By Johnathan Z Moore

PROPER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS

Proper research is vital to your success. Investing time in research will diminish heartache and monetary loss in the future. They key to your triumph on eBay is knowing the average selling price of your proposed inventory via research. If you select, from the Main Search page, the Advanced Search Button (located just to the right of the search button. Type in your keywords for your product you are researching, after opening the Advanced Search link.

Select a category, check the Completed Listings button, then Search. Now what you have on your screen are items that have recently closed on eBay. The products which have Sold will be highlighted Green. The products that did not sell, you will see highlighted in Red or Black. The Red items are unsold Auctions, the Black items are Unsold Buy it Now items. Take this data and place in an excel worksheet that you might review in future.

DO NOT LOSE A SALE OVER SHIPPING FEES

Shipping is definitely a very sensitive subject with regards to eBay purchases. In years past, many sellers would give a good price on the product, then gouge on the shipping fees. Free Shipping many times will get your product noticed and respected. And the buyer will come back for more products later on.

As you perform your research, notice that many of the products that Sold, have either Free Shipping or Low cost shipping. Overall, Free shipping or reasonably priced shipping products will do better in the long run. Make sure to keep the majority of your shipping cost priced in your product, while maintaining your profit margin, and keep your price competitive.

If THERE IS A DEMAND FOR THE PRODUCT SELL IT -- NO DEMAND, NO SUPPLY

Regardless of the type of deal your supplier may offer you, if your item does not have a demand currently on eBay, it probably will not sell. If someone is offering 50 Harley Davidson Novelty lamps for $25.00 each, and out of the last 50 posts only two have sold for $28.00 each, you may be stuck with some lamps in the near future. Or, worse have to unload them at a loss to clear your inventory.

When first starting out, it is a good idea to find a legitimate Drop Shipper. A drop shipper will ship your item after you sell it. This way you do not have to stock product, but still have access to many products. There are many so-called drop ship companies on the net, but many are still middle men. Search Google for Wholesale Sources, or Dropship Sources, but remember to deal with a wholesaler not a middleman. - 18098

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