1. Learn to Look Up Comps!
The biggest mistake I see most resellers make is not knowing how to properly look up completed listings (or just as common, being too lazy to do so). eBay’s completed listings need to become your best friend while sourcing. If it’s not something you’ve sold multiple times, you better be looking at sold listings. On the eBay app you’re going to look up the item, hit “filter” and then scroll to “sold items” and turn that setting on. Start looking up comps on everything to get a feel for it and to get better at using the right search keywords. For instance, I usually type in the brand, the item, and the material (“Citron silk blouse”). If you don’t look up what similar things have sold for in the past, you are likely to pick up trash and then price that trash too high for it to ever sell.
2. Take a Lot of Good Photos
I know personally when I’m buying something used online, if it only has two or three bad photos, I’ll usually scroll past even if it’s at a good price. You want to give your buyers as many high quality photos in good lighting that you can. In addition to showing condition well, eBay’s algorithm heavily favors listings with a lot of photos. Take pictures of the label, the content tags, any flaws or logos. Also, it is a good idea to take pictures of your items with a solid background. It looks more professional than a cluttered background and you give your buyer confidence that you are a professional.
3. Set Sourcing and Listing Goals
It is nearly impossible to hit a target that you cannot see. So set a target and you’ll at least have a chance. Everybody’s goals will differ but that’s not the point. The point is to set a goal so you have a defined point to move towards and will know when you are making progress and when you are failing. If you don’t set goals you will most likely make little to no progress at reselling and will make about enough to get by every month. You will look and your bank account will be the same, month after month, year after year. Decide how much you want to source a month and how much you want to list. Then split it up into weeks and then into days.
4. Follow People Doing Better Than You
Overall it’s probably not a good thing to compare yourself to others for a myriad of reasons. However, when someone is doing better than you at something that you do, you see what’s possible for you. If you sell used clothing on eBay and make $1,000 a month but see someone on Instagram who makes $20,000 a month selling used clothes, you realize that you could be making 20x more if you just gain the knowledge that they have or implement the routines that they do. YouTube and Instagram are filled with reseller giving out free information. Follow them to learn about what brands and items they have success with.
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