Hi DJemphrey,
A great way to find niche markets and hot products to sell is by selling stuff from around your home.
There are two excellent reasons for starting out in this way:
(1) Feedback is hugely important for any eBay seller. With a feedback rating below 10, it is going to be difficult to get people to take you seriously. The first 100 sales are the hardest as buyers look for high feedback as reassurance that they can trust the seller. Generally, the higher your feedback, the better - with powerseller status being the ultimate goal.
(2) You get to sell a range of products and see what works well. The results may surprise you! Nothing beats knowledge gained from experience and selling stuff from around the home is the best way to get it without any risk.
After some practice with goods from around the home, I recommend buying small wholesale lots of products that most people use on a daily basis. Many of these products are excellent sellers, plus they are fairly easy to get hold of. A lot of new sellers make the mistake of trying to be all things to all people. In fact, it is far better to target a specific market, e.g. ‘back to school’.
Other examples:
Clothing: accessories, plus sizes, maternity, night wear
Kitchen: knife sets, toasters, microwaves
Beauty: sunscreen, insect repellent, cosmetic & toiletry bags, men's grooming
Homewares: towels, sheets, rugs, throws, cushions, vases, mirrors
Special occasion: wedding supplies, party supplies, mother-of-the bride outfits, bridal shoes, birthday cards
Garden : lawn mowers, gardening tool sets, composter
Hobbies and Interests: One of the big reasons why people use eBay is to find unique items that they cannot find elsewhere. Before online auctions, collectors were limited by geography. The internet has enabled hundreds of communities to form around shared interests and this provides tons of niches to target. A quick browse of eBay's community groups will give you some ideas. There are groups as diverse as knitting, stay-at-home moms, business, hiking, gluten-free support group, vegans, travel, children's theatre, dieting, parenting, re-enactors, crochet, stamp collecting, pet care - the list goes on. Remember that many of these hobbyists will also need components. For example, you may decide to sell embroidery threads, tools and patterns and how-to books; car parts; fabrics and trimmings.
At first, sales may be slower as you get to know your market, but in the long term, you’ll be able to target your market much more precisely and reduce the chance of having stock on your hands that you can’t shift.
It's also a good idea to keep tabs on what is happening in the news if you want to pick up on new trends. The trick is to analyze what you hear and read for product opportunities. For example, is global warming causing water restrictions in your area? Good products to sell might include garden hose timers, low-pressure shower heads, water purifiers and so on.
All the best!
