Wheelin’ and Dealin’ Part 1

This article is going to cover some theories behind buying and selling on the internet and how best to portray yourself as a small ‘garage’ business using sites such as Amazon and eBay as shop fronts.

I think the most fascinating thing about buying and selling on the internet is watching the patterns which emerge from people’s buying habits, and seeing how different little tricks can change what people buy.

The first issue everyone has to overcome when selling stuff on the internet is competition. I would say this is probably the biggest hurdle. And it is such a big issue because there are so many people doing the same thing. I am currently reading Alan sugar’s book, where he talks about going into the Hardware shops as a Salesman and offers his products. There isn’t the same way of working on the internet as there is in the real world. There is no human contact or traditional persuasive selling patter which can be used.

The internet has its own selling system and it mainly involves the user coming to find you, not the other way around which is the more difficult bit. What you also have to consider is not only is there lots and lots of things which people are selling but also lots and lots of things which people are buying. The range of stuff which you can find is so much more expansive than any shop you may find, no matter how big or small.

So we are in a situation with so much to choose from to start selling, limited funds, and so much competition. I know what you will be thinking now. How do I even start. My top tip here would be to clear out your loft, or under your bed. Have a good old sort through your junk and find a few items to sell. Maybe 4 or 5. Advertise them on eBay. I am not going to tell you how to sell on eBay, that is for other blogs or maybe a later post, but I will tell you the first items you sell will be the best indicator of where your selling path may go. You can really get a feel for what people snap up, what sells and what doesn’t, how the system of eBay works and also how best to market items.

You will find many extra tools on eBay, most of them designed to squeeze every last penny out of the profits you make so you have to be careful with this. Do the maths and make sure you aren’t making a loss. Work out what is effective and what isn’t. Also by selling a few items you will build up some reputation on eBay and people will be more inclined to buy from you.

Let’s all take our parents for example. I know mine are certainly the ones who won’t buy anything of Amazon unless it is fulfilled by Amazon and take extreme care on eBay. They may really want that china teapot somebody bought you for your birthday 6 years ago because it has a tiger on it, but if you don’t have a very good ‘reputation’ they will stay well clear. I could make or break most of your sales.

Even the tech savvy look at this when purchasing. I can’t stress to you the importance of it. And it is built up with you being reliable and professional from the very start.

Don’t miss part 2 of this article where we look at moving you little endeavour on from just clearing out the junk under your bad or in the top of your wardrobe.

Please follow me on twitter: @peachy146

What is Drop shipping?

So you like the idea of selling on eBay or setting up your own web store, but haven't got the time or the space or the facility to buy, post and send. Well here is the perfect solution.


I have recently stumbled of a really good way to make money. It combines all the things people like, selling on eBay, setting up a web business, all of these things, into a painless and hassle less process, where you essential just flip money to make more money.


Drop shipping involves you selling a product which you don't have and then buying it when somebody buys it from you and then sending it straight on to the customer. Sounds pretty illegal right? Well that is where you are wrong. There are several wholesale drop shipping companies set up around the world to do just this very thing.


As a British citizen, I found ATS distribution to be the best source for this, and while their prices are quite expensive, they are very reliable. All you do is sign up, put some money in the pot, not as a registration fee or anything, but as a balance to buy stuff with, and then put an advert on eBay or your personal eCommerce website, and there you have it. It is a virtual stockroom, which somebody else manages for you, and I am sorry but nobody can say no to the convenience of it all. 


what I did was I put some items on eBay intitially, for the asking price of the Drop Shipping company, and then watched people bid and quite often the item sold for 20 or 30% more than the RRP, which is really good to see. You just need to choose your items carefully. Remember the bigger the audience, the better the sale, so electronic gadgets and headphones sell best, but there is most competition.


Another thing to be wary of it the postage and packaging, but this is a piece of information which is given to you by the  drop shipping company in most cases and therefore is less of an issue to worry about.


So it really is that simple to make money selling things now. I would say this is a great place to start because you have nothing to loose until you sell something, and then you gain if you see what I mean, so everyone is a winner. It gives you some experience of selling before you start buying real stock and gives you more headroom when you do.


I would advise this to anybody who asks me what the best way to start selling on eBay is. all your products are new so there is no worrying about that, and it is all done for you. Just sit back relax and watch the drop shippers do all the work!