Ebay help. Where do you get low priced inventory to make a profit on ebay?

Question

I used to sell all the time on ebay. I understand the basics and have 100% positive feedback. However, I could never really make a profit. I'd just sell random stuff around the house, and normally people would only pay half what the item was worth. Shipping costs were so expensive, and often the actual shipping costs would anger the buyers, who would bid, knowing the shipping cost, and then refuse to pay, get upset, etc. I lost more money than I ever made, for example when my perfect, custom shop les Paul sold for half what I paid for it. I know I could have set a reserve or started higher, but then people didn't bid. I was going to get rid of it anyway, but still... I liked selling on ebay and wish I could at least make a supplemental income on there. What is the secret? Once you run out of awesome, rare items around your house, how do you get your hands on wholesale priced items that are also in major demand (newest game system, collectibles, etc.) that buyers will instantly bid on?

Answer 1

For eBay stock some people check garage sales, estate sales, moving sales, liquidations, Salvation Army stores, Goodwill stores, etc.    Some use flea markets but I personally find flea markets to be inhabited by people who think their stuff is worth way more than it really is.  You need to know your market and how to recognize when something is worth enough to be worth buying and re-selling.  Unless you have a collectible or something like that 1/2 the new price is reasonable.  For just normal stuff, it's used, no warranty, etc.  I don't pay more than 1/2 the new price for anything that's used.