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6 Awesome Things to Sell on eBay for Profit

11 min read

If you’ve been considering selling online, eBay has probably been on your radar. eBay is a virtual marketplace with more than 180 million users. So if you’re looking for a way to reach a large customer base, it might be the perfect solution for you.

Keep reading to get the scoop on our list of the top six things to sell on eBay for profit.

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Top Six Things to Sell on eBay for Profit

So, you’re ready to start selling things online to make money. Maybe you’ve done this before or maybe you’re new to the virtual marketplace scene. No matter what your experience level is, you can have a successful eBay business. All you need is a little know-how and the determination to succeed.

Let’s jump into our six favorite best things to sell on eBay, and make a profit.

1. Video games

If you have old video games lying around or you have a knack for spotting great deals on used games for resale, you should capitalize on that! Selling video games online is one of the easiest ways to turn a profit in your online store.

Unlike other secondhand items, it’s easy to determine from pictures whether a video game is high-quality. Be sure to take high-resolution images of the front and back of the disk to boost your sales. The most important part of selling online is transparency, so if there are any scratches or other defects, the details should be included in the description of the item.

Video games fall under the “electronics” section of eBays fee schedule. When you make a sale on their platform, there is a cost to sell on eBay. For this sale, the platform takes 8% of orders $50 or less and an additional 5% of any remaining balance that exceeds $50.

2. Health and beauty items

The health and beauty industry made $483 billion in 2020, making it one of the most profitable industries in the world. That means if you’re interested in selling these items online, there’s already a great market for it out there. In fact, health and beauty items are among the best items to sell on eBay.

Using eBay as a platform to connect with interested buyers is a wonderful place to start. First, you’ll need to decide what types of health and beauty items you want to sell. Here are a few ideas for things you can sell in your store:

  • Brushes and accessories
  • Makeup
  • Skincare products
  • Fragrances
  • Bath products
  • Nail care

Getting into selling health and beauty online can be an exciting experience, but you must be mindful of the safety and sanitation of your products. It’s never a good idea to sell secondhand makeup or beauty products since they’re difficult to sanitize. A good rule of thumb is to stick to selling only brand-new products from trusted vendors.

3. Computers and tablets

We live in a time where more people have access to computers and tablets than ever before. These products have taken up a permanent living space in many peoples’ lives. We use technology at work, school, and even at play, meaning that these products are integral to our way of life.

Why not provide an easily-accessible way for people to buy computers and tablets online? eBay is a great place to do it! You can choose to source new products from reliable vendors, or you can opt to sell refurbished computers and tablets.

Refurbished electronics are popular because they offer an excellent way for buyers to purchase high-quality products at a discount. If you choose to go this route, you must put a quality control process in place. This should include testing processes that ensure the products you sell are in good working condition. Otherwise, you’ll risk getting negative feedback, which will hurt the success of your ecommerce store.

4. Clothing, shoes, and accessories

Who doesn’t love a great deal on clothing, shoes, and accessories? Selling essentials like these on eBay for profit is a great way to put some extra money in your pocket. People will never stop needing these items, so you can trust that the industry is solid.

If you need a closet cleanout, consider posting your old clothes on eBay — just make sure they’re in good condition. You can also go shopping at thrift stores, where you can find name-brand clothes for a bargain and mark them up to make a profit. Lastly, you can choose to partner with an apparel vendor and sell new clothes on eBay.

No matter which option you choose, you should remember that presentation is everything. When it comes to selling clothes on eBay, you want to photograph your product in an aesthetically-pleasing way. Taking the extra time to mind the details, like ironing out wrinkles and removing stains, can make a massive impact on your profit margins.

5. Home and garden supplies

If you’re passionate about enhancing living spaces, try selling home and garden supplies on eBay. This category includes items ranging everywhere from wall decor to water hoses to flower pots and more.

Since having an eclectic mix of items in your store can attract a larger audience, choosing this category is a great idea. Your product offerings should reflect a wide range of different styles and aesthetics for the best results.

If you need some direction, referencing current trends in lifestyle magazines and home and garden blogs is a great way to gather inspiration. Remember that home and garden needs differ by the season, and your shop offerings should reflect that. For example, you might list flower pots in the Spring and Christmas-themed wreaths in the Fall.

6. Sporting goods

Did you know that the sporting goods ecommerce industry grossed $17.94 billion in 2020? There’s never been a better time to start selling sporting goods online, and eBay is a great platform to do it on.

If sporting goods pique your interest, you have a few things to consider. First, you’ll need to decide what kinds of sporting goods you want to sell. Do you want to focus on a specific sport, or would you instead create an offering that spans many different sports? You can also choose to offer adult, youth, or a mix of both sizes.

The decisions you make now will impact how you market yourself and your ecommerce shop in the future. Trust us, it’s far easier to make sound decisions from the start than it is to rebrand later. Trust your gut and lean into your passions, and the rest will come naturally.

Make Money Selling Online

So, you’ve decided it’s time to break into the ecommerce space, but you’re not sure where to start, right? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Whether you opt to sell on eBay for profit or choose to make your store, there’s money out there waiting to be made.

Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each option.

Using eBay to make money

Using eBay’s platform for profit online has many benefits. Perhaps the most obvious one is their online reputation. Since they are one of the longest-standing online marketplaces in the world, customers trust their platform.

In addition to trust and reputation, eBay has a user-friendly, tried, and true infrastructure that makes it easy to sell online. Their fee schedule is easy to understand, competitive, and worth the extra fee to connect with their audience. There are multiple options to cash out, so you can even sell on eBay without PayPal.

If you’re wondering how much you can sell on eBay before you pay taxes, the bar is set pretty high. You can make up to $20,000 or complete 200 transactions without paying income taxes on your earnings.

However, any time you utilize a marketplace like eBay to sell online, you could be losing money. Fees may be worth it, but the fact remains that they take money out of your pocket. eBay has strict selling policies that could also limit what you’re allowed to sell online.

Luckily, there’s a better way. If you haven’t considered creating your own online store yet, you should. With Ecwid, you can take advantage of the easiest way to sell online. Our Forever Free plan ensures that you don’t need to spend a penny to get started, and we never charge fees for our essential services.

With Ecwid, you can sell across all of your social media platforms, and we give you all the tools you need to be successful selling online. What are you waiting for? Get started today.

Do you want to learn more about selling on eBay?

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About the author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

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