Two ways I make a few bucks online: Auctions and Wholesale Directories

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Making money online is such a big-hitting topic these days.  But no matter where you look, it seems that the only “legitimate” way to make more than a nickel is by clicking through a few thousand online surveys (like the ad below), or by simply owning a blog with a few million subscribers.  Yeah...no.  Nobody has that kind of time, and if you do, I envy you.  Really, I’ve only ever made decent money by selling my stuff on eBay.  And that's not a difficult thing to do.  This post isn’t about eBay, though.  Well, kind of.  It is, and it isn’t.  Let me explain. 

Ebay is a great resource to list items cheap and make a quick profit.  But the key to making profits is getting the items cheap enough to justify the effort and profit margin.  I’m a big fan of finding neat items at local auctions and turning a decent profit on eBay.  Provided that there is a local auction house nearby, and they are actually selling decent items, this can be a good start to making money online.  Not a fortune, but a good start.  However, a lot of auctions are plagued by having either too many customers present, thus driving up the prices, or not having items worth reselling online.  You know how many auctions I’ve sat through that kept insisting that the hand-made blankets they were selling were actually worth something?  Too many.  For Pete’s sake, what’s with old people and their blankets?  I digress. 

I have run into this too many times at local auctions and began looking at wholesale suppliers online, but the only ones I could find required a lot of patience (shipping from China, etc.) or a lot of start up money that I don't have.  After all, this is a hobby of mine, not a full-time business venture.  Perhaps someday it will be, but until then…I needed something more flexible and something I could trust wouldn’t rip me off the second I hit the “submit” button on their website. 

I stumbled upon a couple of different sites that created a wholesale directory of sorts, but they all seemed to be either super-expensive or super-sketchy.  Then I found SaleHoo.   I was skeptical at first, but then I saw that they were cheap ($67/year) and had a 60-day money back guarantee.  Who else offers that?    At an annual cost of $67, they’re not a bad deal.  That’s under six bucks a month. They said they had over 8,000 legitimate suppliers, a hot-trends research lab and a decent support network with an active forum (with over 100,000 members).  That’s not too shabby.  There are some downsides, though, so I suggest you read my whole article before you decide to go out and hand over your credit cards.  I’ve broken it down in two sections:  Why, and Why Not.

Why?

Actual, Legitimate Suppliers

It’s tough to find real suppliers of brand-name products, especially for big names like Apple.  But unlike their competitors, SaleHoo guarantees that all of their suppliers are legitimate, real people selling products.  One of the strongest things that SaleHoo has going for them is their costs when compared to other wholesale directories.  Add into that the good mix of dropshippers, direct-manufacturers, and liquidators and you have a recipe for a successful company.  That’s exactly what SaleHoo did. 

Awesome Online Support

Everyone needs a little help every now and then, especially when you’re just learning the ropes of making money online legitimately.  SaleHoo provides awesome client support.  Send them an email and they typically get you an answer within 24 hours.  Have a question about which suppliers provide a certain niche product you’re looking for?  Email it.  They’ll get you a list of dropshippers for that particular product and their recommendations.  Who else does that?!  Add in the fact that they have a HUGEEEE active forum with other members, and you’re up and running in no time!

What in the world is the “Research Lab?”

This is actually a really cool perk of SaleHoo membership:  the SaleHoo Research Lab.  They actually track what is selling best on eBay and tell you what they are!  You can dang-near guarantee success with that information!  They even drill down to details like when to start and stop an auction for the best results.  Who else does that?!  If SaleHoo only had the suppliers and this feature, it’d be an awesome package, but they went way overboard with other features that make it worth a second look.

Why Not

SaleHoo doesn’t teach you how to use eBay

This can be a downside for new eBay sellers.  They don’t include absolutely everything you’d need to get started in selling items on eBay if you’re just getting started.  They don’t teach you things like how to make an effective auction ad or deal with unruly customers (sometimes, people just suck and you have to work with them).  If you’re just starting out, I’d recommend taking Online Selling Tactics.  It’s an online course packed with information that will get you up and running with a steady stream of online cash in no time.


Summary

So what’s the deal?  Is it worth it or not?

Is SaleHoo worth 67 bucks a year? Everything considered, I would say, yes, it’s worth it.  For practically the price of a latte each month, it’s not a bad deal.   It has over 8,000 suppliers, which is just impressive by anyone’s standards. They have the lowest prices that I could find online without requiring ridiculously large bulk orders (I’m not running a Walmart here).  This is a huge plus when you’re starting out.   Their support staff is awesome and they even tell you which products are the best to sell and which ones aren’t selling.   That prevents a lot of headaches compared to learning by trial and error (been there, done that, unfortunately). If you’d like to give it a shot or just learn more about them, please use my affiliate link below so I get credit for sending you their way.  Best wishes and good luck with your online money making adventures!

Click here to visit SaleHoo to learn more.