What to sell on eBay to make money

eBay niche list -  What profitable products sell on eBay?

In this article, I am going to be discussing some very specific ebay niches that you can sell on eBay for good money.  These profitable products are more obscure than most, and chances are you have passed by them many times at garage sales, and thrift stores.   Don't forget to checkout my eBay bolo list to see what other profitable products you can sell on eBay.

To start off, we are going to cover the broad portion of the niche then dial down to various niches inside of the kitchen 

 The broad niche - Vintage kitchen products

Kitchen products sell very well on eBay and are a great spot to look for profitable items that will can make you money.   

Why I like to the vintage kitchen niche

• Easy to find cheap
• Generally easy to ship
• In constant demand
• Discontinued products can be very profitable
• Generally easy to test
• Replacement parts can be valuable

What kind of kitchen products are profitable?

When it comes to the vintage kitchen niche, there are various routes you can take if you want to get down to the micro niche.   

• Flatware
• Pots & Pans
• Small appliances
• Replacement parts
• Specialty appliances

Flatware ebay micro niche

Flatware is one of my favorite items to sell on eBay because you can find large lots of them at garage sales and they can be very profitable.   Here are some more reasons why I like to sell flatware on eBay.

• Easy to find
• Easy to ship
• Easy to date
• Moderately hard to identify ( which is good )
•  Customers look for specific patterns
• Many discontinued patterns
• Easy to tell if they are damaged or broken

Examples of profitable flatware you can make money on.

Click the links below to view current sold prices on Amazon

• Danish Modern flatware
• Wahsington Forge Town & Country
• Oneida made in USA
• Made in USA flatware

How to sell flatware

I am going to assume that you already know how to sell on eBay so I am just going to cover the main sticking points when it comes to making money on flatware.

Identification -   The hardest part about making money on flatware is the identification portion.   Many flatware sets have identification markings on the back that will help you identify what pattern they are.   When you have that information, head on over to replacements.com and search for your pattern.

It may take a LONG time to sort through the thousands of patterns, or you may find it right away.   Once you find your pattern, I would recommend using as much of the information on replacements.com without just copying the page.    Helpful information such as pattern codes, mfg codes and other idenification can be helpful when customers are looking for your flatware.

If you can't find the pattern on replacements.com, you may have a rare pattern.  Try using ebay's completed listings to see if you can find a match there.  Worst case scenario, you have to create your own keywords for your flatware which isn't the end of the world.  Just use descriptive keywords of your flatware's pattern

Slow sellers - The higher prices flatware can take awhile to sell, but for the most part if you price your flatware competitively, you should have no problems selling.

Pots & Pans ebay niche

Pots & pans are another greatly profitable item you can sell on eBay.   Here is why I like them

• Easy to find
• Fairly easy to ship
• Easy to identify
• Possibility of replacement parts
• Many discontinued products
• Easy to tell if they are damaged or broken

Examples of profitable pots & pans you can make money on.

Click the links below to view current sold prices on eBay

        Saladmaster

• Wagner ware
• Guardian service cookware

How to find profitable pots & pans without knowing the names

When it comes to finding money making pots & pans, it is all about the quality of the cookware.   The easiest thing you can do is pick them up.  If they are heavy, they are worth looking into.   

Identification - Identifying good pots and pans is fairly easy.  The markings will either be on the bottom of the pan, or on the side.  Here are some terms to look out for.

• X- PLY   X being a number usually between 2-5.  The higher the better.
• Surgical stainless steel
• Made in USA

Small & specialy appliances ebay niche

Small appliances are another profitable section of our eBay vintage kitchen niche.  Here are some of the reasons I like small appliances.

• Easy to find
• Fairly easy to ship
• Nostalgia factor
• Vintage appliances are just made better
• Discontinued products are always profitable
• Possibility of replacement parts
• Vintage and modern

Examples of profitable small appliances you can make money on.

Click the links below to view current sold prices on eBay

• Tater twister
• Farberware open hearth grill

Things to be aware of when purchasing used products to sell on ebay

• Research the product you want to sell on ebay to ensure all the parts are there.
• ALWAYS test the product.
• Check the small appliance for damage
• Obscure, and strange sell so if you come across any odd specialy appliances make sure to check them out.

Vintage kitchen replacement parts ebay micro niche

Another great micro niche to work on is replacement parts.   Vintage kitchen items often have parts that are easily lost or broken.    Many people bypass replacement parts without knowing that many of these parts can be very profitable.   Here are some of the reasons I like selling replacement parts

• Easy to find
• Fulfills a customers need to fix something
• Many parts are no longer being made
• New parts are lower quality
• They are restoring a appliance, and want it to be authentic

Examples of profitable small appliances you can make money on.

Click the links below to view current sold prices on eBay

• Tater twister
• Farberware open hearth grill

Things to be aware of when purchasing used products to sell on ebay

• Research the product you want to sell on ebay to ensure all the parts are there.
• ALWAYS test the product.
• Check the small appliance for damage
• Obscure, and strange sell so if you come across any odd specialy appliances make sure to check them out.

Examples of profitable replacement parts you can make money on.

