Dropshipping/Wholesale

Hi,

I'm new to these forums so I appologize if this topic has already been covered ad nauseum. I flipped through a few pages of threads and couldn't find anything related so I decided to start a new thread. Anyway, here goes...

I recently became interested in starting an ebay business. I know the world of consumer electronics and computer equipment is VERY competitive but it is what I know a lot about and it is what I'd prefer to begin with. I am, however, open to other possibilities. I would eventually like to get into purchasing case lots wholesale but I'd like to start off getting my feet wet by bringing in a bit of income using dropshipping. I've been looking around for potencial dropshippers or wholesale warehouses who dropship and it feels like I'm wading through a sea of con artists and scammers who want nothing more than to part me from my money. I've been spending some time trying to educate myself on what constitutes a legitmate dropshipper and what doesn't.

If they're not trying to sell me a "list" of dropshippers or an "ebook" that will make me millions, they're trying to get me to pay $100-$200 for a membership that gives me the priviledge of selling their products. Perhaps some of these companies are legitimate but a lot of what they require raises red flags of caution in my mind. Many also sell products at prices that would be virtually impossible to be able to sell and make a profit from. I live in Canada but I'm not looking for a supplier exclusively Canadian. As I understand it, my location is generally pretty irrelevant to the equation. I have already registered my business in Canada and have received a taxation number and a business number so that I may purchase from legitimate suppliers (my research so far has indicated that legitmate suppliers require this, non-legitmate ones do not).

Would anyone out there be able to offer some advice to a fledgling ebay marketer and perhaps suggest some legitimate sources of either information or actual dropshippers? I'd sure appreciate any help or advice from the wealth of experience I sense is out there. Please feel free to respond either to this forum, PM, or email.

Thanks,
Joel

 

Has anybody tried wholesalemarketer.com? They charge a $30/month membership fee (thought they have a 7 day free trial) but they seem to have access to a lot of warehouses and going through them gives discounts on fees the warehouses charge. Anyone? Anyone at all?

 

Dropshipping on Ebay is ALOT of work, like any business. Those so called wholesalers which charge a membership fee to access their inventory are nothing but middleman and are total scams. The problem about Ebay is that everyone is dealing with the same dropshippers/products so there is very little/no money to be made unless you can establish relationships with wholesalers of products which are unique to Ebay.

 

Thanks for the info.

I've looked at a few dropshippers (haven't joined any) and usually when they publish all or part of their catalogue and their "wholesale" prices, I've gone and done a search on ebay for a few representative products. Oftentimes, their "wholesale" prices are higher than what the items sell for on ebay but every once in a while I find someone with prices that seem to be actual wholesale. I realize that these guys are still middlemen but wouldn't it theoretically be possible to make a profit off of a middleman who still happens to have decent pricing?

Also, you say that dropshipping on ebay is A LOT of work. Without having done it before, it seems to me like it should be significantly less work than carrying your own inventory which you package and ship yourself. I'm not opposed to putting in the work neccessary but I'd like to work smart. If dropshipping on ebay is so much work, do you have any suggestions for a better way to get the job done or are you saying that it's a lot of work for relatively little profit compared to purchasing lot amounts at actual wholesale?

 

Don't get me wrong, working with dropshippers can work out great if you have a good reliable supplier, and a unique product. However, especially on Ebay, your at the mercy of the dropshipper. Your feedback is everything. So if your selling hundreds of goods at the one time you want to be making sure your supplier has everything your selling in stock ready to ship out.

 

I have tried several times with dropshippers.... If you do go that route make sure that you have people test them around the country every once in a while.

I found out one time my shipper was sending extra stuff with his letterheads and pricelists....

 

I hate that kind of scum, trying to steal the customers you work so hard to get!!

 

You might want to research Worldwide Brands Inc. for names/addresses of qualified drop shippers. Worldwide Brands is certified by ebay and apparently qualifies each drop shipper before including them in their directory. It costs around $70 to get the directory but it's a lifetime access, with daily updates.

 

I'd love to know where some of the ebay sellers get their supplies when they sell so inexpensively on ebay.

 

Thank you all for your responses. As I said before, eventually I'd like to get into purchasing actual wholesale merchandise and doing my own shipping as that is where the real money appears to be. However, I'd like to get my feet wet using dropshipping while I learn the ropes before I start investing a significant amount of money into inventory. Does anyone know (specifically) any good reliable dropshippers that they'd be willing to let me know about either via this forum or via PM or email?

 

I know a awesome dropshipper for cellular equipment.

 

Would you be willing to share the company name with me?

 

for sure ill even give you the owners cell phone... hes a very good guy and very trustworthy. They are probably the bigest wholesale distributor in the west coast and have alot of product nobody else can get cause they make it in house.

 

Cool. I will eagerly anticipate the message.

 

so pm me with your email =P

 

Did you get my message?

 

I was such a success with wholesalemarketer that they set me up with a yearly account just for $100 / year for access to ALL warehouses but unfortunately I haven't been in the wholesale or drop shipping scene for a while. Wholesalemarketer is a great place because of their data export tool as well. It can work wonders

 

hello-

i have pm'd you info. Sorry i was out of town

 

I got an inviting to join you here.
Please tell me the spesific details of your needed products

 

stop spamming
and go away.