Hi Everyone
I went to JCPenny yesterday and I had an idea (one that has crossed my mind before) for selling products online, especially auction sites like ebay...
Now, I realize many people already are doing this, and perhaps many people on Salehoo have done this successfully as well, but here is my contribution...
I purchased a Liz purse on ebay for myself last week. I paid $29 plus shipping of an astronomical $13. The retail price was over $60, so the price is good for me.
Then I went to JCPenny yesterday and decided to go into the purse section. I saw very similar purses on sale for 75% OFF, some really good quality stuff they just wanted to move out the door to make room for the next season. A similar purse to the one i just purchased on ebay was under $20.
As a matter of fact, most of their winter stuff was marked down 75% and MORE.
Seems logical to go into these huge department stores and purchase end of season stuff at giveaway prices. Maybe some stuff you can sell now, maybe some stuff you will need to hang onto for the start of the next season (maybe 6-8 months).
The great thing about this is that the original Dept store tags are on the merchandise, with the original retail price. That is perfect for places like ebay, where buyers are skeptical if an item is authentic, esp with clothes and purses. You can prominently display a photo of this tag in your ebay auction and use the orig retail price to help sell your item (like, state in your ebay auction that you are selling 50% off retail - etc)!
This idea seems too simple, im sure, to most. However, im certain the person i purchased the purse from did this very same thing. And i still bought it and i am quite happy with the purchase. Not everyone goes to department stores at the exact time they are having their huge clearance sales!!! But if you do, you stand to make some decent profits.
A positive about this method is that you spend as much as you can afford, you know the merchandise is authentic, you can RETURN it for a FULL refund (keep receipts) if you cant sell it or decide it is not for you.
That is my idea to those thinking about starting out on ebay, who may not have a product supplier!!
Start out small, learn how to operate a business (cust service, shipping, packaging, listings, ebay rules etc). This all takes time and patience and you need to be willing to start small to grow big.
I hope these ideas help a few salehoo members out there. Good luck to all.
Sincerely,
Tiffany