How to Become a Successful Reseller

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1. Be Honest

It’s common to buy a piece, only to bring it home and realize it's damaged. Always be 100% upfront about any damages to the items you are trying to resell.

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2. Be Professional

Do: > Respond promptly. > Use proper language and punctuation. > Tell the truth about your item for sale. > Use please and thank you. Don’t: > Assume you’re right. Thoroughly investigate all complaints. > Never use swear words. > Use internet acronyms; not everyone understands them.

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3. Buy Low

“Buy low and sell high” is the key to profiting as a reseller. It’s okay to take a gamble on an item, as long as it’s cheap. You win some; you lose some. Just don’t lose a lot.

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4. Stay Detached

Depending on what you resell, it can be tough to pass some items up. No matter how cool you think an item is, its value is only in what someone else is willing to pay for it.

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5. Don’t Cheat Yourself

If you offer free shipping, make sure you’re still making a profit. Be careful lowering your standards or giving away too many freebies.

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6. Sourcing Items

Yard sales and garage sales are great places to source items to resell. However, you must be the early bird to get the worm in most cases.  Estate sales are becoming harder to find low-cost items for resellers because most use eBay as a tool to price their items.  You can also source many items online on sites like eBay, HiBid, Poshmark, and more.

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7. eBay

There are a few different ways to use eBay as a reseller. As I just mentioned, eBay is an excellent place to source items. When searching for items, be sure to use the various search tools eBay has available - like “search in title in the link description.” Another great way to shop on eBay is to buy in bulk. You can find many odds-and-ends type items bundled together.

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8. Budget

When it comes to reselling, you have to be cautious with your budget. No matter what, stick to your budget and purchase products only within your budget. 

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9. Inventory

Keeping track of your inventory is crucial to success as a reseller. One way to do it is to use a spreadsheet and bins. Whatever your method, be sure to have one!

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10. Promote

Social media sites are great places to promote your online business. You can list your items on Facebook Marketplace or places like like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram.

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11. Legal

Depending on where you live, you may be required to collect sales tax. Be sure to research your state’s sales tax, permit, resale certificate, and business license laws.