9 Tips For Finding Those Hard To Find Toys
Just because you may not see a toy on the shelf in a store, doesn’t mean it is out of stock. Use these nine tips to find even the toys that are the most difficult to get your hands on.
1. Communicate with your local stores to learn stocking patterns
2. Talk with store stockers just to learn how they run their store
3. Store employees are more likely to talk with collectors than dealers - I don’t recommend lying… but, I would be careful of the wording. They will figure out that you are a dealer/reseller when you visit buying the same things over and over.
4. Talk with customer service folks - Don’t assume all employees have the same level of information. Sometimes they have information the stockers don’t have. Where a stocker may not know when they are getting a shipment of a specific toy, the customer service folks may be able to tell you.
5. Avoid the big stores - check out drug stores, grocery stores - even smaller online toy stores
6. Visit grocery stores/drug stores in less affluent areas
7. Visit Out of the way cities
8. Look behind other toys on the shelves
9. Look under shelves in hidden storage areas - and places employees would hide toys.
The 2008 Holiday Toy Guide provides you with a list of the most popular toys - many of these toys are going to get harder and harder to find as we get closer to the holiday season. Be sure to use these tips to find these great selling toys.
Top 5 Questions New Importers Ask
Low production costs. High profit margins. IMPORTING means you can source inventory at less-than-wholesale prices.
Many of you have expressed interest in importing products – especially from China.
To give you a head-start, we put together this Free Importing Video –
The Top 5 Questions New Importers Ask
You’ll learn How-To:
- Get started
- Ensure you’re getting quality products
- Handle shipping
- Pay overseas manufacturers
If you’re not ready to work directly with China suppliers, you can still take advantage of their great prices through import wholesalers:
- If you’re a Worldwide Brands Member, you can find ‘Instant Import Buys’ in any category, inside your Product Sourcing Tool.
- With ‘The Whole Sale’, you’ve got exclusive, reduced-price import offers now through October 30. (That means you’ve got time to stock up your eBiz for New Year and Valentine’s Day.)
- Whether you choose to import directly or to begin with import wholesalers, this video will answer a lot of your questions about getting started.
7 Ways To Get Subscribers On eBay
1. Include a signature file on every email you send to buyers explaining your newsletter. If you offer a free report mention it’s benefits. If you send invoices through eBay use the notes to buyer section.
2. Insert a note into every package you ship explaining your newsletter.
3. Use your eBay me page. I offer a free report on my me page and then promote my newsletter in the free report.
a. Me page explains basic value of free report then links to outside page with additional report benefits and opt in form or download link.
b. EBay rules say you cannot use sales language or link to a page with items for sale on your me page.
c. Test asking for sign up before giving away report. I give my reports away first because I’m only interested in readers who value my information.
4. Divert auction viewers to your me page. Two ways to do this:
a. Put a mention of the free report in your auction listing with a link to your me page. No sales language - “a free gift just for looking at my auction.” This works best at the top of your auction.
b. Add your current listings to your me page and then put a link in your auctions saying “see my other auctions to save on shipping.” There is a command you can use when building your me page that will automatically insert your current auctions. The free report ALWAYS goes at the top of the page, the listings go below.
5. Create products to sell on eBay attractive to your prospects.
a. We used to use ebooks and PDF transcripts, but eBay no longer allows the sale of these items. Now we use small printed booklets and CDs. Price these items so you brake even or make a small profit. Videos will also work, but are more expensive so start with a booklet or audio interview.
b. Make sure these auctions also include the diversion tactics and your me page is set up so you get opt ins from people who don’t buy.
c. Mention your newsletter within the product and include a separate sheet of colored paper with the benefits of subscribing on it. Keep mentions within audio and video products evergreen.
