It is so easy to get started selling on eBay and the other online auctions. And in some ways it is that ease that stops people making the most of the potential. What happens is that many sellers drift into the market and start by selling surplus items from their own homes and then start looking around for other products. They go to an auction or flea market and pick up some bargains and list them and make a few sales. Perhaps they then buy a few items from wholesalers either on or offline. What they do not do is stand back and take a look at their business and plan what direction they want to take it.
I have been taking a look at Power Sellers recently and what I have discovered is that most of them specialise in a specific niche market. Another common factor is that they often sell the same items over and over again. Just imagine if you had say 30 repeatable products that are all targeted at a specific niche market which you know and understand, do you think you could make money. Providing the products are right of course you can. And you will do it with far less effort than if you are listing and selling 30 one off individual items.
If you want to make the transition from small time seller to Power Seller the first thing you should do is to STOP SELLING. That is right, stop for a couple of weeks and devote yourself to research. The time you spend will be richly rewarded. What you are looking for is a niche market that you can target. Ideally this should be an area that you have an interest in, you can get product to sell at a profit in quantity and are already purchasing on eBay.
Once you have selected your niche you can start your serious research. Find out what other sellers are offering and the prices they are getting. You will also need to track down some sources of supply, wholesalers, manufacturers or whatever.
Although the auction sites will not admit it, selling through auctions is one of the best and cheapest ways to build up a customer list. And selling back end a product to your customer list is a little like taking candy from a baby, inn other words very easy. Now if you sell “all and everything” a list of your customers is not going to be very useful. But say for instance your niche market is British Postage stamps a list of buyers who have already purchased British Postage stamps from you would be worth its weight in gold. You would be able to make back up offers to them knowing full well they are interested in that particular type of product. And of course you could offer them not only stamps but catalogues, albums and all the other specialist items required by philatelists.
Dave Bromley is a writer and webmaster who specialises in subjects related to eBay and other online auctions. He edits and publishes a monthly newsletter and his web site is
UKAuctionline.co.uk