Tips on becoming an Ebay entrepreneur please!

[johnnyleeds]

Greetings folks!

I know some of you will recognise me as been a long time contributor to the forum but I'm still pretty hapless in terms of my earnings selling on Ebay. I dont know if its because of what I sell and how I organise my business, but I'm not exactly raking it in, just making ends meet and my own boss which I like, but I think I could be doing better.

What I do is I go round buying vintage stuff / collectables / old tech stuff etc to resell. I buy at car boots / second hand markets / jumble sales and charity shops. So its a bit of a lottery as to how much I can make because it depends what treasures I can find to resell. I mean I like that part cos its a challenge and I never know what I might find, but at the same time its not good for building a proper business from because I cant project what I might earn according to what I sell from one month to the next.

I'm considering getting into reselling goods I can buy wholesale / import from China etc, maybe specialising in bicycle stuff cos I'm a keen cyclist and I used to restore Raleigh Choppers and other classic bikes. But then again I have friends who are making good profits selling computer equipment etc. At the moment my mindset is that if there is anything I find that I can make a decent profit selling I dont see why I shouldnt sell it, but its not exactly exploiting a specialist niche and building a name / business in that field. Sometimes I feel like a bit of a 'Del-Boy' or 'Arthur Daley' character!

Does anyone have any suggestions for where I might start? I dont want anyones business secrets, but if anyone has any ideas about how I could get into making good profits, even if its something you no longer do cos you;ve moved onto bigger and better things I'd be very grateful to hear about it.

many thanks!

Johnny

[Dmshark25]

Your thinking is in the right track just go with it to find a niche in something that interests u like bicycles. You need to research that as much as possible and find something you can sell that is unique. Your on the right track

I do the same thing , go around to thrift stores find sales etc... But what drives my business is that one niche product I have that I make $20-$50 profit off each sale and it sells at 100% , if I have 100 I sell 100, this is the type of product you need to find and I believe your on the right track on finding it, it's something u have knowledge in and enjoy so keep researching and u will get it, and also keep up the other items , I find treasures sometimes at thrift stores where I make $100 profit

But that niche product is the key and when u find that it will drive your business and give u stability, like you said going around finding items is good but not stable one day u find nothing another you find $500 in sales, this is great to supplement your niche product

[Dmshark25]

There are alot of cyclists in this world , just find something that from your own experience that would be great to have something you always need with this or something unique that all cyclist would want and that could be your answer

[johnnyleeds]

many thanks for the tips Dmshark, its most appreciated. I'll have to look into doing this, I think cycling is really becoming very popular and there is a lot of scope for selling cycle related goods as well as bikes themselves.

[Honestlyhelpless]

Hello

You are a competitor of mine!! :-) I'm uk based and do the same, I also have needed to think like you, but my passion is clothes! Handbags too but too much trouble - that's why I'm on here!!! Anyway good luck!! I'm hoping to find my niche too!!!

[Callidus]

I tell you what you need to do, which I do: think BICYCLES.

If you sell electronics, you make no money on the TV.. you will make it on the accessories.

Piece of Paper > Bicycles in the middle of the page > brainstorm anything related to Bicycles > go to DHGate / Alibaba / DIYTRADE - search suppliers > look for margin - small OR big look for volume

PM ME if you want anymore help

[Callidus]

Originally Posted by Honestlyhelpless

Hello

You are a competitor of mine!! :-) I'm uk based and do the same, I also have needed to think like you, but my passion is clothes! Handbags too but too much trouble - that's why I'm on here!!! Anyway good luck!! I'm hoping to find my niche too!!!

Anything branded will burn your account - you will get busted by VERO / Rights Owners

Look for something more generic.

[rsot]

Handbags, clothes...branded will be VERY competitive - expect takedowns and other competitors ripping into you