What to Sell on eBay 2015 Updated List

What should I sell on eBay? This is a question I see and heaer multiple times a day. Use this page as a resource if you are a new seller and not sure what sells, or a seasoned seller who wants to explore new product lines. Just click the link for more information about potential selling price, desirability, and a little interesting history about the product that will help you understand your buyer's motivation.

The items on this list were good sellers for me and others in my eBay Facebook Group of over 20,000 sellers in 2015. Some are items new on the market, some are reliable sellers that have been good flips for years. (I have an older list here, but it is time for an update as products and trends change!)

If you like this list, please share on social media - there is plenty of room on eBay for everyone.

Baby Items

Baby Clothes 

Loveys

Phil and Teds Products


Clothing

10 Women's Clothing Brands

Alpaca


Aran Crafts 

Bikinis 

Bras

Cashmere Sweaters

Dale of Norway Sweaters 

Denim Modesty Skirts

Denim Trucker Jackets

Design Options Sweaters

Diane Gilman 

Embellished T-Shirts 

Fit and Flare Skirts 

Flying Tomato

Golf Shirts
(Learn about selling golf shirts here )

Jams World 

Leifsdottir

Lumberjack Chic

Magaschoni 

Misook 

Mountain Hardwear 

Sorel Boots 

St. John

Storybook Knits Sweaters

Sundance

Vince

Vineyard Vines 

Walmart Brands

Learn more about selling clothing here and here
 

Crafts and Sewing

Handmade Needlework Arts

Perler Beads 

Scrabble Tiles


Direct Sales / MLM Brands

Longaberger Baskets

Mary Kay 

Pampered Chef



Discontinued Items

Bounce Dryer Bar Fresh Linen Scent

Coconut M&Ms

Metamucil Clear and Natural

Redken Densify Shampoo

Retired Yankee Candles 

Revlon Colorsilk #72

Texas Pete Chili Sauce


Holiday Items

Christmas Ornaments

Hot Holiday Toys 2015 

Top 10 Christmas Decorations to Sell



Health and Beauty

Fragrance Samples and Trial Sizes


Home

4 Home Office Flips

Empty Printer Cartridges 

Moomin Coffee Mugs

Targus Computer Bags


Shoes

5 Brands of Preowned Shoes

Cougar Paws boots 

Mephisto 


Naot

Learn more about selling shoes here 


Toys

Hidden Mickeys

Hot Holiday Toys 2015

Jigsaw Puzzles

Sock Monkey


Vintage Items

Bakelite

Belt Buckles 

Bilston & Battersea Enamel Boxes

Bottle Openers 

Calculators 

Car Magazines

Chenille Bedspreads

Children's Books

Citrus Reamers

Cookie Cutters

Couroc Barware

Enamelware 

Enid Collins Handbags

Flip Clock Radios 

Girl Scout Pins

Granny Square Afghans 

Hats

Hot Rollers 

License Plates

Mason Pearson hairbrushes 

Matchbook Covers 

Maxi Pads

Owl Themed Items

Paint by Number Paintings

Paperweights 

Road Maps

Rolodex Card Files

Sheet Music  

VCRs

Yearbooks

The Holiday Clock is Ticking - Let's Get Ready!

Can you believe it is already November 9th? If you haven't gotten your ducks in a row for the Christmas selling season on eBay, there is still time. 4th quarter is the busiest time of the year for retailers, and that includes us! Make sure you cash in on holiday selling this year, as business analysts project it's going to be busy:

Kiplinger reports, "Thanks to months of solid gains, retailers are poised for healthy sales growth through the end of the year. Increased consumer confidence and disposable income, a tightening labor market and low gasoline prices will help drive spending during the fourth quarter. Economic improvements will push holiday sales higher by 3.5% to 4% over 2014. Holiday transactions represent about one-fifth of all retail sales." (Kiplinger.com)

Inc says, "Latest retail holiday sales forecast is projecting as much as $965 billion in sales between November and January, a 4 percent increase over last year's shopping season (excluding motor vehicles and gas). Though more than 90 percent of retail sales occur in-store, nearly 80 percent of shoppers say they engage with brands and retailers through digital channels before they set foot inside a store." (Inc.com)

Did you hear that? 80% of shoppers check out what's online before going to a store - so make sure everything you are doing on eBay is optimized for the holiday buying season. Here are a few ways you can maximize your eBay sales over the next 7 weeks:

1. If it isn't listed, list it NOW. That means anything. Even if you don't think it would be a gift or it is out of season. When you don't list your items (you know, those piles that grow overnight) you are basically helping other sellers get sales because nobody can buy yours. Don't leave money on the table because you didn't get items listed.

