eBay is surging in popularity. After experiencing success, 38% of sellers plan to branch beyond the site. Video games and video consoles are amongst what sells best on eBay, with popular items including Microsoft, Sega, and Nintendo. Another popular category is the health and beauty range. Popular products there include hair straighteners, hair dryers, and skincare products.
Of course, as an eBay seller, it’s understandable that you’d want to know which products generate the most buzz to keep your profit margin high. That’s why, in this guide, we will reveal the top-selling categories and product trends for 2024 so you can easily identify what sells best on eBay in your target market.
Profit Potential for eBay VS Amazon
The profit potential on eBay is huge. 35.3% of people on eBay make between $10k and $100k every year, and 3.9% of sellers surveyed in a recent poll make between $1 million and $10 million on eBay, too. Although this is lower than Amazon’s, eBay’s profit margins tend to be bigger, making the platform very appealing to entrepreneurs in general.
Top-Selling Categories and Trends
To maximize your eBay sales, focus on top-selling categories and capitalize on seasonal trends. You can find some popular options below if you don’t know where to start and find out the answer to your question of what sells best on eBay?
Source: eBay export
Evergreen Favourites
Classic categories include electronics, clothing, collectibles, and home items. These tend to perform well consistently and are always in high demand. If you want your eBay store to be successful, focusing on items like this will provide you with a stable, year-round income.
Some top items here include LED strip lights, designer shoes, and custom sneakers. Watches are also a top-selling item on eBay. The global jewelry market is set to reach $332.6 billion by the year 2026, and not only is this market a goldmine, but it’s also easier to package and ship them when compared to other electronic products.
Hot Trends and Rising Stars
Video games and consoles tend to rank consistently. When a new console comes out, sales on eBay soar, not just for the latest release. People are encouraged to look at retro consoles and games, too. Of course, new consoles only come out every few years, but when they do, you can capitalize on a hot trend that lasts six months or more. Between these hot streaks, video games and consoles still sell consistently.
Other trends include vintage fashion, which is on the rise and set to rocket even more in 2024. The same concept applies to unique home decor. The cottage theme in interior design is hot as people seek cozier, more homely spaces. Unique items such as deer antler lights and custom products are rising.
Seasonal Opportunities on eBay
While balancing hot streaks and evergreen products is essential, you must also explore seasonal opportunities. Christmas, back-to-school, and even sports seasons create shifts in the top-selling item category. You must be ahead of the curve to capitalize on these buying sprees, Offer combined postage deals on specific items, or offer temporary free postage. Stationery products sell well when kids return to school and after each holiday.
When the sports seasons start, whether it’s NHL, NFL, NBA, or soccer, people tend to pick up used or vintage jerseys along with the new strip.
Budget-Friendly Finds and High-End Treasures
If you want to make the most of your eBay experience, focus on budget finds and high-end items. This will give you a good balance and help you target different niches. Diversity is key to stabilizing your eBay venture and bringing in consistent profit.
Value Hunters Paradise
Items that offer high resale value include stamps, patches, pins, and crafty items. These are ideal for budget-conscious sellers and those who want to sell on eBay without much financial risk. Bargain finds can also be found and then flipped.
One way to do this would be for you to set up alerts for when new items are listed. You can also go on “buy it now” as a filter and then search for prices low to high. Doing this lets you find instant bargains in your chosen category without holding out for an auction. You can click “resell” to relist the product under your eBay page for a higher price.
Luxury and Niche Markets
Luxury brands, vintage collectibles, and rare items are also great if you want to cater to a niche audience. Niche audiences tend to have more spending power so that you can make more money from them.
If you want to identify unique niches, then use Terapeak. This is a highly effective tool for market research, and it is the best way for you to find out what an item is going for and how much potential profit there is to be made from it. It is also a perfect way to connect with the right buyers.
If you want more ideas for niche products, vinyl is making a huge comeback. Vinyl records and any tools used to clean or maintain old record players are worth the investment. You can pick up vinyl for an affordable price by attending yard sales, and this is a fantastic way to increase your profit potential.
What Sells Best on eBay in 2024?
Beyond Big Sellers
As a new eBay seller, you may be tempted to choose the most popular categories, as they have the most profit potential. This isn’t always a good idea, though. Many people pursue the big categories, but this is a mistake. You need to ensure that you are targeting smaller, niche categories, too, because if you don’t, you may be unable to beat the competition.
On eBay, there is a lot of potential for success in the niches of handmade items, personalized products, and more. If you want some examples of a niche seller on eBay, then Mextremista is a great example. They sell handmade band patches within the niche of heavy metal. With thousands of products that cater to a single musical genre, this is a prime example of how it’s easy to make sales when you target a niche. Another one would be YourLocalPrinter. They have a range of custom cookie cutters but cater specifically to a children’s niche. Lastly, Retexchange sells 3D-printed models for tabletop games. Games like this often use cardboard cutouts, but creating a visual representation of the character can add realism to the game.
Conclusion
So, some of the top-selling categories on eBay for 2024 remain jewelry and video game consoles. With that in mind, the vintage market is also on the rise. A range of products span from old handbags to designer boots and more. These are highly profitable items and remain the best way for you to succeed on the site. However, you must go beyond what’s hot and identify market gaps to take things one step further. Tailor your products to your target audiences, and take the time to build a strong brand on the site.
As a seller, you also need to conduct your research and adopt a strategic approach to sourcing. Leverage unique selling points and find a profitable niche that works for you. Interest in your niche will help you out a lot, too. For example, if you’re a music fan, focus on vinyl or CD sales.
Learn more about eBay and optimization techniques to skyrocket your eBay sales.
eBay Listing Optimization: Attract the Right Buyers and Watch Your Sales Soar