6. Use eBay classified ads. For $9.97 a month you can run classified ads in the everything else category on eBay. Your ad can have a link to a webpage.
a. These don’t work well, but they are cheap so they are worth testing. If you’re selling dog training information, they surely won’t work. If you’re in a biz opp type niche, they might work.
b. Your classified ad has a compelling title, and then lists the major benefits of your newsletter. Then there is a link to your sign up page where you list the major benefits again along with minor benefits and privacy/unsubscribe policies.
c. You can also use classified ads to promote ebooks. In this case you sell the ebook in the ad, then link to a simple payment page. (Directly to paypal?)
d. If you’re using somewhat desirable keywords in your title, the Home Page Featured option ($179.95) will get you a good ranking on Google for the phrase. It’s only temporary though. Don’t test this option until you know your classified ad is working without it.
e. Something to test - put a newsletter article on eBay as a classified ad. At the top and bottom of the article explain it’s a sample of your weekly newsletter and provide a link to your opt in page.
7. If you have an affiliate program, provide your affiliates with items they can use to promote you in the course of their eBay sales. They get commissions, you get new readers and sales.
a. Signature files - Many of my affiliates use the quiz teaser. (See below.)
b. Package inserts.
c. Brandable reports for me page - I have a me page generator on my site that allows affiliates to easily give away my eBay Buyers guide. The guides have affiliate links within them, and are hosted on my site. No Web skills are needed.
Summary Here: Combine the above tactics. These are in the order of productivity and ease of set up so you can just work down the list. As you get farther down the list, you’ll get more and more subscribers every week.
Terry Gibbs
Private eBay Forum
http://www.IWantCollectibles.com
Chris Malta
Chris Malta was formerly a Microsoft-Certified Systems Engineer who has worked for many of the big corporations, designing and building both corporate and ECommerce networks.
He’s spent many years working in ECommerce and web site design. He is the Founding Partner and CEO of Worldwide Brands, Inc., Co-Host of The Entrepreneur Product Sourcing and EBiz Show, Product Sourcing Editor for The eBay Radio Show, and a best-selling EBiz Author.
Visit Chris’ site:
What to Sell Online, Where to Get It and How To Sell It
Dave Guindon
David Guindon is a Canadian living in British Columbia attending university working towards a masters degree in electrical engineering.
Before he started working online, he worked for many engineering firms connected through the university coop program in Canada. He got tired of all the hard work.. engineering related jobs can be very difficult, mentally of course. He has done his share of hard labor as well, namely helicopter logging. Growing up in a small town where the economy was mainly supported by the lumber industry, it is hard not to pick up a job in that field.
Then reality set in… He Realized He Was Working For Little Pay, and NOT Enjoying It!
He searched everywhere on how to make money online and discovered eBay …and that’s where it all began.
He started selling stuff on eBay™ and quickly became frustrated with the results, so he designed his own eBay™ research and analysis tools, Hot Item Finder & Auction Yen. Then he started his very popular site, Dave’s Online Videos, which allows you to watch over his shoulder while he makes money on eBay.
Please visit Dave’s sites below:
- Dave’s Online Videos
- Free Hot Profits Mini Course
- Hot Item Finder
- Auction Yen
- How to Market Other People’s Products on Google Video & eBay
- CamStudio Pro
- Virtual Smart Agent
Terry Gibbs
Terry with some of his train collection
Terry Gibbs has been buying and selling collectible trains and toys since he was in grade school.
Since 1998, Terry Gibbs has been teaching people how to buy and sell antiques and collectibles. He has taught over 11,000 people how to sell on eBay, and ran over 12,000 eBay auctions.
Terry Gibbs has taught over 7,000 people how to make a good living on eBay. Terry’s most recent eBay instruction manual is The Auction Revolution . The Auction Revolution is your guide to eBay and beyond. On Terry’s site Iwantcollectibles.com, you will learn about buying and selling antiques and collectibles, and about eBay.
Visit Terry’s sites for more information:
- Antiques, Collectibles & eBay Advice
- Free eBay Watcher Widget
- Prospecting on eBay
- Are You Getting the Highest Profits in Your eBay Auctions? Take this Quiz!
Articles:
7 Ways to Get Subscribers on eBay
Jim Cockrum
Why Listen to what Jim has to say about Internet Marketing?
