Sell Everythingor Certain Things?

Some second-hand resellers will sell anything they can make a profit on. Other resellers, however, prefer to specialize in particular types of merchandisechildren's clothing, for example, or antiques. Each approach necessitates a slightly different business model.

Selling all types of used merchandise makes it somewhat easier to find inventory to sellyou're not as picky about what you buy. By not limiting your selection, you also get to play in a lot of different product categories and open yourself up to all manner of pleasant surprises. That said, there's more work involved in researching, storing, packing, and shipping a wide variety of items, since you never buy or sell the same thing twice; every piece you handle has new and different requirements.

When you limit your selection to a handful of specific categories, you can more quickly become an expert in those categories. When you buy and sell second-hand clothing, for example, you'll learn all the ins and out of the used clothing marketwhat sells, what doesn't, what something is worth, how to efficiently pack and ship it. Deal with one type of item long enough and you develop a good eye for bargains and for potential hot sellers. You can also work out an efficient routine for listing, storing, packing, and shipping those similar items.

What kind of specialization are we talking about? There's a lot you can focus on. Some of the most popular categories for second-hand reselling include used books; used men's, women's, and children's clothing; vintage clothing (which is different from "used" clothing); vintage toys, model kits, and other collectibles; records and tapes; jewelry and watches; and antiques. Just about anything that anyone might collect is a good category to specialize in; also good are those categories in which people like to get good bargains on used items (such as clothing).

That said, limiting your selection to a single type of item means you might have to pass over potentially lucrative merchandise outside your category of specialization. In addition, you may have to visit a larger number of garage sales and thrift stores to find enough merchandise to feed your ongoing auction business.

So which should you dosell anything (within limits) or specialize? That's a personal decision; both models can be profitable. You should choose the business model that best suits your interests, as well as your own strengths and weaknesses. Just know that whichever model you choose requires a slightly different approach, and plan your business accordingly.