How to scan your way to money making. Ways to make money selling online.

How to scan your way to money making using bar code scanners at garage sales, thrift stores and retail stores.

I have sold over $150,000 in used goods in the past two years. All of these used goods were found at garage sales and through resale stores. Many of the new items were from discount clearance sections, resale stores, and garage sales. Being a smart consumer and seller can maximize your profits. You never know what people will donate or sell for a fair price just to get rid of it.

There are many ways to make money selling online, but one sure-fire way is by reselling new and used media goods on websites like Amazon. The easiest way to make the most money is to find hot items such as video games, computer software, books, CDs, and other barcoded items. If you find them for the right price, these items have a nice profit margin .Whether you're an experienced seller or just starting out, these items are a great way to make money because of how easy they are to find, sell, and ship. 

This method is best for Amazon due to the ease of listing.

There are two different method you can take when looking for video games, software, music, CDs and books.

                                                                                                                         

Scanning media method 1.

• PDA with database media scouting.

PDA scouting using hardware such as the Dell axim v51 with a barcode scanner.
This method works very well for areas that do not have cellular signal.

This method usually requires a monthly subscription to a service such as media scouting service.

First month is free.

You download the services database to your PDA, along with their scanning program.   When a barcode is scanned, the media scouting program will search it's database, and provide you with feedback of rejected, buy new only or buy depending on the specific criteria you set the program to.

Two PDA examples that can be used for scouting books, music CDs, video games & DVDs.

                                                              

                                                   DELL AXIM X51                                                                     

 SOMO 655    

Scanning media method 2.

• Smartphone with Live media scouting.

                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                

    

                                                              

This option is a great way to test the waters of the media scouting world.  Unlike the database version, you are not required to pay a monthly fee for the service service if you use an application such as profit bandit.  Instead, you pay a one time fee of  $15.00 for the program and another one time $50.00 fee to activate the ability to use bluetooth scanners. You can easily make much more money than what the fees will cost you. They are a great investment if you are planning to make some easy money.

Live media scan be used with your smart phone. This media scouting method does not require a barcode scanner, but I highly recommend purchasing one. The camera scanners for barcodes can be quite slow and we all know time is money.

                                                                                  

Recommended smartphone barcode scanners.

I use the Wasp WWS100I for my barcode scanning.  It is easily concealable, light weight, to help bring less attention to yourself while scouting. This scanner does have a silent mode, so you are able to scan books, movies, CDs, and video games without attracting attention. I would, personally, recommend this scanner because I have used it and I know that it works well.

              

  Socket Mobile series 7                               Wasp WWS100                                Socket RS5519 ring scanner 

Once you have all of the tools where do you start scouting?

Scouting at garage sales.

Everyone has been to or seen as garage sale at one time or another. Not only are they great for finding treasures and cleaning house, but they are great way to make money easily. When you go to a garage sale look for video games, CDs, movies, books and other media items.  These items are relatively easy to find because of how common they are. 

Prices will vary depending on the neighborhood and the people running the sale, but generally they are a steal. Having some background knowledge of popular items can help you recognize a good buy faster and easier, but don't overlook items that you have never heard of because they could like gold.

I have found nice video games at garage sales for FREE, Which means that there is PURE PROFIT from that item when it sells. People usually want to just get rid of everything. They are cleaning house and they just want to see it gone because if it does not sell, they will probably donate it to a thrift store. 

 If you find some good items, but you don't really like the price, you can always haggle the price down to get a better deal. Items found at garage sales are easy to buy low and sell high to maximize your profit. They are a great way to obtain products to sell online because they are plentiful and fairly priced. Check around for citywide garage sales in your area to get the most out of your buying trip.

Scouting in thrift stores.

Thrift stores are the next best thing to garage sales. They are almost guaranteed to have the media items you are looking for. They have a plethora of books, CDs, and movies. Although scanning all the media items at a thrift store can be time consuming, because of the vast amount of them, it can also be VERY rewarding. Different thrift stores will have different prices on their items. Be aware of the sale price and resale price to make sure you're getting the best deal. Thrift stores can sometimes be very busy, depending on the area in which they are located.

