Discontinued Item to Sell on eBay - Coconut M&Ms

Keep an eye out for Coconut M&Ms at grocery stores, drug stores, Target, Walmart, Big Lots, or anywhere else that sells food. This is a limited edition item that comes around every year. These coconut M&Ms aren't available year round - which means you can sell them for a premium if you are savvy enough to purchase them when they are available and hold them until the supply decreases. Remember, making money selling consumer goods is all about scarcity. The more scarce an item is, the more someone will pay for it.

If you can't believe that you can make money selling food and groceries on eBay and Amazon, think again. An 11 ounce bag of coconut M&Ms sells at about $3 retail Check out this sale on eBay:

A lot of 4 bags sold for $41.95 on June 2. The math:

Item cost: $12

Shipping: $5.35 (padded flat rate envelope)

eBay / Paypal fees: $5.45 ($41.95 x 13%)

Profit: $19.15

Not bad for an item you could pick up while grocery shopping. If you really want to take your at-home ecommerce business to the next level, consider selling groceries on Amazon in addition to on eBay. There are several advantages to selling groceries online:

1. Regional foods. You may have access to something that others don't. And you can sell that special something for a premium.

2. Groceries are consumable - buyers use them up (i.e., eat them) and replenish on a regular basis. And they often order multiples. 

3. Groceries are replenishable. Once you figure out what works, you can simply restock and sell the same items over and over again - as long as the market supports that item.

Keep your eyes and ears open for discontinued and limited edition items. Don't leave money on the table because you are not in the know!

Make sure you are subscribed (top right) so you can receive emails about the latest discontinued products to ell for profit on eBay. 

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Denim Trucker Jackets are a Consistent Seller on eBay

Add denim trucker jackets to your BOLO (be on the lookout) list for things to flip on eBay. Thanks to my friend Magi and all the other savvy sellers on my eBay Seller Facebook group for teaching me about this item. I finally found and sold one! The above screen shot is of my sale, an item that cost just a few dollars at a local thrift store. I had this item for sale in my eBay store for about 6 months with best offer. It sold for full price, $79.97 last week (in June).

A denim trucker jacket is usually made of heavy weight denim and lined with fleece. They are waist length and made by the major denim manufacturers including Levis, Lee, and Wrangler. eBay shows over 2,400 sold listings for these jackets.

I'm putting this out there for 2 reasons:

1. The power of community. Surround yourself with people who know more than you do. You will continue to increase your knowledge base simply by association.

2. Don't hesitate to list an item in the off season. It is impossible for something to sell when it is sitting in a bag in the corner and not listed on eBay. Refer to this article:

No Free Listings Left - So What?

Add denim trucker jackets to your BOLO list and keep on listing!


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eBay Hack - Use Zit Cream to Remove Magic Marker

Before you go rushing off and rubbing zit cream on clothing - STOP! This tip is only good for rubber or plastic items. In my eBay Seller's Facebook Group, we often talk about tricks and hacks for removing imperfections from used items. Several sellers have mentioned using zit cream to remove magic marker, dirt, grease stains, or other marks from rubber or plastic.

Any type of zit cream with 10% benzoyl peroxide will work. Brands like Clearasil, Clean and Clear, Acne Free, Zapzyt, or Oxy10 are all 10% benzoyl peroxide. Many store and generic brands are also 10% so you can check at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, or grocery stores.

Do NOT use nail polish remover on plastic or rubber items. This can remove color that is supposed to be there and ruin the item. If you look at the photo above, you will see that one of Mrs. Beasley's eyebrows is missing. That is because the seller unknowingly tried nail polish remover and it took off the eyebrow. Live and learn.

Do you have a great tip for removing stains, grease, or dirt from used items? Post it in the comments section and we can all learn from each other.

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Revlon Colorsilk #72 Discontinued Hair Color Selling for $45 a Box on eBay

 

It's simple economics - the less there is of something the more people will pay for it. A hot item on eBay right now is Revlon Colorsilk #72 Strawberry Blonde Hair color. This product regularly sells for around $4 a box. But because it has been discontinued, the price on eBay has skyrocketed up to $44 a box. See the listing above that sold on June 4, 2015.

eBay shows 3 active listings for this product as of this writing.

