Hot Sellers This Xmas, and Some Duds

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

Hello, online sellers.

I hope you're wrapping up (literally) your Xmas shipments to customers and getting ready for at least one day off.

Today,  I'd like to share my online retail hits and misses of the season/year with you. What was hotter than the camera flashes behind Rachel Uchitel? What fizzled out like Michael Vick's season performance?

(Keep in mind that these are from the view of a reseller (like us folks). What was a dud for us to resell still may have been hot in the retail-to-consumer market)

1. DUD: Sing-a-ma-Jigs. Remember the press was ALL OVER this product and it was predicted to be a hit? As of press time, some of these were being sold on Amazon for as little as $6. Nothing like the Zhu-Zhu sensation of 2009 (I remember my Amazon merchant price point of the brown Zhu Zhu's peaking at $60 each last year).

2. HOT (Every Year!). Talking Buzz Lightyear. Every year around Thanksgiving, Disneystore.com hocks their talking Buzz Lightyears for a super-cheap sale price of $14.99 to $19.99. I always pick up about 20 of the Ultimate Buzz Lightyears. Little boys DRIVE THEIR PARENTS CRAZY for the talking Buzz Lightyear and It's a hit every year. I sold all 20 for between $45 and $50 each (via Amazon FBA) and I just sold out (This is about a 100% profit margin after all expenses). MAKE SURE (next year) you buy the Talking Buzz Lightyear WITH the pop-out wings that light up on both tips (this seems to be a prerequisite for the die-hard boy fans of the doll).

3. HOT (Every Year Since 2008): The Dark Knight Stealth Launch Batmobile. This was released in 2008 only and it's a hard find. I buy these (new and used) throughout the year on eBay (via my arbitrage method) for $20 to $50 each.  Every Xmas, mine sell for $50 to $150 each via Amazon FBA. Profit margin of 100 to 200% after expenses.

4. HOT: Used and/or New, Out-of-Production Board Games. Make sure these are 100% complete before you ship them to Amazon FBA and/or your customer. Yes, USED games can be hot sellers. I pay $3 to $10 for each of these at thrift stores, yard sales, and/or via online arbitrage, throughout the year. They're actually hot sellers regardless of the time of year.  Examples:
Mall Madness: Used prices via FBA peaked for me at $80.
Acquire (very HTF) sold by me via Amazon FBA for $177.95 (it was new and sealed)
Cranium Cariboo (and other various used out-of-print games by Cranium) peak at about $40 to $90 used.

...Remember, these were picked up by me for $3 to $10 each!

5. HOT: Wisecracking (talking) Spiderman. I bought an armload of these from ToysRUs.com about a month ago for $14.99 each. They've been selling via Amazon FBA for $34.99 to $49.99 (profit margin of 100%-200% after all expenses/commissions). With the NYC Broadway Show of Spiderman in, ahem, full swing, some Spiderman toys will continue to be hot and I suspect this will be one of them, as it's sold out practically everywhere.

6. DUD: Wow Wee Paper Jamz. I REALLY expected this to take off, but it didn't (I'm lucky I didn't buy any for reselling). Brilliant product, but trying to compete with Guitar Hero, et. al. is difficult. Great execution, but tepid buyer's market.

7. DUD: Squinkies. Another one the press was all over in Oct./Nov. You can still find these on Amazon for $3.99 a pack and up. Not sure why this didn't explode either, but much like the Sing-a-ma-jigs there was a ton of hype and just not explosive demand.


Do you see a pattern above? My hottest sellers were from time-honored brands with a  lot of heritage: Disney (Buzz), Batman/DC (Batmobile) and Marvel/Spiderman (Wisecracking). I call these toys 'evergreens' because I can count on them yearly to bring me in a profit.

What were your HOT Sellers? Duds? Post away (below)!

Stay Classy, Internet.

-J.B. Malik
Founder, HonestOnlineSelling.com

Deals that Suck, and Going 'Crazy.'

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

Hi, online sellers.

Some retail giants have warped ideas about providing value these days. There's a lesson for us Internet marketers here, so bear with me:

- Borders.com offers $10 off their e-readers (priced $119 and up).

- HomeDepot.com offers Free Shipping on 'Most Orders Over $249'.

