THiNKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

hello
this is my first post on salehoo my name is uchechi ive had a membership now for about 3days i jumped right into it and started looking for suppiers for ipod iphone brand name shoes to sell on ebay. in the beging everything looked great untill i seen the competitive prices on ebay and relized with the prices i'm getting from suppliers i would acually be loosing money. i spent the rest of the night depressed and thinking of alternitives there has to be a way to make some money with the information provided by salehoo. if others can do it so can i.

the next day i spent hours researching the forums trying to find something to help me put the puzzle to success together. over the course of my research ive learned to hate ebay more and more. as a young enterpernure making an honest dollar on ebay is nearly impossible. builting a successful website take alot of patients. and ebay alternatives are just not ebay.

i want some advice on how to start up with little money i cant afford pallets and wholesales make no money on ebay do you guys have any suggestions on what to do?

The only option I can give you is to consider light bulk orders. They are generally inexpensive. Not nearly as high as a pallet but can offer small profits to help you build you funds toward larger bulk orders such as pallets and even truckloads.

There is no true route to quick success on ebay. Ebay is a wholesale marketplace. And unfortunately 70% of the wholesalers are also selling on Ebay to clear their stock. And unfortunate as it is these same wholesalers are selling the same products they sell you on ebay cheaper then they are selling them to you.

Starting an online business takes alot of patience and alot of hard work. Its never as easy as the media makes it seem. I have spend countless hours pulling my hair and teeth out running my own business. In fact I have been doing alot of that in the last week and all day today playing phone tag with retailers acquiring stock for my own business. My demand on my own website is higher then the stock my suppliers are pushing out to me. At this point all bigger companies are bulking up on as much stock as they can afford before the spring summer season approaches this is a period when demand is highest before the upcoming holiday season .

But whatever you choose to do in your own business, expect it to not be as easy as it seems. The most dedicated will become successful. The ones that expect point to click instant riches usually end up giving up rather quickly.

The forums here are your biggest advantage over many other sites. You can learn much from the discussions. Small and large businesses alike love the bountiful posts and discussions on the forums. Its gives them a small edge over their competitors. There are many newer and smaller businesses here. But there are also alot of suppliers and larger businesses that roam the forums. And most of them are keen to help you in any way they can.

i was think about working outside of ebay using sites like craigslist and advertise localy mybe even use acouple ebay alternitives to rank up some kinda profit to make enough money for pallets and truck loads.

issue with that is im not very familiar with other sites and dont see alot of profit coming from local sales in my community

i was think about working outside of ebay using sites like craigslist and advertise localy mybe even use acouple ebay alternitives to rank up some kinda profit to make enough money for pallets and truck loads.

issue with that is im not very familiar with other sites and dont see alot of profit coming from local sales in my community

Move that thinking to trying. And your half way there. Dont give up if it seems too hard. There is no gain without risk :D

'issue with that is im not very familiar with other sites and dont see alot of profit coming from local sales in my community'.....


Try listing a few items on the other sites. Once you start doing that then you will become more familiar with how they work. Then the more you do it the easier it will become....The most important thing is to just get started...In other words 'Just do it'. Sure you will make mistakes, but you will learn from them...Everyone starts at the beginning no matter what site they use....If you run into problems then just come in here and ask. People in here use all types of methods to sell as well as many different venues....

thankyou for your advice and your absolutely correct there is no finding out if you dont actually do it. as far as small bulk were can i find fairly cheap one that arent clothes or shoes. every supplier ive come in contact with distributes fake shoes.

Try to stay away from electronics and designer stuff at least until you get some experience under your belt..The best way is to try buying from liquidators and closeout dealers..Buying from them you can get items for litterilly pennies on the dollar and that will enable you to undercut your competiton and still make good profits....

I know where you're coming from, I was exactly where you are about 3 months ago. Just stick with it, it's painful in the beginning but worth it in the end.

And BTW there is stuff you can buy from salehoo suppliers to sell on ebay at a profit. I buy stuff from 2 suppliers I found in the database, importing them all the way to NZ at huge cost, and I'm still making a tidy profit. But the products that work for me won't necessarily work for you. Also, you'll have to look outside salehoo if you want to make real money. My other suppliers I found elsewhere. Having lots of different suppliers and products for sale is a strategy that's working for me. It takes time and research to individualise your angle. There's no cookie cutter solution for everyone sadly.

