Make Money Selling Golf Shirts on eBay

One of my readers has gone the extra mile with his eBay business selling golf shirts. Chip let me know of his success after getting a head start with my ebook, The Golf Shirt Bible, which explains how to find and sell golf shirts on eBay. Golf shirts were the core of my eBay business from 2003- 2009 - I sold approximately 10,000 golf shirts on eBay all found at local thrift stores and most in used condition. (Hence the name of my eBay store, Atlanta Golf Shop.)

Chip, who is quite knowledgeable about the golf shirt category, has been industrious enough to create two very helpful videos explaining details on how to select and sell golf shirts on eBay. Golf Shirts 101 explains how to scrutinize the shirts for condition, really focusing on collar condition, buttons, plackets, fabric content, etc. Golf Shirts 102 goes into more detail about brands, his condition grading system, and his storage system. Check out Chip's videos here:





Now is the time to learn this niche as golf season is in full swing. (Pun intended.) A few comments from members of my Facebook Group after taking Chip's advice:

Lindsay said, "Have to share this because if it weren't for your videos, I would not have just scored! I ran into Goodwill 10 minutes before closing and found a Burberry golf shirt for $6.99. I got it. I looked it up on eBay completed listings and found the exact same shirt and it sold for $61!"

Anne said, "Listed 2 Scotty Camerons (2XL) and 2 hours later they sold. $92.50 each to the same guy!"

Thanks for helping to educate us, Chip. The key to making money on eBay is knowing what to look for - knowing what sells. Chip has made that a little bit easier with his videos. I hope this information helps you make some money with your golf shirt finds!

Money Magazine Survey - Amazon Ranked Highest Overall by Online Sellers

In the May 2013 May issue of Money Magazine, there is an article titled "Getting the Best Price for Your Castoffs" that explains the differences between different online marketplaces. Choosing the right venue is the key to getting the best price for your item. Based on the 2013 Sellers Choice Survey provided by Ecommerce Bytes, Amazon scored the highest overall, and the highest for profitability and communication.

Many eBay sellers understand that eBay is limited in its capacity to help them sell items online. eBay is definitely the best venue to sell collectibles, one of a kind items, and items truly limited in number such as event tickets or autographed items. Also, since Amazon restricts some categories, and most sellers are not approved in those categories, items like clothing, shoes, jewelry, automotive items, and electronics will have to go on eBay. Amazon is best for used and new media (with the exception of rare, collectible, or very high priced items), retail items including health and beauty items, toys, groceries, office supplies, and other consumer goods new in the box or new in the package. Most sellers who sell on both sites will agree that Amazon's payment system has a lower "hassle factor," and the explosive growth of both the Amazon FBA System and the number of Prime Buyers are fueling their Amazon businesses nicely.

Understanding the different marketplaces and choosing the right one for your item will help you make more money and save time in the long run. In fact, Money Magazine quoted me on this (page 32):

Many of you reading this are striving to make online selling a significant income stream, or maybe your only source of income so that you can enjoy more freedom and flexibility in your own life. Knowing how to sell on both eBay and Amazon will help you reach that goal. Once you are proficient in selling on both sites, the world will open up to you and you will have more opportunities to sell items no matter where you find inventory. For example, I source items from just about everywhere including garage sales, thrift stores, retail stores, closeout stores, Craigslist, online retailers, eBay to sell on Amazon, Amazon to sell on eBay, etc. Selling online is a skill that you must develop and practice, and the more you know about how to sell online, the more successful you will be, and the more money you will make.

If you are an eBay seller and haven't tested the Amazon waters yet, here are a few FREE resources to get you started:

Podcast - Getting Started on Amazon

Free eBook - 90 Day Amazon Experiment

Amazon Help - How to List an Item on Amazon

If you are dabbling with Amazon and want to get more serious and take your business to the next level, you may want to enlist the help of an experienced seller to help you. Hiring an expert can save you time, money, frustration, and help you succeed faster than if you had to figure out the business on your own. I have been selling on Amazon since 2009, have sold over 25,000 items, and have learned a lot about this business by trial and error, experimentation, and spending time doing things that didn't work. I offer the following services to help you learn the Amazon business:

Amazon FBA Recipe for Success (downloadable course)


The opportunities provided by ecommerce will only continue to grow as technology continues to advance and consumers continue to consume. Be prepared so you can seize this opportunity to make money from the comfort of home.

eBay Seller Success Story - Affliction T Shirt

Aaron sent in his success story:

"I recently discovered your site and it inspired me to start selling on eBay again. I used to sell stuff around the house and dabbled in garage sales. Now I started frequenting the thrift stores and picked up this Affliction t-shirt for $3.99 and sold it for $55. It was up to $42 on the first day it was listed!"