A good way to get the most out of your buying trip (because gas prices aren't very nice) is to look up all the thrift stores in the area you will be visiting. There are various websites and apps for smartphones that can help you compile a list of stores, along with their location and rating. This will make your buying experience much more rewarding. If you visit stores frequently, you will develop a knowledge of which stores are good for the items you are looking for, and which ones do not. If you can, try not to skip the ones you don't generally find items at because that one time you don't go, they might have mountains of gold waiting for you. You'll never know what the store has unless you go, but sometimes we have to make choices. Time is money.

Scouting in retail stores.

When you are scouting in retail stores it is best to look at clearance sections or for seasonal items. Clearance items change regularly, so it is best to check them frequently. Sometimes the clearance sections can kind of be hidden in a store, so keep your eyes pealed. The easiest way to find out what to buy, is to simply scan the UPC code of each item and see which have the largest profit margin. 

Seasonal items are ones like winter coats, gloves, or snow boots. These items are better for websites like eBay, because they are clothing and Amazon has stricter rulers on sellers interested in selling clothing items. Stores will have the best prices for these items when the season is over. The best time to buy winter clothing is when the weather is starting to get warm, because stores want to get rid of them so they can put out the summer items. A way to make money from this is to buy items when the season is over and they are the cheapest, then simply sell them the next time the season comes around. Buy the clearance winter items in the spring, and sell them the following winter when people actually need them.

Make $4000.00 a month picking garage sales, selling used goods on eBay / Amazon.

Ways to make money selling online.

Make $4000.00 a month selling used goods on eBay / Amazon

One product selling well on ebay. Ways to make money selling online.

Ways to make money selling online.

Products selling well on ebay buy Pokemon characters low, sell high on eBay.

Buy low at garage sales, sell high online. 

How to video send paypal invoices, print shipping labels refund paypal invoice payments.

Products that sell well on Amazon One touch Delica lancing devices.

Products that sell well on Amazon.  
Ways to make money selling online.

One Touch Delica lancing devices.
I came across a lot of these one touch Delica lancing devices for $.50 cents each. Yesterday, I listed 6 of these products on Amazon.   4 of them have already sold.    In general diabetic testing supply products sell very well on Amazon.
When it comes to testing strips, make sure they are sealed and are not expired.
Lancing devices do not expire, you just need to make sure they are unopened.
Don't forget to check out my other posts for ways to make money selling online.

Video

Ways to make money selling online.

Le Center, MN & Belle Plaine, MN had their city wide garage sales last weekend. 

The night before the sales, the weather dumped about 6 inches on the area. 

Even with the snow, there was plenty of finds to be had thanks to the dedicate sellers at the Garage Sales.

We stopped at the Marathon gas in New Prague to pick up some cash and some breakfast.

Share this video to find out exactly what we found.

Ways to make money selling online things to sell ebay amazon recent sales profit

Ways to make money selling online

Complete in the original box PC Thrustmaster Mark II Weapons Control System.

Paid $2.00

Sold $39.99

#resale #waystomakemoneyonline #sold #buylowsellhigh #picking #picker #profit #score #haul

How to stand out as a third party seller on Amazon using Amazon's gift wrapping service

How to stand out as a third party seller on Amazon using Amazon's gift wrapping service.

The importance of standing out in the online market place.

When it comes to selling online, it is important to stand out in your listings as well as your overall business.

I am constantly looking for new ways to stand out as well as add value to my products and services.   It helps attract new customers as well as keep the customers you currently have.

In this short blog post, I am going to go over one of the ways I indirectly stand out on my Sneaky Squirrel Games Amazon Storefront.

Amazon gift wrapping services.

Last year was my first year selling on Amazon.   One of the very first options I setup in my Amazon store was my gift wrapping services.   

I wanted my store to stand out from every other third party seller out there, brainstormed for a little while and came up with my custom vintage video game gift wrapping services.

I didn't realize how important the gift wrapping service was in helping me stand out in the Amazon market place until I tried to buy a video game specific gift during the holiday season.  

I was amazed to find that there were very few third party sellers offering gift wrapping services, let alone the type of gift wrappings was offering

As I was skipping over the plethora of third party sellers that did not have gift wrapping services, it dawned on me, I wondered how many prospective customers were doing the same thing, Those prospective customers, wouldn't be jumping past my listings, they would be stopping by to check me out.

Final thoughts.

There are many different ways that you can help your online store stand out.  

When it comes to Amazon, the gift wrapping service is one of many different ways that you can do it.   

