When first starting out consider one or two areas you want to start in and as you get the hang of it expand into other areas. If you know a lot about computers, you may want to sell used laptops after you've fixed them up. For the fashion oriented, searching for great outfits at thrift shops and the sales rack can be the source of great finds, that many other people will ignore. For those who can do simple repairs, buying and selling old appliances, especially fridges, washers and dryers, can net some impressive profits. For me personally, I wouldn't know where to start in buying clothes, so it would be a waste of my time trying to do it. I can however fix appliances and bikes, so that would be a good place for me start. So you know what product you want to resell, and you know where you're going to sell it, good. Now all you have to do is buy it.
Look for items that are in decent to good condition, or are only suffering from surface damage. A bit of rust, scratches, a dent and stains are often easy to remove, and will double or triple the asking price. If you're buying clothes and small items such as toys, you can often tell how good it is simply by looking at it. With larger, more expensive and complex buys, be sure to ask questions. Never take the sellers word, always check everything, and if possible turn it on to see how it runs, you don't want to buy a 300 dollar laptop only to discover it needs 200 dollars worth of repairs. If you want to buy items on sale, at a store you should hold onto them for a little bit of time, sometimes even months. Seasonal items like winter coats can be bought at a 50% discount in early spring, when winter rolls around you can sell them at close to full price.
You have to store them safely for a few months, but if you have the time it's a good deal. Another tactic to buy low, is to buy things out of the box, especially electronics. This will provide you a nice little discount, depending on your bargaining abilities and store policies, then you can turn around and resell it pocketing the difference. The first thing you need to do is make sure the item looks its' best. Take the time to do any minor repairs, clean it up and get some good photo's. If there is anything you can't fix, be sure to get a picture of that to. Now you need to prepare the information. If there is a bad scratch you can't repair let the customer know, and put a small photo of the scratch so people know exactly what they're buying. If you lie, many sites have a way to leave negative reviews, and even if they don't, your customer will likely return the item, or simply walk away from the deal before giving you the money. Emphasize that the item is brand new, or has been repaired, and provide as many good points as possible, with any problems listed at the end. 85 dollars, but if you've repainted it, changed the tires and gave it a basic tune up, you should charge more for it. Also, if you're selling on Craigslist, people like to negotiate and to feel that they've won. So be sure to make your price a little high. 5 to play with. So, these are the basic rules of buying things and selling them online. Decide how you want to sell things, what you want to sell, do your research, buy low and sell high, tell the truth, and give yourself some leeway.
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