Have You Tried Selling Items Online?

**_Cathy_** · August 5th, 2013 01:06 AM

Is it safe? Is it profitable? What is the best method of transaction?

I have been seriously considering selling items through facebook or sulit. I plan to sell make up, nail polish and other personal care products. I figured I should start with items that are my interest.

As an example, the nail polish that I plan to sell would cost me P150 to P200 in the US and plan to sell it for P300. It sells for P350 at the mall but I see sellers from sulit selling it at P300, P350 and P500. It costs USD65 to ship a box from the US to Manila so I am thinking is a 100 to 150% mark up enough for me to make money? But I am surprised that people are buying it for more that the cost at the mall! The problem is I feel guilty to have such a high mark up. I have never really tried selling stuff in my entire life since I am bad at singilan and I feel guilty to mark up with my friends

One example of what I thought was a high mark up would be the Cookie Butter which sells for less than USD4 but sold here for P450. But then when I calculated it, assuming that it is shipped for USD65, the mark up isn't as immoral as I previously thought

SO better na to sell online so no guilt for me.

What I want to find out is if it is worth the trouble to sell online? What are the usual challenges of selling online?

I'm a regular at a monthly bazaar in Manila and I know some sellers that only started with buying stuff in the US and selling it on bazaars. Now most of them have brick and mortar shops already! I used to go direct to their houses so I get first dibs and no crowd but now I just go to their stores. Galing nga e

**[archie]** · August 5th, 2013 01:49 AM

Safe? 90 percent of the time. Hindi maiiwasan yung mga loko. But it's a risk... Set meeting place near your area and crowded. Don't post your mark up here Para hindi malaman puhunan. Do shipping and earn the trust of people the transact with you.

Don't feel bad to sell with a big mark up since May risk ka rin in trusting online sellers. It's just business, wag ka rin magpapadala sa tawad kasi patigasan yan (who wants it more). Ika nga, meron right buyer for all products.

Start from that and see where it takes you. See your market, adjust to their needs, wag pakipot, and remain ethical.

Edit: o ya deal with cash only and deposits. Never on utang or gives. Kahit gaano mo kakilala, cash lang lagi. Mahirap na ma123 ng con artist.

**_Cathy_** · August 5th, 2013 02:14 AM

Oh no. I cannot edit my post na

Buti na lang hindi naman dito sa board ang market ko. Hehe.

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"Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."

**beni23** · August 5th, 2013 02:22 AM

Tried it a couple of times, itinigil ko na kasi binabarat ako lagi at ako naman nagpapabarat din.

#Retzing

**jhnkvn** · August 5th, 2013 02:27 AM

Is it safe? Is it profitable? What is the best method of transaction?

There's no "best method of transaction", this always boils down to what are you selling. Are you selling electronic gadgets? Then your preferred method would probably be meetups at your nearby mall. Are you selling chocolates? Then food bazaars might be a good start. Profitability depends on your decisions. It's really not a magic word but it's simply cost-analysis. Is the expenses less than the revenue earned? For example, doing meetups might be a bad decision if you're selling Php200 worth of items. You have to factor in transportation, time, etc. expenses. For far-away orders, meeting up would simply eat away the expenses and at times, downright impossible. so it's best to have a middleman such as a courier to deliver it.

As Archie says, always deal in cash. You can deal with invisible "cash" such as GCash and their equivalent if you're savvy enough but don't take credit unless you know the buyer (ex. he's your husband's sister) and even if you know them, it's only polite not to rack up the credit so always feel free to turn them down.

And why the frown upon mark-ups? It's the lifeblood of a buy-and-sell business. Your markup dictates your profit margins. You should have seen me playing Diablo III in the first week. I was literally buying NPC items then selling them at a 400% markup... and they sell out within minutes. You're not doing something unethical.. you're simply being business-savy. Of course, selling lethal drugs as "safe to use" is another thing completely

**romeocharlie** · August 5th, 2013 02:28 AM

If you would sell it online lower your mark-ups because you would also have to consider shipping fee that the buyer would shoulder, plus payment dues na sila din ang nagbabayad.. If its just 50-100 difference sa mall and sa online, i would still go to the mall.. Kase mas secured ako because i can see the item personally.. Kung single item lang bibilhin, yung price difference mo sa mall eh balewala kase may additional expenses din ang buyer..

If you are keen enough, source items na wala or limited ang sellers dito saten, in that way you can dictate the price or atleast be competitive about it.. Kung ang ititinda mo eh madami sa mall or madami din resellers mahihirapan ka pa din magbenta.. Pwera na lang siguro kung rock bottom prices ka..

Madami na din established online shops kung tutuusin kaya dapat ready ka din mag all-out.. Saturated na ang online market, kaya dapat yung diskarte sa pag outsource ng item na ikaw lang ang meron at mabebenta mo sa magandang presyo, yun ang magiging success mo sa larangan na yan..

Plus, hinde porke online store ka lang wala ka na display, dapat maconsider mo din magtayo kahit maliit na stall where you can showcase your items. It can act as a meeting place na din if your customer prefers meetups.. Trust me, mas mabenta ang walk-in kesa social network orders..

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**Syuryuken** · August 5th, 2013 09:52 AM

nasubukan ko na medyo matagal nga lang ROI maraming kalaban pag online nandun yung duda ang mga buyer sayo at hindi mo rin pwedeng taasan ang presyo. bank to bank lahat transaction ko para panatag ang loob ng buyer.

**jansky** · August 5th, 2013 12:05 PM

meron kami ganyang small business we only use FB , Sulit

so far so good as long as the money transaction is done thru bank deposit.. sa dami ng bogus ngayon mahirap na mag meet sa places at doon ang bayaran
either hindi ka sisiputin or pag andon na eh tska ka babaratin ng sobra

**1D4LV** · August 5th, 2013 12:06 PM

yes, lots of times din.
via sulit.... tama sila..... merong risk, pero its up to you to mitigate the risks.
bago mo i ship, ask for the full payment muna via bank deposit.

**romeocharlie** · August 5th, 2013 12:12 PM

I also don't prefer meetups, hassle sa time... Minsan maghihintayan kayo, parehas pa kayo sira sa oras.. it just happens na yung tindahan namin may bakante na istante for some of my display, if the client wants to see the items before hand i just ask them to visit my display.. Hinde ko pa kailangan mag adjust ng time to meet the client..

Personally, ang online selling dito saten eh much more of advertising a certain brand or market that you wish yo carry.. Taking advantage of social media for the free ads.. But if you wish to go fulltime business, mas maganda pa din may pwesto ka tapos may online shop..

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