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Finding Items To Sell

A post by David Davenport - All Rights Reserved

Well I've got a great idea - So where do I go now?

Having decided what you need to sell, you will now need to source your stock. But where do you find it? As with all businesses, you will need to dual source, then if one of your suppliers can't deliver when you want, you can fall back on the other.

Here a a few good supply options:

1. Wholesalers

Wholesalers are the No.1 most reliable method of sourcing goods. While the initial process can be time consuming at first, it is effort that pays off. When you have found a wholesale, you now have certainty of when you are going to receive stock and how much you will have to pay for it. The best way to find wholesalers is to use a directory. Directories remove the risk of dealing with illegitimate wholesalers and give you some peace of mind when dealing with wholesalers and manufacturers from China. Wholesalers should be the mainstay behind your product sourcing.

2. Clearance stores

At certain times of the year, most major stores will have a stock clear-out sale. Some of these sales give you the opportunity to buy goods 50% or more below the regular retail value. This can be a fantastic opportunity to find items to sell - or replenish your stocks. Good clearance sales can be equal to or even below a good wholesale price. Don't forget to overlook small hobby shops in your area with clearance sales either. If you know the store is going to have clearance sales regularly, then this can be one method of getting stock.

3. Liquidation sales

Liquidation sales are a fantastic way of finding brand-name items at enormous discounts. Check your newspapers and look for sales in your area. Before buying from a liquidator check to see why the goods are being sold. Most of the time liquidation sales take place for legitimate reasons such as company bankruptcy, store relocation and so on. However, it always pays to check as you don't want to end up with a pile of stock you can't shift. Another thing - don't bother with liquidation stock that is outside the scope of your business. There is no point buying liquidation bicycle equipment just because it's cheap when you only sell jewelry.

Alternatively, you can find liquidation sites on the Internet. These sites make it extremely easy to buy liquidation, particularly if you live in an outlying area. One thing - just make sure that the possibility of damaged stock and used or returned items included in the lots is small or non-existent.

Liquidation sales are a great way to supplement your stock, but they can't be relied upon to restock the shelves.

4. Garage Sales

Garage sales can be a great opportunity to pick up potentially valuable items selling for pennies. However, they do require a regular time commitment and a lot of patience! You'll quite likely travel around 5-8 sales before you find anything suitable. Going around garage sales requires planning and rising early. The best idea is to look through the morning papers as soon as they arrive. Plan your route to make most efficient use of your time so that you are not doubling back. Make a list of items you would like to find and the maximum amount you would pay to make a profit. And finally, don't forget to take cash! Take small bills and some change as most garage sale owners only have a small amount on hand. It's a waste of everyone's time if you have to race down to the ATM machine. Garage sales can be useful sources, but they rely on luck and have a high time cost per item. Thus, serious sellers don't rely on garage sales as their sole provider.

5. Estate sales

Estate sales can be a goldmine for anyone selling jewelry, vintage clothing, books, furniture and so on. Once again, you need to have an idea of how much you can afford to spend before you go. Don't forget to buy items your customers would like, rather simply getting caught up in your own enthusiasm for what is for sale. Note that estate sales run by an agent are unlikely to garner the same bargains as one run by the family.

No.1 Products To Sell Online

Wholesale Secrets Revealed

Written by David Davenport - All Rights Reserved

Any seller serious about creating a long-lasting profitable business will realize the importance of finding a good wholesale source.

Unfortunately, it isn't the super-quick task most people would like it to be. Wholesalers aren't exactly squabbling over sellers; indeed, most don't make any effort at all to attract small to medium size businesses. Why? Because they are doing just fine selling to large retail stores with multi-million dollar orders.

So how does anyone find a good wholesaler then? The key is to do a lot of research. Begin with keyword searches in search engines using 'wholesale' in front of or after the name of the product you are looking for. Remember that there is usually more than one way of referring to a product. While you may be searching for 'throws', the wholesaler may be listing them as 'blankets', 'covers', and 'home decor blankets'. Or they may even refer to them by the name of the fabric they are made out of.

Ebay can provide some fabulous wholesale buys also. In fact, there is an entire category dedicated solely to wholesale lots! Just search for the product you are looking for with the keyword 'wholesale' or 'lot' in the search string.

If you still can't find what you are looking for, then try an online wholesale directory. Directories take a lot of the leg work out of finding suppliers. Good directories will thoroughly research all the contacts they recommend, removing the risk that you'll end up dealing with a fraudster. While directories don't automatically point you to the best supplier with the lowest prices for your item, it will give you a starting point.

Another way of finding wholesale suppliers is by contacting the manufacturer directly for the product you are interested in selling and asking them who their wholesale distributors are. This is a slightly scary option (particularly if the manufacturer is in a non-English speaking country!), but it can be extremely beneficial in the long term.

If you live in a big city, tradeshows are possibly one of the best ways to make wholesale contacts. A trade show is where related industries gather to showcase their products to potential buyers. Trade shows are not open to the general public, only to other businesses. Not only can you sample the quality of the product at a trade show, you can also talk directly to the manufacturer or product creator! Just make sure you come prepared and don't waste their time with questions you could have found out by reading the brochure!

Finally, it's important to realize that most wholesalers adjust the price per unit according to the order of the quantity. For example, throws might be $10/unit for an order of 15-30, $9/unit for 30-50, and so on. This means that as a small business, you might not be able to get the prices you were hoping for at first. It also explains why eBay powersellers are sometimes able to retail items for prices below your wholesale price. Once again, this emphasizes the importance of establishing a niche where there is less competition.

To find out more about wholesale supplies and making a living selling goods online, please click here: Wholesale Supplier resources.