One of the top questions I and many of the other eBay consultants from around the world get is around the topic of Product Sourcing. On Saturday I had a meeting with a client and he and his girl friend new exactly the type they would be selling and where they were doing their product sourcing, you see they had a plan, and it will be a privilege to watch them grow their plan out on eBay.

Then a short while later while having a casual chat with a couple of people, that famous quote came up…..”So what’s the hot product I should be selling on eBay”…….I just smiled and said well if I knew, I and many others would be selling it. All products are hot, some for a short life time and others for a much longer one and in some cases many years…….cars, TV’s spring to mind for these long term products.

So you want to know all about the latest and greatest in the world of New and Hot products……….is so get yourself along to the Trade Only Spring Fair at the NEC in Birmingham, The Spring Fair is backed with items for the Gift and related trade. There are thousands upon thousands of trade stand selling everything from a humble card through to diamond rings. There are Traders from all over the world hoping that their product will be hot and you will take some and run with them.

The Spring Fair is attend by the small trader who works from home selling items on eBay and Amazon, through to shops and then to TV shopping channels and large multi-retailer buying groups. Each one is there to product source for their business and each have there own budgets from a few hundred pounds to many millions. But we all have a common goal with the products we source….we need them to sell and make us profits.

So if you like in the Uk or fancy a trip here pop along to the NEC the show is on Monday to Thursday (6th February -  9th February), and get product sourcing

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As we continue to look at product sourcing for your eBay and Amazon business one of the areas that I like to cover with a client is look at the major holiday’s and events that happen throughout the year. As we have discussed before product sourcing has to become the life blood of your business, and you must always be thinking ahead of what events and holidays that are happening in the up and coming months.

An event that is coming up very fast is Valentines Day, we still have sometime left to buy products and list them on eBay, but we should have been sourcing and listing back in December just after Christmas.

But I want you to just think outside the box for a bit. Around Valentines Day a lot of men are buying a gift for that special lady in their lives. But very often men get stuck on what to buy…..so in the descriptions help the men with the shopping experience and then for an extra cost – (Here is where we think out side the box…….use multi variation listing format and offer different types of gift wrapping service).

Men will love this, so will the ladies but a lot of men cannot wrap a present up…….offer this service and what the orders come in and with this watch the profits come in too.

So what types of Products can you source to sell on eBay :

Perfume
Aftershave
Clothing
Chocolates
Handbags
Books
Rings
Bracelets
Lingerie
Presents a loved one would like 

Then of course you have the industry standards not only for Valentines Day, but for presents every day of the week.

Candles
Make-Up
Flowers
Scarves
Gloves

One of the big issues is buying presents for the men in peoples lives, but we are product sourcing guru’s now. Men love :

Books
Sporting Items
Games
Electronic items
Gadgets

As we bring this product sourcing article for Valentines Day to a close, remember that the whole time we need to be sourcing items that are easy to ship, and there is a good profit margin in there. Please do not get caught out with a great looking product and buying it and then finding there is no profit margin there.

So get going and Happy Product Sourcing.

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Well today after spending sometime with one of my eBay Consulting clients I visited a few of the local charity shops and bought some items which I will be adding to my inventory. I shall be adding a new section to this blog of items I have either bought or sourced and what how well they have done on eBay.

As I have mentioned before I business relies on product sourcing and then sourcing the products at the right price. Yes it all comes down to the products and the right price (and selling them on the right platform, the place where the buyers are)

Today I spent around £50.00 on items, and once they have been listed and they have sold I will do a post and tell you all how they have done. But from time to time I will also do some live postings and show you how and why I chose an item to sell.

If you have sourced any items good or bad please share them with us over the coming days and weeks.

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Product Sourcing is one of the common questions I get asked time after time. And I have covered it a few times in my blog, but it is a topic I love to talk about and as a seller online (and for those who sell offline)  it is one of the most important items that you need to be doing all the time. If you stop product sourcing then after a time you will have run out of stock and ideas for new lines and products.

