The Ebay Entrepreneur

VHS is Dead… Or is it?

by Tristen OBrien on October 24, 2011

Are VHS Tapes old news? It seems as if they quickly died in the 1990′s when the DVD was released. Recently, my family came to visit me and they brought old VHS home movies for us to watch. I didn’t even realize that I don’t own a VHS player that worked. We had to go out to Goodwill and buy another ($5) just so we could watch the videos. With that said, most people think that VHS movies are dead, but in reality, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

There are many niches of VHS tapes that still sell well, but today I want to focus on ZOMBIE movies! For some reason, Zombie movies are more hot today than ever. There are whole fan clubs dedicated to them, and sadly, there are real people who think they are zombies. Thrift Stores, Garage Sales, and many more outlets are selling VHS movies between .50 cents and $2. The VHS movies move slowly, so they are priced to sell. Zombie VHS movies are making a nice come back. Buyers are looking for original zombie VHS tapes with the original case. Here are some completed listings:

Not all Zombie VHS movies are treated the same. Of course there are some highly sought after movies, and here are some to look out for:

The Astro Zombie
Beyond the living Dead
Return of the Zombies
The Video Dead
Oasis of the Zombie
Children shouldnt play with dead things

That is just a short list of good selling Zombie VHS movies, but not all Zombie movies do great. Make sure you are checking the completed listings on eBay before you buy.

For more eBay tips and tricks, follow The Ebay Entrepreneur Blog HERE

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The eBay System To Making The Money You Need

by Tristen OBrien on October 21, 2011

Selling on eBay can be awesome and scary at the same time. Its always exciting to see someone buy something from you, and of course you get the fulfillment of running your own business. However, it can be scary if you are relying on eBay to pay your bills. Here is the good news! There is a system that you can follow that will help you meet your goal. Its really eBay business 101, but it is often looked over, and it took me awhile to see it.

I remember those feelings when I first started to sell on eBay. I would come back home after a nice day of shopping at Thrift Stores or other retailers, and if I didn’t sell anything while I was gone I felt discouraged. Matter of fact, I was so discouraged, that I didn’t even want to list the items I just brought back. I was selling roughly 55 percent of my inventory the first time I listed them, but the others I had to relist. At the time I only had around 50 items listed, so I was selling 28 items. This was not enough for me to pay my bills. Not even close, but a light bulb went off (ding!). To make more money I needed to list more items (duh)! Seems simple enough, but I really realized then that eBay is a numbers game! If I wanted to hit my goals, I needed to sell 55 percent of 300 items, not 50!

Here is how I break it down, and we will use clothes for this example:

I knew that I could make $13 average on either a shirt or a pair of pants from a thrift store
For an example we will say I needed $1,000 for my mortgage
I took $13 / $1,000 = 76 clothing items sold
Knowing that only 55% of my items sell, I take 76 x 1.55% = 117
117 Shirts or Pants need to be listed for me to hit my goal

I don’t have to sell all 117, but I have to list them for me to hit my goal of $1,000. Now, I will mention that I re-list the unsold shirts. If they do not sell the second time, then they are returned. Most of the time I have the same percentage rate with the second round of listings.

No matter what you are selling, eBay is a numbers game. You could be selling photos, cookies, shirts, shoes, electronics, or a mixture of everything, but you still must play the numbers game. The percentage is going to be different for everyone, so keep track of your listings and what you have sold. Lose the fear of not hitting your goal, and start to equate what you need to list to make the money you need.

For more eBay tips and tricks, Follow The Ebay Entrepreneur Blog HERE

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The Thrift Stores Unsung Hero

by Tristen OBrien on October 20, 2011

With summer changing into fall and then winter, I have started to transition into selling weather appropriate clothing. Button Down Shirts, Sweaters, and of course Pants. Pants seem to be a great seller on eBay, and they bring in a decent profit. Just like short sleeved shirts or Polo’s, buying pants is something that can be expensive in stores, so consumers are turning to eBay.

I was actually looking through the jean section at Goodwill when I came across a pair of jeans that I have never seen before. They had skulls all over them, the Fleur-de -lis logo on the back pockets, and it looked like it was trimmed with shiny jewels. The brand was Laguna Beach jeans. This may be a popular brand outside of where I live, but this was the first time I have ever heard of it. At my Goodwill jeans are $4, but this happened to be the color of the week, which made it only $2. I quickly looked up this brand on eBay’s completed listings, and saw that the exact same pair had sold for $60!

Those are a great seller, but don’t forget about dress pants. Dress pants are expensive in stores, so you can make a decent amount selling them on eBay. I have had success selling brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Banana Republic, and even no name brands if they are goofy. Here are some completed listings of pants that I have found:

Obviously these are not Home Runs, but they are a great Single. They usually bring in around $15 – $20, and at Thrift Stores you should be able to buy them for under $5. Even if you can sell just one pair a day, that is $450 before fees! That could be a car payment! Look for brand name pants at Thrift Stores, Garage Sales, or any other used clothing outlet!