Read the forums too, there are people here that really know what they're talking about. And yeah, stay away from electronics, it's too easy to get scammed there. There's also way too much competition, every boy and his dog is trying to sell Ipods and Nokias.

My old martial arts instructor used to say to me 'If it was easy then everyone would be able to do it.'... wise words I reckon.

Good luck and happy hunting :)

Also, you'll have to look outside salehoo if you want to make real money. My other suppliers I found elsewhere. Having lots of different suppliers and products for sale is a strategy that's working for me.

these other suppliers you've mentioned is there a site where i can find them can u send me the link. is there a tool that lets you know what hot on ebay? i want to know whats selling on ebay and whats not.

thankyou everyone for replying

As far as a tool for finding out what 'hot' on ebay, the answer is yes. Just log onto ebay and hit the 'sitemap' link located at the top of any ebay page. Once you are on the sitemap page, look under the title 'selling resources'. There is a link in that column that is the second link from the bottom of the column: 'What's Hot'. Just click on that and it will give you a current list of what's hot on ebay right now...

In addition, as far as finding other suppliers. You just have to do alot of digging and asking around...Check out sites like:

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These are a few of the better ones. But you should really try and hook up with Link hidden: Login to view. They have the best sample boxes and profit boxes at super low cost. Also I know far a fact that they don't cherry pick there boxes...Also they get stock from places like macy's and there's high profits to be made from macy's stock....

Too, 'thinking outside the box' means exactly what it says..Don't get hung up on trying to sell all the 'hot' items..Usually when a product is hot, everyone and his brother are trying to sell it..This means that since it's in demand that your cost is gonna be high and your profit margin low. Not to mention that there is going to be a ton of competition working against you....

Don't over look the obvious...'Everyday items'. These are things that people use regularly in everyday life....In my own experience the profit margins on these types of items are much higher than on all the hot stuff....And they are alot easier to find and stock...Here's a good example...Most of the people selling playstation 3's or X-Boxes are only making 10-15 dollars per unit...That's not much when you think of all of the pontential problems that come with selling electronic products....My daughter sells theme coffee mugs, (mugs with cute logos on them). Buys them from thrift and dollar stores for about a dollar and a half and sells them on ebay for between 10 and 15 buck..she's making the same profit on a simple coffee mug as the guy who's selling video game systems and has alot less headaches....

My point is that just about any and everything sells on ebay or any other auction site...I know several people who sell coffee beans,, soap, and candles on ebay..they all make good money....So don't get sucked into just trying to sell the 'hot stuff'.....Not everybody lives close to a shopping mall nor do alot of people have the time to drive to town and go shopping....These people shop at places like ebay..And they can easily become your customers....I made a ton of money selling a brand name cosmetic on ebay..It was sold strictly through their boutiques...I was buying it from the boutique and selling it on ebay...All of my customers were people who did not have a boutique close by and did not want to drive 20 miles to another town to get the make up so they paid a much higher price to get it from me.....Simply said....'Find a need and fill it'.

these other suppliers you've mentioned is there a site where i can find them can u send me the link. is there a tool that lets you know what hot on ebay? i want to know whats selling on ebay and whats not.

thankyou everyone for replying

Will do, check your pms.

The best way to get low price from wholesalers is to buy in bulk. But it is expensive and risky. Buyers' groups are the way out. A pool of few people that put money together and approach manufacturers and wholesaler to negotiate a better price. It is the concept GROUP ON has been built on.

If you are interested let me know

The best way to get low price from wholesalers is to buy in bulk. But it is expensive and risky. Buyers' groups are the way out. A pool of few people that put money together and approach manufacturers and wholesaler to negotiate a better price. It is the concept GROUP ON has been built on.

If you are interested let me know

Group buying is definitely a proven method, however you have to make sure you have a complete plan in place to ensure its effectiveness, including distribution channels.

The group buying might get you a better price, but how many are in the group and where are they all going to sell the products?

