Watch Trends to Find Lucrative eBay Selling Opportunities

Taking advantage of market trends is a great way to make money on eBay. You can find all kinds of inside information from newspapers, magazines, television, and of course, the Internet. Believe it or not, you can even find out what people are interested in these days by bribing a kid. Keep your eyes and ears open. When people say, “Harry Potter stuff is all over the place,” instead of nodding your head vacantly, start getting ideas.

In newspapers

Newspapers are bombarded by press releases and information from companies the world over. Look for stories about celebrities and upcoming movies and see whether any old fads are making a comeback (you can sell items as retro chic).

Read the accounts from trade conventions, such as the New York Toy Fair or the Consumer Electronics show. New products are introduced and given the thumbs up or down by journalists. Use the information to help determine the direction of your area of expertise.

On television

No matter what you think of television, it has an enormous effect on which trends come and go and which ones stick. Why else would advertisers sink billions of dollars into TV commercials? For example, one Oprah appearance for an author can turn a book into an overnight bestseller. Tune in to morning news shows and afternoon talk shows. The producers of these shows are on top of pop culture and move fast to be the first to bring you the next big thing. Take what they feature and think of a marketing angle. If you don’t, you can be sure somebody else will.

Catch up with youth culture . . .

. . . or at least keep good tabs on it. If you remember cranking up The Beatles, James Brown, or The Partridge Family (say what?) until your parents screamed, “Shut that awful noise off,” you may be at that awkward time of life when you hardly see the appeal of what young people are doing or listening to. But if you want tips for hot auction items, tolerate the awful noise and listen to the kids around you. Children, especially preteens and teens, may be the best trend-spotters on the planet.

Check out magazines

Magazines geared to the 18-to-34 age group (and sometimes to younger teens) can help you stay on top of what’s hot. See what the big companies are pitching to this target audience (and whether they’re succeeding). If a celebrity is suddenly visible in every other headline or magazine, be on the lookout for merchandise relating to that person.

Visit social Web sites

So, you say you haven’t been to MySpace or Facebook, and you haven’t started to Twitter? Wow, you’re living in the days of black-and-white television! Social networking is the place to be. The “social Web” as it’s called, is branded with the top of the top — the most happening things and products. Visit these sites and you’ll soon discover what the “cool kids” are doing now.

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