How to Make Money on eBay During a Recession

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By A. Suzanne Wells
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Some items sell better during a recession.

A recession is when economic growth slows, unemployment rises, housing prices decline, and businesses cease to expand. The official definition of a recession is when Gross Domestic Product - the total dollar value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period - is negative for 2 or more quarters in a row. A recession affects all economic activity, including eBay selling. You may need to change or tweak your product line to survive the recession on eBay. Learn what items sell best in a recession and which ones don’t.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Focus on survival type items. People tend to panic during a recession, and for good reason. Our parents and grandparents may have survived the Great Depression and they understand what it is like to live without the even the most basic items. Sell items that lend themselves to survival – guns, ammunition, home canning and freezing supplies, first aid items, hunting and camping supplies and equipment, freeze dried foods, and gardening supplies.
Step 2

During a recession, people tend to stay home more and cook more, rather than dining out or eating fast food. People are also stockpiling their food for future use and canning or freezing food. Focus on basic cooking items like cookware, canning jars, and kitchen staples. In a report by the data-tracking firm Nielson Co., baking supplies were in the top 20 items showing an increase in sales in the first quarter of 2009.
Step 3

Surprisingly, wine and liquor are good sellers in a recession. Perhaps people are trying to escape their misery through alcohol?
Step 4

Condoms and other inexpensive forms of contraceptives sell well during a recession. People spend less money on entertainment and opt for old-fashioned indoor activities. And a recession isn’t the time for an unplanned pregnancy, so birth control is a necessary expense.
Step 5

Non-essential items do not sell well in a recession. Cameras and film are the worst. Since people are entertaining, traveling, and celebrating less, they aren’t taking as many photos. Diet products are another non-essential item. It is much cheaper just to eat fewer calories rather than spend money on diet or weight loss products.
Step 6

See the resources section below for more tips for making money on eBay.