How to Find Items To Sell On eBay or Craigslist

Look in your own garage for a source of items to sell online.

No matter what you're looking for, It's easy to find quality goods for sale on the Internet, at garage sales or estate auctions. And reselling items that you find for a good price can be a lucrative way to make extra money in a tight economy. Websites such as Craigslist or eBay make it easy to list your item cheaply. Finding the goods for resale can take some time and you will be out-of-pocket initially, but if you're lucky, you'll hit on a popular item that attracts a lot of interest and fetches a handsome profit.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper
• eBay account

1. Look in your hometown newspaper classifieds or on Craigslist for local garage sales or yard sales. Scout your own neighborhood for unlisted garage or yard sale signs. Neighbors tend to place signs on and around the block to attract a crowd. Keep a look out for estate sales in nice neighborhoods that appear to be upscale. Chances are, the quality of goods may be higher and may be more attractive for resale purposes.

2. Check out your own garage. Look through boxes. Look in your closets for items you've received as gifts. Re-gifting is a common practice and you may have many brand new items around the house you've never even opened. Odds are, you've got a lot more stuff than you even remember. Items that collect dust in your own space could be a sought-after commodity on eBay. Selling items you've already amassed is a great way to free up clutter in your life and bring in some extra cash.

3. Check out the many listings for quality merchandise on Craigslist. Believe it or not, not everyone uses this website. You might find free or reasonably priced goods that -- with an inventive headline, some professional-looking photos and some cleverly written copy -- can pique a lot of interest and a nice final bid on eBay. Also, the potential market on eBay is bigger than on Craigslist, which confines listings to one area.

4. Visit a Goodwill, thrift store, swap meet or other consignment shop that sells quality goods. Make an offer for half of what the item sells for online. If you're lucky, the item has been sitting at the same place for a while with no takers. Your low-ball price might be the best price the seller has seen.

5. Ask friends if they have anything they want to donate to your online selling business, then offer to cart it away for free. Many people have items in their garage that they don't deal with because it's a hassle to dig through their own things. They may be glad to have you take away what you will.

Resources

• Ebay
• Craigslist