Advice for New eBay Sellers - eBay is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

I don't like to see people fail. eBay leaves a long line of disappointed sellers who don't succeed because their expectations are not realistic. I can see why. The internet is full of hype about get rick quick schemes promising fast cash for listing random items on eBay. Those of us in the trenches know eBay doesn't work that way.

I will be going into my 13th year of eBay selling in 2016. Since 2003, I have sold over 30,000 items, in a wide range of categories, to over 50 countries around the world. (My eBay store is here.) I can speak with authority when I say that if you are looking for a quick, dependable, easy way to make money, eBay is NOT it.

For new people coming to eBay, there is unlimited opportunity. eBay offers:

1. Connection with millions of buyers around the globe. You can't do that on Facebook groups or with a garage sale.

2.  High ranking on Google for your products. Do a search for any item you can think of, and odds are eBay is in the top 3 results. eBay handles the SEO (search engine optimization) to connect your products with potential buyers.

3. The eBay platform is open to just about anyone. There are no barriers to entry. Open eBay and Paypal accounts, and start selling.

4. The eBay platform is user friendly and robust. Photos are easily uploaded and edited right on eBay. You can print shipping labels directly from eBay. You can create watch lists, alerts for products you want to buy, and the mobile app is a fantastic research tool. You can keep tabs on your business via the mobile app 24/7 where ever you are.

5. eBay integrates seamlessly with Paypal so you can pay yourself every day if you want.

6. Unlimited opportunity.  Once you start selling, your limits will increase. The sky is the limit. Selling limits can go into the millions. You are only limited by your time and the amount of inventory you can afford to buy. If you build it, they will come.

These are the things that attract sellers to eBay. However, there are some drawbacks that new sellers should be aware of. Please keep in mind that eBay is NOT for everyone. And if it doesn't work for you, that is ok. New sellers need to understand:

1. eBay places limits on new accounts. You will need to accept these limits (sometimes as low as 10 items at a time for sale) and work within eBay's framework. (Here is why eBay imposes limits on new people.)

2. You may have holds placed on Paypal funds. This is a common industry practice until you have established your account. Don't take it personally. (Read more about the 21 Day Hold here.)

3. 7 Day auctions are an arbitrary number. Many new sellers are discouraged when their item doesn't sell within 7 days. The 7-day auction was established when eBay was created over 20 years ago. Your buyer probably won't show up within that time frame.

4. Watchers and views don't really mean anything. It only takes 1 person to purchase an item. Sellers become so obsessed with analyzing how many views and watchers it takes for an item to sell. You might as well try to figure out which came first - the chicken or the egg. This type of obsession with watchers and views is a pointless exercise that does nothing but waste time, create drama, and cause frustration. You can't force a sale. The buyer comes when the buyer comes. Keep listing.

5. You can't reduce eBay selling to a "formula." Again, sellers are constantly trying to figure out how many items they need to have for sale, using which listing type, at what time of day to produce $X. eBay doesn't work that way. There are too many variables to boil it down to any kind of "rule."

6. eBay is a marathon, not a sprint.  Sellers often give scenarios like this, "I've had 37 things listed for 20 days and nothing has sold yet, what am I doing wrong?" What you are doing wrong is being impatient. eBay is about delayed gratification. If you are in a hurry, eBay is not for you.

Building an eBay business is like getting a college degree. It takes a long time, dedication, and lots of learning along the way. I tell new sellers to give it at least a year of dedicated effort to build an eBay business that produces reliable income. It cannot be done in the short term.

If you are new to eBay, I strongly suggest you take my eBay Basics course to you can jump start your business by getting started on the right foot, avoiding common pitfalls, and succeed faster with fewer mistakes.  You wouldn't try to get a driver's license without taking a course to learn the material. You wouldn't try to get a real estate license without taking a course. So why would you try to start to build a home business without learning from someone who has already done it successfully?

If you are looking for a sure thing, for a way to make money and see predictable results and a reliable paycheck every week, you are better off flipping burgers or working at the mall. Sorry to be blunt, but I am being honest. eBay takes time, patience, and the willingness to experiment, fail, and experiment again. Every successful seller will tell you exactly the same thing.

There are 1.8 Billion Millenials Around the Globe - Are You Marketing to Them?

