I get a lot of emails from people who really want to turn their life around. They want to start making money online and they have NO experience, NO clue and NO money.
The first thing I usually suggest is to look around your house, garage, basement, attic, yard, shed, etc and just “find some stuff” and list it on eBay. The absolute EASIEST way to get started making money online is selling on eBay. You don’t need a website, a list, a following or even a clue… at the beginning.
Once a person has sold a few things, and can verify for themselves that it IS possible to make a couple bucks online, then and only then is it time to take things to the next level. And no, the next level is not becoming a “super-premium, diamond, titanium, solid gold” power-seller.
Don’t let the so-called gurus cram that down your throat.
It will only make you want to cry… or bury yourself in a sea of not well planned out inventory. I’ve been in both places, and believe me they both stink!
The next thing is to start thinking about a niche (or two or three) that you might be interested in. In my book Fishing For Niches, I teach you how to find profitable items that you can easily source to sell on eBay. If done “correctly” you can discover what “you don’t know, you don’t know.”
I personally use this method — A LOT.
I’m going to share with you TEN things that you can sell on eBay RIGHT NOW that you can get for FREE. Yep, you read that right… FREE. I am personally selling or have sold several of these myself, so I know from first hand experience it works!
So without further adieu, I’m going to SHARE my list with you! Remember, I didn’t stumble over these because I’m lucky, or smart, or special… (Well, I am those things LOL!) but it was REALLY because I used my methodology to FIND THEM.
1. Coupons
2. Recipes
3. Vintage & Current Catalogs
4. Feathers
5. BROKEN Electronics
6. Travel Guides & Pamphlets
7. Sea/Beach Glass
8. BROKEN Dishes & Tiles
9. Shedded Deer Antlers / Racks
10. INFORMATION
Plus a bonus…
11. Your services — Magic Spells, Special Phone Calls, Writing Letters, Coaching, Consulting, ANYTHING you can think up! Creativity COUNTS here, big time!
So now that I’ve got your attention… if you have bought my eBook and haven’t started using it yet to find some of your own awesome (and FREE!) niches, why not?
And if you are STILL on the fence, take advantage of the GREAT discount Stuart talked me into giving you.
Click here to get your very own copy of “Fishing for Niches.”
Yard sale season is starting to kick off here in the US Mid-Atlantic. Get your lists together BEFORE you shop this Spring. It WILL make a HUGE difference in your pocketbook! I promise!
Happy Selling!
Best ~Deb
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Oh, by the way, about the OTR shows, you can find printable CD’s and print attractive labels onto the top of the CD’s then take a photo of the CD for your image when you are selling your item! Another thing you can do is provide a README or PDF on the CD that has information about the shows and links to your OTHER OTR products, a website or eBay store!
Thanks David you have shared some really creative methods of promotion that can be transferred to many other products and niches here.
I used to sell OTR quite easily on eBay. Old Time Radio. You can get collections of the shows for a few dollars on eBay itself. Nearly all of them are in the Public Domain. I have about 1,000 shows in mp3 format. This is a very small collection, by the way. I would buy specific collections to get shows that I knew classic swashbuckler Errol Flynn starred in. He is the subject of a blog I’ve maintained for several years. I would then make a CD with 14-15 of his radio appearances on it. (You can sell them individually, too.) You could select your own favorite old time movie star. I charged up to $24.95 for these CD’s offering just 3 at a time (to create scarcity) and sell them at least 12 of them. I repeated this every two months. Most of the movie stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age also appeared in radio show versions of their films (and in original radio show stories written just for radio such as Bold Venture featuring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall set in Havana). There are OTR comedy shows, sports shows, documentaries, but most are entertainment shows. CD’s cost pennies, and shipping is in a small CD mailer is at the buyer’s expense. If you have a particular interest there may have been a radio show about it!
I never thought about selling feathers. I just sold a women all my Peacock feathers for cheap to get rid of them.
Oh well! One persons trash is another persons treasure.
Hi!
Don’t feel too bad… peacock feathers don’t sell very well on eBay. The pure white and pink ostrich feathers do well. But my FAVORITE feather niche is the macaw feathers… I have an arrangement with a local pet store, they collect and hold their macaw’s feathers as they are dropped (molted) and I come and pick them up on occassion. The macaw feathers are VERY popular in BOTH the fly fishing niche AND the crafting niche (jewelry & native american crafts).
Best ~Deb
Hi Stuart, I just popped back to retweet the post and the tweet button at the top of the posts just places the link to the post without wording.
Thought you’d like to know mate.
I’ll use the add to any one at the bottom 😉
Have a great easter Stuart, and don’t eat to many eggs 😆
Barry
Hi Stuart and Deb
Love this post as it gives you some great ideas of what you can start selling on eBay.
I started with ebooks and they went down well but I did sell a lot of my household stuff to and the kids old toys.
Another free item that you could sell on eBay is Mcdonalds toys. You know the ones you get for free when you buy a happy meal.
Kids love to collect that stuff and always want to collect all of the sets.
Thanks for the ideas.
Take care
Dawn
Hi Stuart and Deb,
Deb I’ve been selling information products on eBay for years and i can see that your product is quality straight away. The fact that you have eBay experts, that i know and trust, endorsing it just goes to show the quality of the content within the eBook never mind the quality of this post.
