Coffee Mug BOLO to Sell on eBay - Moomin of Arabia Mugs

Coffee mugs can be a high profit eBay flip. They are often priced at $1 or less, are fairly easy to ship, and are usually abundant everywhere pickers find inventory. And Starbucks mugs are definitely not the only high profit game in town.

Moomins are characters in a Swedish collection of books and comic books published between 1945 and 1993, illustrated by Tove Jansson. Moomins are part of pop culture in Sweden and other countries and appear in TV shows. There is even a Moomin theme park in Finland.

A Moomin sort of looks like a hippopotamus. So they are pretty recognizable once you know what they are.

The bottom logo of the mug looks like this:

Some Moomin mugs are highly sought after and can sell for hundreds of dollars, especially the limited editions.  Here are some screen shots of sales of Moomin Mugs on eBay over the last 90 days on eBay:

Moomin Mugs are not necessarily vintage. A Moominvalley theme park was opened in Japan in 2019 and those mugs showed up on eBay shortly thereafter. Those mugs look like this:

The Japan theme park mugs are currently selling on eBay for $250-$300.

When you are looking through mugs to flip on eBay, don't forget the Moomins! 

eBay Shipping for Beginners 2020 - Easy Steps

One of the most challenging (and overwhelming) parts of learning to sell on eBay is understanding shipping. That is completely normal! Unless you have worked at the post office or in a shipping department, of course you wouldn't know all of the details of how to ship a variety of items.

I am here to make it easy for you! Below are some common rules of shipping for eBay, or if you want to skip the boring stuff, scroll to the end and download the free Shipping Flow Chart that you can print out and use as a cheat sheet.

eBay Shipping Survival Tips

1. Do you want to ship it? Before you even buy an item for resale, or list something you already have, ask yourself if you even want to ship it. While it may be good money, some items are difficult and time consuming to package - such as chandeliers, large sets of dishes, glassware, or heavy items like tool sets or industrial products. Try selling locally on Facebook Marketplace if it doesn't make sense to ship it.

2. You MUST have a scale. I use the WeighMax scale - get one on eBay, Amazon, or any office supply store. It costs about 20 bucks.

3. Always figure out shipping as you are listing the item and enter the weight. You don't have to actually package the item, in fact, I recommend you don't. If a buyer has a question in the future, you will have to unpackaged the item. Or, if someone buys multiple items you will have to unpackaged it and that is a waste of time.

4. Use calculated shipping - refer to the flow chart for details. Free shipping really doesn't increase sales. Buyers are smarter than that - they know the shipping cost is built into the cost of the item. Learn calculated first, then graduate to flat rate boxes.

5. Keep a variety of shipping supplies on hand until you learn what you need. An eBay business is an evolution and what you sell will keep changing. You can always recycle what you don't use, or return free USPS supplies to the post office if you don't use them.

6. Be patient. You will continue to learn with practice. You are learning a new skill just like playing the piano or another language. Your skill will develop over time.

Download the shipping flow chart here. 

I am always here to help you! If you want more one-on-one help, join the Premium Content Library and get access to hundreds of tutorial videos, and best of all, unlimited email support to help you build your eBay business.

Happy Selling!

Suzanne

Learn What to Sell on eBay Fast - Cliffs Notes for eBay!

Remember Cliffs Notes from high school? Those study guides written to help you learn quicker, "ease homework headaches," and help you score higher on tests? Well, I have developed something along those lines for eBay sellers to help you study and quickly learn "what to sell" by recognition.

These study guides are designed to help you learn to source products faster and learn by recognition, rather than trying to memorize a list of brand names, logos, or types of high profit items. Sharpen your sourcing skills by studying printed materials in addition to watching videos.

These lists are a valuable resource because they are:

• Printable! Print out and make your own study notebook to refer to whenever you want.
• Updated frequently so you are continually getting new information to enhance your sourcing efforts.
• Alphabetized for easy reference. Organization is they key to effective learning!
• Created by product category such as clothing, kitchen items, baby items, office supplies - organized the same way a thrift store has departments.
• Clothing brands are not usually faked. You know me, I stay away from problematic products that can get you into trouble on eBay.

Here is a sample of the format of the study guides. Columns in the charts include:

• An image of the item, clothing label, or logo
• Best case pricing scenario
• Reasonable price point
• Specific criteria to help you choose the most profitable items
• Other notes - anything else I can think of to help you make better buying decisions

2 study guides are ready now - women's clothing and discontinued items. The information in these study guides WILL help you make more money on eBay. You don't know what you don't know! And I guarantee you are walking past things in a thrift store that you can sell for good money, you just aren't aware of it. (Hey it happens to everyone, even me!)

