How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there? - eBay Suspended & PayPal Limited Forums
eBay Suspension & PayPal Limited Forums  
Join Today
Register Subscribe
     

Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!


Go Back   Home > Platform Discussions > eBay Discussion!

eBay Discussion! EBay Forum. News, Updates, or Anything eBay is Welcome. A kind of lounge if you will.

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 02-21-2017
BlackLion's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 504
Thanks: 55
Thanked 141 Times in 92 Posts
Activity: 23%
Longevity: 58%
iTrader: (1)
Default How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

I've browsed at least 10 wholesale sites, and when comparing prices to ebay they're already on there for same price. Would it be pointless to resell those same items, and compete with Chinese sellers? Me personally, I think so since i'd have to sell the items for $10+ or more. I have yet to find any profitable items for this site. This has lead me to finding alternative sites "rarely mentioned" to sell on, i just hope none of you ever find them, because you'd destroy my profits, especially with the 1000s of items you sell weekly, lol.
__________________
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to BlackLion For This Useful Post:
CIW_ESHOP (03-02-2017)
The complete step-by-step guide to get back to selling today!

  #2  
Old 02-21-2017
sax4's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,517
Thanks: 1,806
Thanked 1,040 Times in 774 Posts
Activity: 38%
Longevity: 81%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

You need to find a niche rather than selling what everyone else is selling.

I though you would have Ebay emailed nailed down by now, you've been on here for years! No offence meant, just surprised.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to sax4 For This Useful Post:
muzzie (02-21-2017)
  #3  
Old 02-21-2017
BlackLion's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
Threadstarter  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 504
Thanks: 55
Thanked 141 Times in 92 Posts
Activity: 23%
Longevity: 58%
iTrader: (1)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Nope, still can't find a single item to sell, but I've found a new platform where i'm getting around 20-30 sales weekly, but fees are high. With 10min of daily work i'm making $100 weekly, lol. It's my only hope at the moment.
__________________
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-21-2017
sax4's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,517
Thanks: 1,806
Thanked 1,040 Times in 774 Posts
Activity: 38%
Longevity: 81%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Well I can't comment on dropshipping from China, I do retail arbitrage chiefly.

That's good $100 for 10 mins work, that's one easy income stream, get a few more and you're laughing

Last edited by sax4; 02-21-2017 at 10:52 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-21-2017
BlackLion's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
Threadstarter  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 504
Thanks: 55
Thanked 141 Times in 92 Posts
Activity: 23%
Longevity: 58%
iTrader: (1)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Is there a way to find top selling eBay items without terapeak?
__________________
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-21-2017
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 75
Thanks: 14
Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 54%
iTrader: (2)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackLion View Post
Nope, still can't find a single item to sell, but I've found a new platform where i'm getting around 20-30 sales weekly, but fees are high. With 10min of daily work i'm making $100 weekly, lol. It's my only hope at the moment.
I like your altitude. You cant find what to sell on eb, but you dont give up and find another platform where to earn money. Keep going further whatever it takes and you will get rich one day.
Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Arminass For This Useful Post:
BlackLion (07-15-2017), Vutruong (02-22-2017)
  #7  
Old 02-22-2017
sax4's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,517
Thanks: 1,806
Thanked 1,040 Times in 774 Posts
Activity: 38%
Longevity: 81%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackLion View Post
Is there a way to find top selling eBay items without terapeak?
That's only method I know
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-22-2017
GhostOfAmazon's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 2,979
Thanks: 521
Thanked 724 Times in 521 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 52%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

You don't need "top selling" items. You need items that you can sell at a profit. Don't worry about what's popular. Worry about what makes money.

You can sell 100 items a week at $2 profit each, or 1 item per week at $200 profit, it's the same money. That should be your mindset going forward.

And stop making excuses as to why you can't make money. This is way easier than any job I've ever had.
__________________
How to get increased selling limits on eBay:
http://www.aspkin.com/forums/ebay-di...0-calling.html
Reply With Quote
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to GhostOfAmazon For This Useful Post:
dealagreeproceed (02-22-2017), JJ373 (02-27-2017), phaz0rz (02-22-2017), Play (02-23-2017), yankee (03-06-2017)
  #9  
Old 02-22-2017
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 36
Thanks: 1
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 41%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

