How and Where to Locate the Merchandise to Sell on eBay: Insider Information You Need to Know from the Experts Who Do It Every Day [Paperback]

Dan W. Blacharski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 2007

Entrepreneurs in record numbers are setting up shop on eBay, according to a new survey conducted for eBay by ACNielsen Media Research International. More than 724,000 Americans report that eBay is their primary or secondary source of income. In addition to these professional eBay sellers, another 1.5 million individuals say they supplement their income by selling on eBay, according to the July 2005 survey. In the last six months of 2005, eBay members in the United States sold merchandise worth approximately $10.6 billion. As you can see, finding the customers is not a problem locating quality items to sell, is the challenge. So what do you do when you are done cleaning out your closet and attics? Where do you find the merchandise you need to sell on eBay? That s precisely what this new book is about: where to find products that you can buy for a few cents on the dollar and resell for massive profits! This book is intended for online sellers who want to build a business that can be increased over time by selling primarily new merchandise in quantity. You will be provided detailed insider information on: wholesalers, drop shippers, auctions, closeouts, discontinued merchandise, overstocks, salvage items, surplus merchandise, below wholesale products, customer returns, wholesale trade shows, suppliers, liquidators, close out firms, foreign and domestic manufacturers, and places to look in your area. In short you will learn to become a product sourcing pro and make money on eBay with products including: clothing, mixed lots, electronics, tools, furniture, general mixed merchandise, domestics, housewares, antiques, books, shoes, jewelry, toys, gifts, sporting goods, hardware, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

As an eight-year veteran eBay PowerSeller, eBay Education Specialist, Registered Trading Assistant, and founder of The Dallas eBaybes & eMales, world s largest eBay Seller s Meetup Group, I am very familiar with and have read almost every eBay book that s ever been published. Most of these books only cover the basic how-to elements of eBay and do not zero in on eBay sellers and their specific needs. How and Where to Locate the Merchandise to Sell on eBay provides answers to the one question I get asked most by my students, Where do I find merchandise to sell on eBay? This book is rich with attitude adjustments to achieve success with no sales experience. No other book delves into finding a niche market and enjoying long-term online business mastery with no specialized training or education. --Stephanie Inge; eBay Education Specialist; Certified eBay Instructor; eBay Registered Trading Assistant

About the Author

Michael P. Lujanac received his Associate's Degree in Marketing from the Harrisburg Area Community College and attended the Capitol Campus of Pennsylvania State University. As he relates his meandering sales career in this book, his natural bent for recognizing a niche market and filling it led to his listing of coffee and then computers, computer parts on eBay, and books on Half.com, and Abebooks. ABOUT THE CO-AUTHOR: Dan Blacharski has been a professional writer and online entrepreneur for over 15 years, and is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has written eight books and has ghost-written several others; has produced thousands of print and online features, articles and columns; and has helped many Internet companies jump into the fray. A refugee from Silicon Valley, Dan was there during the "dotcom boom," witnessing first-hand the incredible rise and fall of countless empires, and gaining insight into what makes a new-era Internet company succeed or fail. He worked directly with many of these companies, helping them to refine their messaging. Currently, he is also a contributing analyst for Compass Intelligence, a virtual think tank that provides world-class market analytics research.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL) (April 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910627878
• ISBN-13: 978-0910627870
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Purchasing & Buying
  • #31 in Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Culture > eBay
  • #82 in Books > Business & Investing > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Home Based

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, Answers We Can Use, June 29, 2007

By 

Susan A. Willets - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How and Where to Locate the Merchandise to Sell on eBay: Insider Information You Need to Know from the Experts Who Do It Every Day (Paperback)

You've started your eBay business and it's going great. You've emptied out your attic, now what do you sell? This book has the answers on how to find the best merchandise to sell on eBay and where to get it. With so many merchants selling the same products, Lujanac and Blacharski offer insider tips on choosing items that will sell as well as how to get the best of those products. Their key idea of starting small and growing into a larger stock is easy to do following their suggestions of where to find great deals on items to sell. By starting locally, one can find many deals right in their neighborhood that will make a great profit.

The information is presented in such a way that anyone can follow these simple guidelines and find their own eBay success without dwindling all of their profits into buying more products to sell. They cover a wide range of venues for purchasing, researching the best sales, as well as other options such as dropshipping. A trap many people fall into is having a large stock of an item that has gone out of style and they are stuck with a basement full of last year's fad. With the information in this book, this won't happen as they offer their expertise and guidance to find the best deals on items that will sell again and again. They offer an extensive list of items that are in demand as well as resources on where to get them. For anyone who is ready to continue their business and take it to the next level, this easy-to-follow resource is a must have.

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on selling on EBay!, January 16, 2008

By 

Sandra Hutchinson "lifelong learner" (Boston,MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How and Where to Locate the Merchandise to Sell on eBay: Insider Information You Need to Know from the Experts Who Do It Every Day (Paperback)

Like a lot of others, I've bought a number of items on eBay, and occasionally I've sold something. I noticed that a lot of the sellers were small-timers (like me), but that others seemed to be making a living with their sales. I've wondered how they did it--and where they got their merchandise. This book really clued me in.

It reinforced some of the things that I already knew, and opened my eyes to some possibilities I didn't know about. I've sold stuff from around my house, but I've never considered yard sales, local advertising web sites, or thrift shops (suggested by this book), not to mention obtaining items on a larger scale. I'd also never thought about becoming a "trading assistant" (another suggestion that is fully explained in the book). There is much more information in it that I can really see myself using and an extensive directory that would be of use to anyone.

If you've ever thought of taking your eBay trading up another level (or more), this is a clearly organized, very useful, comprehensive book. It's wonderful!

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never run out of sources for merchandise again!, July 16, 2008

By 

Serena "book lover" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How and Where to Locate the Merchandise to Sell on eBay: Insider Information You Need to Know from the Experts Who Do It Every Day (Paperback)

If you are contemplating on starting an eBay business or are looking at expanding an existing one, this book is for you. After reading this book, you will never have to wonder where to find things to sell on eBay. You will still need to do your homework, but this book points you in the right direction.

The authors cover almost all possible areas in which to locate merchandise to sell, from local to international. (I say almost, because they don't mention about shopping local clearance sales, off-price stores, or merchandise outlets, which is where a lot of eBay sellers I know get their items). I thought I had heard it all, but even I learned a lot about product sourcing. Who knew about the Chatujak Market in Bangkok, Thailand, where you can find the most unusual items you can think of for real cheap?

Not only do the authors reveal where to purchase merchandise, but just as importantly, they give you the strategies on how to get the most out of your product sources. Another great thing is that they help put your eBay business in the proper perspective, by emphasizing how you can compete, even with the big box merchandisers, like WalMart, with great customer service and/or by finding your niche and specializing in it. Every seller, no matter how small, can find a place in the marketplace. It just takes a little more creativity.

My only quibble with this book is the authors' suggestion to save on shipping costs by forgoing purchasing delivery confirmation when shipping via the US postal service. As an eBay seller myself, I know how important it is to keep your costs down, but not shipping with any type of tracking is actually against eBay rules, and some buyers will insist on getting a tracking number of some sort. The only bad advice in an otherwise fantastic, informative book.