Have you ever wondered how to go about finding items to resell on eBay? Have you thought of becoming a reseller yourself, to make some extra money? Here are some tips on how to do this most efficiently:

First, search locally whenever possible. If you search in your own area, they you can probably purchase items without having to pay for shipping. Try Craigslist or the want ads in local papers to see what people are selling. You can buy items inexpensively this way and sell at a profit online.

You might try running a classified ad yourself. You want to be specific about what you are willing to purchase for resale. A few ideas for what works well on eBay include old magazines, old toys, vintage cameras and so forth.

It’s best to have a specialty. If you know your niche and are in regular contact with suppliers, you may be able to establish a ‘drop ship’ relationship with local companies, especially if they have overstock or don’t currently list on eBay.

The term “drop ship” refers to a relationship where the vendor sells an item, but the item is shipped directly from the supplier to the customer. You get a commission for having made the sale.

Another possibility is consignment. There are a lot of folks around who have a few things to sell, but they just want to sell casually and not as a business. They don’t want to mess around with registering and learning about eBay. If you offer to list these items for sale on commission, and take a flat fee or percentage of selling price as your cut, it benefits both of you. Just remember to get the agreed upon commission in writing before you proceed.

TOP TIP: Don’t assume what the value of an item is likely to be. If you are intending to resell the item on eBay, remember it is only worth what someone will buy it for. Check recently completed listings on similar items to gauge value.

Similarly, never buy a bulk load of items without running a single test auction. You need to know what a likely selling bid will be. Once you see the price the item sold for you can be fairly sure that future sales will be in this approximate price range.

Besides online business, the writer also regularly contributes articles on neon sign repair and trade show sign.