I also made a thread similar to this, I was confused on how some sellers can possibly be making any profit with some of their listings. You just have to keep searching for something you have a chance of competing in. If you want to start getting sales and have a good sales ranking, then be prepared to lose money before you make any. Leave a listing on good till cancelled, and have your prices much lower than anyone elses, and raise them slowly when you feel it's right. Also have you thought about bundling items together to make it a little different to everyone else's, maybe offer a "free" gift.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-22-2017
phaz0rz's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 10,832
Thanks: 2,076
Thanked 4,022 Times in 3,010 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 48%
iTrader: (2)
Send a message via ICQ to phaz0rz Send a message via AIM to phaz0rz Send a message via Yahoo to phaz0rz
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

How to become profitable with e-commerce :
-find a niche to sell in (preferably 2 or 3)
-sell with meager profit margins until you build a name for yourself
-don't touch your profits until you have a couple grand flowing weekly (I understand you have to live, but live modestly until you're rich)
-focus on gaining buying power. That's key. Once you can place a $7500 order rather than $200, your shipping costs are distributed between thousands of items so your unit cost is much lower and your eventual profit higher.
-do whatever you can to attract wholesale customers to your listings. If you offer free shipping and a customer buys 250x of your item rather than 1x, your profit goes through the f***in roof.

I sell in a niche dominated by the Chinese and I'm doing great. I give way better customer service than any Chinese seller, so customers would rather buy from me I suppose. Always mention the drastic shipping time difference in your listings if you're competing against the Chinese.

Ok I'm done rambling. Take that as you will, lol.
__________________
____________
_______
___
Reply With Quote
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to phaz0rz For This Useful Post:
infinitelyannoyed (02-22-2017), newjerseymax (02-23-2017), nicomambo (04-20-2018), Verb (02-22-2017)
  #11  
Old 02-22-2017
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 326
Thanks: 7
Thanked 63 Times in 52 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 63%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackLion View Post
I've browsed at least 10 wholesale sites
Wholesale sites are quickly becoming a waste of time. You need to deal direct with the manufacturer because pretty much everyone between manufacturer and you are also one ebay/amazon selling the same stuff for the same prices that they're trying to sell to you.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 02-23-2017
muzzie's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,827
Thanks: 286
Thanked 567 Times in 422 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 53%
iTrader: (22)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Find an item that has a low competition and reasonable margin (niche item). All these wholesale items are already sold with 5p profit by Chinese, no sense to compete with them. You can sell 1000 phone cases and earn 1 usd from each, and TONS of problems from the buyers, when you can sell 2-3 expensive items and gain the same profit. Do not look at Terapeak reports, 10000s of other people are using it. Just manually study the market, it is hard, but you will definitely find some "diamond" items, as manual approach can't be copied, so many many niches where you can work with a good profit.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 02-23-2017
Kajunrook's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,456
Thanks: 12
Thanked 172 Times in 141 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 53%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Well guys one thing to take into consideration is whether or not you have a regular clientele. I sell some stuff on ebay to my regulars and then turn around and have it shipped to them from another seller on ebays. I make $3-4 on each. Price is not always number one issue. My regulars just buy from me because they know me and know I stand behind everything I sell. Have said that a niche is the way to go to get a core of regulars.
Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Kajunrook For This Useful Post:
newjerseymax (02-23-2017), phaz0rz (02-23-2017)
  #14  
Old 02-23-2017
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,030
Thanks: 94
Thanked 154 Times in 128 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 55%
iTrader: (2)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kajunrook View Post
Well guys one thing to take into consideration is whether or not you have a regular clientele. I sell some stuff on ebay to my regulars and then turn around and have it shipped to them from another seller on ebays. I make $3-4 on each. Price is not always number one issue. My regulars just buy from me because they know me and know I stand behind everything I sell. Have said that a niche is the way to go to get a core of regulars.
Is there a way to find how many buyers percentage wise are repeat customers?
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 02-23-2017
jamescarson3000's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 136
Thanks: 10
Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 48%
iTrader: (4)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

You will have to watch the first Fast and Furious Movie they touch on this matter on getting DVD PLAYERS they are making pretty sweet profit really nice cars now
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 02-23-2017
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,123
Thanks: 1,110
Thanked 1,655 Times in 1,333 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 67%
iTrader: (38)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Quote:
Originally Posted by phaz0rz View Post
I sell in a niche dominated by the Chinese and I'm doing great. I give way better customer service than any Chinese seller, so customers would rather buy from me I suppose. Always mention the drastic shipping time difference in your listings if you're competing against the Chinese.
OP - This is what will set you apart from overseas sellers.