If you have any other ways of getting your Amazon store to stand out, I would love to hear about them, comment below.

Amazon gift wrapping service examples.

These are a few examples of Amazon video game gift wrappings I have done in the past. 

I use vintage video game magazines, strategy guides as well as RPG table top games such as Warhammer 40k.

These particular magazines / books are ones that had issues such as ripped pages or stains to the point that I wouldn't be able to sell them but they work perfect for making cool video game gift wraps for my Amazon customers.

Warhammer 40K Ork Kustom Weapons Amazon gift wrap

Mario Kart 64 Custom Amazon gift wrap

Mario Kart 64 Winner's Circle Amazon gift wrap

Using iPhone iPad or android smartphone to create fast ebay amazon listings

Using iPhone, Android or iPads to create efficient eBay / Amazon listings. 

About a two months ago I started brainstorming was to make my online business more efficient.

I was hiring my first employee to help me with my EBay and Amazon listings but my second computer was WAY to slow.

I needed to come up with a new way for both of us to be able to research eBay & Amazon items as well as create fast efficient eBay & Amazon listings.

I found a myself with two options 

#1 Purchase a new laptop 

#2 Purchase an iPad

Using a smart phone or ipad to create eBay & Amazon listings just seemed to make more sense.

I decided to purchase the 32gb 4th generation iPad.  Since she had never used an iPad before, I was a little concerned that there might be a little bit of a learning curve since she had never used one before but she had no problems figuring it out.

Within a few days of using the ipad for listing I came to the realization that using a mobile device such as a smart phone or iPad to create listings on EBay or Amazon is not only more efficient, it is healthier and increases productivity.

Health benefits of creating eBay & Amazon listings with a smart phone or iPad

When you list on a mobile device such as a smart phone or iPad, you have the freedom to get away from your desk, saving your back, buns, stomach and heart.  It also gives you indirect exercise that you normally wouldn't get sitting at your desk.

What applications I use for creating listings with my mobile device.

eBay mobile application for iPhone, ipad & Android

eBay mobile productivity benefits of using an iPhone, ipad or android to create listings.

#1.    There is just something about the ease of listing with my phone that really helps me get through the "back of the pile" items, you know the ones that I am talking about.  The ones that your really not that interested in and tent to sprout like mushrooms in dark corners.

#2.    Using your iPhone, ipad or android for listing also helps you from being distracted.  How many times do you find yourself on facebook or some other social site when you should be listing?  Using your iPhone, ipad or android doesn't take away that option but it does take away the urge.

#3.    Need to answer a question or pull some inventory?  No need to waste paper printing off what inventory you need to pull, just take your phone with you and look it up as you go.

#4.  I can only speak for the iPhone and ipad but with the voice recognition feature you don't have to type most of your description, you can just dictate your description and it will appear in the listing.  It is not 100% accurate and you do have to go back and do some editing, but it eliminated the need to use a keyboard which is nice.

Now that we have went over some of the general productivity benefits of using an iPhone, ipad or android to create listings, lets dig a little bit deeper into the applications I use on my iPhone & ipad.

Here are a few of my favorite features of the eBay mobile application

My favorite part about listing with eBay's mobile app is the category suggestion feature.   No more digging through categories trying to find the right one.  Two months in and I have not had to look up an item yet, this time saving feature is great.

Another great feature of the eBay app is the built in camera capture option, snapping pictures while creating your listings saves you lots of time.  

Gone are the days off hooking up a digital camera to the computer and downloading all the pictures to my computer, they are just there and it is wonderful.

Mobile Amazon listing with Profit Bandit for iPhone, iPad & Android.

With profit bandit you can scout as well as list directly to Amazon from the program.

Amazon's Mobile application will not let you list directly to Amazon but with Profit Bandit, you can.

I use this program on my iPhone.  I can scan the barcode, plug in a few bits of information along with a price and have my listing on Amazon in under a minute.

This particular program does cost a flat fee of $15.00 but it quickly pays for itself and is a great tool for finding stuff to sell.

Final thoughts on using a mobile device for creating listings on eBay & Amazon.