Millenials are the largest generation in history and they are about to move into their prime spending years. Smart marketers look at what and how millenials buy consumer goods. The purchasing power of millenials is $170 billion per year, and we need to know what the heck they are buying so we can sell it to them! If you are not in touch with what millenials are buying, you are leaving money on the table.

I've had a secret weapon and millenial informant for the last few years - and now you can benefit from her knowledge, too. I am excited to announce that my daughter, Melanie Wells, is now offering eBay tutoring and consulting services to help other sellers grow their eBay businesses. Not only can she help you get in touch with the millenial consumer, but she can help you learn to be a better eBay seller.

Many of you have been following my daughter's eBay journey on my blog and my Facebook Group. Melanie started selling in 2012, at the age of 18. She has worked hard building her store - she has sold over 2,000 items in her eBay career, while working other full and part time jobs.

Training closely beside me every day for the last  3 1/2 years, eBay is a way of life for Melanie. If there was a Bachelor's Degree in eBay, she would have one. Melanie was industrious enough to work her eBay business and save enough money to pay cash for a car earlier this year. (Read her story here.) She has been a mentor and leader in the eBay community by helping other sellers and participating regularly in the Money Making Mondays threads on my Facebook Group. Here are some of her posts about her sales:

She is a smart cookie. As a 21 year old, she is in touch with what Gen Y / Millenials are up to and has taught me how to cash in on that market. She pays attention to what is posted on social media, what her friends are into, and what is new on the scene. She has helped me make a lot of money by mentioning brands that sell well, decorating trends, crafts, or repurposing ideas that I was clueless about. She also knows how to use technology and social media for sourcing inventory, such as her recent score on a Facebook Group that she flipped on eBay.

Melanie has also helped several local sellers with their eBay business by teaching them what to buy for resale, teaching them how to list, hhelping them learn how to ship, and serving in a listing and shipping assistant role. She was a big help to our dear friend Catherine - who will live in infamy for the funniest eBay fail ever, but also has an amazing boutique in her basement.

How can Melanie help you? She offers the following services:

Feel free to contact Melanie with any questions about her services. She is a delight to work with and you won't be disappointed!

Book your appointment here!

Anthropologie Brand to Sell on eBay: Leifsdottir

Anthropologie is one of those mall brands of clothing that is trendy, comfortable, stylish, and can be expensive. The trick to making money with this brand is learning the sub-brands. Most Anthropologie items don't say "Anthropologie" on the label. You have to learn the sub-brands as well as the look and style of the labels.

I'll be doing a series on my blog (so be sure to subscribe) showing you some of the sub-brands I've actually found and sold so you can recognize them easily when you are out thrifting or shopping at consignment stores, church sales, or garage sales. If you are really industrious, you can start by studying the list of sub-brands here. But once you see the list, you will probably want to stick with my tutorials with images of labels and actual items - that list is pretty overwhelming!

This post is about the sub-brand Leifsdottir. I have only found sweaters in this brand and they all have the same look. Leifsdottir sweaters are usually a thick chunky knit, with big round buttons or some other interesting embellishment on the front. The Leifsdottir label looks like this:

Not very fancy, and you probably wouldn't think this is a very expensive brand by the look of the tag. Here are some completed listings so you can see how this brand holds its value:

The more unusual, the better. Especially on eBay. An average price for this brand of sweater is around $35, depending on size, style, etc. Watch for this brand when shopping for pre-owned clothing to sell on eBay.

Related Articles:

Why I Sell Ugly Shoes on eBay

Selling Summer Clothing in the Winter on eBay

Increase eBay Sales

72 Unique Items that Sold Big on eBay in 2014

And now for something completely different...

Year after year, I am always shocked at what sells on eBay and for how much! I share lots of these great finds on my blog, but these kind of “gems” come faster sometimes than I can write.

Over the last year, I have been keeping note of the unusual, unknown, oddest, and the highest moneymaker sales that have occurred on my personally eBay store. These 72 “gems” aren’t specific to any event that occurred in 2014. They are evergreen finds that many eBay sellers miss.

I will show you the real completed listings, the real numbers, and how you can make this real money yourself.

