Does anyone know any websites for local selling and buying?

Small Buying And Selling Business Help?

• Hi, I am considering starting a small buying and selling business. I don't that much money to start with, so I am not interested in buying anything too expensive. Does anyone have any idea's on what kind of things I can buy cheap secondhand that will sell again? I know a few websites that I have use din the past for selling stuff. Also should I just buy second hand stuff from the internet or should I go to charity shops, car boot sales etc..? Should I make my own website advertising the things I have for sale? I don't expect to make a lot of money or anything. Also, I have a friend who also wants to start his own business. He has always worked with animals be it in pet shops or shelters, and he wants to sell Pet Supplies. He wants to know where to buy the supplies form, like cash and carrys or what? He is also planning on making a webite to sell the pet supplies form, but he has no idea how to make a website, can anyone help? I know I have asked a lot of questions, so if you can answer any of them thanks in advance.

• Answer:

  People have made good money buying & selling on eBay (eBay has MILLIONS of buyers just waiting to hand over their money for your goods = your own web site has ZERO buyers ...) You want to 'buy low sell high' .. no matter how cheap something is, it's NOT a bargain UNLESS you can resell it ... So start buy finding out what SELLS = go look on eBay for the stuff that sells 'second hand' (log-in, go to 'advanced search', 'completed items', 'location = UK only' and 'browse' the 'auctions only' listings = note what sells (and what does not :-) )) Now the best place to buy is where the seller has no real idea of the value (because they DON'T NORMALLY SELL that sort of stuff) = so Church 'bazaars' School 'fates' etc. are the place to start .. Next it's a toss up between the Car Boots and the Charity Shops - both have sellers who DO KNOW what stuff is worth .. Car Boots get the edge because SOME sellers are 'first timers' (or 'occasional sellers') and you can get stuff cheap from them, especially just before closing becasue they DON'T want to come back next week .. this is where you can point at everything left on their table and say 'I'll give you £20 (or £50 or whatever) for the lot' ...and maybe even get it :-) NOTE - the best time for bargains at Car Boots is BEFORE IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ... i.e. whilst the sellers are setting up. Plainly you can only get in then as a seller ... but when you really get going buying & selling you will be attending Car Boots as a 'seller' yourself (to shift all the stuff that fails to sell on eBay) == so you can go round & 'reserve' stuff the others are selling (but don't go and buy the stuff that they couldn't sell on eBay :-) ) To make money you must have 'high turnover' - a 1 week cycle is a good goal (buy at the weekend, get it on eBay, 3 day auction, Sunday/Monday, auction ends Thursday, Friday sort out the stuff that didn't sell to take to the Car Boot at the weekend (where you will be buying the next batch). Finally, my one tip is AVOID ELECTRONIC goods - you can't test them at a Car Boots and most 'gadgets' are getting cheaper all the time (plus there is nothing so worthless as a game for last years console) .. PS - if your mate is serious, he will have to get up off his *rse and do some work .. that means asking his own questions (DO NOT waste your life trying to fix other peoples problems .. just 'point' them in the right diction & let them get on with it .. the more you help the less he will do for himself (and the more you will be 'blamed' for anything that goes wrong)).