The eBay Mobile application as well as Profit Bandit will without a doubt increase efficiency as well as speed of listing.  The only drawback that I have found is that there is currently no option to ad a store category to the listing

Ways to make money selling online, this is my story so far. Written by Sarah Brown, article online at www.theonlineseller.com

Ways to make money selling online - MY ONlINE SELLER PROFILE BY THE ONLINE SELLER

While many of his comrades were fast asleep under a hot evening sky, Adam Coleman hunted for explosives along high-traffic roads in Iraq.

Coleman was part of Special Operations for the U.S. Navy as an explosive ordnance disposal technician, a post he held for eight of the 11 years he served in the military. Recently, Coleman turned down a $90,000 re-enlistment bonus so he could sell full time on his eBay shop, FamousTurtle2010,  instead.

From bombs to treasures

Since childhood, Coleman has been going to garage sales with his mother, a fond memory that eventually led to his change in careers in October.

He credits his mother with teaching him the foundation and secrets to a successful eBay business, and his military experience as the engine to his online success

“It always felt like we were going out treasure hunting, and to this day it still feels like that,” he reports.

So instead of hunting for improvised explosive devices, Coleman now hunts for treasures, which make up the inventory of his successful home-based business. He sells mostly vintage home items and military collectibles, but adds that he will sell anything he thinks has value or that people will enjoy.

Much of what he offers in his store might be considered hard to find, so he reaches a lot of customers who are searching for a particular item they otherwise couldn’t locate. It’s fitting for a man like Coleman.

“I have trained to spot things that most people wouldn’t, because—if I didn’t—I would be dead,” he says.

When hunting for IEDs, there are telltale signs to look for, such as out-of-place rocks or objects that might be used as markers for hidden devices, Coleman says. When it comes to finding the right treasures to sell online, he researches key features to help spot valuable items and determine their ages.

Explosive sales

Not only is Coleman’s military experience amazing and beyond what can be put in this story, but his success selling online is also very impressive. He credits his mother, Doreen, with teaching him the foundation and secrets to a successful eBay business, and his military experience as the engine to his online success.

“I was trained in the military to think outside the box and to never stop trying to make things better,” he notes.

“I like to sell across multiple platforms as I feel that the diversification helps dampen the peaks and valleys of sales”

Within the first several months as a newbie merchant selling on eBay—he’s been listing about three years—Coleman achieved PowerSeller status. In his first year, he earned about $10,000 in sales, but that was just the beginning.

“My second year, a switch went off, and all of the sudden I just figured things out, and I was averaging about $2,000 and $5,000 a month,” he adds.

Coleman’s sales have increased every year. Last year he added Amazon
to his marketplace options—and his own Web store.

He moved all his barcoded items to Amazon and kept the vintage home décor products on eBay, he says. That decision proved to be very profitable, because it seems when one marketplace experiences low sales, the other picks up the slack.

“I like to sell across multiple platforms as I feel that the diversification helps dampen the peaks and valleys of sales,” he continues.

Of course, each platform has its own pros and cons, but Coleman notes that all three are easy to list on. And though Amazon and eBay have high fees, they both provide fast sales and high traffic, which can eventually lead to more traffic on his personal Web shop.

Wife and military are behind his success

When Coleman was on active duty, it required an extremely high level of professionalism and expertise, he says. His team would drive about 5 mph to locate IEDs along highways, clear U.S.-held bases of leftover unexploded ordnance from Desert Storm and disarm underwater mines.

“I have been ambushed, shot, blown up, and I almost drowned at 150-feet when my diving rig malfunctioned,” he says. “I realized after the third time of almost dying that I should probably start considering a new line of work and selling online.”

“I realized after the third time of almost dying that I should probably start considering a new line of work and selling online”

Originally, selling on eBay started out as a means to help pay for his wedding to now-wife Sonia. Just days before his wedding, a medical emergency came up, so he continued selling online to pay medical bills.

By then, he says he was already addicted to selling. From there, his online business took off, and Sonia helped with the orders while he was deployed.

“[The business] was not strategically planned at all,” he notes. “It was actually a knee-jerk reaction to the amount of orders that I started receiving.”

Wooden turtle inspires name

Coleman named his eBay Store based on a gift from his wife, who had traveled to Fiji and brought home a wooden turtle. Coleman made the turtle famous by making it his store mascot, and thus was born Famous Turtle’s Treasures.

When he started his Amazon store, Sneaky Squirrel Games, he decided to give it a different name based on his experience in the Navy. Those who were part of elite special operations—such as Coleman—with very hush-hush missions, were jokingly referred to as “sneaky squirrels,” he explains.

