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So, my wife was thinking of selling on amazon; not to get rich obviously or make 40 - 50k a year. that is not her goal, but maybe an extra 5k - 10k a year of additional income.
Is this possible on amazon/ebay for a new comer? and is that a reasonable/achievable goal?
or is she just wasting her time? We have ideas on what to sell, but its nothing crazy. just basic everyday things.
It's possible. It's easier for people who already have experience selling in an online marketplace, like eBay, but someone who's new to the whole process can succeed.
Amazon has a lot of rules that the unwary may run afoul of, so it's best to view their online selling tutorials before you invest in merchandise. Perhaps most important for a new seller is to understand the fees.
It's possible. It's easier for people who already have experience selling in an online marketplace, like eBay, but someone who's new to the whole process can succeed.
Amazon has a lot of rules that the unwary may run afoul of, so it's best to view their online selling tutorials before you invest in merchandise. Perhaps most important for a new seller is to understand the fees.
This is key, and pertains to fees and other related terms.
Amazon used to have a reputation for treating their third party sellers pretty badly (such as holding your sales revenues for 90 days before giving them to you). I don't know if that's still the case. I sold a lot on ebay a few years ago, but don't any longer. Their entire fee structure has changed since then. Just be aware that both of those sites will side with the buyers over the sellers in almost any dispute, so you will have some shrinkage. Also, you will have to set up an e-payment process. I recommend opening a separate checking account and using it solely for those transactions.
Depending on what you are selling, Etsy also be an alternative.
So, my wife was thinking of selling on amazon; not to get rich obviously or make 40 - 50k a year. that is not her goal, but maybe an extra 5k - 10k a year of additional income.
Is this possible on amazon/ebay for a new comer? and is that a reasonable/achievable goal?
or is she just wasting her time? We have ideas on what to sell, but its nothing crazy. just basic everyday things.
thanks!!
I've been a very small seller on Amazon for a number of years. I only deal with books and audiobooks. Amazon's commissions are very high but there is a great deal of traffic on their site. Large sellers have a clear advantage because of reduced commissions. For example, a large seller can sell a book for $0.01 and make a profit from the $3.99 shipping charge. I could lose money by selling the same book at $4.50 depending on the weight of the book. Shipping on larger books such as textbooks can run over $5-6, but you're only reimbursed 3.99.
Large sellers also get bulk shipping rates from the USPS and can afford cheaper shipping materials.
On my last payment from Amazon, their commissions were over 20% of my sales. To make sales, you have to monitor the competition on a daily basis and adjust your prices accordingly.
Another problem with Amazon is unethical buyers who will return items or demand a refund or discount because they say something is wrong. As far as Amazon is concerned, the buyer is always right. That means they can demand a refund or discount because they ordered the wrong item or changed their mind.
I don't know how selling books compares to the products you're considering selling. Just make sure you understand Amazon's commission structure, their selling policies, and shipping charges. Amazon routinely suspends seller's accounts for violations of their terms and conditions. For example, your account could be suspended because some of your buyers have not received their orders on time. You must respond with a plan of action of how you will correct the issue.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
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It's a lot of work and might involve you investing some startup money. It's a.so extremely competitive now. But the upside can be pretty huge.
Maybe it's easier to buy and sell locally for you. My friend does this buying or getting things cheap or free on nextdoor or Craigslist.
He just got a tennis ball machine for 125 bucks and had to get a battery for it. All in he was 185 bucks and sold it 585. He buys older classic stereos, lawn mowers etc and resells for a profit.
This is very possible. It is very important to follow all of amazon's rules especially for new sellers. Basically assume that you need to sell things for 3 times what you buy them for so it works out like this when you sell it. So if you sell an item for 30.00 you will probably purchase it for about 10.00 hopefully less. you will pay about 10.00 to amazon and you will make about 10.00 in profit more if you purchased it for less. just watch all of amazon's videos and read all their information about being a seller first.
Bad idea unless you have a unique product that has enough demand. The system is designed so manufacturers can sell their own products. It’s not a good place for middlemen.
All I sell are other peoples’ products. Amazon has been very good to me.
The people having the unique products that generate demand are the ones who get screwed. Their “unique” item will be ripped off by Chinese manufacturers in a matter of weeks. No one ever wins a battle with the Chinese.
I sell things that are low enough volume that the Chinese aren’t interested in copying them.
Amazon is not what it used to be ie buy some random product from China slap it up on AMazon and make money. It's gotten somewhat crowded/saturated, Amazon fees are out of control, it takes money to throw into PPC campaigns or giveaways to get your product a good search ranking, BSR score and reviews. Not really worth the time effort or money as a smalltime hustle. AMazon isn't a business in and of itself its a sales channel. For something smalltime eBay or Etsy would probably be beter
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