- BestBuy.com offers a free BestBuy $50 gift card when you buy a Denon Receiver (which are priced $800 and up).

These 'deals' are underwhelming. They suck. There's VERY little/no value to the consumer. I call them 'Nomotions': Promotions worth nothing.

Rarely do these companies - and thousands others -  'wow' customers into making a purchase.

This is precisely one of the reasons I left the 'real' working world earlier this year: most of the companies I worked for just don't get it.

What does this mean to you?

It means this: If you want to stand out from other sellers, you've got to 'get crazy'.

Example:

Last Halloween, I offered all buyers a promise that I'd deliver their item by Halloween or their item would be FREE. And I meant it. I had an almost 100% sell through rate on all my items.

Am I crazy? No. Why?

-I actually did deliver all orders by Halloween. It costs only a few pennnies more for U.S. Postal service delivery confirmation, so I had proof.

-I 'padded' by eBay/Amazon listing schedules with enough days in advance of Halloween so I could ensure orders were indeed delivered on time.

-The risk for me was pretty low. Most of my costume items were $20, not $1000. So if I did miss my "Get it or its Free" deadline, I didn't have to sell a kidney to make up for it.

Oh, I also offer (on most items) a 'NO QUESTIONS ASKED' 30-day return policy. Other sellers offer 7 days, or deduct a restocking fee from the refund. But , I RARELY get a return. Most retailers' return percentages are very, very low - so the risk to them - and us - is incredibly small (provided they're selling quality, reliable goods).

But last Halloween, I didn't see ANY OTHER COMPANY offering the same deal.

Why?

They're uncomfortable with taking a risk. They stick to the 'plain vanilla' approach: Don't rock the boat. Don't do anything out of the ordinary. Sellers, that's not good business sense - it's just bad, novice-level marketing.

Still skeptical? The companies below go to great lengths to WOW their customers with "CRAZINESS". Check it:

Zappos.com:
-Free shipping for shoes, free shipping for returns if you don't like the shoes. And a 365-day return policy. That's ONE YEAR. IS ZAPPOS CRAZY? Yes, and it works: Amazon bought the company last year for $850 Million. Oh, and Zappos has a cult-like HUGE following of dedicated customers because of their craziness.

Hyundai:
A few years ago, Hyundai introduced the first-of-its-kind TEN YEAR, 100,000 Mile Warranty when their competition offered 3-year/36,000 miles. And when the economy tanked, Hyundai said if you lease or finance their cars and you lose your job, return the car and owe nothing. IS HYUNDAI CRAZY? Yes, and their cars are now renowned for oustanding quality, style and value.

So how can YOU get a little 'crazy' and stand out from the competition?

-Offer free shipping, regardless of how much the customer spends.
-Guarantee delivery in time for the holidays.
-Provide 'nutty' return policies on goods you know are extra-durable. I have a TWO YEAR exchange policy on one of the $30 toys I sell because I know it never breaks, and if it does, I can send one to the customer because it costs me under $6.

Your competitors will call you crazy. But your customers will be crazy in love with you.
Stay classy, Internet.

-J.B. Malik, Founder, http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

How I Make 100%+ Profit With (Fancy Term Alert) 'ARBITRAGE'

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

About 10% of my revenue comes from inventory I buy on eBay and then sell for a HUGE profit on Amazon.com. It's easier than you think, and a whole lot of fun. Click the video for more.


Two links you'll find useful:
1.) Setting up an Amazon Seller account (FREE)
2.) The complete guide ($27) on how to buy low and sell high with eBay 'Arbitrage'

Oh, and if you've never sold on Amazon before, you want to ignore the above video and links and start here instead.

Stay Classy, Internet Sellers...
-J.B. Malik

What Can I Sell Online - TONS of Free Info

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

Hi readers!

Last month I gave you some FREE ideas about what to start selling "right now", if you're just getting started and need some inventory right away.

Well I've pooled together some of my best additional resources, ALL FREE, so you can pick from a wide range of items that sell GREAT on eBay and Amazon.com. All you gotta do is hunt them down in your local neighborhood (I've included HOW to get these items).

BUT FIRST: Before you buy any inventory for your eBay/Amazon business, be sure to check what the ITEM IS REALLY WORTH by viewing the completed listings for an identical item on eBay. DON'T BUY before you know you can sell it for a profit.

