How do eBay sellers get their products?

[Henrywrites]

When you check on eBay, you get to see a lot of people selling items there. I have been wondering how they get those products in order to be able to sell it at cheaper rates? Is anyone with an idea about it?

 

[Darth Cognus]

Make friends for discounts or access or look upstream, unless you happen to have an endless supply of things stowed in your basement or something - and hey, plenty of mom and pop sellers like that. Some are just fronts for upstream stores though.

 

[desbest]

I'm sure they would consider that a trade secret! 🤪

Well they're surely not using alibaba or doba as dropshipping is saturated, let alone wholesalers.

 

[Cory]

I've sold 400+ items on eBay and most of the products were Yu-Gi-Oh TCG cards. I know I've spent a lot more on the TCG than I've made, but it's always nice to have that extra cushion of money when you sell them in the future. I've pulled and bought high-dollar cards. I used to own a card worth thousands now, but I traded it away when I was young and knew very little about values. Now, those sellers that have thousands upon thousands of feedback for selling such items that you're likely referring to, I have no idea what their secrets are.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I'm sure a lot of it either comes from their own collection, or they go around to garage sales/thrift stores and end up reselling the things they buy from those places. One of my coworkers got most of the things he sells on eBay from facebook market place as well, also Goodwill.

 

[Cory]

Or, they purchase stuff on eBay to re-sell on eBay.

The resale cycle is never-ending. If you found yourself a bargain, you may as well hit the jackpot.

 

[Shortie]

I believe a lot of the selling is done through dropshipping which seems to be the most common. You will on the odd occasion find someone selling something they have themselves and I have seen people purchase from eBay and then resell to make a profit.

I have looked into dropshipping myself in the past but never gotten into it.

 

[Henrywrites]

Or, they purchase stuff on eBay to re-sell on eBay.

The resale cycle is never-ending. If you found yourself a bargain, you may as well hit the jackpot.

If they do this, how do they end up making a profit at the end of the day? I mean, they are literally buying what they are selling on eBay, right?

 

[Shortie]

If they do this, how do they end up making a profit at the end of the day? I mean, they are literally buying what they are selling on eBay, right?

This is very true. I have noticed that some tend to buy things and sell them for more to make a profit without making any changes at all as they know someone will buy it, some tend to do up and clean up what they buy or even fix it and then sell it.

It's crazy but I guess if it works, people will do it.

 

[Smokey]

If people have say video game stores on ebay, a lot of them go to game conventions, they buy up game lots for pennies on the dollar, then flip them on ebay for a profit. I know someone who subscribes to Video Games Monthly every month, keeps the games he wants, then puts the ones he doesn't want for his own collection on ebay to sell.

 

[Nomad]

If they are selling used items, they get those products from garage sales or thrift shops. In case you are talking about new items, they are either sellers from China, and if not, they out course from Chinese company. Go and check B2B marketplaces like Alibaba, Made in China, and you will see how cheap products are on these sites.

 

[Spartan]

A lot of people go to garage sales and bargain bin sales and sell the stuff on eBay.

 

[Heatman]

If they do this, how do they end up making a profit at the end of the day? I mean, they are literally buying what they are selling on eBay, right?

It's called Upselling! When you buy at at paticularly price and wait for the products to go out of stock on ebay completely, then you list your own at an increased price. It's how they make their profit.

 

[Henrywrites]

It's called Upselling! When you buy at at paticularly price and wait for the products to go out of stock on ebay completely, then you list your own at an increased price. It's how they make their profit.

Thank you for making this explanation. So, I believe that they target a particular time for fixing their own price in order to make money. I will look out for that.

 

[Heatman]

Thank you for making this explanation. So, I believe that they target a particular time for fixing their own price in order to make money. I will look out for that.

What they target is the stock of other sellers of the same products on the platform. When they find out no other seller have the same item available in stock, that's when they will list their own available for sale at an increased price.

 

[Henrywrites]

What they target is the stock of other sellers of the same products on the platform. When they find out no other seller have the same item available in stock, that's when they will list their own available for sale at an increased price.

That's a smart move. It means that they always stay patient while focusing on getting the right time to launch their own products.

 

[Heatman]

That's a smart move. It means that they always stay patient while focusing on getting the right time to launch their own products.

Yeah, that's very sure how it works for just about most of them who are using ebay to upsell whatever they have kept in stock for a long time until it goes out of stock on ebay and some other online stores.