How to Make Money Selling on eBay

Can you really make money on eBay with no products to sell? Yes, you can. Here's how you do it. You basically act as a broker. You search for products that are available for purchase on the internet at a discount, and you list them on eBay as if you were the owner, yourself. Don't worry. There's nothing unethical about this. In fact, it's becoming more and more common these days. You can think of it this way. You're offering a needed service to people who aren't very skilled with internet research. You're identifying merchandise that they couldn't find without any help. Now, there's a little risk involved with this method, but we'll get to that in a moment.

There are many websites where you can find truly remarkable deals on any number of items. Some common places to look are the Amazon.com marketplace, dropshippers, alternate auction sites (besides eBay), and online wholesalers. Once you find a cheap deal, you need to do a little research to find out what the value is on eBay. You can do a quick search of closed listings to see how much people are paying for the particular item you've found. Once you've confirmed that there's a solid market for the item you've found, you list the item on eBay. You can use a stock photo of the item for your listing. These can usually be found on the original manufacturer's web page.

When the item sells on eBay, you'll get an email notification. Next, place an order for the actual item from your source. In many cases, depending on the supplier, you can have the merchandise packed by your source so that it appears to have come directly from you. This is especially true in the case of drop shippers. Otherwise, you'll need to have the item shipped directly to you; then you can ship the item to your buyer. This incurs additional shipping costs, and it takes longer for your buyer to get the item.

In my introduction, I mentioned that there is a little risk involved. The risk is to your eBay feedback score, which is essentially your reputation. You assume this risk by promising someone else's merchandise, and you'll suffer if the product is out of stock when it comes time to deliver to your buyer. So, to protect yourself, you should only list items that are in good supply. Don't ever try to sell an item from a source that only has a small quantity available. When a customer places an order with you, and you find that the item is unavailable, you'll have to find an alternate source fast. And, you should be willing to pay a little more for the item in order to satisfy your customer. Personally, I'd be prepared to lose a few dollars in order to salvage my feedback score.

The best way to protect yourself is to use a dropshipper and to actually buy some items from the dropshipper, who then sets the merchandise aside for you. When the merchandise sells, the drop shipper packages the item and ships it for you. This almost guarantees that you'll never receive an order only to find that your supplier is out of stock. Though, there's a little risk with this method as well. Once you buy the item, you own it, even though it's sitting in the drop shipper's warehouse, and if the market price drops for that item, you're out of luck. You may have to sell the product at a loss.

So, both methods come with their respective risks. You'll have to choose which one you're more comfortable with. As long as you're careful, you'll be fine. And you'll make some great money on eBay, while never stocking anything in your home.