My Prediction - a Hot Toy to Resell This Christmas

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

I get the question all the time from online sellers: "What will be the hot toys that I can sell on eBay/Amazon this Xmas?"

And my answer is "Avoid the new fads, stick with toys in the traditional brands/franchises - Disney Cars, Barbie, Batman, Disney Princess, Marvel Spiderman, Disney Toy Story, etc."

That's because fads are unpredictable: last Xmas. the much-hyped Sing-a-ma-jigs and Squinkies were lousy toys to resell (=no or little profit to buy and then resell online). But the predictable franchises (i.e. Batman, Disney, etc.) do well every year because, quite simply, kids' demand for the toys frequently outstrips supply and/or the perception of buyers is that the toy will not be in stock if they wait too long.

But I think I *may* have a predicted winner here - the My Keepon -  *IF* you're able to get your  hands on it (it will only be available this October  - you can't get it now). There are 4 reasons why I'm predicting this will be a boon for online resellers:

-- Exclusivity. ToysRUs will be the only official retailer. That means scarcity. Scarcity mean low supply, and low supply drives up price for resellers like you.

-- Truly dynamic technology in the toy. Sing-a-ma-jigs and Zhu Zhu pets lost their appeal - and their price premiums - quickly because the novelty wore off. They were essentially 1-trick-pony toys. My Keepon has advanced software in it that makes the toy more 'human' and random in its movements and 'communication.'

-- Personalization - creators of the toy intend to make it customizable by other 'programmers' (not sure if that is everyday folk who can program it, or software geeks), and any product that can be sold and then personalized can command big bucks.

The price point is supposed to be around $50. My suggestion:  Keep your eyes peeled for this at your local ToysRus in October and snap a few up. Then list them on Amazon or eBay for $150 each and watch the competitive pricing closely. Adjust pricing accordingly - the worst thing that could happen is you break even or sell them at a slight loss - or return them if they're a total flop.

Again, I can't guarantee what's going to happen with this toy, but all indications point to a truly robust 'winner' that will be very hard to find as Christmas draws closer. So if you can get your hands on them in October (expect Toys R Us to limit you to (say) '2 per person'), you may be able to profit really nicely from them.

Do Great Stuff!
-J.B.

How to Dominate Smart Phone Accessories Sales on eBay

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Hello, Online Sellers.

A few years back I worked at Nextworth.com, an iPhone/iPod trade-in company where customers can trade in their gadgets for cash. (Great concept, but a terribly-managed company).

At Nextworth, I learned the ins and outs of the iPhone/Smart phone accessories market on eBay.

What I found:

> If you can get accessories from the right supplier, your selling margins on eBay can bring you a 200% to 400% ROI (Return on Investment);

> Being a U.S.-based seller means customers will pay you much more than buying direct from overseas (i.e. China), thus you don't have to compete with sellers' prices there.

> Bundling products (i.e. selling an iPhone with a charger, case and screen protector) means a higher profit margin than selling each component individually.

> Overall, the smart phone accessories market is silly-lucrative.  For instance, those 'Otterboxes' (protective cases for iPhones) selling for $80 on eBay. WHAT? It's a plastic case. But the sellers are selling consumers more than a box - it's a sense of security and style that they're buying.

Is selling accessories very competitive on eBay? Yes, but NOT NEARLY as much as it was a couple years ago since sellers have left eBay in droves -- now it's easy to stand out from the competition and get more sales than the next guy.  

Is there still a nice part-time income potential? YES. And I found a step-by-step e-book that will show you how to do it. (More details in a moment).

Do you need to buy an e-book to show you how? No! But the book nearly eliminates the guessing for you (and the  guessing will SERIOUSLY handicap you if you want to make a serious business of selling accessories online).

In short, you can get a steady, profitable revenue stream by:

1.) Snapping up accessories from poorly-represented items (i.e. blurry or wrong photo, misspelled or inaccurate title) on eBay, for as little as $.01 ea accessory; then receiving and re-selling them on eBay and/or Amazon.

2.) Finding a reliable Chinese supplier (use AliExpress.com, not Alibaba. I used Alibaba or a $500 purchase and the seller on Alibaba was a scam artist - he took my money and ran. AliExpress is a much safer source of suppliers).

3.) Focusing on accessories from the latest 'hot' phones i.e. the iPhone 4 or Blackberry Torch 2 (accessories for most 'yesterday' models lose demand quickly).

4.) Bundling your accessories into an 'Accessory Package' containing (say) a case, a charger, a car charger, a screen protector, or some similar combination;

5.) Emphasizing your 'U.S.A.' location when posting your Packages on eBay (buyers don't want their item shipped from China, they want it trackable, and from the U.S.);

and

6.) OPTIONAL, IF you also sell stuff on Amazon via FBA - Using Amazon's FBA center to fulfill your eBay orders. In other words, your accessory packages would be sitting in Amazon's Fulfillment center. When your accessory package sells on eBay, you can quickly have Amazon ship the item to your eBay buyer (Amazon does NOT take a comission from sales of this type). By using Amazon to fulfill your order, you can offer 2-day shipping or $9.95 overnight shipping (just increase the price of your eBay's accessory package accordingly). In other words, you're 'using' Amazon's fast shipping infrastructure for your eBay shipping. (This concept is explained in depth by Skip McGrath and FBAPower.com's Chris Green here).


Now about that e-book, "Auction Profits Formula" ($19), that shows you how to dominate the accessories market:

> It's a steal at $19. I think the author is crazy for offering it this low (I would have priced it at $27 or higher, because it's worth much more)

> It shows you, step-by-step, how to dominate the iPhone/Smart Phone accessories market on eBay

> It's written by Pete Bruckhsaw, a trusted and reliable provider of 'how-to' eBay strategies

>  I am personally DOUBLE-BACKING Pete's 60-day money back guarantee. In other words, if you request a refund and Pete doesn't honor it (he will, he's reliable), I will personally refund you immediately.

At the very least, watch the video on the sales page because if you thought the iPod/iPhone accessory market is saturated (like I did), you'll be surprised.

Have fun!

-J.B.
Founder, HonestOnlineSelling.com and FBAFinds.com