Announcing OneSource --The Complete Answer to eBay Wholesale Product Sourcing

The eBay Seller's News, January 2007, Volume 7, No. 01

Learn How To Sell More on eBay with The Newsletter for Professional
eBay Sellers by:  Skip McGrath

In This Issue:

1. Musings
2. Announcing OneSource --The Complete Answer to eBay Product Sourcing
3. EBay Sellers - New Wholesale Trade Show Season Starts in January
4. Welcome New Affiliates. New Tools Coming Soon
5. Niche Market - Lightly Used Baby & Toddler Toys
6. The New and Improved EZ Cubes Are Here
7. New Wholesale Sources for January 2007

"Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure
and that is what they will tell you." .
~ Earl Nightingale ~
 

1. Musings

Well the economy --and eBay is back! We had a super holiday selling season --our sales were almost 30% higher than December of last year. The holiday selling season goes through January, so we are hoping our business continues growing.

The Seattle Gift show is later this month. We almost always find some new products to sell each year. Trade shows are simply one of the best places to find new merchandise for eBay. Take a look at article #3 for information on how to tap this great eBay product source.

I posted an article on my blog about postal thieves who were having an impact on eBay sellers. Here is a link to read the post and my holiday wishes for all my readers in case you missed it.

I usually send my newsletter out once a month. However January is announcement month for eBay. eBay has been holding off new announcements and system changes during the holiday season at the request of sellers who didn't want to deal with them during their busiest period.

So get ready. In January there will be fee changes, and possibly eBay's new feedback system and the new search features will be rolled out. Depending on the timing and the significance of the announcements, I will most likely do a special issue in mid-January to cover the changes.

I received a note from a reader asking me not to email two announcements for each newsletter. I apologize for doing this, but there is no way my system allows me to remove a name from one mailing and not another. The reason I send out two announcements is spam or junk email filters. The first announcement always includes the content of the newsletter. Even though I am white-listed with Google, Yahoo and Hotmail, for some reason the large first notice is still caught by their filters and some others. When I send out the second shorter email, it almost always gets through.

FreeSell.com scored a major coup over eBay. The last week of December they auctioned off what is considered one of the most important pieces of baseball memorabilia. It is a plaque of the ultimate baseball fantasy team containing verified autographs of Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Ted Williams and six other star players.

FreeSell has been attracting sellers with it's low fees. No listing fee, no reserve fee, no photo fees, no buy-it-now fee and a 1% final value fee. The site is quite a bit less sophisticated than eBay, but they have a feedback system and display if the seller and/or bidder takes PayPal and is or is not PayPal verified. Like a lot of the upstart auction sites, there is no where near the quantity of goods available as there is on eBay, but FreeSell is off to a good start with this auction that is generating a lot of publicity, and another auction currently underway for Elvis Presley's grand piano from Graceland.

A lot of you who purchased my book How To Create and Sell Information Products on eBay also want to sell on the wider internet. The problem is that this can be both daunting and expensive.

My friend, Wayne Van Dyke, who started the eBay audio program that I use and recommend, Sellers Voice, has recently launched a new product called the Simple Money Machine.

This is a solution that you can use to sell your own info products, or just to sell affiliate products. It comes with everything you need including hosting, web site and most importantly TRAINING. Check out The Simple Money Machine. This is a really cool and simple way to learn how to promote info and affiliate products and make money while you are doing it. Right now Wayne is running a 2-week trial for my readers for only $1.00.

I recently posted some other end of the year specials for my readers in my blog that you may want to check out.

A few of you who purchased the new book I announced last month, Ten Little Known, Highly Profitable eBay Niche Businesses Anyone Can Start, had trouble downloading the material. We were experiencing two problems --one was mine which I solved --and the other was from PayPal which I can do nothing about. One of the download links took you to another web page. This was causing people to lose the page they were on. That is now fixed. The other problem was caused by PayPal not serving up the download page and was probably caused by the crush of holiday business. We have had several sales of the book since Christmas and the problem seems to be solved for now. But if you ever buy something from me and have trouble downloading or accessing it, just use our contact form and we will get the information to you as soon as we receive your request.

If you are just getting started on eBay, My friend Mike Enos - PlatinumPowerSeller is offering my readers a $100 discount on his master training package. This is easily the most complete audio/video package available to eBay sellers. Click here to read about this offer. Mike is only holding this price open for ten days, so don't wait too long. Be patient when the page loads as there is a lot of information.

