How to Sell on eBay | How to Make Money on eBay | So You Think You Want to Sell Other People’s Stuff on eBay?

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So far, we have discussed two options that you have when it comes to figuring out what kind of products to sell on eBay. Now we would like to introduce you to a third, more unique, less utilized option.

This third option goes beyond just selling new and used items on eBay. You can sell other people’s items as an eBay Trading Assistant. This can be thought of as taking selling used, and sometimes new, items a step beyond. Of course, this brings its own set of advantages and disadvantages to your job as an eBay seller.

Of course, not every eBay seller qualifies to be a Trading Assistant. eBay has a few requirements before they let you become a Trading Assistant. Assuming you meet the below requirements, you will be able to be listed in the Trading Assistant Directory and have access to the Trading Assistant marketing materials. Please keep in mind that these requirements are not very hard to achieve and are there so that you have some experience selling on eBay before you become a Trading Assistant. The requirements are as follows:

• You must have sold an average of four items per month during the previous 3 months.
• Have a feedback score of 100 or higher.
• Have a 97% or higher positive feedback.
• Your eBay account must be in good standing (if yours isn’t, you would know).

As an eBay Trading Assistant, you are generally selling other people’s used items for them, so you will be faced with the same issues – making a unique listing for each and every item you list on eBay. You will then share the profits with your customer; generally you will take a percentage of the sale.

There is the possibility you can align yourself with a bricks and mortar store as a Trading Assistant. In other words, you serve as the eBay arm of an already established retail store, or even a manufacturer looking to off-load excess new inventory. If you are going to be an eBay Trading Assistant, this might be the ideal way to go as you most likely will have a consistent supply of goods to sell.

It is possible to work as a Trading Assistant for a client that sells new merchandise so you can create a listing one time that you can use over and over again, just like if you were selling new retail product on your own. These types of clients are generally going to be the aforementioned bricks and mortar retail store or a manufacturer.

Pros of being a Trading Assistant:

• You don’t have to pay for inventory items because the person you are “trading” for supplies the goods.
• If you align with a manufacturer or retail store looking to off-load inventory, there is a good possibility they will be a constant source of items to sell, especially if you develop a good relationship with them.
• It is possible to create a listing that you can use over and over if you have multiple quantities of the same item. This will greatly reduce your workload.

Cons of being a Trading Assistant:

• You are not truly working for yourself, as you will always have a client you are trying to please.
• If you take on individuals as clients, you most likely will have to create a unique listing for each and every item that you sell on eBay. This is time consuming!
• You have to make sure that the dollar value of the items you are “trading” for others is high enough as you will be receiving only a percentage of the final selling price. You are doing all the work, so make sure you are properly compensated.
• You will have to make yourself more available for questions from your clients, than if you were selling your own inventory. Your flexibility is therefore limited.

We have never had a desire to become eBay Trading Assistants for some of the reasons outlined above. However, this may be exactly what you are looking for. It all depends on what you are looking for from your business and what your personality is.

Becoming an eBay Trading Assistant does allow you to take your eBay business in a different and unique direction than the majority of eBay sellers. Just make sure that this is what you want to do before you decide on this route. The nice thing is that if you don’t like it, you can shift gears and go in a different direction. Or, you could find that this is the best thing that has happened to your eBay career.

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