Click the links below to view current sold prices on eBay

• Regency kitchen center parts
• Saladmaster parts
• Miracle maid parts

Another seller is featured from the picker community. She knows the ways to make money selling online.

Ways to make money selling online.

We recently wrote about former Navy man Adam Coleman, who passed up an opportunity to re-enlist to make online selling his full-time career. Since he attributes much of his love for “treasure hunting” to his mother, we decided to find out how she started her online selling career.

His mother, Doreen Coleman, has been selling on eBay for more than eight years.

Her eBay Store, Imetalconsignments, has about 600 items at any one time, most of which are considered hard-to-find mid-century products.

A variety of products made in the U.S.

If your mother’s lawn chair is frayed and threatens to drop guests on the ground, Doreen Coleman has listings for replacement webbing. If you’d rather dry your hair salon-style, Imetalconsignments can sell you a portable soft bonnet hair dryer.

Not only do the mid-1900s remind her of her childhood, Coleman also appreciates the construction of the products sold back then

From green dishware to retro furniture, this eBay seller has her niche figured out right down to the cocktail swizzle stick.

Not only do the mid-1900s remind her of her childhood, Coleman also appreciates the construction of the products sold back then and the sense of pride the U.S. had in its workmanship.

“I love the mid-century modern era, a time when almost everything was made in the USA,” she adds. “And that seems to be the direction my store has taken.”

Yet Coleman does tell people she’ll pretty much sell anything she can make money on, as long as it’s made in America, she reports. And now that more people are looking for American-made items, she believes her eBay Store will stay its course for a long time.

From ‘real job’ to real joy

As with most people, Coleman says she started selling online to supplement her income.

“I had what some people call ‘a real job,’ an ongoing joke in my household,” she quips.

For more than 20 years, the single mom owned a brick-and-mortar antique business. The summer seasons were profitable, but winter times were hard, so Coleman joined a co-op instead. For a rental fee, she could display her items in various shops throughout the area.

“Unfortunately, when that business decides to close its doors, there’s not much one can do,” she notes.

When the co-op no longer worked for Coleman, she found herself packing her items and going to work for someone else.

For more than 20 years, the single mom owned a brick-and-mortar antique business. The summer seasons were profitable, but winter times were hard

But in her “real job,” she missed retail sales. After a few years, she decided to try selling on eBay.

In the beginning, Coleman sourced her first listings with merchandise from thrift stores and garage sales, but then a friend approached her with an opportunity to help him liquidate his farm equipment.

Consignment venture starts niche

Not knowing yet what her niche market was going to be, Coleman took advantage of the chance to be a consignor.

“It was a pretty brave step,” she notes. “Luckily, every transaction went smoothly.”

Selling farm equipment can be risky if you don’t know the consignee well and he or she doesn’t give you full disclosure on the equipment. For that reason, Coleman suggests sellers know and trust those they might do business with on such large-scale equipment.

“One would think selling full-sized farm equipment would be tough online, but it was one of the easiest items to sell,” she says.

It seemed Coleman found her niche, so she named her business Imetalconsignments. But when her friend’s farm equipment was all sold off, she had to find other farmers to sell for. That only lasted so long. When those wells dried up, Coleman went back to selling her own merchandise.

“Lesson learned: Don’t be afraid to change directions of your business,” she says.

Making the switch to full time

Eventually, Coleman found herself bringing in more income through online sales than through her “real job.” She was ready to take her business to full-time status, but still had a few reservations to overcome.

As a single mother, giving up the security of a regular paycheck can be frightening, so she called her oldest son, Adam, who was serving in the Navy.

“Lesson learned: Don’t be afraid to change directions of your business”

“He asked me a single question: ‘Do you love selling online?’” she recalls.

She responded positively, so he told her to do it. Plus, her son agreed to back her up financially if things went wrong, and that gave Coleman the security she needed to move forward.

Selling worldwide

Though Coleman had 20 years of experience selling antiques in her town, it was a new learning curve for her to do it online.

“Buying merchandise for my brick-and-mortar business was based on my local clientele,” Coleman adds. “Now I’m selling to the whole world.”

This meant the merchant selling on eBay had to change her buying habits to appeal to customers from as far away as Australia.

“The buzz in this small town is I’m keeping the post office open,” she says.

While she laughs about the joke, Coleman notes that the U.S. Postal Service’s new price increase will make her rethink how she ships. However, she loves eBay’s ShipSaver Insurance program, which is important for those who buy and sell rare, breakable products.

Recently, the eBay seller bought a building across from the post office. It’s just big enough to house her inventory and give her some studio space. Plus, getting her orders out in a timely manner is only a matter of a short walk.

Finding merchandise is like vacation to her. Working on her listings in her “overgrown playhouse” is a daily pleasure

If you love it, it’s not work

Coleman’s son recently asked her if she was ever going to retire.

“What would I do?” she responded. “I am already retired. If you love what you do, you’ll never have to work again.”

Finding merchandise is like vacation to her, the eBay seller notes. Working on her listings in her “overgrown playhouse” is a daily pleasure, and if she wants to take a day off, she’ll do it without guilt.

Visit Imetalconsignments on eBay.

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.

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.