selling

[vimadu-79]

are there people who started selling these days? what problems did they face?

[mtgraves7984 · Accepted solution]

I'd say so. Loads.

[releasethekraken_1]

One big problem is not being able to get help here because threads are pushed off the page because the same questions are asked over and over again.

[maxine*j]

One big problem is that believe falsehoods:

They believe that starting random threads, making random replies to threads, giving and getting "Helpfuls," and receiving "Badges" is the same as earning seller feedback -- but that is not true.

They believe that spending time on these forums makes them visible as sellers and enhances their reputations -- but that is not true.

Since they believe these false things, they waste their time here instead of spending it learning about eBay and building their businesses.

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[eleanor*rigby]

It's not just their own time they're wasting.

[skeletonstore]

Ebay allowing their site to be essentially RUN by amazon.  They know who the sellers are and ebay for years has been full of amazon dropshippers flooding the site thus depriving ebay sellers of search position and of course sales.  A buyer could be looking for a particular item or they might just be shopping to see what they can find.  If it's the latter they don't have much of a chance because big tech is currently conducting a hostile takeover of ebay which will soon be an amazon owned company.  All the drastic changes are part of ebay bowing to big tech such as google and amazon which are running ebay.  It's so bad now and they know it,  if amazon sellers were kicked off of ebay or stopped selling ebay would collapse over night and declare bankruptcy.  

[vimadu-79]

Is it possible to sell on ebay then? Or is it useless  work ??

[kensgiftshop]

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@vimadu-79 wrote:

Is it possible to sell on ebay then? Or is it useless  work ??

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Depends on what you sell.

Don't dropship junk from China.

[tdumonde2014]

Most sellers from Sri Lanka, like yourself, will fail because they lack the initiative to do the work themselves. They want others to do the work for them. In addition to lacking initiative, most lack innovation. Instead of researching what they could sell, most will dropship from China or sell trinkets from their homeland, neither a plan for success. They have been sold a bill of goods by Mentors who are either lining their own pockets or are themselves Wholesalers who will sell their overpriced goods to their students. It's not hard to read the boards, use the Seller Center link at the bottom of the page, or to Google their questions. Many here are glad to help, but must wade through a Barrage of nonsense that will not help the prospective seller, but instead will turn others away from providing further assistance.

You want to be a successful seller on ebay, then get off your duff and prove it.

[this*old*attic]

@vimadu-79

Sales are slower than they used to be. Nothing is rare anymore. And buyers are savvy - they know they can find most items on other websites. It is different now. You used to be able to sell ANYTHING.

Not now. On top of having REALLY GOOD ITEMS, I think some of the most successful sellers (in clothing or anything trendy) use a lot of social media to draw in customers.

You CAN make money on eBay, by finding a small niche and filling it.

For example, I am surprised that none of the Sri Lankans are sell items from your own country. I don't much about Sri Lanka, but there must be art, pottery, crafts, woven bowls, jewelry, traditional fabric, some clothing might be desirable in America or Europe... shawls? hats?

I'm just thinking off the top of my head. Good keywords are: ethnic, rustic, hippie, boho, traditional (but that's long)...

So, you'd start with, maybe:

"Rustic necklace" and see what comes up... then try "ethnic necklace".... then "hippie necklace"...

Then start all over again, using these words with "bracelet" or "shawl" or "purse" or "fabric"....

It can take hours and hours to do this, but you are tying to figure out what different listings look like, and how people are pricing, etc. 

These are organic searches, and the default is "Best Match" - eBay deciding what are the best things for you to buy/look at.

Now, you repeat THE ENTIRE THING, every category or item you can think of from your country....

This time, you click the tiny word "Advanced" on the right of the Search bar.

THAT gives you a whole page with a bunch of choices.... go down a bit and click "Sold." That gives you new results where you can look to see what the buyers are actually buying. What they want.

That would be my advice, NOT drop shipping.

I am positive that your country has something that is just their own beautiful thing.

Everybody else - can spices, or things like honey, or exotic seeds be sold internationally? Where could OP look to research these?

[katzrul15]

I love your suggestions for the OP.

Really do.

Except 92 of us before you have done the same thing - tried to help them brainstorm, get creative.  If there is any initiative in Sri Lanka, I would be the first to be surprised.  

@vimadu-79 

GOOGLE is your friend.  Use it - liberally.  

Every Seller posting on this thread has worked their tail-hinddogs off to create a viable selling business on this site and others.  Not to be mean, but seriously, you and the remainder of the SLs who want to sell online, need to go the mile and do the homework, research and INVEST in what this platform has to offer.

Drop-shipping from China or Honk Kong is not a viable business module.  You cannot make money selling something for $1.25 with free shipping.  You will LOSE money.  You should only sell what is in your possession and sell items that you know.

I too have no idea what items are indigenous to your region or viable to sell.  But by golly, since you live there, I would expect you would.  I would not expect you to know what sells great from Utah or British Columbia or Guam.  But I would think you should know your backyard.

And before you think this is harsh - more than 75% of all start-up businesses of any kind, FAIL.  They fail for lack of initiative and the ability to muster what it takes to invest the daily sweat-equity to get the job done.  Add to that, e-commerce sellers with no dollar investment, who drop-ship if something sells.  Will that business module add to the percentages that fail?  YES.

And with it, go e-Bay Buyers who get fed up with the drop-ship junk, carpy service and shipping times that well exceed 30 days.  They lump all Sellers together and we all look like carpola and for what?  So SLs can "try" this nifty online selling thing called e-Bay??

If you were smart enough to find these boards, you are smart enough to do the work to make this viable if you really wish to do so.  It is my understanding the e-commerce constraints in your region/country are very strict and difficult to secure the ability to be a real "business" and heavily "taxed" if you are.  

If you are prepared to do what is necessary "legally" and work to sell a product indigenous to you/your region, come back here and once you have listings up and have real sales, guaranteed every person posting will work to assist you.  "Assist" is the KEY word.  No one should expect for any of us to do it for you.

Good luck to you, be safe and I truly wish you success if you are willing to work hard enough to make it happen.  Peace out.

[vimadu-79]

thankyou!! have a nice day!1

[maxine*j]

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@katzrul15 wrote:

I love your suggestions for the OP.

Really do.

Except 92 of us before you have done the same thing - tried to help them brainstorm, get creative.  If there is any initiative in Sri Lanka, I would be the first to be surprised...

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Yep.  Pointless expenditure of time and energy for each of the 92, including me.  Just an insulting silence in response, and then on to the next faux  question.  I've certainly put away my silver platter.

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[quiltgeek]

Another silly Sri Lanka member question.  Yawn....