Buying new products; listing year round!

Last fall when I came home with about 30 pairs of white maternity jeans and pants, all new and purchased from a chain store, my husband gave me a look.  I of course, ignored the look because after all, I think I know what I can sell!

What he was thinking was legitimate though.  The summer was coming to an end and people were looking for fall clothes, not summer. 

My thinking was:

1. Maternity clothes are difficult to come by for expectant moms.
2. The price was right.
3. It’s summer somewhere!

It doesn't necessarily matter what season the item is.  What does matter is demand for that item. I have no regrets about my mass purchase.  In fact, I went back and bought more when I started selling them right away, both domestically and internationally.  I was also able to use multi-variation listing and save myself on fees.

This past January I did just the same thing.  I went again and purchased about 6 down coats and sold them within a month.  The price was a little steeper, but I still made a nice profit.  More importantly on this purchase, I was confidant that I would sell quickly because the market was not saturated with this product.

I sell mostly children’s clothes, but is it any wonder why my top performing category is maternity?  I took advantage of the timing of a sale(s) and demand for items and it has paid off.

Deciding whether or not to make a big purchase for resale demands a few questions. 

Can I sell these; what does the market say?

How long will it take to sell?

What is my target market?

What is my price point and mark up?

Am I willing to sit on this inventory?

Answers to those questions take research and requires that you follow trends.  Personally, I don’t purchase items that I don’t think will sell in a reasonable amount of time.  I don’t want to have too much money hanging out there in inventory; I need items to move quickly.

I know many of my fellow eBay sellers generally shop at thrift stores.  But if the timing and opportunity is right, you can do very well making new purchases!

If you want to learn more about sourcing products to resell online; join our discussion group eBay Underground on Facebook!