An idea for a summer job..

[rubik]

Hello all. I was thinking about finding deals for certain items online and then selling them later for a profit in a classified ad. But I have some questions regarding that before I try it out.

First of all does anyone have experience doing this and if so could you share what you sold, what items worked for you and what didn't, etc.

Also I am wondering if I should sell more expensive items, fairly cheap items (75 or below) or somewhere in between. There seems to be advantages for each of these. I can get the ad for free in the newspaper if it's 75 or below, but I wouldn't make as much profit per sale. If I went with something more expensive I could potentially make more profit per sale, but I would also have to pay about thirty dollars for the advertisement without guarantee that it would sell, so i could potentially lose thirty dollars out of it.
If I went with a item somewhere in between expensive and cheap I could also potentially lose thirty dollars, but I could be able to afford two of the same items that I could sell under the same ad which would decrease the cost to 15 dollars per item if both sold.

The last question that pops to mind right now is whether I should try and find a deal on ebay or just find a reputable dropshipper and buy the item from them. If I bought used I would be able to get the item on ebay for cheaper, but if I bought new most likely I would be able to get it from a dropshipper cheaper, but i'm not sure if I would get more response from selling a used item or a new item.
Thanks in advanced for your help

[Cameron]

Last summer, I went to all the local businesses and offered to build websites and host them, and i did it with Cognigen.com They have IT solutions, hosting, web builders, cell phone plans and more. Its a very good reseller and you make a ton of comission.

[zoobie]

Hello there! Great to have you here at the forum.

Best of luck! Have a great summer.

[Franakapan]

Tbh I would avoid selling products - there is too much financial risk involved, especially if you have no experience and no competitive advantage. Instead I would put my efforts into services such as mowing lawns, web design (as Cameron did), and generally any service that might be in demand - services have minimal financial risk.

However, if you do have the expertise and/or competitive advantage go for it! I wouldn't know which route to go though.

[radreality]

new items are usually easier to move than used items, just because people are leary of the exact condition (despite what you tell them and pictures).

I had a friend that did this. He made most of his money on laptops. He would buy them from places that are closing them out, and then sell them on amazon. There is a little bit of a timing issue, just because to make good money they still have to be relatively new. No one wants to buy a laptop that was closed out 4 years ago, ya know. So you just gotta constantly look for good deals that you can flip.....just like houses.