Online selling - frustrating business

I have come to the conclusion that selling on-line is a frustrating business. The market is oversaturated. Suppliers and even wholesalers mark up their prices and the margin for profit is becomming slimmer and slimmer. Forget about dropshipping. It is tough to find good dropshippers with reasonable (I repeat--reasonable) pricing. EBay has become a joke. I can almost buy any product cheaper elsewhere than on EBay. Why? Because the people selling the products on Ebay (for the most part) have to mark up their prices because they are getting it high to begin with. Add all the fees from the auctions, shipping, etc.---the consumer would be better off just going out to the store and buying the product outright without having to wait and deal with all the other hassles.

Hi and welcome to the real world, You know the one where you actually have to work for a living. :D

Succeding in online business requires patience. Alot of time and Well spent money. You can still make a fortune on ebay and the internet. You just have to know what to market and learn about trends.


Problem is is that too many people are jumping on ebay trying to sell the same thing. Further bringing the value of the items down.

I cant even fathom how many noobs have asked me how to get handbags or digital cameras or Ipods. Video cards and other overmarketed electronics crap.

You all know there is millions of marketable products out there aside from the obvious ones that everyone is trying to find.

That is a fair statement. Problem is those marketable products you mention are extremely tough to find. And those that have them are smart enough to sell them themselves to cash in on the demand.

Well it dosen't help when there are so many scams out there that ruin it for all of us! Some scammer sold 600+ Tmx Elmo's for regular price and he didn't have any. People got burned and now the Elmo's are not doing so good,because the word is out and people don't trust the sellers. These people ruin it for all of us trying to make it on Ebay or other auctions.Now its happening with Playstation 3. I had auctions on last week and nothing sold,very disapointing indeed. :(

That is so true and it makes potential buyers shy away from it all.

Hello,

I can say that what jimmy said is true. Everyone want to accomplish something NOW. But the truth is if it is now no one would be grateful at the steps it took to get to that place in there life.

I am a single mom and I started my business in 2001. I have been dragging and pulling this business of mine, to the depth of my depression. But just when I said you know what I cant do this anymore. I got up the next day and tried again and something wonderful happen. I got a huge buyer and I was able to push the business more. I was able to gain friends in the right places.

This business can be what you want it to be. Just like any business hard work is the key. There are alot of people that want to be negative and mean for no reason and that is because they give up on something I push through. I get to hold my head up. They seem unhappy.

Online is a great place to sell. I started my company to help people on online achieve that. My business targets small businesses and middle size business to achieve more.

Founder of Kilese Warehouse LLC.

Never give up!

I also have been in the game since 2001. Things still have'nt picked up to the point where I want them. I'm not about to give up, I've spent counless hours this year searching the net, the city, the countryside for those products I want. I've lost money I've gained money. My mind is set on one thing......Don't give up!!!

Although I also think Ebay has become a bit overrun.

We know of a person that started selling tumbleweed on ebay. They first did it for a joke just to see what if. The item was a hit on the east coast for decorations. Lets just say that our friend now has more money than they know what to do with. I just wish I would have met them sooner and jumped in with them. I will agree that people need to look at other products. Less selling products can be bought for near rock bottom prices. The suppliers are happily taking on new customers and will often give the buyer a deal just to keep there doors open.

I myself have started and run several businesses over the years. I started in 1997 by developing a Webhosting and Website design company whichmade some decent profits then folded a year later. I currently run 2 businesses and still work part time 20-25 hours a week as a waiter in a resturant to keep the health insurance my family needs. Both of my companies are online and 1 is just on the auction sites. Plus on top of that I work for salehoo about 20+ hours a week or more helping members with any thing they might need.

If anyone thinks that they can just jump online with very little investment capital and instanty become rich they better get a reality check. Cause it just wont happen. Approximately 80% of small businesses fail within thier first year. Not because of just any odd reason but mainly because the owner was not educated enough to keep the company going.

I dont make a ton of money and Im far from rich, My wife spends 70 Percent of my profits and I work 15-18 hours a day keeping the funds comming in. But I can say that even though im not rich or very successfull that my kids have dinner on the table and clothes on thier backs and that in my eye is successfull enough.

