Free stuff - It is possible to get your ebay enterprise started for free:
- Clear out everything you don't want from your cupboards, loft, garage etc.
- What about friends and relatives - is there anything they can give you to get you started?Offer to sell things on ebay on commission. If your friends and family do not have anything to give you perhaps they could be persuaded if you agreed to sell their stuff for a commission fee (less eBay fees).
- Have you ever seen two for the price of one offers. DVDs, CDs, books and a whole range of other things can be obtained in this way to sell on eBay, if you keep your eyes open.....
- Sell things you win in competitions - I know it sounds crazy, but it works! Many competitions where you have to send your answer on a form or postcard, get fewer people entering than you would imagine. So you could have a good chance if you enter these sorts of competitions regularly. Prizes are often highly sought after and would sell well on eBay.
Junk shops, charity shops and jumble sales - Once you have raised starting capital you can start looking for cheap items from junk shops, charity shops and jumble sales. You will have to do a bit of research on eBay before hand. You should select a niche on eBay that you like - classic toys or vintage clothes for example. Spend some time on eBay seeing whats being sold. Check final selling prices using the 'completed items' button on the left hand side of your search results. The key is to get things as cheap as possible - you will need to make enough to cover eBay fees, Pay Pal fees (if used) and only then can you think about taking a profit. There are great bargains out there, but you need to have done your homework.......
Buying wholesale - Wholesalers are to be found all over the country. Many will accept you if you explain that you are in business and you are willing to buy their minimum stated amount - £50 or £100. VAT will be charged on top. The range of stock that can be bought wholesale includes toys, baby/ kids clothes, electronic goods, hats, lingerie and stationery. Again, it pays to select a niche in eBay and get to know that niche very well. Buying wholesale stock for eBay is not straight forward. Some items will sell time after time and other, apparently similar items, won't. To a certain extent what sells is only learned through experience. One good source of wholesalers is The Trader, a monthly magazine available from larger newsagents. Some of the wholesalers are selling 'catalogue returns' - goods returned to the large catalogue companies because they are the wrong size/ colour, broken etc. This could be a lucrative area to get into, but you might have to say in your eBay auction ads that the goods were not 'brand new' .
Good luck and happy selling!