These are available in the Premium Content Library. So come on over and sign up so you can have access to this fantastic new learning tool. eBay is NOT dead, there is unlimited money to be made. This stuff is just sitting in thrift stores waiting for you!

Join today - You don't know what you don't know!

Why Moms are Ideal eBay Sellers

Being a mom is challenging. Whether you work outside the home full time, part time, or are a stay at home mom. All moms have their struggles. And you may be looking for a way to bring in extra income to change your employment situation.

Maybe you work full time but really want to transition to being a full time at-home mom.

Or maybe your part time job isn't working out the way you had hoped.

Or maybe you are running a business from home, and want another  stream of income.

eBay could be your answer. Unlike MLMs, there are no start up costs to begin selling on eBay. And eBay is legit - unlike a lot of work at home scams out there.

YOU JUST START.

Parents have a steady stream of "product" to sell as kids outgrow clothes, shoes, toys, educational products, baby gear - you name it. Why get pennies on the dollar at a garage sale? Sell that stuff on eBay and recover your cost so you can have cash to invest in the next stage of your kids' lives.

Check out this playlist especially for moms on YouTube. It is 7 hours of information to help you get started and be successful with your at-home eBay business. Millions of moms do it, you can, too!

$5 Estate Sale Item Sells for $2,500 on eBay

Hi eBayers!

I bet you thought I fell into the black hole of the internet...well I kind of did!

I am back now and will be breathing new life into my beloved blog. I've missed it!

So let's talk about a HUGE eBay sale. George Kelly, who religiously posts on the Money Making Monday thread on my Facebook group, posted this sale of an antique art deco silver plated pitcher he bought for $5. It sold for a whopping $2,510!

Look at how the bidding jumped from $89 to $2,400! Now who said eBay was dead - definitely not George Kelly!

I was honored to be able to interview George on my YouTube channel. He is a 20 year eBay veteran and ran an estate sale company in his former life before eBay. Which is why we can all learn so much from him! Check out the interview here.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back here blogging regularly!

Oh and don't forget to check out my new Premium Content Library here - get a 30 day free trial with coupon code FREETRIAL. 

Happy selling!

Top 6 Tips for eBay Beginners

I've been selling on eBay every day since 2003. I have helped thousands of sellers build an eBay business along the way. eBay is a big place with many moving parts. If you are just starting your eBay journey, here are a few tips to help you succeed faster.

Learn How to Price Items 

You must know how to price an item for the eBay universe. An item is only worth what someone will pay for it, and you can figure that out by looking at eBay completed listings. Here is a video on exactly how to figure out how to price items.

Start by Selling Things You Already Have

Most people think they have to go out and buy stuff to sell. Not true! The average American home has 300,000 items, and $7,000 or more worth of things that can be sold online. I have worked with clients over the years who have decades worth of accumulation in their homes and it could take a good 6-18 months to work through it all. Here are some things you might not know even sell on eBay!

Don't Sell High Risk Items

Sellers often are enthusiastic when starting on eBay, and want to jump in by selling expensive items. Don't do it! You could be the victim of a scam. Start slow, small, and learn the ropes before offering high dollar items. Play it safe! Watch this video about designer handbags - one of the types of items you should avoid until you have more experience. 

Learn About  Shipping

Shipping is undoubtedly the most confusing thing to learn when you are new to eBay. Here is a great video tutorial, with a flow chart, to walk you through the process if figuring out what to charge for shipping.  you don't want to overcharge the customer, and you don't want to short yourself either. Download the flow chart for free.

Buy Some Items to Get Feedback

If you are brand new to eBay and have just opened your account, you need to buy a few items to get some feedback. Your eBay feedback score is calculated from all of your transactions, not just your sales. So it is wise to be a buyer first, get some feedback, learn the ropes, and build your feedback score. Buy small inexpensive things you will actually use like cosmetics, office supplies, pet supplies, stickers for the kids or grandkids, or consumables. Then you won't look like a total newbie when you start to list your first items for sale. It is very, very difficult to sell anything with zero feedback, so get rid of that big obvious goose egg!

Get Help From an Expert

Getting guidance, advice, and support from an expert will move you along the learning curve faster than trying to figure out the pitfalls all by yourself. I can help! Check out my eBay Basics Course here. If you have the basics down but still need help, my Premium Content Library is perfect. You get unlimited email support, new videos every month, and much more. I am here for you!

Should You Wash Thrift Store Clothing Before Selling on eBay?

This is a big seller controversy. Here is what REALLY goes on in thrift stores and why you should wash everything that comes out of a thrift store whether you keep it or sell it.

Watch the video here.  Try not to get creeped out!