Over 100,000 already do…
Jim Cockrum has been selling on eBay and the Internet since 1997. He’s sold multiple millions of dollars of products and services and has been helping others start successful eBay and online businesses since 2000. He earns his living from the Internet and he works full-time educating others on how to run successful Internet and eBay businesses.His free newsletter “Creative eBay Selling” is read by over 100,000 subscribers. He has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, eBay radio, and in various news articles. He has been interviewed as a guest on several radio programs as an eBay business expert and has taught multiple seminars on eBay success. He is currently best known for his all time best selling eBay success eBook titled “The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay” that has been read by more people than any other eBay related eBook on the web. It is constantly being updated and has been a top seller on clickbank.com since 2002 and is loved by creative eBay sellers around the world. See Jim’s other books here.
As parents of five, Jim and his wife Andrea stay very busy with family activities. Three of thier children are from International adoptions, although if you asked them which ones, they’d probably tell you they forgot! As a parent of an Internationally adopted child myself, I am in awe of their family and I fully understand.
Jim has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, eBay radio, and in various news articles. He has proven himself in the Internet Marketing world and has built several successful websites.
Please visit them for more information about Jim, his products and services:
Creative Internet Income Strategies - My Silent Team
Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay
Turn Auction Traffic Into Cash
3 MUST Haves For Your Auction Listings
1. About Me page
Did you know that Ebay gives each of its sellers their own website? This is an incredible tool that many sellers overlook. Bidders want to know who they are ordering merchandise from and your Ebay About Me page is a way to communicate this information to them. Everyone uses their About Me page differently. Some have pictures of their families and discuss their personal interests, while others use the page to define quality of goods and how they do their measurements. As you create your About Me page, consider this:
Identify with your audience or customer base. If you are selling children’s items, make your About Me page identify with other parents or grandparents. Moms love to buy from other moms… and as a seller, I love to sell to other moms. Identify yourself as a mom. Explain how you love quality items for your own children and only provide those items you would buy yourself.
Getting Too Personal? You have seen them… or maybe you have one! An About Me page that is all about the seller. I guess it makes sense to list that kind of information on an About “ME” page – but, remember, this is a powerful tool to increase sales. Buyers come to your About Me page to get an idea of who you are – but, they really want to know what kind of a seller you are. You want to identify with your customers, but, you also want to communicate what you can do for them.
Let your customers contact you. Be sure to include some sort of contact information on your about me page. If you have a website – great! Include a link. In a high tech world, customers appreciate knowing they can contact someone they are doing business with. If nothing else, be sure to include your email address.
Determine what will benefit your customer. If you are selling clothing, include a list of how you take measurements. Include details about how your ship your products. You may even want to include a few bullets about how you determine clothing quality. If your customer base is other moms, maybe a favorite recipe or spot remover tips.
Use your About Me site to make more money. A great place to include affiliate programs you are a part of is on your About Me page. Last I heard, ebay had over 20,000 new members a day – that is an incredible potential for traffic to your auctions and About Me page. Do you ever get frustrated by the number of hits or watchers you have on an item… but, low number of bids? Many of those people will take a peek at your About Me page even though they may not bid. You can generate even more sales from these folks – affiliate sales. Ebay allows you to have a list of “favorite links” on your About Me page – so, if you are a part of an affiliate program, be sure to list it here… and you will be on your way to rolling in even more dough!
In case you missed it, I just got my eBook, Secrets to Profitable Auctions – List like the Pro’s, listed on Clickbank. This means that if you are signed up with clickbank (it is free), you can earn 40% of every sale you make of my eBook. Click here to find out more.
2. Power of Your Title
Your auction title is one of the MOST important elements of listing your auction. If you are missing any pertinent information in your title, your auction will not show up when potential bidders run their searches… and your auction becomes what I call a “hidden auction”.
