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!

What Can I Start Selling Online RIGHT NOW?

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

Every new online seller I bump into is searching for the answer to "What can I sell RIGHT NOW"?  Hey, we're all anxious to sell more and make money, right? So I'm going to let you in on some of my secret items, 100% Free for you. This in a moment.

The follow-up question I get is 'Great, but how do I find those items'? To start, I suggest people either look at ads on Craigslist.org, where people might be unloading those items. But more reliable is if you place an 'ITEMS WANTED' ad in your local Craigslist (which is free).

So here are items you can get locally in your town/neighborhoods (or maybe in your own home), and start selling the items on Amazon.com and/or Ebay.com right away.

1. Used Books. One category of used books that continuously sells very well is Owner's manuals and Repair Manuals for Cars (and motorcycles and trucks). The reason is everyone owns a used car or two (or more) in their lifetime, and they need repair manuals to fix them. So these books are in demand. You can find these manuals at your local garage sales or thrift stores and buy them for a buck each. I recently purchased a Ford Taurus repair manual and a Chevy Camaro repair manual for $1 each and they sold for $15 and $25 on Amazon. Or place a 'WANTED' ad on Craigslist asking people to let you buy their used car manuals. For more on selling books online, you can see my previous posts here.

2. Used Toy Batmobiles and Lego Batmobiles. This is my expertise (and I can't believe I'm giving this secret away). It's actually not just Batmobiles, you could do this with any other highly-collectible toy. I place local Craigslist ads saying 'Toy Batmobiles wanted', and I pay up to $5 each depending on type, condition. Toy batmobiles from the 1980s and 1990s, and even from the past couple years, can fetch up to $100. Do a search on Amazon.com for 'Batmobile' or a 'Completed Items' Search on eBay for 'Batmobile' and you'll see what I mean when you check their selling prices. USED lego Batmobiles from the 2000s fetch up to $135+; and USED Kenner Batmobile Toys from the 1980s and 1990s can fetch up to $100+. See more of my Batmobile selling success on my post here.

3. Used Thomas Train Sets. Same concept as above. View the completed listings on eBay and get a load of those selling prices. You just have to place a 'WANTED' ad in Craigslist, buy the toys, and post them on eBay. USED Thomas trains can fetch up to $200 and more.

4. Vintage Griswold Skillets. Yes, the iron skillets your grandmother used for cooking. Be sure they are of the 'Griswold' brand. I personally do not have experience in this but the selling prices on eBay, up to $800+, speak for themselves.

5. Name Brand, Seasonal Big Lots of Baby Clothing. By 'Name Brand', I mean Gap, Ralph Lauren, OshKoshB'gosh, etc. By 'Seasona'l I mean stuff that parents are buying for their kids now. By 'Big Lots' I mean you should sell them in lots of 30 to 50 pieces. Your best bet for this is to place an ad on Craigslist asking for clothing donations, and that you'll pick them up. Or go to garage sales and wait for the end of the sale to offer $5 to $10 per garbage bag full of clothing. Some people will be happy to just give it to you. You shouldn't pay more than $1.00 per clothing item, because you need to make a healthy profit (50-piece lots of USED baby clothing on eBay have sold for up to about $200).  When listing your lots on eBay, you don't have to take a picture of every piece individually, but you should have a few pictures showing several pieces in detail, and one picture showing the entire lot. Also watch your shipping fees, as clothes in bundles are heavy, so your shipping cost can add up and you should build that into your pricing, as Buyers will probably balk if you try to charge them $25 for shipping.

So there are five 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.

Do Great Stuff, and Have Fun!