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2. Announcing OneSource --The Complete Wholesale Sourcing Solution for eBay Sellers.

My long time readers know that one of the best companies I recommend for wholesale sourcing is World Wide Brands (WWB). For several years now they have provided real wholesale sourcing information. Unlike other companies that simply sell wholesale lists, WWB actually has a staff of people who research the sources and contact the companies listed to make sure they are real wholesalers and that they will work with eBay sellers.

Worldwide Brands has long been known as a highly trusted authority on Wholesale Product Sourcing for online entrepreneurs. OneSource is a revolutionary new tool, that combines their extensive Drop Ship, Light Bulk, Volume Wholesale, Liquidation and Import Wholesaler contact information with instant analyses of how well each product searched will SELL online.

The integrated research tool helps you select profitable products by showing you how well a product will sell online and how large the competition is.

I know some of you have bought one of WorldWide Brands products before on my recommendation. If you have and you want to upgrade to OneSource they will give you a credit towards your purchase. Also they are offering a $50 introductory discount for a limited time. In addition I spoke to my friends at Worldwide Brands and they have agreed to a special $20 off coupon for my readers, so you can save a total of $70 for a limited time. Here is a link to get a free OneSource Tour.

I had a personal demonstration of OneSource last week and I am really excited with the potential. I am the perennial skeptic when it comes to new products, but OneSource really delivers.  When you get to the order page, click on the link that says TAKE THE ONESOURCE TOUR to see the product. Your $20 will be automatically
deducted if you decide to order.
 

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3. The Wholesale Trade Show Season Starts in January

January is the kick off month for some of the most important wholesale trade shows. In the Complete eBay Marketing System I spend a lot of time talking about trade shows. They are simply one of the easiest and best places to find merchandise to sell on eBay. A few years ago if you went to a trade show and said you sold online or on eBay very few of the vendors would talk to you. In fact many of them insisted that you had to own a brick and mortar store if you wanted to buy from them.

It took awhile but they finally woke up to the world around them. I remember last year talking to one seller at the show. She told me she was flabbergasted when someone told her that over $40 billion worth of merchandise changed hands on eBay every year. She now sells her art prints and decor paintings to over a dozen eBay sellers. The previous year she refused to sell to anyone who didn't own a retail store.

There are wholesale trade shows throughout the year for practically any category of merchandise you can imagine. The gift shows are probably the most popular. The term 'gift' is pretty broad. You can find classic and traditional giftware, but you will also find housewares and kitchen items, a wide variety of home decor. There are also games and toys, small hardware items, jewelry and outdoor and garden items. The best thing about trade shows is finding the really new merchandise. And, unbelievably, so few eBay sellers go to the shows, that you can often find really unique items to sell before anyone else has them.

If you are into anything electronic, The Consumer Electronics Show runs in Las Vegas from January 8-11th. This is one of the largest trade shows in the world. Here is a link to register. I wouldn't go to the show with the idea you can sign distribution deals for major consumer electronics products (although you can if you qualify). The real opportunity is to find hundreds of small companies with specialty products. These are the guys who are willing to deal with you and you can make deals right on the spot.

One of the bonus items you get when you purchase The Wholesale Buying System or The Complete eBay Marketing System is access to my master file of trade shows. This lists over 300 trade shows located all over the country by month. We will soon be placing a search engine on that page so you can search by city.

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4. Welcome New Affiliates. New Tools Coming Soon

The launch of my new affiliate program was late --but still a success. After just four weeks I had over 130 new affiliates sign up. A few of you started producing commissions right away so I will be sending my first affiliate checks out on January 15th.

The banners and tools available are still pretty basic but more coming soon.  Once these are ready, I will send an email to all of my affiliates with instruction how to access the image, place it into your auction listings and where to get the corresponding banner for your About Me page.

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5. Niche Market - Lightly-Used Baby & Toddler Toys

This niche is related to one of the popular niche markets on eBay that I write about in Ten Little Known Highly Profitable eBay Niche Businesses Anyone Can Do.

This might seem like a strange niche, but thousand of dollars of lightly used baby toys sell on eBay every day. The wonderful thing about children under the age of 3 is that they are not yet consumer-savvy at that age. They can't really tell the difference between a brand new toy and a used one. Basically they like anything colorful, that makes noise or things they can manipulate with their little fingers.