Let's say you have 10 in the group and they all want to sell on ebay, then you have a problem. What you can end up with is 10 people who got a great deal, now all trying to compete with each other on the same product.

See the problem?

Like I said, proven method for sure, but it's something where a total plan is needed to ensure it's completely effective for everyone involved.

The best way to get low price from wholesalers is to buy in bulk. But it is expensive and risky. Buyers' groups are the way out. A pool of few people that put money together and approach manufacturers and wholesaler to negotiate a better price. It is the concept GROUP ON has been built on.

If you are interested let me know

Group buying is definitely a proven method, however you have to make sure you have a complete plan in place to ensure its effectiveness, including distribution channels.

The group buying might get you a better price, but how many are in the group and where are they all going to sell the products?

Let's say you have 10 in the group and they all want to sell on ebay, then you have a problem. What you can end up with is 10 people who got a great deal, now all trying to compete with each other on the same product.

See the problem?

Like I said, proven method for sure, but it's something where a total plan is needed to ensure it's completely effective for everyone involved.

Hi Fudjj ,thanks for endorsing. I totally agree: a detailed agreement has to be put in place.

- Finding a wholesaler that provides different item is one option. Each member would buy different items with the benefit of buying in bulk.

- Members would agree on same selling price for same item to avoid competition

A group in based on trust and respect, which is the core of any successful and lasting human relationship or interaction, and the agreement has to be written based on those principles.

Are you aware on any decent buying Group?

The best way to get low price from wholesalers is to buy in bulk. But it is expensive and risky. Buyers' groups are the way out. A pool of few people that put money together and approach manufacturers and wholesaler to negotiate a better price. It is the concept GROUP ON has been built on.

If you are interested let me know

Group buying is definitely a proven method, however you have to make sure you have a complete plan in place to ensure its effectiveness, including distribution channels.

The group buying might get you a better price, but how many are in the group and where are they all going to sell the products?

Let's say you have 10 in the group and they all want to sell on ebay, then you have a problem. What you can end up with is 10 people who got a great deal, now all trying to compete with each other on the same product.

See the problem?

Like I said, proven method for sure, but it's something where a total plan is needed to ensure it's completely effective for everyone involved.

Hi Fudjj ,thanks for endorsing. I totally agree: a detailed agreement has to be put in place.

- Finding a wholesaler that provides different item is one option. Each member would buy different items with the benefit of buying in bulk.

- Members would agree on same selling price for same item to avoid competition

A group in based on trust and respect, which is the core of any successful and lasting human relationship or interaction, and the agreement has to be written based on those principles.

Are you aware on any decent buying Group?

Not too difficult finding wholesalers with multiple items, however there could well be a problem in trying to base your purchase across the range. Most, if not all wholesalers will have an MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) on each product, not just an MOQ where you get to choose want products you want in the order.

You couldn't have members agreeing to the same selling price as everyone else, I doubt restriction of trade would be legal firstly, but more importantly, people wouldn't want to sign up to that type of agreement I wouldn't think. Some may want to clear their stock, need cash or whatever, so you would find people cutting their prices if sales weren't strong I'm sure , and that of course then effects everyone else in the group.

You're absolutely right in regards to needing trust and respect within the group, but those two things can be very hard to find in times where most are out for themselves, and very little else unfortunately.

I'm a huge fan of networking, and this is the right place to pull a venture like you are thinking together, but it's never simple. You'll find some will want to jump on board, then change their minds half way through and so on. You kind of need all the planets to align lol, and to make it a very long term goal, because a groups like that take a long time to establish and even once established, getting an agreement in place can be nothing short of a nightmare.

If it's something you really want and are prepared to do the grind, then ultimately you may just have a win .... so good luck!

be careful with Link hidden: Login to view it is an auction site where wholesalers try to dump off their inventory that they can't move. If you see return lots, most of the items will be damaged. With the good auctions, the price gets bid up too far where you can't make a profit. Also, if you have a problem with a seller or an auction, their customer service is a joke.

Welcome to SaleHoo zegowitz :) Thanks for your input on Liquidation.com! It's true what you mentioned about liquidation.com that is why we always reminders members to do their due diligence when dealing with sellers on liquidation.com

Glad to have you on board! Cheers