Its my first blog post here at TopTenWholesale and I should start by introducing myself, my name is Robert Cyr. I am a “Seasoned” buyer of wholesale merchandise and more specifically wholesale liquidation merchandise. I have years of internet Ecommerce experience selling and distributing name brand products to ebay sellers, on line retailers and have worked extensively with exporters throughout the world.

I am looking forward to blogging here at TopTenWholesale sharing my knowledge, experience and industry viewpoints. We have a lot to talk about, so if you haven’t already please bookmark this blog. I need the help of this community when it comes to feedback so please comment and comment often. Your voice will help serve all community members.

I find the best way to learn is to network with others. The old saying goes, “You are who you hang with”…but I, for the purpose of this post will change the saying up a bit to, “You learn from who you network with”. Today I would like to share a short interview with a motivated ebay seller who is just now starting to purchase wholesale closeout merchandise to resell. She is excited about the opportunity ebay has provided allowing her to build a business right from her home. I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of ebay sellers over the years about inventory purchasing and overall auction marketing.

Q – How long have you been selling on Ebay?

I have been selling on EBAY since 2001. Small potatoes compared to some sellers! I started by helping a friend who used to purchase designer goods from a Nordstrom outlet and resell on EBAY… back when you needed to know HTML code to have a decent looking listing. It took quite a bit of trial and error to know what sold and what was a waste of time but I have learned quite a bit about researching products to sell on ebay. So far I have mostly stuck to designer clothing.

Q – You been selling since 2001, how many auctions do you have under your belt?

I have probably sold around 800 items at least!

Q – Have you sold closeouts, customer return or salvage merchandise on Ebay?

No, my friend showed me how to find and sell designer clothing from consignment and thrift stores. So for the past several years I have enjoyed traveling around to areas like San Francisco to hunt for great designer clothing for pennies on the dollar in consignment and thrift stores. Its fun to find a nice designer dress for $10 and sell it for $60.

Q – I would have to agree, that would represent a good markup for any ebay seller. Have you purchased from liquidator who sells shelf pull merchandise ?

Recently I decided that I wanted to take greater advantage of the e-commerce industry and see what I could do to build a larger business like many of the ones I see on EBAY. So last month I purchased a lot of 200 pieces of suits and dresses from a wholesaler in Alabama. The merchandise is decent but now I am trying to buy for less. So far I have not had any major disasters with buying because I have purchased in smaller hand picked ways in the past.

Q – What advice would you give a fellow ebay seller who would like to start selling closeouts, customer returns or below wholesale merchandise on ebay?

Most everything I list, I sell. It was not like that in the early years. The advice that I would give to another ebay seller thinking of selling is always research closed auctions and have good photos!! Also, understand that people shopping on ebay are looking for a great deal so don’t expect to sell something for what they would pay in the store. They are here [on ebay] shopping for a deal!

This seller is off to a great start! She understands that well-known name brand merchandise sells extremely well on ebay. Buying wholesale closeouts including shelf pull merchandise in small lots or by the pallet will enable her to realize her dream of bringing in a second income from her kitchen table.


Your turn…how has selling liquidation merchandise helped your ebay business?