Other shops to consider for finding things to sell on eBay: outlets, which are becoming increasingly popular in some areas of the country, especially the suburbs. If you find a great deal in an upscale outlet and you think you can turn it around on eBay for a profit, go for it. Just make sure you have a reasonable idea of what that sort of merchandise goes for on the site.
I recommend sticking with certain categories and brands so you become an expert in your niche as to what things sell for. For example, I am a big fan of Coach brand handbags, and I have a good sense of what they resell for. (You might be surprised at what such a handbag can fetch, even with some wear and tear! I have seen some ragged looking purses at consignment shops for upwards of $60.).
Do you live near an outlet store, or even frequent a store that regularly marks down merchandise? Troll that store every time you go for great deals you can turn around and resell on eBay.
For example, I live near a Banana Republic store. In the downstairs part of the store, they have a section where they mark down merchandise that is getting out-of-season or that perhaps just didn’t sell well. Last time I went, I found several fabulous black cotton “chunky” sleeveless sweaters…which originally were priced at $58.99 but were marked down to just $9.99! Now that’s a deal!
You can find discounts as high as 90% off, with such things as off-season merchandise or year-old goods. But be careful…not all merchandise at discount stores or outlets is a great deal. With one type of store at outlet malls, factory stores, goods are sold at close to retail prices. “Markdowns are no better than department store sales,” says “Queen of Bargains” Jill Kamp.
She notes that at a Saks outlet store in Leesburg, Virginia, there’s a sale section where discounts range from 40% to 70%, even on major designer items from Valentino, Calvin Klein, Gucci, etc. Kamp made one particular gem of a find: “a Randy Kemper orchid-colored, petite, cashmere cardigan sweater reduced from $225 to $37.95. Perfect.”
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