Used products can be great sellers, depending on what you sell. Not every used product is a good seller and most used products are hard to sell. Because every one wants NEW stuff and used products usually don't come with a guarantee. You need to sell stuff that keeps its value over time. Watches, jewelry, antiques and collectibles are examples of things that keep their value very well.
Some used electronics and even clothing can also be good sellers, as long as they’re relatively new. A camcorder that is only one year old and is in good condition will always sell. A 20 year old stereo with scratches and cracks won't. I f you are going to sell used products that don't keep their value very well (electronics, shoes, food?) you should sell relatively young products that are good sellers.
Camcorders, DVD players, MP3 players, designer clothing etc. etc. I n other words if you are selling stuff like electronics, clothing, accessories and other stuff that doesn't keep its value very well. You should sell stuff that is relatively new and is somewhat "hot".
If you are going to sell stuff that keeps its value well than sell stuff like watches, jewelry, collectibles, antiques and unique items. Unique items sell good because they are interesting and rare, the age sometimes adds to the value just like in collectibles. USED products advantages:
- Used products are extremely cheap, especially when bought in bulk. Unlike new products, used ones don't have a concrete value. The value is usually either guessed or whatever someone will pay. This is a great advantage because sometimes you will be able to buy a product for just a fraction of what it will go for on eBay.
- You can make the products come to you, instead of gong to the supplier. You can run ads in newspapers and have a website that says you buy used stuff (the stuff you want to buy), so if you want to buy bikes simply say "I buy used bicycles". This way you are also in the driver's seat, you decide what you want to pay!
- Used products can be easier to get your hands on than new ones. While new products are easier to find a supplier for, used products can be easier to actually buy for resale. You don't need a tax ID, you don't need lots of money and you can make the product come to you!
- You can find great items to sell at garage sales, estate auctions, flea markets and thrift stores. Eric used to make decent money on eBay by buying silverware and other such items at thrift stores for dirt cheap, and selling them on ebay for over 1000% profit in many cases.
USED products disadvantages:
- Used products are not NEW. When most people buy something they want it to be brand new, they want a guarantee, they want to be the first ones to lay their hands on what they bought, they want that "new smell". If you are selling a used product, there is no "new smell".
- Used products are usually at least one year old and sometimes they are outdated. To some people an outdated product is useless, they want the latest model.
- There are tons of people selling used stuff on eBay, and many of those people are PowerSellers. If you do decide to sell used products, I and many PowerSellers recommend that you sell something that holds its value very well.
- If you’re going to go the garage sale/thrift store/flea market route, it takes a lot of TIME. If you enjoy treasure hunting then this could be a fun and relaxing option for you, but it’s probably not going to make you filthy rich because you will always be limited by time.
Next we’ll look at refurbished products…