The Complete Guide to Making Money on eBay in 2023. Entering the international market seems to be a task that is hardly feasible and very difficult. In fact, the only barrier is to take the first step. That is, register on the online platform, connect PayPal and create the first ad. All you need is the internet for this.
Eduard, sells video games on eBay
How it started. I am an economist by education, after graduation I worked as a PC operator for some time. And I’ve always been into video games. And five years ago, when I was laid off at work, my hobby turned into a real business. We could buy it for 500 rubles, and there – for 3500 rubles! It turned out that at sales in Russia, some games are given away almost for free, while in other countries they are valued. So I began to buy video games on the Russian market – new and used – and sell abroad through eBay. At first I ordered 10-15 copies of one game, now I have 30-40 pieces of each.
Bonus hunting and delivery problems . It seemed that trading was terribly difficult. But I decided to challenge myself and set a goal: I watched a bunch of different videos about eBay, filled out all the fields in the form according to the instructions and put up the first game for sale in the American region. A man from Mexico bought it in just a few days for $33! Then I understood how to send the goods, what commission must be paid. In a word, knowledge came along with experience.
My method of work is “bonus hunting”, when you buy a large batch of goods for promotions or discounts in Russian stores. To develop the store, you need to move: go to the post office every day in order to quickly gain a positive rating. Now I ship up to 60 orders a month. Most often to the UK (fun fact: goods reach there faster than, say, to Nizhny Novgorod), Spain and Germany. The most popular genres are dance simulations and sports games, especially FIFA. One game costs an average of 2500 rubles. Make Money on Photo Stocks
Shipping, Mistakes, and Competition An eBay Seller’s Hard-Earned Tips for Success”
All orders are sent by Russian Post. Of course, there are problems with delivery: the goods either take a very long time, or are completely lost along the way. Then the client opens a dispute, and I return the money to him. Over time, I realized which countries to indicate in the settings as “undesirable for delivery” – this is Oceania, South America, the islands – there, in my experience, delivery is bad. As a result, the percentage of disputes dropped sharply.
How not to do it. The main fear of beginners is to make mistakes. In fact, mistakes are inevitable, you just need to recognize and accept it. So, I exhibited goods only on the American and British eBay, for some reason not taking into account other countries. But he could earn more! Often bought too many illiquid goods (old or unpopular games) that did not sell. Don’t do it. There used to be less competition: now everyone is copying each other, watching who bought what.
I recently discovered that you can pay for shipping with stamps and save up to 16% of the cost of sending: the sale of stamps is not subject to VAT. And the last tip: verify your Paypal right away. In a verified account, the currency is stored in the equivalent in which the sale occurred.
While you are thinking about how difficult it is, you would already have time to open your own store on eBay. To do this, you need to create an account and list your products ( step by step instructions on how to do this ). For new sellers, the first 10 items (up to $500 total) can be posted for free. And then get a quota for 50 free ads . Enough to “probe” the site and not make a hundred identical mistakes.
Sergey, sells airsoft ammunition on eBay
- Store: Gray Shop
- Orders per month: 300-500 pieces
- How much he earns: ~75,000 rubles per month
How it started. I have been playing airsoft (military tactical game) since 2010. All attempts to find something interesting from the goods on the Russian market ended in failure. About six years ago, in one of the thematic groups on Facebook, a guy from Spain wrote to me. He complained that it was almost impossible to find airsoft uniforms in Spain, asked if I could sell him something. Actually, thanks to this stranger, I thought about selling abroad. He advised me to open my store on eBay and start a Facebook page – sales went up.
Important about suppliers and delivery
At first, I ordered some of the goods from Russian suppliers (for example, in Tolyatti), and some from China. Now in our store the entire range of Russian production. But you have to fight with the Russian Post and customs. There was a case when half a million worth of goods returned to us on New Year’s Eve, and once I sent a parcel back in 2016 – and in 2020 it came back to us! Delivery is almost a lottery. We sent complaints to all departments, but replies came from everywhere. There is no way to fight it – you just have to endure it.
