How to Avoid Getting Stuck with Bargain Priced Goods

[mandy]

So there you are, browsing your local Wal-Mart. You turn down an aisle and there before you is an unbelievable bargain on summer clothing or a popular DVD. Or maybe you're in Radio Shack, where you find a half-dozen $50 remote-control cars on sale for $10 each.

"eBay!" you think. You snatch up the bargain goods and head for the checkout.

Wow! You're buying merchandise for less than a quarter of its list price, and you can post it on eBay as new for half retail and double your money. You can't lose, right?

Maybe...

full article: http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y206/m11/abu0179/s02

[FiberGuy]

(Bolding mine)

However, a patient seller can still profit from retail dumping. If you're willing to sit on items for a while, you can buy the bargain now and wait a year or so before selling it. By then, the rest of the sellers who grabbed this item will have sold theirs or given up, and you'll be the only one offering it.

I find that very hard to believe, on ebay anyhow.  Many of the larger retail sellers have an ebay store, which they transfer unsold stock to at a higher price to let it sit.  While others have seemingly unlimited warehouse space and will relist items monthly or every few months.

The worst part is, most ebay shoppers KNOW this and will wait for the insanely-low, bargain basement prices. 

[rob]

The examples given were insanely generic, but true...sort of.

*if* you know what you're doing and purchase judiciously, you can still make out like a bandit with this type of clearance merchandise.

Half-Price books doesn't always have the same markdowns in all stores.

I've done quite well buying at ½price by knowing the market. for example, last year my local ½price was clearing out dozens of birdwatcher guide books at .50¢ each. These books are published by regions. The Southwest region titles were still regular price because that's where the store is located so naturally local people would buy that particular title...it was the Pacific Northwest, Southeast and Northeastern titles that weren't selling down here so they were marked down. I scooped them up and resold online at more than the suggested retail because copies were scarce in the areas of interest.

Ya just gotta know your market, period.

r-