Here is a closer look at the shirt Aaron sold:

Impressive sale, Aaron! There is good money in t-shirts. Also look for Hard Rock Cafe, Life is Good, Lucky Tees, Mutts Organic T-shirts, and Harley Davidson. T-shirts can be overlooked gold. You don't have to know everything about t-shirts to find good sellers - just learn a few brands and as you are shopping look up those you are not familiar with. It takes time to learn but if you are ready, willing, and able, the money will come!

Do you have an eBay success story to share? If so, email me at ebaycoach @ yahoo dot com or come share your sale on our Money Making Mondays thread on my online sellers' Facebook Group. Also, check out my podcasts here or on iTunes for my episodes titled, "You Sold WHAT on eBay?" where we share other overlooked items you can sell for nice profits on eBay.

Related articles:

Thrift Store Haul for eBay

Hard Rock Hurricane Glass Success Story

Learn to Sell Golf  Shirts on eBay

How I Got $500 from Amazon Over the Weekend

If you sell with Amazon's FBA program, do you ever feel like something is missing? Maybe you should be seeing bigger payouts based on the amount of inventory you are sending in? Me, too. I decided to do some snooping around last weekend and discovered quite a bit of inventory was either lost, damaged, or had been destroyed without my knowledge.

On April 5, I opened about 20 support tickets with Amazon for further investigation. Many of these items had been sent in as long as 3 months ago but fell through the cracks for various reasons. Here is a screen shot of some of my support requests:

In just a few hours, the reimbursements started coming in! As of today, April 10 , I have received $545.61 in reimbursements on items that Amazon would not have reimbursed me for if I hadn't brought it to their attention. Take a look at what I have received so far:

 

This process only took about 2 hours and I have received over $500 in reimbursements so far (some tickets are still outstanding). Not a bad hourly rate to put some extra cash in my account - cash that I was due but probably wouldn't have ever seen if I hadn't researched it myself.

Sometimes, we get so focused on scouting for inventory, sending in shipments, and keeping up with replenishments, we lose track of what has already been sent into Amazon warehouses. If you are not keeping a close eye on your Amazon business, it can get away from you in a hurry.

I have taken the time to share this process with you. If you aren't familiar with how to keep tabs on your FBA inventory, I have created a Lesson on Demand to show you the exact process for researching lost, damaged, or destroyed inventory that you could be getting reimbursed for. Remember, when Amazon is at fault and loses or damages inventory, you are reimbursed the same as if your item sold, not just the price you paid for the item.

This lesson includes a 20 minute video showing:

How to determine if inventory is missing.

How to use different reports to discover lost, damaged, or destroyed inventory.

How to navigate the Amazon Seller Dashboard to find information needed for support requests.

How to file Amazon FBA support requests for lost, damaged, or destroyed inventory.

8 step process I use to get money back from Amazon.

Also includes PDF file with reimbursement request process outlined.

The cost of this lesson is $39 and an instant download. Learn how to research your own Amazon FBA inventory and start filing for reimbursements today!

Podcasts are Back - Learn by Listening

Popular Business Internet Radio with Online Selling with Suzanne Wells on BlogTalkRadio

I am excited to announce my new podcasting channel on BlogTalkRadio! I'm structuring these podcasts as educational in nature, sharing what I know and what I have learned about ecommerce over the last 10 years. Podcasts will be 15-20 minutes in length and focus on teaching a specific aspect of the business. I have some interesting guests lined up so you will want to subscribe and check for new episodes daily. You can listen to podcasts from your computer while you work or from your phone on iTunes. (It will take a couple of weeks for the iTunes feed to start, and I will post a link to the iTunes feed on a future blog post.)

I have some fun ideas for recurring shows, like "You sold WHAT on eBay?" Where sellers share good money makers that are hiding in plain sight. Making money on eBay isn't just finding and selling the obvious collectibles like Hummel figurines and baseball cards. The key to making money on eBay is learning to recognize items that have value in the eBay marketplace, but may look like junk to a less savvy seller.

I would love to hear your ideas for shows and topics that you need help with or are interested in learning about. I've been coaching private clients of all levels since 2009 and have a lot of great material to share. We can all learn a lot by talking and listening to each other. Everyone's ecommerce journey is different - beginners to advanced seller, we all bring something valuable to the table to share and help each other prosper!

Check out my new show, Online Selling with Suzanne Wells and be sure to subscribe either through Blog Talk Radio or iTunes.

