The Internet has made a wonderful difference in the lives of hundreds of millions in terms of being able to buy things cheap. E-commerce websites don’t have the overhead costs and payroll that brick and mortar retailers do, so not only can they offer cheaper prices on most things, they can also provide a broader variety of things for sale.
This has woken up the used consumer goods market from once what was a local affair to become a global economy. People can find used items still in great condition, sometimes able to reacquire classic music albums or the toys of their youth. Many are also able to empty out their closets, garages, and attics of things they no longer need by selling them on eBay or Amazon.
Do you make any money selling things like this online? Keep reading to learn five different avenues you can explore to find merchandise that you can sell on the secondary market.
1) Yard And Garage Sales: Your own neighborhood and surround parts of your community are a good place to start. Anytime there are local sales by households, or even things like church sales, you should get there early and take a quick peek over the merchandise that is available. You can find some truly underpriced treasures at these sales so you can flip them online for a tidy profit.
2) Estate Sales And Storage Lockers: Estate sales are thought of as morbid by some, as they don’t want to feel like they’re profiting off of someone’s demise. However, that household might have had more stuff than the kids want or would ever know what to do with. They’re also not as heavily attended as storage locker auctions have gotten, since they haven’t gotten the television treatment. Having said that, while storage locker auctions on TV are simplified and even rigged sometimes, there’s still money to be made if you do the work.
3) Goodwill Stores: Goodwill isn’t the only store that accepts household donations to fund a good cause, but they are perhaps the most well-known. Sundays are the time to visit to find new merchandise on the shelves. Most donations are made on Saturdays, but the staff usually need a day to sort and process items to get to the floor, especially for clothes that need to be washed and dried.
4) Online Lot Auctions: If you’re trying to sell things online, you might not think it would be worth it to buy online in the first place. However, if an individual seller is just looking to unload a lot of books they’re done reading or something like a collection of Magic The Gathering cards, then you might be able to get it cheap and then piece out the collection one at a time.
5) Craigslist: Locals sell things through this site to get rid of them quickly, locally, and easily. The Freebies section can be a gold mine if you keep up with it enough.
Now that you’ve read this article, you know not one but five different ways you can source merchandise to sell on the secondary market. Find out how you can improve your hunting in any ways you’re already doing, and be sure that you explore any ways that might be new to you so you can find more great things to sell and profit from.