Learning how to make money on eBay is not rocket science and at first glance even the most rudimentary principles of making money apply. Profit equals income minus expenses. Sell something for more than what it cost you and you've satisfied the equation.

There are therefore only three things that someone who wants to learn how to make money on eBay needs to do:
1. Buy something,
2. Sell it,
3. Make sure that the purchase price is less than the sale price (including fees).

Selling the item isn't usually the problem. As with so many things that relate to making money through buying and selling, the profit is in the purchase price.

What this means for people trying to make money on eBay is that they need to develop a strategy for buying things consistently for a good price. It must be the number one problem for eBay sellers and it is unfortunate because learning how to make money on eBay is so easy.

Where can you buy things to sell on eBay?

I guess this is the number one problem for eBay sellers, really. But it shouldn't be. We all buy things every day and we know people who buy things and see people buy things. It's just something that the majority of people have experience in. And we're usually not shy about shopping around for the best price.

The problem is that in order to make money on eBay we need to be consistently buying at below 50% of retail to make a profit (for new items anyway). This is roughly the average discount that you should be able to get on eBay for something that you could otherwise buy somewhere else.

But how do you get this sort of a discount regularly?

First of all, there is no hard and fast rule that says that you have to sell new things to make money on eBay. Trying to find dropship suppliers and wholesalers is really an advanced topic that only the most serious and committed eBay sellers should employ.

The reason that eBay originally gained it's giant success wasn't because it was a great place to buy a plasma TV for a bargain basement price. eBay originally established itself as a place for people to trade collectibles and antiques and other rare items.

The good news is that this kind of product still sells like crazy on eBay, but many people who want to learn how to make fast money on eBay neglect this kind of product and just want to know how to find a dropship wholesalers for iPhones or TVs!

It really is crazy.

Antiques, collectibles and other rare items are available plentifully. There are antique stores everywhere and bookstores full of highly profitable items. Where do you think these sellers get their items?

From you and me.

I think the major problem is that we are looking too far in our quest to make money on eBay. We probably have something in the attic or garage that we could sell instantly for over $1000. I know I have. So if we have these items, then doesn't it stand to reason that other people do too?

Garage sales and weekend markets are still the best place to go to find items for next to nothing that can be used to make money on eBay. You just need to do a little homework and a little leg work (oh and probably get up early on a Saturday).

I have personally made $1000s from a couple of hours on a Saturday morning and I do it regularly.