Selling products on Amazon can be INCREDIBLY profitable for you, as it is for me (it’s replaced my full-time income!)

But there are pitfalls I’ve encountered – maybe you have, too:

– Too many sellers competing by selling the same products
– Not enough inventory for you to buy locally (maybe you are bumping into a lot of sellers at the same place you buy books to resell, for instance).
– Maybe your profit margins are getting squeezed, and you’re looking for that little ‘extra’ amount of revenue
– Maybe your feedback score took a dive because of a couple nasty customers had it out for you for a simple error you made in your product listing.

So I am going to help you improve your selling and/or profits by giving 4 of my Amazon seller tips. Enjoy!

1. Pre-owned toys and games can be a big moneymaker for you on Amazon, and they can be snapped up very cheaply by you in your own neighborhood (try running a craigslist ad or going to yard sales). While hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people in the U.S. are competing over book inventory in their regions, you can have a leg up on them by buying used toys and games.

2. Baby products are also a big seller on Amazon (you can only sell these as ‘new’ on Amazon – not as ‘used’ or ‘collectible’). Check your local chain stores for discounted new-in-package disney-themed cups, pacifiers, etc. You should know what the item sells for on amazon BEFORE you buy it. (Use a PDA Scanner from a company such as Neatoscan.com; or bring your phone with a web browser and look up the item on Amazon by entering the UPC # in the Amazon.com search field in your phone browser).

3. Did you get a nasty feedback score from one of your buyers? If you post a response to your Buyer’s Feedback on Amazon, they probably won’t read it (because they won’t be notified of your response). All of you have probably been tempted, as I have, to sling back a curt reply to a seller who leaves nasty feedback. It might feel good to post your reply, but they’re not going to be notified you left a response to them. Plus, think about what other potential buyers are going to do when they see your response (which will be posted for everyone to see).

4. If your Amazon inventory is very light to ship AND you ship the item from home (not via FBA) via 1st class U.S. mail, you can receive a nice shipping income ‘bonus’ via Amazon’s shipping reimbursement to you, when the item is sold. For instance, if your item weighs 2 oz (with the envelope/packaging), and you sell it on Amazon.com as a 3rd party merchant, Amazon charges the buyer $3.99 to $4.99 in shipping fees, which Amazon ‘gives’ to you. Your cost to send a 2 oz item anywhere in the U.S., via USPS, is under $2.00. Thus, you can make a $2 to $3 profit on the shipping alone.