers paid.

Black and Decker Rechargeable Spotlight. I found these last fall at Tuesday Morning for $14.99. These were in the "boring automotive section," but because the brand is Black and Decker, I took a chance. Selling price was between $42 and $46. I sold 13 of them between September 1 and December 31:


Here is the info on my last sale, so you can see the selling price:


Average profit per item was $24. Total profit $24 x 13 = $312.

So as you can see, selling on Amazon FBA is much more than just selling books or selling items from Big Lots and competing against other sellers for a few dollars profit. My profit on these 3 items alone was $2,042 over a 4 month period - and this is just 3 items! In fact, these 3 products paid my mortgage for 2 months. That is how exciting selling on Amazon can be!

Learn more about selling on Amazon by taking a class designed to help you make money with the world's largest online marketplace. The grocery category offers unlimited opportunities to source local products and sell them to customers nationwide. Register for The ABCs of Selling Groceries on Amazon and learn how to make thousands of dollars a month selling products from your local grocery store.