What I like best is to find ways to sell stuff on eBay that doesn't cost me anything upfront or even at all! It takes a little work, a little research and sometimes you get a little dirty but trust me, it's $$$ in the PayPal account! Basically it's my way of Treasure Hunting for items that I can sell online without coming out of pocket until it sells!
My venue of choice is eBay. I've been successfully selling stuff under my eBay Seller id i-ebiz since April of 2002 and I just love it! http://myworld.ebay.com/i-ebiz
I automate my listings as much as possible so I can list items and have time to get back to treasure hunting. More about how to sell on eBay in later posts.
So what am I selling now, where did I get it, and how much did the items I am currently selling cost me?
Here's what I'm currently selling:
Japanese Maple Seedlings - Pictured on my Blog Site!
You get 7 for $15.00 plus shipping (buyers pay $5.00)
Where did I get them? The house we are living in has the most beautiful Japanese Maple tree in the front yard that I have ever seen! The seeds fall from the tree in the Summer, germinate and naturally grow into the prettiest little Japanese Maple Babies without any intervention or assistance from me. People are buying them and are very pleased with the quality. They have the most beautiful leaves and color in the Fall! I think most of them are being made into Bonsai trees.
What did they cost me? Zippo. Ten minutes of time to pull up three orders. I walk out of my home office (I can see them right now.) search around in the ivy, carefully pull them up so I don't damage the root system, put them in the McDonald's cup that I had Diet Coke in that day and take them upstairs to pack for shipping. I ship them US Postal Priority Mail (If you ship USPS PRIORITY you get FREE SHIPPING BOXES - that's another post.) and pack them in wet paper towels and zip lock bags that I buy on sale at Dollar General.
Rare Black Bamboo - Phyllostachys Nigra
You get three to four rhizomes for $25.00 plus shipping (buyer's pay $7.99)
Where did I get them? My church is planning an expansion and owned the lot next door to the church. An older home was raised and there were beautiful plants in the garden that many of us have rescued. There is a lovely grove of this rare black bamboo. The bulldozers have pushed it up and loosened the soil. I just go over - it's 5 minutes from my house and dig up rooted sections/rhizomes, bring them home, cut them and pack them in wet newspaper and paper towels and put them in a garbage bag that is tightly tied. They ship in the long FREE triangular USPS Priority Mail Shipping Boxes that you can order FOR FREE on this link. http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10152&storeId=10001&categoryId=13354&productId=26002&langId=-1
What did they cost me? Zippo, again. OK, I have to get in my truck (I drive a GMC Denali Pickup - Black and lots of Chrome and I LOVE IT - that reminds me of a funny story that I have to post one day!) and drive over to the church about four miles away and tromp across the lot, dig up the bamboo, take it home and prepare and pack it. Oh yea, I do have to make a trip to the local post office which is 2 miles away.
Best Organic Hair Conditioning Treatment I've Ever Used
You get about 15oz. of this Great Hair Stuff for $19.95 plus shipping (Buyer's pay $5.00)
Where did I get it? I haven't purchased it yet for re-sale. I have purchased it for my own personal use and it's exactly what I say it is! It's made a huge difference in the condition of my hair. So how am I selling it? I list it because I believe in this product. I'm listing it because I know I can get my hands on it when it sells and it's readily available. It's the best conditioner I've ever used and think it will do well for me on eBay. Until it sells, I don't have any cost in it at all. When it sells, I'll buy it and ship it to the buyers. No upfront cost. Minimal cost after the sale. A decent profit for a little work.
What did it cost me? I'll make about $10.00 per shipment. This item is a new listing for me. If it takes off, it will be worth the little bit of time it takes to purchase it and repackage it in zip locks. If it's spotty, and doesn't sell, then it's time to replace it with another item that I've found treasure hunting. I've found over the years that I can do pretty well re-selling a product as long as there is a demand for it and there is enough margin for me to make a profit that's worthwhile.
You Choose Your Initial - Monogramed Charleston Gates Door Mat
I'm selling two sizes of this mat for $34.99 each plus shipping (Buyer's pay $9.95)
Where did I get them? My Brother-In-Law's family owns a cocoa mat manufacturing business here in South Carolina. They sell wholesale to distributors and retailers. I asked if I could sell some of the specialty mats on eBay for them. I just listed them last week and have already sold one and had quite a few questions about the mats. They are single pack, single ship and are screen printed to order with an initial of the buyer's choice.
What do they cost me? Nothing but the eBay listing fees until it sells - which apply to all eBay listings no matter what the item you list costs you to sell. You still pay an insertion fee which is customary for most online auction houses. Here's the deal here. The manufacturer owns the inventory. You set up the relationship as a distributor and get the benefit of wholesale pricing. They pack and drop ship the item to the buyer. You collect the cash from the buyer and email the order to the manufacturer. It's EASY. You just list the item and push the paperwork through. Most companies will even set up an account for you and bill you net 30. So what am I making on these mats? About $19.00 per sale. Again, this is a new treasure listing for me. It's a great item and I hope it does well!
Benefits of this type of "Treasure/Listing"
- You collect the cash up front from the buyer!
- You manage the product when it sells
- You spend your money if required only when it's sold
- You don't end up with dead or unsold inventory if it doesn't sell
- Profits are generally higher!
Here are the total sales for the items listed above. Everything that sold with the exception of 1 item were plants. AT NO COST TO ME. I dug them out of the ground. Who says money doesn't grow on trees?
Last 7 days - $204.99
Last 30 days - $319.99
Do you have a similar success story finding treasure like I do? Have you made money on the side buying and selling something that you are passionate about? Let me know! I'm really interested in your stories and I would like to mention your successes on my blog! treasureholic@gmail.com
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