How to build a successful business
The main thing is not to be afraid of mistakes, expenses, changes in legislation, problems with delivery – all this will certainly happen. If you’ve tried it and you’re having trouble, don’t give up. During the operation of the store, we have solved thousands of problems, some of which seemed absolutely unsolvable.
I am engaged in business together with the team: in addition to the store on eBay, we have opened an offline point. We issue 300-500 orders per day, most often we ship by DHL or Russian Post. Processes are debugged and distributed among team members. I wouldn’t have been able to handle all of this alone. I have a small official income – 75,000 rubles. The rest are in circulation.
And finally, advice: Paypal for start-up entrepreneurs is a real salvation. They scared us with currency control (the requirement to explain where the money came from), but with Paypal all transactions are done on the service side, allowing store owners to work calmly.
How is the status of a seller on eBay determined ? Several factors are taken into account here: how many orders are canceled at the initiative of the seller (for example, if the product is out of stock); disputes without resolution; overdue shipments. It is not always possible to influence the delivery time itself. But to guarantee that the order is sent on time is quite. Use the tracking of the shipment: as soon as you come from the post office, immediately write the tracking number to the buyer. It will be easier for him to know where his order is now, and there will be fewer questions for you.
Dmitry, sells Action figures
34 years old, St. Petersburg, head of a commercial organization
Store: SELL-OUT-TOY
Orders per month: 200-300 pieces
How much he earns: ~ 135,000 rubles per month
How it started. A friend of mine has been selling action figures on eBay for ten years now: in terms of knowledge and experience, it can be equated to a professional forum. A little over a year ago, I was looking for additional sources of income, and then it dawned on me: why am I not on eBay yet? He took the course of a young fighter and got down to business.
How to choose your niche
Consider trends first. It is necessary to study the site through the eyes of the buyer. Through the search for the most interesting and best-selling products, find the best sellers, see what they sell, what their conditions are. If you can offer the same or better, then the game is worth the candle. The product should be interesting, there should not be a lot of it on the site, and the cost in Russia should be such that, with all the additional expenses, it still brings profit.
It’s good if you really like what you sell: you understand some product and can appreciate how cool it is. The second option is that you do not understand the product, but you are aware of all business processes and can debug them, regardless of what you are selling.
Monitor Competitors And Top Rated Sellers
Before that, I sold furniture for many years. Market experience is an advantage. You already know what and how, you will not make sudden movements unnecessarily, without having sufficient expertise. So, many people buy ads, quickly go into the red and decide that online sales are not their story. I abandoned advertising and focused on customer service, which I understand.
As a result: I have the highest rating, only positive reviews, and I got into the Top Rated Sellers category. My emphasis is on customer satisfaction. I am subscribed to all competitors, I monitor their stores. Sometimes there are races and jumps in prices, and this also needs to be monitored. Sometimes you have to change the prices of goods in order not to get out of the trend.
eBay Entrepreneurship Tips for Growing a Successful Online Business on eBay
The store’s turnover per month is 400-500,000 rubles, I get from 20 to 30% net profit. I send 200-300 orders per month. Is it a lot? It depends on what you sell: when it comes to medical masks, there are very few. When we talk about a limited product (which is exactly what is presented in my store), these indicators are not bad. Now for me, selling on eBay is a stable additional income, which does not require much time and effort.
For those who want to develop a business on eBay, the advice is simple: start as early as possible. The competition is growing every year. And this applies not only to Action Figures: if you, for example, make cool eco-shoppers or print stickers based on TV shows, they also have a place on eBay. Here are a few more examples of people who have succeeded.
COMPETITION
Together with eBay, we are announcing a competition to support start-up entrepreneurs. Write what kind of business you are in, why you have chosen this particular direction and want to enter the global market. Maybe it’s a childhood dream or your products are unique, and they will want to buy them anywhere in the world? For inspiring stories, we give away a MacBook, smartwatch, wireless headphones and an export businessman’s kit. We are waiting for the story until April 10 , and the details are here .