How do I start an online thrift store?

Detailed tutorial can be easily found on STARTYOURBLOGTODAY.NET

The idea and concept are plausible. The problem is that basically you want to create your own marketplace which will compete with ebay and others. You can search online aution templates and fine a number of providers. Your problem will be that people will not know about your site and won't join it unless you advertise somehow. There is no one way to do this that I know of. But what I would do it start an auction or just a website and start slowly building an inventory to sell myself. After I get the hang of this and I can manage the site, then I would let users join. The online auction template sites do allow for users to join, sell and also buy. But you have to remember that it's a hard thing to manage multiple users and their possible complaints or problems. Also sites like ebay do not want you to succeed and users do not want to pay to list on a site that they know nothing about. You have to really give them an incentive that other site do not offer. It's a very tough and demanding thing to do, not totally impossible. Also you could advertise on related forums and craigslist.

Start with etsy.com first, get known. An work your way up.

Definitely the best thing for you to do is: 1. start a website (im with SiteServing and they are great) 2. Design your site (many hosting plans will come with a sitebuilder) 3. get a billing system (comes with VPS hosting plans) 4. advertise (lots of free ways to do this...forums, pinterest, facebook, twitter, etc) What I did was get a VPS plan from SiteServing...it came with a sitebulder and billing system already. All I ended up paying for the WHOLE thing was about $16......they have a April Fools sale going now though for $12.72/mo Good luck with your store!

First, you have to purchase web hosting. Go for an established and reliable web host such as http://buywebspacetoday.com/links/just-host -- they offer affordable hosting and all the features you need for your website. Once you get web hosting, go to your control panel and look for a tool called Fantastico. You can use this software for a one-click install of your e-commerce system of choice. You can choose to use a free e-commerce system (so you'll have no additional costs) -- and you can use this to build your website, upload your product descriptions, and set yourself up to accept payments. You can very easily create the website you want using their web interface. Good luck with your business!

First, choose a web host first so the files and scripts can be hosted there. For small/medium sites, shared hosting is the choice. It's several bucks a month. A domain is needed too. Then choose a template & a script (ecommerce/eshop script for online store). There' re some popular scripts free of charge. Finally, promote your site. For top hosts, you can have a look here: http://www.hosttopic.com/category/hostin%E2%80%A6

Perhaps go on craigslist, see if anyone would be willing to part with their stuff cheap or free, have a collection going, and if you use weebly.com they have a tool that allows you to add merchandise for people to buy if you make a website thru them. But get an inventory going, and advertise on craigslist, make a name for yourself and people will start selling you their stuff cheap for you to re sell. Good luck!!

You can get stringsofsound.com to build your website for you, they built mine for really cheap ( universityreviews.ca)

1. Apply for a business license and open a business bank account. Even though this is a small business, you will still want to separate your business and personal income to make tax filing easier. It also presents you more professionally and allows you to separate your business and personal life. 2. Set up an online storefront. Most thrift store owners prefer to have an eBay store, since payment processing and shipping are so convenient, and they do not have to compete with eBay. You can also set up an Amazon store or your own website. Many web hosting services, such as Yahoo or GoDaddy, provide you with a professional, quality online store for a monthly fee. 3. Determine what types of goods to sell, and convey that to your customers. It is easier to get loyal customers if they can categorize you in their minds. Get your customers to always think of you when they look for a particular type of product they would like to buy. Specialize in Depression-era glassware, used books, children's clothes, boots and accessories, textiles, or everything under $5. This is the essence of branding. 4. Purchase your inventory. Search for goods that have a high likelihood of selling and that you can mark up double or triple the price. Also, consider how to build the costs of shipping and handling into your prices. It's possible that many of your goods will not sell, or that you will have to mark them down to advertise a "sale" item, so start with a slightly higher price than you might find at Goodwill. Ensure that the goods are clean and defect-free, and be very specific about the condition of the item in your description. 5. Follow up with your customers. Your online reputation is even more important than your offline reputation, since customers cannot see you or the goods before they buy them. Always focus on customer service, and ensure that your customers are satisfied. If they are, ask them for testimonials or quotes that you can use in your marketing materials.