Everyone wants to know what the new hot seller is.  Whether your a seller or a buyer, it's a sure thing that you are interested in owning or selling the best and rarest gadgets, clothing, toys etc..  To a vendor, it's very important to create a method (to the madness) of researching and finding the new "in" thing well before it goes public to give yourself an edge in obtaining said item.  Believe it or not, there is an easy way to garner this extremely profitable information with enough time to plan your selling strategy!

If you're reading this, odds are you aren't a business mogul.  You're probably a person just like me who wants a tip or two on how to make a few extra bucks in your spare time.  Or perhaps you'd really like to see a business blossum from this hobby.  Whatever your intention, you will find that with a bit of intellect, an open ear and an observant eye you can easily predict a new hot item! 

We all have areas of expertise.  We all excel or at the very least are strongly interested in something.  The key is to use what knowledge you have and implement it in researcing viable items to buy and sell.  This way, the research you do will be a joy!  I'll use two examples that have made me thousands!

Example 1: Video games

I've always been a gaming fanatic.  From intellivision to the recent release of the xbox 360, when new video game technology comes about I follow it from beginning to end.  I was paying close attention the first time I heard the names Xbox 360, PS3 & Revolution (for the gaming novices out there these are the new, next generation in gaming platforms. The latter two have yet to be released.).  By using simple search engines it's was easy for me to find great sources of information regarding launch dates and good ways to obtain these units the day they become available.  By reviewing past experiences with new system launches, I knew that the 360 would be a hit, so I reserved 10 of them.  A huge plus to buying merchandise to sell such as these is that there is zero risk involved, if you guessed wrong and the item isn't in huge demand you can always return it to the store for a full refund!  Even now, I'm poised to reserve my PS3 units from gaming stores around my town for this upcoming holiday season!  You don't need a supplier or any real inside info, just a bit of research ingenuity.  I quickly discovered that most retail outlets don't allow an individual to reserve more than one unit at a time.  An easy way around this is to bring several family members and/or close friends with you to each store to reserve extra units in their names for you.  Sure it isn't fair to others in your town who want the hottest new tech for themselves, but this is business! 

You can find all the info you need regarding when pre-sales will be taken by using search engines like google or going directly to gaming sites like ign.com.  Obviously someone not familiar with video games wouldn't be privy to insider sites like ign.com and that's why I say it's important to use what you already know.  Perhaps you like sports and know about sites or are privy to other venues that provide info on the latest game and player memorabilia..?

I made a net profit of approx $2,400 this year selling 360's on eBay and it was a blast!  Not one part of the research was tedious or annoying.  My love of video games fueled this small holiday business and it was more fun than work.  My past experience (and frustration) of not being able to obtain a PS2 lead me to the conclusion that the same would be true of the 360s.  The key is to target something that you already know a bit about.

Example 2: Concert Tickets.

The same can be said of buying and selling concert tickets.  These are better to buy and sell than video games because they are in demand annually without exception.  Again, a bit of knowledge combined with past experience is all it takes.  I know that I've had difficulty obtaining tickets in the past.  I've felt the frustration and have even searched eBay for tickets to my favorite events.  Obviously, I thought, others must be doing the same thing!  Success selling concert tickets is achieved through a mixture of trial and error and research gathering.  Web discussion forums contain a wealth of information right at your finger tips.  You can first go to a site like billboard.com which lists the most popular musical entertainers.  Lets pretend Cher is at the top of the list.  You can then go to ticketmaster to find out that she will be touring in 10 cities over the next two months.  Next you go on a Cher forum, create a free account and discuss Cher with her biggest fans.  You can easily find out which shows will be the most popular and which seats are the most desired.  You then make a note to purchase the best seats at the best venues and follow through.

You can even use eBay to discover what items have been popular amongst buyers.  Just think of an entertainer, maybe their playing a song on the radio right now.  For instance at the moment I'm listening to "Cheeseburger in Paradise" by Jimmy Buffett.  Simply do a search for "Jimmy buffett tickets on ebay, view completed listings only and see for yourself if they're selling.  I can tell you from personal experience that performers like Jimmy Buffett can make you rich in a hurry.

Of course if you aren't interested in music, this sort of thing might not be for you!  As I've been saying all along, the beauty of this is that you can choose something that interests YOU!

We live in a material society.  Everyone wants, and everyone REALLY wants what they can't have.  It's more than likely that there are people out there that share your hobbies and interests and YOU can be the one to provide the goods they want.  Making a profit takes nothing more than a keen ear, an open eye and bit of tenacity.

Happy selling,

enyart2005