Business is all about adapting. The chinese are now shipping from within countries their selling in - to expedite delivery time. You need to find ways to conquer those challenges.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 02-23-2017
newjerseymax's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,842
Thanks: 1,090
Thanked 683 Times in 494 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 81%
iTrader: (6)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Play View Post
OP - This is what will set you apart from overseas sellers.

Business is all about adapting. The chinese are now shipping from within countries their selling in - to expedite delivery time. You need to find ways to conquer those challenges.
Funny thing is it would cost them more to ship from inside the country then China.

Many peoples customer service is terrible, try to set yourself apart and of course niche products...lol
__________________
"Mark 11.24 Whatsoever ye desire, believe that ye have it, and it is yours"
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 02-27-2017
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 202
Thanks: 7
Thanked 38 Times in 29 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 41%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

I'm sorry if others are doing what I'm describing below(if they are, you can feel free to delete my post).

eBay has something called Daily Deals where they list items that are marked off by 10-20% off. These listings usually sell hundreds of items per day because they're featured on the home page, popular, and discounted. On random days, usually in the 2nd and 3rd month of every quarter, eBay will send out eBay Bucks bonus promotions for 6-10% back to either every account signed up for eBay Bucks or a good portion of the accounts. If you can limit your buying to those days, maxing out the $500 bonus on each account(having enough accounts to accommodate your buying practices), you can make a nice living this way. You should also focus on your title keywords, image, and item description to attract buyers away from other sellers selling the same products(you can be a bottom feeder by picking off a few buyers a week without competing directly with them for sales).
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 03-01-2017
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 182
Thanks: 78
Thanked 11 Times in 11 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 54%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Quote:
Originally Posted by GhostOfAmazon View Post
You don't need "top selling" items. You need items that you can sell at a profit. Don't worry about what's popular. Worry about what makes money.

You can sell 100 items a week at $2 profit each, or 1 item per week at $200 profit, it's the same money. That should be your mindset going forward.

And stop making excuses as to why you can't make money. This is way easier than any job I've ever had.
Good point
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 03-03-2017
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 105
Thanks: 8
Thanked 11 Times in 9 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 57%
iTrader: (0)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

I know it is difficult to find the right thing to sell even as an old ebayer.

I dropship only. Retail arbitrage and from manufacturers, all in the US. I was off ebay for almost 2 years and came back in December. I listed about 20 items and was making a lot of sales from only 3 products. Now, the weather is getting better (I sell cold weather stuff) so l am making almost nothing. I added 200 more items and I am still selling nothing. When I did a check on all my listings I realize that everyone was selling the same thing and dropshipping too at the same rate.


The reality is, it takes a lot of research, trial and error for you to find "that product".

As someone suggested, find the product and start selling at a loss or little profit to build your momentum. This is something I am learning to be true. The Chinese in my niche will sell a product for $20 and when they sell couple of them in a week or 2. They increase it to $100.
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 03-06-2017
yankee's Avatar
Executive [VIP]
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 8,983
Thanks: 2,744
Thanked 3,108 Times in 2,282 Posts
Activity: 0%
Longevity: 60%
iTrader: (2)
Default Re: How is it possible to compete on ebay when wholesale prices are already on there?

Lots of good info in this thread and a lot of stuff I disagree with. I personally would not sell at a loss. If you cant make money, dont waste time on it.

Competing with the Chinese is not for the faint of heart but it is quite possible to do. I suggest that unless you have large buying power to not tackle this. It is much better to focus on $$$$ into your pocket than what other sellers are doing.

You can literally get plenty of stuff for free to quickly liquidate on ebay and amazon for a profit. Stuff like free books for example.
Reply With Quote
Reply



Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
How do some of you guys manage to compete with china ebay sellers? Retailer77 eBay Discussion! 9 06-02-2016 01:38 PM
Wholesale vs Drop Shipping prices, shipping trosky Dropshipping & Wholesale Suppliers 16 11-13-2014 06:13 PM
Prices on eBay vs Other Venues jeffweico eBay Discussion! 8 05-21-2011 10:03 AM
Chinese Auction Giant Alibaba/Taobao Looking To Compete With eBay and Paypal in U.S. smile eBay Discussion! 6 03-11-2009 08:02 PM


Aspkin Group

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:23 AM.


Stop the guessing games and learn how you can quickly and easily get back on eBay today!
Read the best selling step-by-step eBay Suspension guide eBay Stealth!
Amazon Suspension? Read Amazon Ghost to get back on Amazon!
vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Ad Management by RedTyger
no new posts

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58