I was browsing through all of the classified sections, and stumbled on Wanted to Buy. I noticed that people were placing ads for items they wanted to purchase. Great! I could do this! The whole eBay market place was a complete turnaround from normal retail where you spend a huge amount of money to bring a customer to a brick and mortar store. The buyers are always there, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You just have to get the product at a good price.

Before I even place an ad in the local paper I will use the eBay search tab to see if there is any demand for the product I am targeting. I purchased some used dss satellite receiver equipment from a local garage sale for $10/each. I went to eBay and typed in the make and model number. This looked good! The search indicated that the receivers alone went for $60 to $90, depending on the make and model. I then checked completed auctions for dss satellite equipment. I saw that the remote controls were selling for $15-$19, and then I saw people sell the access cards separately for $90-$185 . That meant that I could make up to $250 per complete system.

Jackpot! - I was really excited!! I placed a classified ad in the Wanted to Buy section stating "Cash for used DSS satellite equipment". I ran the ad every Sunday, and would average 6-8 calls per week. This resulted in 5 satellite systems I could break down into components with an average of $200 profit on each system. Utilizing ads is a great way to get a steady stream of hot products to sell on eBay. Many of my students have implemented this technique for a great monthly revenue stream.

I was very successful using this approach, and I didn't have to go to the garage sales, etc to find product. With a $9 ad, people would call me wanting to sell their items. Now, that is a great system!

Another classified ad success story, and there are many: Sue E from Montana used one of the eBay hot products categories I supplied - VHS Concert Videos. She placed a $9 classified ad in the Wanted to Buy section listing "Cash paid for VHS Concert Videos". Sue's average cost for the tapes is $4, and she normally is able to buy several. The selling price for each tape ranges between $29-$89 on eBay depending on the artist. Wow! Sue is a stay at home mom with three kids. She spends a few hours a week doing this and brings in $300-$500 per month.