So what is product sourcing ?

Product Sourcing is simply going out and doing research in the field (This can also be done online or looking at newspapers and magazines) but getting out there and visiting trade shows, charity shops, thrift stores, antique malls and stores to name just a few. Of course if you only sell new items then you will need to do your product sourcing at Trade Shows. But if you are one of those traders who sells anything, then have an open mind and soon you will see products that you can sell all over the place.  So Product Sourcing is finding new products and product lines to sell in your eBay shop or Amazon FBA.

How to do Product Sourcing

Simply get out there and go places. Carry a note book or smart phone where you can note down what the product is, the maker or importer and price. Yes you can make other notes but those are the main ones. When you come home just do a Google search for the product and make enquires and if you like what you hear buy some product and see how it goes. Be-careful and do not buy too much stock, the last thing you want is to have stock that does not sell. Just tell the import or maker of the item that you are looking to test the item, but if it sells you will be back for more. Always be honest with these people and they will be honest with you.

Another thing you can do is source products from other countries, yes this takes a bit longer and takes your product sourcing to another level, but the returns can be well worth it.  I will be offering a product sourcing business to my friends who live outside the UK, if this is something that will interest you please get in touch by sending me an email to info”myauctionempires.com  and put Product Sourcing in the subject part.

So what are you waiting for, put your product sourcing hat on and get out there and start product sourcing and looking for new products and ideas for your business.

Andrew Milburn is an eBay and Amazon Consultant based in the UK.

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While out shopping today, I saw a product that could have been a good money earner if I was in the market for a new niche, but if you have been following me recently you will know I have a large amount of stock that I am selling over at Linford Direct Auctions.

I passed a shop that was selling liquidated stock, they were part of a chain and were one of the last shops to stay open and were selling off all the stock from the other shops and warehouse. So yes there would have been a load of no good items, with some hot items added in there.

Well there in the front of the store was a very large pallet of Helix Maths Sets, with a retail price of £4.99 and they were selling them for only 49p each. Yes these were all in their tins and boxes and on a closer look they seem in new condition, because they still brand new.

And if you hop on over to

they are selling for a price of £4.99, some with free shipping and some with postage costs on top.

Now before you go and source these items, you need to remember these items are basically for school kids, and schools and Universities are back in session and have been for some time. So while there is a demand for this product, the peak has really passed until the next start of term.

Now if I had seen this deal in the summer, I would have spend some money. For an example I could have spend £10.00 and bought 20 items, and flipped them on eBay for £4.99 each and after fees and postage would make around £2.99, times that by the 20 items and I would have made £60.00 profit. Not a bad return, well in my book it is not. Yes I know I did not buy today, but I might when I am back in town, just for a bit of fun and report my findings here.

So keep your eyes and ears open, and take advantage when you can.

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If you want to start an online jewellery business, then a site such as eBay is the best place that you can start. On eBay you can learn the ropes and also learn what sells and what does not sell. Plus you have the ready made traffic that eBay can bring to the site and this in turn can bring people to the items you are selling.

• Tip One – You need to find a source to buy your items from, this is the same step that anyone needs to take when looking to sell items online, but when you are dealing in Jewellery there is another factor that you need to think about and that is do you sell new jewellery or do we sell second-hand / antique items. If you are going to buy new then you need to look for jewellery wholesalers – these can be found in places such as the Yellow Pages, doing a search on Google or by going to a site such as WorldWide Brands. WorldWide Brands was set up many years ago to help people source products to sell on and off line. These people check out all the suppliers and they have to meet guidelines before they are listed in the directory. Worldwide Brands is a paid for service, but it is well worth the money for what you get..
  If you are going to be selling second-hand and antique jewellery then you will need to visit car boot sales, garage sales, antique fairs and shows, and also run adverts in newspapers.
• Tip Two – When you are buying jewellery you also need to be on the look out that you are not buying fake items. If you are dealing in the low end costume jewellery side of the business then this is not really a problem. The problems arise when you go into the middle to high end part of the business. You need to know the difference between real and “Fake” items. And even some of the top jewellery buyers are caught out from time to time, so as a new person you need to be careful. You need to make sure you are buying from a real business – go and visit them take a look around, ask questions and do your research.
  And if you get a phone call offering you some pieces of jewellery at silly prices and they ask you to meet them in some bar – decline the offer as chances are they could be stolen.
• Tip Three – Get to know the terms that jewellery wholesalers and the customers you sell to use. Know the differences between gold plated and gold, if you do not know these simples terms it could cost you your business.
• Tip Four – Start small and then build your business up, step by step, get to know what your customers (clients if you are selling high end items) want and like. And if you are wondering do people buy £10,000 diamond items online, the answer is yes, and people have spent far more than that.