2. If at all possible, change handling time to same day or 1 day. Procrastinators abound, especially during holiday season. Shoppers will be in a rush. They will be looking for sellers who ship quickly. And not just the week of Christmas. Shoppers may have to pack up for a trip, want to ship out care packages, or freak out if they aren't ready 2 weeks early. Everyone loves a quick shipper!

3. Stay educated on what toys and hot items are in short supply and can be sold on eBay for above retail prices. That's right, plenty of retail products go for a premium around this time of year because they are out of stock in stores. This happens every year. Some past hot toys and holiday items I have flipped on eBay or Amazon:

Zhu Zhu Pets (2009)

LaLa Loopsy Dolls (2010)

Canned pumpkin (2011)

Furbys (2013)

A current example, Lays  chocolate potato chips cost about $3 in stores and they sell on eBay for around $12 a bag.

To help you even more with your holiday selling, I am offering a special Holiday Help Hotline this week only, on Thursday - Saturday (Nov  12- 14). Book a 20 minute phone consultation for only $20.
We can chat about anything you choose:

How to research the hot toys and other items this holiday season - don't buy a list, learn how to do it yourself every year!

How to improve your store (I'll do a store review)

How to optimize your store for the holidays

Hiring help for the holidays - where to find help and what tasks they can do

Prioritizing unlisted inventory (I get it - you have so much stuff it would be impossible to list it all in time. I know it can be overwhelming. Let's talk about making the best choices of items to list for maximum return.)

Anything else - customer service issues, sourcing inventory, shipping, growing your business, time management, listing, organizing inventory, keeping records - anything!

Sign up for your 20 minute consultation here. I can't wait to chat with you and help you have the best holiday selling season yet!

Talk to you soon,

Suzanne

(Check out past client testimonials.)

eBay Shipping Tip - Frankenstein Boxes

 If you sell on eBay for any length of time, you will be faced with the dilemma of finding the right size box to ship a large or odd shaped item. It happens to everyone at some point.

Frankenstein boxes are the answer. Also known as Frankenboxes, these are created when taping 2 or more boxes together to create a larger box. This process is called telescoping when  2 or more boxes are taped together end to end to create a longer box - hence the "telescoping" effect.

Frankenboxes are shipping boxes you can make yourself to accommodate any size item. This technique comes in handy year round, but especially during 4th quarter when sales spike and you may be shipping items you don't normally work with. There are a few rules to be aware of so you don't get in trouble with the post office.

Flat Rate and Regional Rate boxes cannot be altered, telescoped, or Frankensteined.

The price for shipping these items has been configured based on size and maximum weight. They cannot be altered in any way.

It is ok to Frankenstein Priority boxes.

You are free to use regular (not flat rate or regional rate) boxes in any configuration you want to create as long as the item is shipped Priority. Turning the box inside out or covering it with brown paper or poly mailers then shipping Parcel Select is a big no-no. Priority boxes must be used for Priority Mail, period. No exceptions.

Plain or recycled boxes can be Frankensteined.

As long as you aren't using a flat rate or regional rate box from USPS, anything is fair game.

Use plenty of tape to secure edges.

The USPS requires that all edges are taped and any gaps or flaps are covered with tape. You don't want flaps or box edges getting caught in sorting machines or on conveyer belts. Make sure everything is tight and secure.

Be aware of oversize restrictions.

Boxes measuring over 12 x 12 x 12 may be subject to oversize charges. It depends on the distance the package will travel.

Don't "piggyback" boxes.

Piggybacking refers to taping 2 boxes together that are not the same size, the smaller on top of the larger. USPS won't accept these.

Consider a box resizer for cutting down larger boxes.

Sometimes you have a box that is too large for the item, and rather than fill it with packing material and increase the shipping weight and cost, cut down the box using a box resizer tool. This tool is very handy, easy to use, and creates clean looking packages. You can buy them at office supply stores, on eBay, or Amazon.

I actually did a survey on my Facebook group asking other sellers about their Frankenbox experiences, and here are some of the responses:

Joseph said, "We just took a package to the post office today that combined 5 priority shipping boxes (totaled over 12" x 12" x 40" long). The postal clerk actually complimented us on the creative construction."

Debbie said, "Tonight we bought a 3" PVC pipe for $8 to mail metal roof edge moldings for a 1957 Mercury. 67 x 3 x 3 girth 4.75 I think....price to mail just under $11. We Franken-pack all the time!"

Sarah said, "Monday I stacked & taped 6 large Priority boxes together. Total height 58" x 12 x 12. I was shipping a wakeboard. 17 pounds from Alabama to Oklahoma just under $11.00."

So there you have it. If you don't have the right size box,  get creative and make one. Just be sure to keep plenty of tape on hand at all times.

If you need more help with shipping, download my free eBay Shipping Flow Chart here.

Related Articles:

How to Charge for Shipping on eBay

Pros and Cons of eBay Global Shipping Program

Can it be Shipped Media Mail?