You will:

    Learn which categories have the best unsung, yet high profit finds

    Find which items (or parts) give you the best ROI

    View real screen shots of what has really sold and for how much

    Know exactly where and how you can source these items

    Discover how to think outside of the eBay box for the items most sellers miss

Grab your copy of my 72-page ebook here and find out what you have been missing!

 Related Articles:

5 New Things I Learned to Sell on eBay in 2014

Why I Sell Ugly Shoes on eBay

Top 10 Thrift Store Items to Sell on eBay

Thrift Shopping Workshop in Atlanta January 11

Are you ready to learn how to shop in a manner that maximizes your time and sales?

Do you want to know how to spot those uber profitable items in the sea of junk?

Are you looking for a system that works virtually anywhere and within a variety of stores and resources like garage sales, Craigslist, estate sales, and flea markets? If you are saying "yes," then this workshop is for you!

New for 2015, I'm offering a limited number of special 2-hour workshops in the Metro Atlanta area to help you learn to be a faster, smarter, and better eBay picker.

The first workshop is scheduled for Sunday January 11 in Marietta, Georgia from 1 - 3 PM.

The second workshop is scheduled for Sunday February 8 in Roswell, Georgia from 1-3 PM.

During this special intensive training, you will learn:

What types of items really sell on eBay and why

Which brands, styles, fabrics, and types of clothing will sell the fastest and with the highest ROI

What items appeal to international buyers and why

All the details you need to know from examining your finds to what items retain their value the best
and which items to stay away from

How to “work” a thrift store and sections to focus on when your shopping time is limited, plus how to get deeper discounts

What are the profitable overlooked niche items that sell and ship easily

Listing tips such as the benefits of different listing types and creative words to use in titles that result in more page views and sales


30 days of email support after the workshop -  I will be your personal help desk for any eBay questions

A copy of my eBook, “What to Buy at Thrift Stores to Resell on eBay”

This in-person training focuses on items that are consistent profitable sellers that can be easily found and are repeatable. I'll help you create a system for buying for resale using the resources available in thrift stores. We will not focus on hard to find or rare items like stamps, coins, sports memorabilia, antiques, art, autographed items, trading cards, or comic books.

Buy as much as you like during the training!

Cost to attend this workshop is $150 per person.

Space is limited so contact me here to reserve your spot.

I can't wait to have a shopping day with you and help you take your eBay business to the next level in 2015.

Related Resources:

Selling Women's Clothing on eBay - Free Videos

5 New Things I Learned to Sell on eBay in 2014

My eBay Experiment - Work Smarter!

One Little Word Can Make a Huge Difference in Profit

Making money on eBay with women's clothing is about knowing your brands. The high-end, conservative and sophisticated brand St. John is often confused with the JCPenney moderately priced brand St. John's Bay. Watch this video to learn the difference, because it is huge!




Related Articles:

Why I Sell Ugly Shoes on eBay

Make Money Selling Kuhl Clothing on eBay

Women's Fashion Trend - Fit and Flare Skirts 

So, you want a guarantee?

After the special offer in last week's newsletter for the Amazon Grocery Course, I received several emails from readers asking if I offer a guarantee on my courses. You asked, I listened, and decided to give you the best guarantee in the ecommerce information product business:

Learn it, know it, master it. Guaranteed.

I am committed to your success. That is why every with course you take, I am here for you.

Have a question? Not sure how to apply the information to your business? Have a question the material doesn't cover?

I  am here for you via phone or email to make sure that you don't just learn or know the profit-making skills that I cover in my courses, but that you master them and in turn, your bank account shows the results.


My website has been updated to reflect this guarantee on all of my downloadable courses. So not only do you get the most detailed, real-world, current courses available about selling on eBay and Amazon, I guarantee that I will personally work with you if you still have questions after going through the course. 

So rather than walking away from a course frustrated or confused with nobody to answer your questions (like with many online courses), you can talk to or email a real person (me!) to help you understand and learn the material.

Find all of my courses here, and get ready, I've got some new ones coming soon.

Happy Selling!

