Chapter 4
Sourcing, Liquidation, and Drop-Shipping
IN THIS CHAPTER
Speaking like a merchandiser
Understanding the different types of salvage merchandise
Practicing safe shopping
Drop-shipping without drop-kicking your customers
You’re likely to find various levels of quality when you look for merchandise to resell on eBay. Receiving a box of ripped or stained goods when you expected first-quality merchandise can be disheartening. If you take the time to evaluate the condition of the merchandise you’re interested in buying, you save time (and money) in the long run. But to make that evaluation, you need to know what the industry language tells you about the quality of the merchandise.
In addition to qualifying the goods you buy, take the time to qualify the processes and partners you use. For example, drop-shipping (shipping goods straight from the manufacturer or distributor to the consumer) has become a popular method for moving merchandise sold on eBay, but it comes with many caveats. For example, eBay has a policy about preselling items you don’t have in stock, so be sure to ...
Get eBay Business All-in-One For Dummies, 4th Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