“On top of that, my wife calls me a squirrel because I am always hiding money around the house, forgetting about it, then finding it weeks-to-months later, and reacting like I just found treasure,” Coleman adds.

And it’s thanks to the support of his wife that he has made it this far with his business. Coleman credits Sonia with keeping him organized and on track, despite the fact she looked at him like he was crazy when he first brought home items to sell online, he says.

In turn, Coleman tries to offer that same support to his customers by offering a 14-day return policy, next-day shipping, and “going above and beyond” the call of duty to make sure they are happy with their purchase.

Visit Coleman’s listings on eBay, Amazon and his Web shop.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Brown is a freelance writer who writes about e-commerce and small businesses. She recently graduated from Chico State with a journalism degree and is also a budding online entrepreneur, having launched two Web businesses and her own line of handmade products. Opinions expressed here may not be shared by The Online Seller and/or its principals.

How to safely clean Dorothy Thorpe madmen silver band glassware non toxic method video

CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE @ WWW.ARMEDTOSELL.COM

How to safely clean Dorothy Thorpe madmen silver band glassware with non toxic method video.

Dorothy Thorpe glassware.

The Dorothy Thorpe glassware has been popular with many collectors over the years.  The 1" silver band pattern has exploded over the years thanks to the hit TV series Madmen.

In this video I show you how to safely polish / clean Dorothy Thorpe silver band glassware with non toxic household items.

The method in the video below can also be applied cleaning other silver items.

Have a method to clean silver that you prefer?  Leave a comment.

What are the pros & cons of selling on Amazon? Amazon selling tips

What are the pros & cons of selling on Amazon?

Are you considering selling on Amazon?  Wondering what the pros & cons of selling on Amazon are? 

I have compiled this short list of Amazon pros and cons, please let me know what you think.

Pros of selling on Amazon:  

Amazon sellers appear more established.

People are less likely to leave you feed back ( refer to cons as well).

Easy listings.

No need to take pictures for most items unless you are creating your own listing ( requires merchant account ).

Fast sales on low ranking items.

You can make money on Amazon's shipping credit.

The feedback system is less stringent.  Getting a negative is not the end of the world.

It seems like there are less scammers on Amazon.

Easy to re-list items thanks to Amazon's inventory management systems.

Amazon FBA -  I have no experience with this but for a fee you can pay them to store, pack and ship your items.

Cons of selling on Amazon:   

You get paid every 2 weeks on Amazon.

People are less likely to leave feedback which makes it harder to build up your feedback.

If you don't have a merchant account, you get charged an extra dollar for each item you sell.

It is easy get yourself into trouble when listing used items, if the listing says it is suppose to have X,Y & Z, you better make sure it has those.

Amazon can merge products without notice which can cause problems.

Amazon seller tips.

Tips:

It is important to determine the condition of your item, just because someone is selling an item for 1 cent doesn't mean you can't sell the item for more.

Don't price your item as the lowest.  Some Amazon sellers have automatic repricing tools and will just drop their price right after you.

You can very easily judge what products will sell well by viewing a product's rank and amount of currently listed. 

The lower the ranking, the faster the item will sell.  

I personally stay away from anything over 500K rank unless it is a high dollar item.

Anything under 10K is going to sell at a good speed.  

The more items you have in your inventory, the more you will sell.

If a product has no ranking, it means that non have sold.  Do your research when dealing with these products.

Comments?

This list is by no means all inclusive.  If you have more pros & cons, please comment below.

Don't forget to join our google plus picker community 

My featured online selling profile.

A few weeks back, www.theonlineseller.com interviewed me about my seller experience.

You can check out my entire my featured online seller profile right here.

I was also contacted by eBay radio to do an interview, which is somewhere in their archives.

It was fun doing the interview, and I look forward to 1 year later to see how I have progressed.

Can you use a Zebra 2844 on a Mac? Spec Ops Seller's review & video post how to setup guide.

Can you use a Zebra 2844 on a Mac?   Yes you can!  Here is how you do it.

This is my review of the Zebra 2844.  I was was able to setup the Zebra 2844 on my Mac with very little problems.  I did end up wasting some labels which is why I created this video.

The Armed to Sell Network Introduction video How I make money selling used goods online.