When you are creating your title, think about your bidders and how they will search to find your item. How do you search? Do you search by size – 3? 3T? Do you enter in brand? Do you search for “cute” or “look”? Most buyers only enter in the criteria that is factual about the item (ie., size, style, type – pants, top, etc., and maybe brand). Although you want your title to flow nicely and stand out from the other listings, it is imperative that you include the information necessary to get the most search hits!
Here are a few tips from Here Comes The Stork:
> Always include the name brand (most important if it is a desirable name brand).
> Always include “NWT” in the title if it is new with tags
> Try to squeeze in the word “NEW” if it is new, because not everyone, especially new Ebayers, are familiar with “NWT.”
> Include the size of your item in your title
> If there are different ways to list a size, squeeze in as many as possible.
Leave spaces between words. If there aren’t spaces, then none of the keywords will work.
> Do you have something that is size 6-12 months? Try writing “6-9-12” in your title, so that people searching 6-9 and those searching 9-12 will both pull up your auction.
> If you are listing something from a certain line, like Gymboree or Baby Lulu line, make sure to include it in your title. People do search for specific items from specific lines.
> Use all your space. If, and only if, you have included every searchable word that applies (NWT, BRAND NAME, SIZE, HOLIDAY, NR…) You can add interest words like “SO CUTE!”
Another technique for creating an excellent title is to search for the same item you are going to list on Ebay. For example, let’s say you have an adorable Baby Gap sundress with flowers embroidered on it. Run a search for “Baby Gap dress” and make sure you select “completed items”. You want to search only the auctions that have closed so you can get an accurate view of how the auctions ended. See what comes up. You can narrow your search by adding “embroidered” or “floral” and see what you get. Select, “view by highest price” – this will order the search results from highest price to lowest price. Look for an item that is similar to yours with a high ending bid. Click on it and study the auction. If there were multiple bids on the item and it got to a good price, see what you can glean and apply to your listing. Pay special attention to the title, category listed in, and starting price. Use their success as a template for your own!
3. Pricing
“How do I determine the auction starting price?”
This is the big question isn’t it?
A few things to consider when thinking about pricing… First of all, research! I ALWAYS look on Ebay for similar auctions to see how they are listed. The easiest way to do this is to type in (using the previous example) “Baby Gap Dress” in the search field. After it gives the search results, select “highest priced items” and see what is getting the most bids. You may be surprised by what you see!
Here is the strategy I use when considering price. If I KNOW the item is a hot, high demand item, I will start the auction at $.01 – yep! One cent! Try it a few times… the penny auctions get bidders because they attract the attention. If the item is hot and in demand, let the bidders make the price sky-rocket! I have seen auctions for the SAME item have completely different results because of pricing – in fact, I see this all the time! One auction will have started at $.01 and end at $32. The other will have started at $29.99 and not have gotten one bid! Test it out a bit – you may get addicted to those penny auctions like a lot of sellers do!
If I am not sure the item is going to do well, I will list it for the minimum I want for the item. This way, I am happy if I get just one bid
Although there are many things to consider when listing your auctions, implementing the tips mentioned above will get you started on the right track and potentially increase your bidding… and that means more profits!
Jennifer Hunt wants you to have a successful eBay business. If you’re ready to make money on eBay, check out her Secrets to Profitable Auctions Ebook and be sure to sign up for her free e-course about maximizing exposure to your ebay auctions.
The Potential of Your Ebay About Me Page
Did you know that Ebay gives each of its sellers their own website? This is an incredible tool that many sellers overlook. Bidders want to know who they are ordering merchandise from and your Ebay About Me page is a way to communicate this information to them. Everyone uses their About Me page differently. Some have pictures of their families and discuss their personal interests, while others use the page to define quality of goods and how they do their measurements.
As you create your About Me page, consider this:
• Identify with your audience or customer base. If you are selling children’s items, make your About Me page identify with other parents or grandparents. Moms love to buy from other moms… and as a seller, I love to sell to other moms. Identify yourself as a mom. Explain how you love quality items for your own children and only provide those items you would buy yourself.