The key to selling these toys is the term "lightly used." Although a one-year old can't really tell if something has been used or not, Mom can. A lot of moms like to save money --and some just can't afford new toys, so they will buy used toys at garage sales and on eBay. But they won't buy something that is broken, scratched or otherwise in bad condition.

The best selling toys are the classics. Things like giant Legos, building blocks, Baby Tonka and other brand name toys. As we said, condition is everything. As with selling any used product on eBay, err on the side of full disclosure. Describe the item in a fun interesting way --but be sure and let the buyer know of any discrepancies or damage. Best of all, don't sell anything that is damaged or missing pieces.

The best thing about baby and toddler toys is that they are easy and cheap to find. Garage sales and thrift shops are full of them. You can often buy a toy for fifty cents or a dollar that will sell on eBay for $10 or more. This is not a niche that will make you wealthy, but you can easily make a few extra hundred dollars a month doing this. This can also complement sales of new baby and toddler toys that you can purchase from wholesale distributors and liquidation outlets. One of my favorite sources for liquidation toys is www.Liquidxs.com.

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6. The New and Improved EZ Cubes Are Here

I have been a reseller of the famous EZ Cube Digital Photo System for over two years now. We sell them on eBay and from our website at www.ezauctiontools.com.

If you don't know what an EZ Cube is, it is a portable nylon light tent. You can use it outdoors or indoors with lights. Simply place the item you want to shoot in the cube and you will get almost perfect professional-looking shots every time. The EZ Cube eliminates shadows, reflections and hot-spots.

The new improved models are just shipping now. The manufacturer has not changed the basic patented cube design, but they have added tabs and grommets that allow you to suspend items and each tent comes with four EZ Clips to help position objects for shooting. You can buy just a tent or a complete set with lights. For a limited time, every 20 inch or 30 inch complete set includes a bonus 12 inch micro cube for small objects.

The EZ Cube comes in several sizes and there are several kits available including a master kit for eBay trading assistants and eBay drop off stores. You can see the whole line at www.ezauctiontools.com.

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7. New Wholesale Sources for January 2007

Last month I mentioned Austrade, The Australian Trade Commission. This is an organization that helps Australian manufacturers and exporters connect with customers and resellers here in the US and other countries. There are over 8000 Australian companies who are currently selling products or services into the United States, from small scale producers of boutique food products to major wine suppliers and from high-tech aeronautical components through to farm machinery and irrigation products. And many of these companies are selling their products through online retailers and even eBay sellers.

Some of these companies have US offices or distributors who stock product here, while others will ship from Australia. If you decide to import goods, contact A & A Custom's Brokers who handle import paperwork and shipping for eBay sellers.

Here are a few companies that are willing to work with eBay sellers. Not all of the web sites include wholesale pricing. But if you see a product that interests you, use the contact form on the web site to request wholesale pricing.

If you are looking for something not listed here, go to the Austrade Web Form where you can tell Austrade what you are looking for and they will attempt to link you up with a supplier.

Body Bolster is a fitness and posture aid. They sell in small or large wholesale lots and will dropship.

Designer Grates sell designer grates and air vent covers

Furitechnics produces a beautiful line of chef knives.

Swann USA sells DIY electronic security products such as nanny cams. They have a US office and their products have been featured on Extreme Home Makeover.

Urbanrituelle sells a line of bath and body goods.

Kakadu sells clothing, a unique line of Australian inspired outerwear.

Annalise Fashions sells women's fashion for larger sizes. Plus sized fashions are huge sellers on eBay.

These are not from Austrade, but here are some additional Australian suppliers. Remember most of the web sites do not show pricing and wholesale information. You have to take the time to contact them.

2Wink distributes and line of men's designer underwear to dealers in over 30 countries. Forget Calvin Kline ladies --wait until you see the Aussie models on this site. Oh yes, the underwear is pretty neat too.

Australian Furnishing Exports sells a unique Aussie item called the squatters chair.

AOK International has offices in the US. They sell some interesting children's items including Aboriginal puzzles.

Aussie Opal Market sells high-end opal stones and jewelry.

Aussie Products International sells a line of original Australian made gifts.

Blackstone Essentials sells Boutique Skin & Body Care using with pure essential oils from Tasmania.

That's it for this month. Remember to look for our special eBay update issue later this month. Happy New Year to all of our readers and fans.

Skip McGrath