One day ill probably be doing nothing but ebay but untill that day ill play it smart and keep at it like I have been for several years.

Alot of people say ebay is bad cause of the listing fees, scammers, Npbidders and other off the wall reasons. But the successfull members of ebay just change the way they sell, like build a online store and direct traffic from ebay to thier stores to generate larger funds. Invest in ebay keywords to get even more bidders to thier auctions and much much more to keep the funds rolling in.

The ones that would rather sit on the ebay forums and complain, moan and cry , usually start loosing profits fast and give up soon after that.

Its all about research. Patience and the ability to adapt.

It takes patience and alot of research to succeed, Dont go blaming ebay, scammers and other sellers for your failures. You success is up to you :D

I'm not moaning about all the scammers, ebay, etc .. so on and so forth. I've been scammed myself out of $2000. Instead I take time out of my days to research blog, ebay forums from around the world about people who expect to get others to just give them money for fake promises. Other experiences from others, and any connections from the people that sucked me in aswell. People have a right to be upset about a person who is rude enough to do that, but should also accept there mistake and learn. A little help, advise, and warning helps.

I know I'm not just going to sit around letting the scammers continue to swindle people out of there money causing there frustrated buisness in the firstplace.

I've been robbed at knife point, stabbed, mauled by a drug dealers pittbull, seen 2 murders, been in jail, and been homeless all before my 21st birthday. So everynight I have a warm bed to sleep in, I am thankful.

I may have only been researching most of this year, and alot the past 5 years. I think of when I've worked cleaning Sh*t out of septic tanks to get myself off the street after going on welfare for a of a month . I now run a contracted assembly company and we assemble everything from bikes to furniture which I started with 1 contract store store in 2001 and now have built up to 18 contract stores with 10 employees. I make $2000 per week in the summer ( nothing like good old fashioned hard labour)

In the end it is still the online to offline buisness I believe in. Online to online is good to.. but this is just my opinion.

Start by buying small things, things nessesary for life, things that you can buy for say like a dollar each in bulk that msrp for say like $5-$10. Turn around and sell it for $3.50 to your friends, family, people you know, put fliers up..etc. Your over tripling your money while still saving your friends and family...etc money. It's small but you can't argue with results.

Ebay is great for turning profit if you find deals, buy then turn around and sell them in the real world to those who don't use paypal, mastercerd, ebay, or even computers and all the mumbo jumbo. Provide a service!

Placing flyers, and adds in the paper offering cash for good condtion used goods like Xbox's, ps2's, ipod's, or advertising your products have made me money in the off season before. Why not go old school when selling. Since everybodys turning to computers there leaving room for the old fashioned methods to be used again.

I don't think people want to pay $50.00 US to join a wholesale directory website to have someone tell the wake up and smell the coffee you ain't getting deals. I could do that service for free.

But what is worth the $50.00 is to find out who is scamming, how there scamming, where there scamming from, who there targeting, and then maybe some of the moaning would die down. What is worth the cost is finding someone who offers a secure way of payment offering somthing to the little guys, the ones who need help to get off the ground if it is just a few inches. Tips and tricks that are out of the box, and not so popular for selling.



We all owe those people who moan and cry a bit more credit, at least there telling us who the swindlers are.

We all owe those people who moan and cry a bit more credit, at least there telling us who the swindlers are.

In reply to that Im talking about the ones that have thier troubles on ebay as a seller not ones having troubles with purchasing. :D

Thats about the best thing in my mind about the forums is everyone sharing knowlege on whos who and whos legit. Well worth the membership fee alone for that information.

And you are right.. selling off of ebay can churn some great profits. As well as buying off of the internet.

Remember when they had the original xbox consoles. About 40% of them had bum harddrives and broke within a few months. I made a ton of cash by listing an add in the paper offering to buy all broken consoles for up to $50 in cash. Note I said Up to... :D Within a month we had bought and sold 40 of them. We paid between $25-$50 for each one lol

We sold every unit on average for $175 each unit listed as broken and needing repair. They were selling new for I think $260 at the time. Im thinking about doing the same thing for ps3 cause Im hearing a few stories about bum ps3's already.