Can Audiocassettes with a 'Lousy' Sales Rank Sell on Amazon?

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

Yep.

Remember my post about snobbish Amazon sellers turning away books and other media just because they had 'abysmal' bestseller rankings on Amazon?

I proved them wrong (again).

(By the way, by 'media' I mean books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, audio tapes)

See, all those 'remnants' still have nuggets of gold in them, and they're not so hard to come by.

Example:  This bundle of a few audio cassettes (wow, remember those?) on the uber-boring topic of human development. I scanned it and picked it up at a library sale for $2. My scanner said the sales rank was 3.8 Million, with just a few competing sellers.

So I put it on Amazon about 2 weeks ago and it just sold (well, the sale is actually pending) for $28. That's a net ROI (return on investment) of over 1,000% and the bestseller rank, from just my sale jumped dramatically, to 199,000!

So the lesson here is, don't rely on bestseller rank alone; and don't ignore 'boring' media items when you're out scouting.

Do you want to uncover your own little nuggets of gold? Used media is probably the cheapest inventory you can find to sell on Amazon. Here's how:

1.) Download this free guide that shows exactly how to sell media on Amazon.com, as well as what scanner/scouting service to buy that will make it a lot easier for you.

2.) To find 'hidden' sources of used media, get this must-have S.W.A.T. guide and/or this locator of popular and relatively unknown library book sales

3.) Get out and start scouting!

-Jordan
Founder, HonestOnlineSelling.com and FBAFinds.com.

What Toys Will Sell for Big Profits this Christmas?

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

How can you predict what toys will likely be in high demand this Xmas?

I say 'likely' because predicting with any accuracy can be difficult (remember the hype over the Singamajigs last Xmas? That fizzled out fast).

But if you've been selling on Amazon for a few years, like I have, you learn some 'tricks' along the way that make it a lot easier to figure out which toys may do better than others.

I've been 'buying low' and 'selling high' with the same products on Amazon, for a profit, for several years now (The 'fancy' term is 'retail arbitrage').

This 7-minute video shows you how (double click the video image below if you want to see a larger version)

Some free web tools I mention in the video are:

>  Camelcamelcamel.com (Amazon.com price tracker) and
> TheFind.com (product engine that searches almost all major online stores)
> A FREE guide that can help you get started selling on Amazon is here. (this e-book covers selling CDs, DVDs, and books on Amazon, but the method for selling toys is almost identical).

> FBAFinds.com is The web site that tells you 'exactly what to sell on Amazon, and exactly where to find it' year-round, not just Christmas. (FBAFinds.com membership is currently $27/month and $227/annually, but the price goes up October 1.

Disclaimer: Some information in this post, video, and this blog, is forward-looking. Past performance of prices is not necessarily a guide to future performance. HonestOnlineSelling.com, its owners and its subsidiaries disclaim any liability for errors, inaccuracies or omissions on this website and for any loss (whether direct or indirect) or damage resulting from its use, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Visitors who choose to access this website do so on their own initiative and agree to assume responsibility for their selling results.

Overwhelming Support against 'Amazon Bully Sellers'

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

On Monday I wrote about an online Amazon seller 'help' forum that was getting incredibly nasty and condescending toward its members, including me. The forum is this one, by the way.

Well, the feedback from my readers has been heartwarming and outstandingly supportive. Excerpts from just some of them them are below (the first 5 were edited to protect the writers, as they were emailed to me. The rest are by my subscribers in the original post's comments section.)

FYI, I have recommended that 'bully' forum in a free help guide I wrote, but we're in the process of removing them from the guide and replacing it with another' help source.

P.S. - Thank you for all your emails, posts and support!

-Jordan
 ...

 "Hi Jordan.

I'm a member of one of those seller help forums that you posted about on your blog, it could be the same one because there are several of those "amazon bullies" members on there.

Personally I think they (the bullies) on that forum went way to far with their attack on you just because you follow your own path and not theirs.

Anyway I liked your post and think you hit the nail on the head, or should I say the "amazon bullies" on the head! Man, I bet their really steaming now! Great Post" - Writer's name removed by editor.

...

"I remember when I signed up to the Yahoo Group about a year ago.

In that forum, one of its 'senior' members thought the other forum members wanted to 'steal' her intelligence (ha!) to write a book or somehow capitalize on "her" knowledge about selling on Amazon.

When someone commented that she was being greedy or selfish, she was offended by that! It didn't bother her that she offended the new people coming in, though.

I think the forum moderator puts up with her crap because she is a "know-it-all". It's good to have the knowledge but not so good to be a bee-otch about it to everyone.

I enjoy your postings an kindness to share." - Writer's name removed by editor.

...

"Your post about the critics and complainers was spot on! As a member of my church's administration, let me say this, "Those people are complete assholes!" - Writer's name removed by editor

...

"I too was kicked out of the ToySellersFBA program because I opposed the moderators' [initial desire to engage members into] price fixing. (Ed: Companies (including Amazon.com 3rd party sellers) agreeing to set a universal fixed price for a product is called 'collusion' and it's illegal in the U.S. However, we have no proof or indication that the forum's moderators were successful in getting some or all of its members to engage in collusion.)

I strongly objected. That's the only time I have ever spoke out in that forum. But one day I log in and find that my access has been taken away." - Writer's name removed by editor

...

"Hey Jordan,...[I got kicked out too], too 'exclusive' for me I guess....You are awesome, fearless and I am sure much more highly successful than those farkers--I know you have more education so screw them...My 2cents is this, I have to please AMAZON to keep my selling privileges and my customers--who needs a bunch of bullies and braggarts to cast a negative shadow on me?I am glad I am on your email list, blog posts and joining FBAFinds. I do not need those forums to help me out!"- Writer's name removed by editor

...