Have fun, spend time visiting wholesalers and trade shows. Also you will need to keep an eye on the fashion trends and be sensible do not rush in and buy the first items you see do the research.

Andrew Milburn is an eBay Consultant based in the UK

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Have you ever been at that sale and just wished you had an expert there right beside you or just sitting in your pocket ready and willing to whisper those tricks of the trade or what to look out for when you are about to buy something ? Well the time for that is almost here, Janelle Elms has brought together a whole team of people and together they have pooled their resources and produced what is known as “Home Run Guides”  And the first one of the series is about to be launched any week now. 

Now before we get into what this guide is, I want to say what it is not. It is not some fancy app, that you need to scan to see what the product, nor is it some fancy program that sits on your phone or computer. No this is an e-book (With a special edition for your phone), and this e-book has been written by people who walk the talk. These are experts in their niche, who over time have proved themselves that they know what they are talking about. They buy and sell on a daily basis in the niches they are talking about, and also Janelle Elms has made sure these people are the real deal.

In the first e-book you will get around 90 people talking about what to look for when you are out and about on product sourcing trips in your local community. And each guide is around 2 pages long so you will have an e-book that you can read on your computer, phone or print out that will be in the region of around 200 pages give or take a few either way. And remember that this is the first of many books in the series.

Within each guide you will be shown examples what to look for and along with this you will be told and also shown by pictures the things you need to be aware of when out on a buying trip.

To give you an example of what you could be learning about if you invest in a copy of the Home Run Guide 

• Kitchen Knives
• Books
• Starbucks  Mugs
• Tennis Items
• Flat Ware
• Power Tools
• Shoes
• And many, many more items

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A question that I am asked on a regular basis is, Please give me some Product Sourcing Hints And Tips. Now that question or statement can be as quick or as long as you like, and it can be as simple and as complex as you like too. But something to remember about product sourcing it is not something that you do once in a while when you need something to sell. It is a lifestyle……………….it will become something that you do on a daily basis, maybe not buying items. But as you go around doing things in your life you will start to see products and ideas that you can look into to buy to resell.

When you are out and about sourcing products, try and think unbranded item, especially if dealing with new items – if you only sell collectibles then this is very different, and will be covered in other articles.

So let’s say you are out shopping and see the latest iPod, then you hear from family and friends this is the latest hot item………….Yes if you go through the huge Apple process of being approved and the finding the money for stock, then months later your stock arrives and you may then sell them at a set price in a set way.

But keep that iPod in your mind. You go online and go to a site such as Alibaba and look for an unbranded MP3 player that does the same things as the branded one does, and thinking about sourcing it from China etc. No interviews to go through, no large amounts, you can buy as few as 1 to test the market. You can sell at any price you like…………which means your profit will be higher. Simple and fun.

Always be on the lookout for those opportunities……………………You are out and about shopping and see a cool gadget that you think will sell. Look on the box and quite often you will see imported by or distributed by XYZ Company. Make a note and when you get home give them a ring or drop them an email. Worst case they will say no.

Other times you may need to put on that detective hat when out and about…………for example for ages I was looking for a supplier of books that I knew sold well but was drawing a blank on where to source them.  Then one day many months later I was in a bookshop minding my own business, buy a book for a present. There was just one girl working and she was having to stock shelves and serve. Anyway because of that there were some boxes lying around the place with items in.

