How to Know What to Sell on eBay

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By A. Suzanne Wells
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Know What to Sell on eBay

Knowing what to sell on eBay is the key to making money. So, how do you find out what to sell on eBay to make a profit? Learn how to research eBay items and where you can go on the internet to find this valuable information.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

You will need an account to research eBay listings and to access other eBay features. Go to eBay.com and open an account. It is free. You won’t be charged anything unless you buy or sell an item.
Step 2

The first place you want to go is to the eBay Pulse. The eBay Pulse is a daily snapshot of hot trends, popular items, and most watched listings. Access the pulse by visiting pulse.ebay.com
Step 3

Don't rely on current bids on items or buy it now prices. You need to find historical data about final selling prices. To research items that have already sold, you can do a search of completed listings. Say for example you have inherited an old radio and you want to see how much these are going for on eBay. Go to any page on eBay, and look for the gold bar across the top. You will see the words ADVANCED SEARCH. Click on that, and you will be taken to a page that allows you to enter key words describing your item. Then, check the box that says COMPLETED LISTINGS. You will see any listings matching those key words (both sold and unsold) that have ended in the last 30 days. Use this information to decide how much you can possibly make selling the item.
Step 4

Use the free eBay research tool. (See resources section below for a link.) This is an eBay partner website that provides research data. Enter the key words and view the completed listings. This tool provides a little bit more information about the item including average sales price, sell through rate, and other important data.
Step 5

Listen to the news. You will often hear stories of hot new products selling for big profit on eBay. Some examples include Wii systems, Hannah Montana dolls, and iPhones.
Step 6

Join eBay discussion groups and forums. Visit eBay.com and click on the COMMUNITY tab. The drop down box will have options including GROUPS and DISCUSSION. Visit these regularly for new information on hot selling items.
Step 7

Join eBay groups on Facebook. These groups have hundreds or thousands of members sharing information about what to sell - and they are free to join. Remember that hot selling items are short-lived on eBay, so you need to stay informed. Being a part of a large group is helps you stay informed. Some eBay Facebook groups include SAHMs (Stay at Home Moms) Selling on eBay, Addicted to eBay, and eBay Addicts.

Comments

stjohnswood said

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on 3/1/2009 Great information thanks

mahnanc said

on 2/19/2009 Lots of good information. Nice article!

Desula said

on 1/31/2009 I have added your article to my favorites. I am cleaning out my basement and looking to eBay some of the stuff before I take it to a donation site.