Best Items to Sell on eBay -- Whatever You Think Is Worth Selling

From my short-lived experience as an eBay seller, one question I often found myself stumped with was what were the best items to sell on eBay? It's a natural question to ask and one that really has no broad definition. The truth is, the best things to sell on eBay are the things you think are worth selling.

Bear with me on this...

When you start out as an online reseller, one thing you quickly learn is that there is no authority on what to sell. Sure, there are guides and gurus explaining what the best items are, such as brand name clothes or vintage t-shirts, but the truth is in the pudding.

Take, for instance, this guy who found a way to trade a red paperclip for something that was worth and repeated the process until he found a house. He made a red paperclip become a house simply by finding value and advertising in such a way that he could trade up and get more for something that most would agree is trash.

That should be your mantra on eBay and all online selling platforms as well.

That should be your mantra as well

The mark of any good salesman, and face it, that's what we are as online resellers, is to sell stuff. And no matter how many price guides you consult or YouTube videos that mind feed you BS on what is going to make you money, you'll never know until you get out there and sell that used gold! So don't go into this field thinking that you have to be an expert or read a blog article telling you what to sell because that will only narrow your field.

Take it from this angle

Imagine going hunting in a field where everyone is hunting for the same doe you are. The more hunters that come to the field, the more competition, right? What once was a very valuable and probably tasty deer has now become commonplace because everyone is now hunting that same animal. And while scarcity can be a good thing in terms of resale value, when everyone is selling the same item, you're going to settle for an eventual loss on the worth of that item. This is essentially what you're doing every time you look for advice on what to sell or worse someone simply telling you what to sell.

Not that there's anything wrong with seeking advice...

If you found this website on Google because of my niche and very SEO friendly keyword in the title and opening paragraph, you're probably either new or looking for some ideas on how to get your own business going. And while there is nothing wrong with that, there is something to be said of simply following the words of others. What one man sees as gold may absolutely be junk in another's eyes. And while one person may be awesome at selling something such as vintage 70s wide men's ties, another person may find themselves struggling just to break even.

There is no universal list of items that will guarantee you success on eBay

Read that again. What do you think every successful online seller realizes? The only true way to learn what sells online is to find out with experience. And while not every item will hold the same values as another, there is a general mantra that many sellers know, which is that everything will sell given enough time.

What you really should ask is what is my business model?

Imagine if there was a fast food restaurant that sold burgers for a buck and made millions of dollars. Crazy right? And yet McDonald's and other chains have done exactly this. Yes, not every burger costs the same, but what they've found is that there are models you can use to create income. And just as a company like Burger King can find profit in a dollar menu, so can you when sourcing for items to sell on eBay. So stop asking what the best items are and instead think of your long-term business plan. Do you want to be quick flipper who doesn't invest much in storage but instead sells items for a low price and on a frequent basis? Or do you want to follow a model that other eBayers use, such as my personal favorites Scavenger Life, which is hold on to an item for as long as possible in the hopes of netting the largest return on investment possible? Both models can work but require different resources, inventory, and all around mindsets.

Which leads me to my last point

Whatever model you choose, what you should really focus on is what you think you would like to buy on eBay yourself. Because if there is no passion in what you sell or source for, then you won't last long in this field. And believe me, everyone knows burnouts come quick in this business.

If you would like to read more and help out with this site, please click the link and order One Red Paperclip. Every sale provides a small commission that will help this site grow into hopefully your one-stop source for all things reselling.