Selling Walmart Store Brands on eBay

Time to get out of your own head again and be open to a new idea. When you are out thrifting, do you usually skip over Walmart brand clothing because you figure nobody would buy it on eBay? Now of course, your profit will depend on the relationship between the price you pay for the item and the selling price on eBay. But if you buy items by the pound at the Goodwill Outlet, shop a special "fill a bag" days, or can buy lots of clothing at garage sales cheap, you may want to open your mind to selling Walmart brands of clothing, when the situation works.

The first step in this process is learning the Walmart apparel store brand names.Walmart clothing brands include:

Faded Glory
George
No Boundaries
Simply Basic
White Stag

Vintage items can sell for hundreds of dollars. But most of the time, you won't happen upon that rare find. Here are a few examples of completed sales for Walmart brands of clothing, in used condition, that you might actually find when out thrifting....just to blow your mind:

White Stag women's jacket size 3X sold for $44 plus shipping.

Men's George cashmere sweater sold for $80

Women's Faded Glory motorcycle boots sold for $99

 

No Boundaries women's overalls sold for $36.95

If you still aren't convinced, here are some interesting statistics about completed listings for Walmart clothing brands:

5,000+ completed sold listings for keywords "faded glory" in women's clothing category, eBay USA

5,300 completed sold listings for keywords "white stag" in women's clothing category, eBay USA

3,400 completed sold listings for keywords "no boundaries" in women's clothing category, eBay USA

Keep in  mind that some of the completed listings will have items in mixed lots, but you the idea that Walmart brand apparel can be lucrative to sell on eBay.

This is the kind of information I share in my clothing classes. You don't need access to high end designer brand names to make money selling clothing on eBay. Everything you need is already out there waiting for you to come find it - you just need the knowledge to realize the mainstream brands that can sell. Check out my women's preowned clothing class here and expand your knowledge, and find out what you have been walking by that can make money for you on eBay.

Related Articles:

There is money in pajamas

Top 3 grocery items to sell on Amazon

How much is your household trash worth on eBay

There is Money in Pajamas - Really!

You read that right! If you aren't checking out the sleepwear section of your thrift store, you are probably leaving money behind. Several brands and styles of sleepwear are good sellers on eBay in used condition. Some brands you may not be familiar with because they are private label brands and only sold through direct marketing like at home parties or on shopping networks.

My new class, Level 2 of The Profitable World of Pre-Owned Women's Clothing is 60 minutes of specific details on 3 more profitable categories in women's clothing - skirts, shape wear, and sleepwear.  Learn to make the most of your time in a thrift store and how to cherry-pick high profit items faster. I'll also explain some interesting micro-niches in these categories and point out some customers you may not know you have - and how to market to them for more sales.

The first class launches Thursday, January 23 at 1 PM Eastern time. Cost to attend is $47.

Register here.  

(I recommend Level 1 of this class as a prerequisite, since it contains basic info on selling used clothing, measuring, and other fundamentals. This is just a suggestion, not a requirement.)

If you can't make it to the live class, contact me through the box on the right and we can make arrangements for you to purchase the audio+video recording, as well as the PDF of the presentation, and the class notes.

Related Articles:

Level 1 - The Profitable World of Selling Pre-Owned Women's Clothing

Learn to Sell Children's Clothing on eBay

Learn to Sell Groceries on Amazon

Podcasts for eBay Sellers

 

There is always something new to learn about selling on eBay, and podcasts are a great way to learn by listening. Most podcasts can be downloaded on iTunes now so you can listen while you workout, drive, or do any other activity away from the computer. Several podcasts have come and gone over the years, and some require sign in or membership. Here are some free regularly updated and informative podcasts:



eBay Radio - Great info from eBay employees, sellers, and reps from third party services like Auctiva and Kabbage.Sellers can call in with questions. And if you would like to be interviewed or are doing something new or different, Lee and Griff are glad to have you on. Just email them with your news or information.

eBay Scavengers - New in 2013. Trash to cash podcast by two couples who sell on eBay for a living. Laid back and no-hype approach. Very entertaining and informative. The eBay Scavengers have creative ways of sourcing and have developed a unique approach to a full-time eBay business.

And yours truly, Online Selling with Suzanne Wells. Most popular episodes are "You sold WHAT on eBay?" which focus on  random but surprising items that the average person may not know can sell for good money on eBay.

Did I miss any? If you have a favorite eBay related podcast, please leave a comment and I can add it to the list.