It never crossed my mind to list broken electricals on eBay. I have a pile of video recorder, sky box and dvd player all faulty and my wife was talking about taking them to the local dump. She won’t now, thanks for the tip 😉
I’ll be giving number 11 a lot of thought as well.
All the very best to you Deb
Barry
Hi Barry!
Thanks so much for the kind words! When you do start selling your “electronic junk” on eBay, give us a shout, we’d both LOVE to hear how you got on!
Best ~Deb
Hi Deb, yes, great list. I have childhood books that have been in the attic for years and have found them to be a great source of income. They cost me nothing and some are really sought after now. I’m quite glad I kept them!
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
Hi Mandy!
Childhood books are part of the “nostalgia / buying your childhood” mentality that I talk about. The OTHER reason why so many children’s books (especially from the early to mid 1900’s) are popular is actually right up Stuart’s alley. Many wonderful, and sought after illustrators have contributed to various children’s books.
I don’t know if “Little Golden Books” are available in the UK, but the earlier ones here (that have a low serial number in the upper right hand corner of the book COVER on the FRONT) are very collectible!
If you run across any, open to the very back page, and gently pull the pages back at the lower part of the page between the last page and the book cover. Check to see if there is a printed letter. They start with “A” and then run down the line in alphabetical order. If you are fortunate to have an “A”, then you have a “first, first” – first edition, first print run.
Best ~Deb
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for that post. I have numerouse broken/not used electronics in my house or shed. i had been meaning to put them on e bay for months. Do it tomorrow/next week scenario. I will be collecting all my old electronics and getting them on eBay asap. Thanks for the kick up the backside.
Regards
Donald
No problem Donald…
Over on my blog, I’ve made a public announcement that I am “clearing out.” I have made a goal to remove 50 items a week from my “warehouse” — 2 story, 3 car garage! Feel free to give ME a kick in the backside if I am caught slacking! LOL!
Best ~Deb
Hi Deb and Stuart,
I like selling information on eBay. You can sell many interesting topics. I also like to sell restaurant quality items for the home. They are so much better than what you find in retail stores.
I like this post because it really gets you thinking about what you can sell on eBay to earn some money for yourself.
If you look around you full circle and be creative you can come up with a lot of great ideas.
Thanks for getting my brain going.
Terry Conti
You are very welcome Terry!
So, do tell! What types of information are you selling? Mostly Internet Marketing… or other non-online income niches???
Best ~Deb
Fascinating guys!
I did an advanced search of the Sea Glass… and of 50 completed listings – only 14 were unsold!!
I can’t see me walking on a beach and not looking down in future! 🙂
Randy
Hi Randy!
Thanks for stopping by! Yep, check out the eBay US & UK sites for selling these!
Best ~Deb
Hi Deb,
Great list! May I add another item to your list?
Sports items, like local newspaper clippings (or the front page), do well. If you live in Chicago, you can collect items about the Bears, Cubs, Bulls, and Sox. Fans in other parts of the country can’t get those things (except through your ebay listings).
Wow Jeff!
Thanks! I never thought about that! I live just outside of Washington DC AND Baltimore, Maryland! I could collect for the Orioles, the Nats, the Redskins, the Ravens, the Wizards, the Caps & DC United! And I’m probably missing some LOL!
Best ~Deb
For heaven’s sakes, I pick up beach glass on the shore of Lake Superior all the time. My hubby asked me what I was going to do with it, and I said, I don’t know, put it in a jar and look at it. Guess I know what to do with it now! 😀
Keep an eye out for the red, cobalt blue, and deep emerald green glass. The lighter pastels do alright as well, but nowhere near what the deep, rich colors bring!
Best ~Deb
Some nice ideas here. Low outlay is always good news for the hobby-seller, or those feeling the financial strain. Thanks for this 🙂
Graeme-
That is what I was aiming for! If there is a will, there is ALWAYS a way.
You won’t get rich on these ideas (at least not overnight), BUT I have personally made over $100 running 8 auctions starting at 99 cents (FREE insertion fees) selling coupons… and in 4 of these auctions as well as 2 others I have used the EXACT same picture, description and item template. It takes me literally LESS than 30 seconds to launch another auction.
Best ~Deb
Super fun stuff here. There is nothing I like better than selling an item that cost me nothing!
The list is great, I have personally sold #3, #5, #8 and #11. A random other idea I’ve used is to sell “gift certificates” or small bonuses at stores that I don’t need/want to use. They often go for almost their full value.
Thanks for sharing–I am watching the days warm up here in the midwest and looking forward to garage sale season too!
Wendy
Amen to that Wendy!!
So for #11… inquiring minds want to know… what exactly did you sell?
Best ~Deb
Thanks for asking-I sell personal shopping services for individuals overseas who want particular American products It is a small niche I discovered when running my eBay store and doing a lot of international shipping. I
It is a fun and interesting way to work with people worldwide.
Although not entirely free when at garage sales look for old magazines and you can get them for pennies and some can sell for a few dollars.
AND the tighter and more specific the niche (skateboarding, RPG, tatting, woodworking) the more in demand they will turn out to be.
Also, Wilton Yearbooks are a great find as well. Some of the older ones go for quite a bit on eBay!
Best ~Deb