And it was there in that shop that my months of trying to find the source came to an end…………In big letters on the box was the name of the supplier that I had needed. Not only the name but website too. Once home I went online and 10 minutes later, I had an account open at the largest media supplier in the world.

Would I have found the company…………….in the end maybe, but like I mentioned at the start of the article product sourcing is a lifestyle and you need to be doing it on a daily basis, and once you get to grips with it, products will be jumping out at you left right and centre. Hope you enjoyed this product sourcing hints.

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant based in Lichfield Staffordshire

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You may be thinking what a funny title “Does Halloween Make Money”, and before you get into a debate about the rights and wrongs on the ethics on Halloween, you need to understand one thing, Halloween does make money and a lot of money at that. Halloween is mega spend for people all over the world, and if we look at figures around $5.8 Billion dollars was spent by Americans alone. Yes you did read that right $5.8 Billion, so does Halloween make money?

Other stats that came out 2 out 5 Americans will buy a new costume, and then there are the sweets, lights decorations, food, costumes for pets. People go mad at this time of year and as long as you have the marketing correct and the stock online at the right time you can make money from Halloween.

(We also need to remember this multi-billion dollar turn over is small compared with the Thanksgiving and the up and coming Holiday season after that.) And all the figures are on track to be bigger and better this year.

So How Do You Make Money From Halloween

@ To start with you need to be prepared, you need a plan or Road Map To Success. Start today if you want to be part of this crazy money making day and remember it really is just one day or a few days if it is at the weekend.

@ Talk with suppliers and either buy in stock or arrange a drop-shipping plan. But a word of warning with drop-shipping around that time period, suppliers will run out of items and this could leave you with buyers and no stock, so you will need to have back up plans if you can.

@ Also try and not and buy too much stock as again most fancy dress items sell all year only some sell at that time of year. And as long as it is not food it will last till the next year.

@ Make sure you have all the postage and packing items that you will need. At this time of year speed is what’s needed, people want an outfit or gift delivered within days for the party they are having or attending.

@ Do your research, make sure you price the items right, offer free shipping and by doing this you will find Halloween does make money.

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant Based In Lichfield

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Finding niche products should always be at the front of your mind. Everyday you need to be thinking what product line can I add to my shop, or how can I build a deeper inventory of stock. Finding Niche products when you first start doing product sourcing can be hard, but once you have done it for a few times will you find it get’s easier and easier.

How To Find Niche Products

This is one area that people sadly very often get stuck on. They think it is a science or a closely guarded secret, now while some of the guru’s out there get you to think this way, it is in fact a very easy thing to do. You just need to have your product sourcing head on. There are many different ways of find products to stock your eBay shop and many courses and books have been written about it, but for this article let’s keep it very simple.

@ Carry with you a finding niche product sourcing note book. This can be paper and pen, or nowadays with the modern phones you can use one of the many apps that there are out there. A popular is called evernote.

@ When you are out and about and see a product that you like the look of make a note of the where you saw it, the name, manufactors name and the price. This will help you when you start to look for wholesalers.

@ Look in consumer magazines, and make notes of old products and also of new products that are about to come out. A good tip try and get hold of some overseas magazines and see what products they are talking about. Maybe you can get hold of a product from overseas and be the sole supplier for a time. Yes anyone can do it, you just need to be ahead of the game. Magazines are a great source for finding niche products.

@ Talk with family and friends, ask them what they like doing, wearing, playing and eating.

@ Listen to the TV and radio with a new set of ears. You need your finding niche product ears on. You will hear reporters talking about products and new product launches all the time. Make notes and do some research

@ Lastly in this article visit both Trade and consumer shows. These are a must have tool in finding niche products for your eBay business, and at the end of the day you will come away with many hundreds of ideas, enough to keep your eBay business going many years.

Good luck in your new venture in finding niche products.

Andrew Milburn is an eBay consultant based in Lichfield in the UK.

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