Related articles:


Source for eBay Inventory - Your Local Library

 What to Buy at Thrift Stores to Sell on eBay (my book on Kindle)

One-on-One Personal Coaching

eBay and Amazon Workshop Updates

Last fall, my eBay and Amazon on-site mentoring workshops were a big hit! I was able to hold 6 workshops before the holiday rush began. After a busy January and February, workshops can now resume!

I've paid attention to feedback from clients who attended the workshops last year, and want to offer what clients are requesting so that I can better help them achieve their goals. I have made some changes to make the workshops more convenient and the topics are more beneficial to the individual attendees. If you want to take your eBay or Amazon business to the next level, hiring an expert to personally show you the ropes and teach you the business based on their perspective and experience will save you time, money, frustration, and your business will succeed faster with fewer problems and setbacks. Hiring an expert to hold your hand and guide you through the minefields will put you on the fast track to success and you can jump into your business much further along the learning curve than if you had to learn the process on your own. I have been coaching clients in person and over the phone since 2009 and have coached over 350 clients worldwide.

Changes to workshops include:

Workshops are now private one-on-one training tailored to the unique needs of the individual participant. Each workshop is designed to accommodate either 1 client alone, or 2 clients working together as a team such as spouses, mother-daughter team, or business partners. Information presented will be customized to the individual clients' skill level, experience, business style, and goals.

Workshops are scheduled at the client's convenience, evenings and weekends included. Scheduling is very flexible based on the client's availability.

Amazon FBA sourcing workshop can be taught at the store of the client's preference such as Wal-Mart, Target, grocery store, TJ Maxx, Walgreen's, etc.

All workshops are held in the Metro Atlanta area and length is 3 hours of intense individual instruction based on the client's unique needs and goals.

Each workshops comes with bonuses including 1 week of email support following the workshop, eBooks, and 3 months free subscription to my membership site Online Selling Coach.

For more information on both types of workshops, and to submit your request for this highly-specialized individual training, visit my website:

eBay Sourcing Workshop

Amazon FBA Sourcing Workshop

If you have questions about the workshops, send me an email at eBaysellingcoach @ gmail or ebaycoach @ yahoo to discuss further.

Source for eBay and Amazon Inventory - Your Local Library Branch

Did you know that some library branches sell books all year long and not just for the regularly scheduled library sales? Many library systems have books for sale all the time as an ongoing fundraiser for the FOL (Friends of the Library). These can be ex-library books as well as donations made by patrons. Many of the books are like new and have never been on the library shelf as patrons like to support the FOL and make regular donations of gently used media items. The library system where I live sells used books for 25 cents and magazines for 10 cents. (The sign above is from one branch I visit.) I've noticed that donated books sold at the library are often in better condition than in thrift stores - maybe because there is less handling by fewer people? Libraries also might sell other media such as DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and VHS tapes. Here are a few books I've sold this month that were sourced for 25 cents at a library near me:

Vegan Cooking for Carnivores sold for $16.99 on Amazon.

 

The Primal Blueprint sold for $12.50.

You can also find gently used magazines for sale. You may not be aware that current (within 12 mos) magazines sell for a nice price on eBay. Magazines don't have to be vintage to have resale value. What is important here is the celebrity on the cover. If a celebrity is popular or in the news, the magazine will be more valuable. Here are some recent eBay sales to demonstrate:

Men's Health March 2013 - Adam Levine on Cover, sold for $9.95

Ladies Home Journal March 2013 - Mariska Hargitay on Cover, sold for $9.99

GQ February 2013- Beyonce on cover, sold for $19.99.

Now you won't make any money if you buy these off newstands and try to resell. But you can make money if you get these mags cheap at libraries, garage sales, or thrift stores, or free from other sources. You can also ask others who have magazine subscriptions to save these for you instead of tossing them in the recycling bin. (I've already recruited my chiropractor and naturopath to save theirs!) The key to making money on anything you resell is what you pay for it. You make your money when you buy, not when you sell. And you can't beat free inventory if you are willing to seek it out! If you aren't sure to research how much something sells for on eBay, check out this video on how to look up values on both a computer and the eBay Mobile App. You can easily figure this out while browsing garage sales, thrift stores, or media for sale at the library.

Also keep in mind that magazines cannot be shipped USPS Media Mail because they contain advertising. The most cost effective way to ship is in a USPS Flat Rate mailer. Also, make sure you are offering books and media internationally. Not sure how to ship an eBay item to worldwide customers? Check out my eBay International Shipping Tutorial.

If you have not started selling media on Amazon, it is a fairly easy process. Media, especially books, are consistent sellers, easy to find, cheap, and easy to pack and ship. Check the resources below to get started today!

Related Articles:

Amazon 90 Day Experiment

How to Sell a Book on Amazon