Finding a supplier who stocks the products you want to sell isn’t always easy. You need to make sure they can supply the items to you at a price where you can actually make some money. You also need to make sure you can trust them. If you want to find out where you can source some great products which you can sell on eBay, keep reading!

Google

Using Google to source products is very easy, but it does have a few downsides. To get started, enter key words related to the items you want to source. For example, if I wanted to sell kitchen scales, I would enter “kitchen scales wholesale supplier” or something similar. If you are not 100% sure what you want to sell, and want to get some ideas based on supplier’s prices, try searching for something like “sports equipment wholesale supplier” or “toys wholesale supplier” to get a few ideas

Pros

• Google will find thousands of suppliers for you to choose from 

• Fast and free to use 

Cons

• You make yourself highly vulnerable to scam sites. This can cause big problems when they lure you in, then take your money and run

• It can take hours (and a lot of patience) to trawl through search results

Supplier Directories

Supplier directories are by far the most popular way for professional sellers to source their products for eBay.  The best supplier directories take all of the hard work out of sourcing products. They find suppliers and enter them into their database, categorizing them so that you can quickly and easily find one selling exactly what you are looking for. 

However, not all supplier directories are reliable. Unfortunately, most, if not all, free directories are pretty much useless to sellers wanting to source products. They are usually full of frustrating broken links or just links to scam sites or to suppliers who charge you $100+ just to sign up and see what they have to sell. That kind of defeats the purpose of a free directory!  

If you decide to use one to source your products, make sure you use one which has plenty of suppliers to choose from. 5000+ is a good start; anything less and you might not find the products you are looking for. 

Something else that you should be looking for is a directory that has some way of verifying their suppliers. This is crucial to keeping you safe from scammers. Take a look at what ‘verified’ or ‘checked out’ means to them. Some directories simply check that a supplier is a registered business, while others such as SaleHoo go beyond this and even check out the suppliers themselves by anonymously purchasing from them to review their products and services. 

Pros

• Most can offer access to thousands of pre-screened suppliers

• No more spending hours trawling through Google search results

• No more worrying about getting scammed

• A wide range of products and suppliers

Cons

• Usually require a membership fee

• Inferior quality directories can lead you in the direction of a phony supplier

Trade Shows

Trade shows are large exhibitions which are run by industry leaders. They exhibit brand new hot-off-the conveyer-belt products and give retailers access to great deals. 

Pros

• Meet hundreds of suppliers and build long-lasting relationships with them

• Get great deals on products

• Find a wide range of products

• Learn all about brand new, not yet released products (be the first to offer them on eBay!) 

Cons

• They aren’t regular, making it difficult to rely on them 100% 

• You may need to pay an entry fee 

Flea Markets and Yard Sales 

These are in every town  and you will find that they are bursting with bargains. Many people are likely to pay top dollar for something which you might be able to buy at a flea market for just a few dollars!

For example, you might find a pair of jeans at a flea market for $4 which you can resell on eBay for $25. 

Pros

• Good flea markets will have a wide range of items you can buy as they will draw a large number of stall holders

• You can buy low and sell high when you spot items which you know will sell well on eBay

Cons

• Taking the time to trawl through markets can make this a less efficient way to source goods