"I know what forum your referring to and I thought the whole conversation was quite ridiculous. No one seems to share because they are afraid of the "competition." FBA Finds, on the other hand, is quite the opposite, we share and help one another. You set the tone for a very positive and caring forum, you should be proud. P.S. I hardly look at feedback! " - blkeeslar

...

"The bullies are everywhere! Online I have really noticed it lately. These are the people that feel threatened or just like to start doo-doo... I don't bother to post on the Amazon seller forums anymore, many nasty people and too much negativity for me. I'll just learn the normal way - experience, trial and error, gut feeling, etc. Love this blog, keep up the good work!!!!!!" -  Rhonda*in*MI

...

"Ouch Jordan... stop hanging out on those forums. Spend more time posting here and on FBAFinds.com (My "secret" weapon of choice). Gasp - you share your Amazon selling strategies??? You mean you actually help others gain success? How could you? ROFLOL "Thou Shall Not Pay Attention To The Bully" - ... I'm assuming the "Bully" isn't very successful on Amazon - and/or just doesn't see the + side of sharing and being a happy camper." - Debra Conrad

...

Bully Sellers on Amazon; and PROOF that Amazon likes me!

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

You've only got a few years left, lady: lighten up!

Sheesh. You'd think, with all the bad economic news floating around, Amazon sellers - with such a successful selling plaftorm - would be a positive, happy bunch. Nope - I'm afraid there are some nasty bullies among us.
Have you had bullies in your life? I have: abusive relatives, schoolyard bullies, corporate bullies, and now -- yes, it's true -- bully Amazon sellers.
Who is a bully Amazon seller? Typically:

• Someone who believes EVERYONE's a competitor and thus they "don't deserve" to sell on Amazon....
• Or someone who may be jealous of your sales volume....
• Or someone paranoid of sellers -- like me -- who share our Amazon selling strategies with folks (like you) and thus (gasp!) the bullies' 'own' secrets are now being 'stolen' by (oh no!) more competition!

These bullies are also folks who poison hang out in online seller help forums all day to:

• talk down to others...
• scold them...
• insult them on with forum posts (but without the gall to confront them in 'real life'), where they safe within the anonymous confines of their own homes; and
• with airs of braggadocio, trumpet their own accomplishments - however trite - instead of spending their time doing, um, oh, I dunno, something constructive like growing their business.

But lately, these bully Amazon sellers are reaching for straws - by poisoning telling other sellers that my current Amazon seller feedback score (92% for the past 30 days) is increduously disgraceful.

Should I be scared? Should YOU be scared? NO. I'll explain:

Selling on Amazon is relatively new for most of us. So I, like plenty of other folks, have made some mistakes in product sourcing (i.e. inadvertently listing some items as 'New' when they should have been 'Like New'; listing a game that had missing pieces, etc.).  Thus I have received an occasional negative feedback from an Amazon buyer, and hey, I admit that I deserve it. I also received some negative feedback from customers - whose product was fine - but they're the types that just can't be pleased (you know: "the picture showed a different shade of red on Elmo. I want a refund".  That type).

But these bully Amazon sellers - who INSIST their feedback 'never' falls below 99% (yet they refuse to openly share their feedback score, as I do), emphatically wag their fingers at sellers like me and come just short of calling us 'the devil' for not having 'stellar' feedback.

So how am I doing? Out of my 63 feedbacks from customers in the past 30 days:

• 58 were positive 
• 1 was 'neutral'
• 4 were 'negative'

Is that 'Bad', disgraceful, and worthy-of-seller-suspension performance? According to the bullies, YES! ... WOW!

But I'm brushing off their negativity. Despite all the paranoia these bullies are spreading to other sellers (maybe even you), I've found that Amazon is pretty forgiving! See, It's AMAZON who thinks I haven't done anything wrong. And aren't they -- not the bully Amazon sellers - the ones who determine my fate? Here's my PROOF:

This is my "Customer Experience Performance" email I just got from Amazon, where they give me 'insight into how you're doing with respect to customer satisfaction'.

So how's MY performance, according to Amazon? Just fine, thank you. Amazon judges you NOT on your feedback score (like my 92% that the Bullies are having heart palpitations over), but your 'Order Defect Rate', "Pre-fulfillment cancel rate', and 'Late shipment rate'.

And if you see my performance metrics, all my scores meet Amazon's requirements, with 'room to spare!'

Now don't get me wrong - if you're constantly getting negative feedbacks from buyers, you're probably doing something wrong and you need to address it. But there's certainly no reason for a seller with a score of 92% to hang up his hat and stop selling. (Hey, wait, wouldn't the bully Amazon sellers just LOVE it if I did!)

Geez, I hope those bullies don't see this video, or they might send an angry email to PETA or something.

"Don't throw stones at your neighbors', if your own windows are glass" - Benjamin Franklin, 1961

"Judge not, lest ye not be judged.” (Matthew 7:1)

"You stick your head above the crowd and attract attention and sometimes somebody will throw a rock at you. That's the territory. You buy the land, you get the Indians." - David Lee Roth

How about you? Does your happiness get interrupted by bully sellers? I want to hear from you!

-Jordan
Founder, HonestOnlineSelling.com & FBAFinds.com

P.S. For help with improving your Amazon seller feedback (maybe yours is less than my 'disgraceful' 92%), read my free guide here.