• Getting Too Personal? You have seen them… or maybe you have one! An About Me page that is all about the seller. I guess it makes sense to list that kind of information on an About “ME” page – but, remember, this is a powerful tool to increase sales. Buyers come to your About Me page to get an idea of who you are – but, they really want to know what kind of a seller you are. You want to identify with your customers, but, you also want to communicate what you can do for them.
• Let your customers contact you. Be sure to include some sort of contact information on your about me page. If you have a website – great! Include a link. In a high tech world, customers appreciate knowing they can contact someone they are doing business with. If nothing else, be sure to include your email address.
• Determine what will benefit your customer. If you are selling clothing, include a list of how you take measurements. Include details about how your ship your products. You may even want to include a few bullets about how you determine clothing quality. If your customer base is other moms, maybe a favorite recipe or spot remover tips.
• Use your About Me site to make more money. A great place to include affiliate programs you are a part of is on your About Me page. Last I heard, ebay had over 20,000 new members a day – that is an incredible potential for traffic to your auctions and About Me page. Do you ever get frustrated by the number of hits or watchers you have on an item… but, low number of bids? Many of those people will take a peek at your About Me page even though they may not bid. You can generate even more sales from these folks – affiliate sales. Ebay allows you to have a list of “favorite links” on your About Me page – so, if you are a part of an affiliate program, be sure to list it here… and you will be on your way to rolling in even more dough!
Be careful not to underestimate the value of your Ebay About Me page. Many bidders are cautious and want to know all they can about the person/company they are buying from… provide them with the information they desire – invest in them, and they will invest in you.
Jennifer Hunt wants you to have a successful eBay business. If you’re ready to make money on eBay, check out her Secrets to Profitable Auctions Ebook and be sure to sign up for her free e-course about maximizing exposure to your ebay auctions.
Keep Your Customers From Shopping Around
Not too long ago, I read an article that was very fascinating… it was one of those things that I read in passing and didn’t quite think about how it could impact the way I do business until later.
It was talking about how customers are getting more comfortable with buying online… nothing new here. In fact, this is great news for eBay sellers because more comfortable buyers can translate into more sales, right? Wrong.
The article went on to explain the trends they are seeing with these more comfortable shoppers… like shopping around. This study pointed out that the more comfortable people are buying online – the more they shop around for the best deal. The competition just got more fierce.
Where online retailers (and resellers) use to have to just convince customers/shoppers to buy… now, we have to convince these shoppers to buy from us. We have to give them a reason why our items are better than the competition. They have discovered that they have choices – we have to help them understand why they want to choose our products… or our services… or our information.
As you can see, this can have a profound impact on how eBay sellers do business. If we have a good in-demand product but the customer is shopping around… that is even more of a reason to be sure our listings are all they can be!
The Auction Overhaul is designed to do just this… It is everything you need to give your listings a good kick in the pants. You don’t just get a list of things to check off — with Auction Overhaul you will get your hands on tools to do your very own ‘Do-It-Yourself’ auction critique.
Look at Skip McGrath said about the Auction Overhaul package…
“I just finished looking over your material and I am really impressed with the quality and the information.” ~ Skip McGrath (www.skipmcgrath.com)
Here is what is included:
** Auction Overhaul Workbook
** Report: 10 Mistakes to Avoid
** Report: 1079 Words That Sell Like Crazy
** Report: Descriptive Phrases
** Training Video: How to use photo editing software
** BONUS: Product Descriptions pack
Separately, this package would cost over $130… but, as a package, I have discounted it to $67 (saving you over 50 bucks) –
-
Sponsors
eBay General Announcements- Upcoming Workshops: Selling with Paperless Payments, Profiting from Customer Complaints, A Guide to Double Entry Bookkeeping and Buying with Paperless Payments
- A Message from Brian Burke: Feedback Revision Launches Soon
- Coming Soon - Category Changes
- A Message from Nate Etter: Update on Mandatory Return Policy and Handling Time
- Message from Kristina Klausen – Reminder about Maximum Shipping Charges
