Are you looking for the best way to sell shoes on eBay? If YES, here are 6 best ways to sell shoes on eBay. eBay for long has been shooting its shot with shoes and sneakers right before the company announced it will be offering 0% seller fees on all men’s and women’s athletic sneaker sales over $100. Note that this move alone solidified eBay’s place as the new powerhouse of the shoe and sneaker resale landscape.
First and foremost, eBay’s history in the shoe game runs deep. They are the OG sneaker and shoe Resale Company, but over the years their reputation soured in the community as the website was overrun with fake sneakers and faulty shoes. Since then, they have been trying to win back their customers and take the lead within the $6 billion dollar shoe and sneaker industry. This move means that a lot of footwear are going to be coming to the eBay market place.
According to reports, cost and availability are two reasons why consumers buy on eBay. For instance, the retail price of a pair of Mephisto shoes is easily upwards of $350. Mephisto shoes, among other brands of shoes, are known for quality construction and materials, comfort, style, and durability. But, a good number of people do not have $350 to shell out for a pair of shoes, so they look on eBay for quality shoes in gently used condition.
Honestly, sometimes people may not even care if the shoes are used and broken in. A construction worker may need a good quality brand of shoes or boots and can’t justify spending over $100 on a new pair, especially to tread in mud or dirt all day. Mom and Dad might not be so eager to spend big bucks to buy a brand new pair of sneakers for kids who are just going to wear them to play outside in the dirt, mud, or snow.
High-heeled, high-fashion, expensive designer brands like Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Coach, and Gucci are not the best money makers. First, sellers have to find those items at a low enough price to sell them for a profit on eBay. Also, these shoes need to be authentic. The best brands to resell on eBay are practical, comfortable, well-constructed, durable, everyday shoes.
Steps to Sell Shoes on eBay Successfully
Whether you are eager to sell shoes on eBay as a side hustle or as your full-time job, you have to plan how best to do it and also make money from your efforts. Otherwise, it is easy to get frustrated and throw in the towel. Enjoying success as an eBay seller requires a solid business plan, excellent customer service and daily effort, just like a brick-and-mortar shoe store. To succeed in this endeavour, here are things to note.
-
Narrow Your Focus
The truth is that shoes sell and everyone needs at least a few pairs of shoes, and they need to be replaced or updated periodically. You are already ahead of the game by wanting to sell shoes on eBay because you have chosen a popular product.
However, it is also wise to narrow your focus even further. Otherwise, it is easy to get overwhelmed when choosing your stock, trying to maintain a connection with your buyers and keeping up with trends. You can always expand later if it makes sense to do so.
While resellers can flip virtually any shoe for a profit, the key to a successful shoe reselling business is knowing what brands, styles, and colours are trending. As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age and experience foot problems, comfort and orthotic shoes will grow in demand in the resale market. Furthermore, comfort and orthotic shoes are not cheap. Some sell for over $200 retail.
-
Know Your Product
In this line of business, you do not only need to get excited about your product, but you need to know it like the back of your hand, which is why it is useful to have a narrow focus. Which brands run true to size, and which run small? Which tend to stand the test of time while others fall apart? Are there styles or colours that had very limited runs?
Note that knowing your product will help you know great deals when you see them and avoid bad ones as you search for shoes to sell. It will also give you information that makes it easier to sell those shoes. Buyers appreciate knowledgeable sellers who can quickly answer questions.
Ensure to start with reading as many reviews as you can find. Create your own cheat sheet of your findings, search for complaints or praise about sizing and workmanship in particular so you know which brands to avoid and which to snatch up.
-
Selling Shoes in Categories
On eBay, shoes are divided into three broad categories: women’s shoes, men’s shoes and kids’ shoes. Of those, which do you want to target? Within each top-level category, you will see extra categories, and basic styles get divided even further.
Ensure to choose one or two basic styles on which to focus. For example, kids’ shoes are either for toddlers, girls or boys. Women’s shoes include boots, flats, heels, sandals or athletic shoes, and men’s shoes include boots, casual shoes, dress shoes and athletic shoes.
If you are a huge fan of flats and sandals, since that is what you tend to personally buy and wear, then you are indeed familiar with some great brands and not-so-great brands. Chances are you could give someone a quick speech on why these are your favourite styles of shoes, which means you will hit all the highlights when writing each eBay listing.
-
Find Shoes to Sell
You should plan to dip your toe in the water and see how it all works out before you run out of steam and money. Ensure to set an initial buying budget and stick to it. Also note that you need to make one more decision: Will you sell brand-new shoes, used shoes or both?
If you intend to sell brand-new shoes, you will need to search online for wholesale discounts and choose a popular shoe. Search the sold listings on eBay to see how often a certain shoe gets sold on the site and for how much. For used shoes, you will need to do some local investigation. Start with yard sales, estate sales, flea markets and thrift shops, especially those in more upscale areas. You will begin to learn which places tend to have the best shoes the more you visit.
In terms of finding quality used shoes for selling on eBay, you have to be extraordinarily picky about the quality of the shoes and the price you are willing to pay for them. Normally, you want to get great-quality shoes for a fraction of what you can sell them for.
Search for signs of wear on the soles and inside the shoes, damage to the outside and any mechanical problems with zippers, laces or buckles. Real leather always commands a higher price than fake. Is a brand label clearly visible? If not, it may be a knock-off.
-
Know your Sale Price
You will also need to calculate a sale price for your shoes that will give you profit. You need to consider eBay’s fees and PayPal’s fees before you do since both companies take money from the sale or transaction. EBay charges 10% of the final sale price, and PayPal takes 30 cents plus 2.9% of the final sale when conducting the transaction.
In addition, you need to factor in your shipping costs. Although buyers get charged shipping, you might end up eating some of the cost if you do not have an accurate shipping charge. It is imperative to invest in a postal scale to quickly calculate costs when making listings.
Next, how much did you pay for the shoes in the first place? At this point, you will have to set aside some of the money you receive from the sale for taxes. All of these factors can make it difficult to decide how to set the price in order to get the profit you want. Online eBay fee calculators can help.
-
Boost Customer Confidence
To make money selling shoes on eBay, you will have to boost your customers’ confidence. Give them no excuses to pass up your product. It also means that you need well-lit pictures of both shoes from every angle, including the sole. You don’t need to have a model wearing the shoes, but you do need to do your best to create professional-looking photos with a backdrop.
You will also need accurate measurements of the shoe, notably with a picture of a ruler next to it. If possible, removing the shoe’s insert and measuring its width across the widest part and length from toe to heel will provide more accurate sizing information than taking those same measurements outside the shoe.
Finally, allowing returns on shoes offers your prospective customers peace of mind and ensures they are more likely to buy your shoes to try them on. If you offer accurate sizing information, you should not have to worry about too many returns. Simply having a return policy can convince someone to buy from you.
Conclusion
EBay is a trusted and powerful tool when used correctly. If you ever have any trouble, their customer service is always there to help out. If you follow these tips you should be able to buy and sell safely on eBay. Take advantage of eBay’s 0% seller fees and rejoice; this should make building your collection easier and a whole lot cheaper.