My eBay Flip - $10 Profit for 15 Minutes of Work

I love flipping listings. It is kind of like gambling. (No, I don't need a 12-step program...yet.) This is a great way to get inventory to sell, to try new things, and to leverage the power of eBay. Here is my latest flip and how you can do this, too! Thousands of new listings hit eBay every day, so the opportunity is ALWAYS there.

Here is my flip:

I found this item using a misspelling tool. I use Typohound.com - it is free. I searched for the words "cashmere sweater." The tool generates a list of possible misspellings, including typos, common misspellings, etc. I found this item:


Fatal errors on this listing:

1. Two words in the title are misspelled.

2. No return policy. (Read more on the importance of a return policy.)

3. The shipping is really too high for this item. It only weighs a few ounces.

4. No measurements on the listing. Always include measurements on clothing!

5. Keywords in title not optimized. Did not use the word NEW or NWOT in title.

The starting price was $3.99. I bid $5 using a sniper. You always want to snipe these items because bids on auctions encourage more bids. Stay under the radar and let a sniper win it for you in the last few seconds. I use Gixen.com - it is free.

I received the item in the mail, took my own photos, and relisted it. Here is my listing:

What I did differently (better!) than the original seller:

1. Use the word NEW as the first word in the title. This helps you place higher in searches.

2. Included free shipping. This also helps you place higher in searches.

3. Spelled all of the words correctly, added the color to the title, and used all of the space for the keywords in the title.

4. Included a 30 day return policy.

5. Included the measurements in the description.

6. Included international shipping.

So, did I make any money on this item:

Original cost: $16.99
Listing fee: .20
Final value fee: $3.95
Profit: $11.81

Not a huge profit but this is an example of what you can do on eBay without even leaving your house to find inventory. And you can do this many times a day, every single day. All you need is the internet, time, and your imagination. Some tips on flipping listings.

Focus on what you already know. Brainstorm within a niche you are familiar with. Do you know about books, guitars, cameras, tools, leather goods, or anything collectible?

Browse websites that carry expensive products such as Nordstrom, Saks 5^th Avenue, Bloomingdales, Macys.

Zone in on international sounding words as these are frequently misspelled. Good categories are apparel, shoes, fragrances, cosmetics, electronics, musical instruments, and tools. Avoid handbags and watches as many of these on eBay are cheap imitations and if you resell a fake one, you may be suspended.

Avoid fragile items as they will have to be shipped to you, and then shipped out again to your customer and this opens up opportunities for damage. Choose items that are easy to re-ship.

Create your own list of words to search for arbitrage. The key to this process is knowing what to plug into the misspelling tool.

Do this process regularly. I spend about a hour a week looking for items like this, set up my snipes, and win (or lose) the items throughout the week. This process is not intended to be the base of your eBay business, but is a fun way to find things to resell.

Related articles:

Flipped listing - Dansko Clogs

Flipped Listing - Eileen Fisher Pants

Flipped Listing - True Religion Jeans

Learn to Flip eBay Listings in 5 Minutes

eBay Niche Product - Plus Sized Women's Clothing

Today's post is contributed by my colleague, fellow eBay seller and Examiner columnist Kelli Shaw who is the owner of Dream Adventures Blog.

When you go into the thrift store, it can be overwhelming with the racks and racks of clothing! Have you tried shopping in the plus size clothing department? If you have not tried reselling plus size clothing, I’d encourage you to venture into this area! Nearly new items sell the best, and brand name is very, very important. I’d recommend not wasting your time with the low to mid range brand names & private labels (Lane Bryant, Torrid, etc)—they don’t tend to sell well and they may end up sitting in your stock room for a long time.

I’ve had great success with plus size clothing, and it’s been through trial and error that I’ve fine tuned what to look for. Brand name “scores”: Look for high end clothing brand names. Two of the best in my opinion are Ralph Lauren & Eileen Fisher. Ralph Lauren items with embroidered logos sell the best in our experience. We recently sold a pinstripe Ralph Lauren 3X shirt that we bought for $1.99 for $38! (You can link to item #330446864438 if you want Suzanne). Eileen Fisher sells very well; I’d say spend up to $10 per item on used Eileen Fisher without hesitation. Plus size contemporary brands like Ed Hardy, Baby Phat, Apple Bottoms, Bob Mackie, & J Jill can resell well too.

Types of clothing: I’d recommend plus size shirts; they are my favorite thrift store finds because they are easy to photograph and ship. I’d also recommend plus size sweaters and blazers too. I typically avoid plus size pants and skirts; most women prefer to try on these types of items and they don’t typically resell well for me. Fabric content can help boost a sale, so watch for items made of silk, wool, cashmere, organic cotton (Eileen Fisher does an entire line of organic cotton), and modal.

Condition: Use common sense & watch for wear. Check the seams to make sure they are not pulling and coming loose. Check under the arm area for pilling of the fabric and for staining. If you find a great item that needs laundering and dry cleaning is not required, I suggest buying it and laundering it at home before you list it.

Kelli & her husband Jim sell online full time on several venues including eBay and Amazon. Their business, Dream-Adventures, specializes in authentic womens designer clothing and accessories. They are Top Rated Sellers with nearly 20,000 feedback. You can find Kelli on Facebook here.

Do you have a success story or guest post to share? Send it to me at ebaycoach @ yahoo for consideration.

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