Amazon shows 2 sellers with this product and prices are over $50.

But, more could be hiding in drug stores, grocery stores, or closeout stores like Big Lots. Don't forget little country drug stores and pharmacies that don't get much traffic. Hard to find discontinued products could be off the beaten path just waiting for you.

I am not sure why people pay such high prices for a discontinued item. At some point, they will have to find a replacement. I can help you learn how to identify discontinued items to sell on eBay. Schedule a private consultation here and I will share everything I have learned selling discontinued items on eBay and Amazon since 2008.

Make sure you are subscribed (top right) so you can receive emails about the latest discontinued products to ell for profit on eBay. 

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Working a Full Time Job While Selling on eBay

 

Many of you out there have a full-time job outside the home and sell on eBay in your spare time. Others have been selling on eBay for a while full-time and may need to go back to the 9-5 for whatever reason - benefits, more predictable income, or saving for retirement. Antonette recently asked this question on my eBay Seller Facebook Group:


"Does anyone work a conventional job as well? I had to go back to the 9-5 because my husband was hurt on the job and didnt recover well from his surgery. I am having a hard time getting things posted. I need the ebay income as well. Just wondering if you have any advice, best practices."

There were some great answers!

Becky said, "Maybe break it down, like do photos for 20 listings 1 night, then weigh them, then sit down an list them all. You can schedule your listings so that 1 to 3 a night go live. Then while those are going live each night repeat the process."

Sharon said, " First, I try to list at least one item per day. Then at least something new is getting out there. Second, I am more selective about what I buy. I don't buy something unless I think it will be a $20 profit, and I shoot for a $30 profit. Since I don't have a lot of time to list, this helps. For sourcing, I do some on Facebook Grops so I can be at home or wherever when I do it. Otherwise, I go out one morning every couple of weeks to garage sales and thrift stores. I also ask friends and family for inventory and that works well (obviously sometimes my profit on those items is lower, but I didn't have to spend time sourcing them). I tend to have about 110 items listed at one time."

Suzanne said, "One thing that I have seen others do, is let the kids be involved in the eBay process. They could help find things to sell, take photos, learn to research, eventually learn to list etc, that way it could be a family project that generates income. Great family time together also!"

Nancy said, " I work full time. I shop and photograph on weekends and then can list each night a few things, or depending on time and how many items I may list on the weekends as well. I have grown children though so I do have more free time after work."

Ashley said, "I hired a virtual assistant for selling a few days ago. I also work full-time with an assistant. I can't do it all. When you delegate (your kids, spouse, whatever you have) you share the work and the wealth."

I honestly don't know how some of you juggle a full-time job, children, and eBay. Kudos to all of you for making it work.

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Make Money Selling Fragrance Samples and Trial Sizes on eBay

I just love garage and estate sales. I love digging through the boxes and looking for the hidden gems. It's the thrill of the hunt, meeting new people, and never knowing what cool things you might come home with to sell on eBay. One of those things is fragrance samples and trial sizes.

Yes, they sell! You can batch these types of items together and sell for good money. I'm talking about all the little samples you get when you buy cosmetics or fragrances at the mall or from Avon or Mary Kay. Some people have stockpiles of that stuff and it ends up in their garage sales. Estate sales are great for these kinds of products because sometimes there are decades worth of fragrance samples and trial sizes in a big box and you can negotiate a killer price.

I purchased the items in the photo above at an estate sale yesterday for $15. The Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds products will sell for about $50 in a lot. The Poison EDT is 1/3 full and will sell for around $25. Not bad for 10 minutes worth of work on my way home from Saturday morning errands.

Need more proof? Here are some eBay stats:

6,000+ completed sold listings for "perfume samples"

2,000+ completed sold listings for "cologne samples"

6,500+ completed sold listings for "EDT samples" (eau de toilette)

There is probably some overlap, some listings with a full size container included, but you get the idea. There is definitely a demand for "itty bitty" fragrance samples on eBay.

Remember fragrances are flammable and HAZMAT and can only be shipped parcel select (ground). They may not be shipped First Class or Priority.

Now go check your bathroom junk drawers and see what you have to sell!

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