So Bookmark this page for future reference. Ready?

1. SELL USED CHILDREN'S BOOKS. Powerseller Julie Anna Schultz is offering her list of *300 Titles* of Children's books that sell well.

GET HER LIST by subscribing HERE (look for the white and red subscription box on the right of the page.)

YOU CAN FIND these items by going to your local libraries (most of whom sell their out-of-circulation books every day), and/or by going to their annual book sales, and/or by posting a free 'items wanted' ad on your local Craigslist.org site.

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2. SELL USED ITEMS from ESTATE SALES. Estate sales are run by liquidation companies that go into peoples' homes to liquidate all their contents. You can find some goodies in there. I typically go right for the CDs, VHS tapes, DVDs, and Books but you have to know what to look for so you can resell them for higher profits.

YOU CAN FIND ESTATE SALES local to you here.

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3. SELL YOUR EXPERTISE. Do you have an expertise in something? Do you knit well? Are you an expert in restoring old Chevy Camaros? Did you win 1st prize for your apple pie in a baking contest. Well if you haven't yet, you REALLY need to take pictures or a video of you knitting/restoring/baking the product to completion, have your son/daughter/neighbor's kid burn the video to a CD, and sell the CD on eBay. Buyers LOVE How-to demonstrations in little 'niche' markets. These "how-to" CDs are called "Infoproducts" or 'e-Books"

YOU CAN FIND FREE INFORMATION on making Infoproducts/e-Books HERE.

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4. SELL PRODUCTS FROM WHOLESALERS. Yes, this can be done, you don't need to buy 1000 of the same item. Many wholesalers work with small sellers like you and me. (I'm not talking about dropshipping here, there's no money in that. What I recommend is that you buy items in bulk from a wholesaler, have those items shipped to YOUR home/business, and you sell the items on Amazon, eBay, etc.) WARNING: There are many crooks and gimmicks among wholesalers. That's why my ONLY TRUSTED SOURCE of RELIABLE wholesale information is WorldWide Brands.

YOU CAN FIND FREE 'HOW TO' information on buying wholesale here.

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5. SELL RETIRED YANKEE CANDLES. Believe it or not, this is a lucrative niche market. Say that a customer buys Yankee's Leather Scent candle, and then Yankee Candle stops production of that scent. That's where you come in. Leather-scent Yankee candles have fetched upwards of $200 on eBay. Other retired and 'seasonal-only' Yankee candles increasing in value are: White Christmas, Vanilla sandlewood, Vineyard, Dark Roasted Coffee, Spa Fresh.

YOU CAN FIND Retired/'Seasonal' Yankee Candles at: Your local Yankee Candle store, Your nearest Yankee Candle Outlet, your nearest Bed Bath and Beyond, and by placing a a free 'items wanted' ad on your local Craigslist.org site.

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6. SELL PRE-OWNED HOT FASHION BRANDS. Suzanne Wells is giving away her FREE e-book here. It provides the hot-selling brands of apperal, house goods, etc., that are hot ebay sellers.

YOU CAN FIND pre-owned hot fashion brands at local estate sales, local thrift stores, and yard sales posted on your local Craigslist.org site. Or get folks to contact you if they have the items, by placing a free 'items wanted' ad on your local Craigslist.org site.

7. SELL PRE-OWNED GYMNASTIC LEOTARDS. Ok this sounds silly, but you Moms out there know how ridiculously expensive it is to get gymnastic apparel for you kids. And you also know how quickly they outgrow it! Well they sell like hotcakes, typically in lots, on eBay. Don't pay more than $2 per leotard, and make sure they're in good condition before buying! (No stains, rips, heavy wear, etc.)

YOU CAN FIND pre-owned gymnastic leotards at local thrift stores and yard sales posted on your local Craigslist.org site . Or get folks to contact you if they have them, by placing a free 'items wanted' ad on your local Craigslist.org site.

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So those are 7 more ideas to get you started right away. If this intrigues you and you want to know what else you can "Find Locally and Sell Globally" RIGHT NOW, check out this e-book from my colleague Skip McGrath. It has a lot more ideas and comes with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee or Your Money Back.

Happy Hunting!