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Find Products To Sell On eBay
How to determine the right products to sell on eBay.
By Randy Largess
Nov 13, 2008

One of the first questions eBay users typically ask is, “What kind of product should I sell?” followed quickly by “Where should I source it?” A major component of your eBay success depends on finding the right products to sell.

EBay sellers generally fall into two camps, those who sell as a hobby and those who sell as a business. Hobby sellers generally sell products they no longer use and have no need for. Typically, their primary goal is to get rid of used items they don't want anymore. They're not out to make a big profit; they're happy just to clean out the house and make a few dollars along the way. If you are completely unfamiliar with eBay check out our EBay basics article.

In contrast, business sellers take eBay very seriously and strive to maximize their profits with the products they sell. We'll assume you are a business seller, as you're reading this on a home business website after all.

In order to succeed as a business seller, you need to do your homework. It is absolutely crucial that you put in some research to decide what you want to sell. You need to determine the items that are in high demand among eBay buyers. Fortunately, eBay has made it very convenient to conduct this type of research.

First, try to find out which of the categories are the most popular. Determine the number of listings that exist for each category -- this is a rough measure of popularity. Look at the average number of bids those products in those categories are receiving.

In order to do well on eBay, you should become a pricing expert in your chosen categories. Study the prices at which items are listed as well as the typical final selling price. Ideally, don't try to target more than a couple of categories. Being a specialized seller will tend to engender trust from potential buyers, who may look at you with a critical eye if you sell all types of unrelated goods.

In addition to conducting research manually, you can save time and become better organized by using a variety of software out there that can help optimize your research efforts.

After you've conducted the necessary research and determined the products you want to sell, it's almost time to get your eBay business launched. Now you need to start thinking about where to source your products.

One option is to sell products made locally. If there are manufacturers in your area that produce products that you can buy cheaply and ship to other locations for a profit, definitely take advantage of that situation.

Another option is to buy items wholesale from various wholesalers and manufacturers found throughout the world. You do need to be careful if you decide to take this route, as it's very easy to get scammed. But many high-volume eBay sellers import products from Asian countries, especially China. You can generally get Asian products at excellent prices -- check out http://www.alibaba.com and take a look around.

If you don't want to carry any inventory, you can also use drop shipping. There are manufacturers out there who will ship products directly to your end customer without you ever having to personally see the products yourself. They handle all the packing and shipping, and can ship one item at a time. It's very convenient for you, but you do have to pay a little extra for the convenience. Check out our article about drop shipping if you want to learn more.

Physical products are not your only option. If you have a hobby or passion that you simply love, write an e-book about it and sell it on eBay. Taking this course has a huge benefit, in that you only need to invest time upfront writing and creating the e-book. Afterwards, you can sell unlimited copies without having to worry about inventory, storage or shipping. Experts agree that information products are some of the most profitable products to sell online.

Finally, you can buy items from eBay and then turn around and immediately sell those same items on eBay for a profit. Many eBay users are experts at buying items greatly below market value, then brushing up the sales copy and reselling the items at a higher price.

Whatever method you choose to source your products, the key is to always conduct excellent research first. At the beginning, don't bite off more than you can chew, and always test your strategies.  In no time, you'll join the ranks of expert eBay sellers.