While eBay might not command the same volume and ubiquity as Amazon, selling on the platform can still be a profitable business. Customers are looking for deals rather than brands, so the opportunity for dropshipping on eBay is big.
Whether you've already tried dropshipping on your own Shopify store without success—branding, running ads, and funnels are all hard skills to master, or simply looking for a new venture, eBay could be a great place to find customers who are already warm and ready to buy.
In this guide, we’ll cover some of the best products to sell on eBay and how you can do your own research to find winning niches.
Dropshipping with eBay
eBay is a unique platform. When it started, it was more focused on auctions and letting sellers buy one-off products. Think Coke bottles from the 1960s or a limited-edition pair of Nikes.
Today, it still has the auction-style functionality, but plenty of sellers sell generic products with hundreds of units in inventory. Dropshipping on eBay is just like any other form of dropshipping, but you have access to a marketplace of people who go to the site specifically to buy the product they’re searching for. In a sense, this is easier, though there’s more competition and complexity in dealing with eBay, PayPal, and your supplier.
The key to success with eBay dropshipping is finding the right product. One that’s actively being purchased (you can check this on the site), has demand that’s trending upwards, and has a good margin profile.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
The 12 Best eBay Dropshipping Products of 2024
The best products for eBay dropshipping this year.
1. Toys
Toys will always have a guaranteed market, and children aren’t the only ones who enjoy them. Hobbyists collect Lego blocks and build plastic models, so they would be more than willing to buy a few online.
Expand your market by catering to a wide age range. You’ll also experience more success during the Christmas shopping season.
2. Water Bottles
Stainless steel water bottles are trendy fashion symbols that are perfect for dropshipping, for example, Simple Modern, YETI, and more. They have low production costs and aren’t fragile.
They can also keep water cool longer than their glass counterparts and aren’t environmentally harmful like single-use plastic bottles. Provide potential customers with unique designs or personalize their flasks by printing names on them for added value.
3. Seasonal Dresses
Clothes will always sell online, especially seasonal dresses for ladies. You can sell various sizes, colors, and styles, which is typically a headache, but since you never own the inventory you can turn this into an advantage because you’ll have less competition.
One concern customers have is getting the right size, and you can solve that problem by adding precise measurements on your shop’s product description page. This will put you above competitors and show buyers that you care about their happiness, not just their money—and your seller rating will go up in return.
4. Necklaces & Bracelets
Accessories like necklaces and bracelets elevate your outfit if done right, and they’re easy to ship too since they’re super small and light.
Separate your shop from the rest by matching them with clothes in the product images to show customers how they can style them. You can also throw in a free gift with purchase like a nice gift box in case they want to give them to someone else.
5. Christmas Decorations
Some people like to buy Christmas decorations in advance so they have the freedom to choose the ones they want and aren’t scrambling at the last minute. The demand increases when the holiday season gets closer, and most sell out quickly.
Take advantage of this by offering them in your store. Give early bird discounts and offer various styles from lights to tree decors so customers will buy in bulk.
6. Pet Clothing & Toys
According to the American Pet Products Association, over 82 million U.S. households own a pet, and they’re spending billions of dollars on supplies, clothes, and toys.
Since it’s a growing market, it’s only right to provide fur parents with comfortable and functional pet clothes like those with funny and quirky designs. Interactive toys like puzzles or battery-operated balls are also popular choices.
7. Electronics & Accessories
People will always have smartphones (at least for the foreseeable future), and they need accessories to go along with them. Chargers tend to wear out quicker than the gadget, and buying the brand name one is oftentimes too expensive.
Give buyers high-quality alternatives compatible with their devices. Throw in a few accessories in your shop like shockproof cases and tempered glass sheets so they won’t look anywhere else.
8. Kitchenware
Kitchenware is always in demand. You can offer it in attractive designs or matching sets, which adds more stylish aesthetics. They have a high profit margin and you have plenty of suppliers you can rely on. Feature a video using the products so customers will have a first-hand view of their function.
9. Affordable Smart Watches
Silicon Valley revolutionized the way people use mobile phones through smartwatches, and people have an undying desire for them. Unfortunately, name-brand options are far too expensive.
Provide shoppers with affordable, stylish, and durable options that come in varying colors, shapes, and designs. Just make sure that they’re packed securely to avoid damage during shipping.
10. Cologne
Colognes is another item that’s in constant demand. People love to smell good and feel great. Giving them various choices from seductive and spicy fragrances to refreshing cool perfumes will net you some great profit.
Just avoid ones that contain alcohol, because the United States Postal Service banned shipping them due to flammability.
11. Makeup
Makeup is another low-cost, high-profit endeavor. Dropshipping them cuts storage space and day-to-day processing operations, allowing you to save on upfront investments.
Find suppliers that offer high-quality, organic, and cruelty-free products so people will find your products more attractive than cheap knockoffs made with harsh chemicals. You can also try selling sets to increase your sales.
12. Bed Sheets & Bathroom Towels
Household items are great dropshipping products, especially bed sheets and bathroom towels. Everyone needs them, and if you can provide options that come in vibrant colors, customers will flock to your store. They’re also popular gift ideas, and personalizing them through custom print designs will work in your favor.
How to Find Winning eBay Dropshipping Products
Here are the best approaches to finding winning eBay dropshipping products.
Whop Communities
At Whop, we have communities for just about anything you can envision in the ecommerce world. This spans from things like FlipFlip, which teaches reselling, to The Yard, which is all about dropshipping.
You’ll learn the principles of dropshipping and selling on certain platforms, which will educate you on how to spot trends for the next winning products and more.
eBay Trending
What better place to find out which products are selling than from eBay itself? Keep an eye on eBay’s Trending Deals section to understand what products historically do well and where the demand is.
Amazon Bestsellers
While Amazon is a different platform, you can still use it as a general benchmark for insight into how the market is performing on a macro level. The Best Sellers section will give you instant feedback on what specific products are getting sales in (almost) real-time.
Google Trends
Similar to Amazon, Google Trends is a great tool for finding where the demand is, and where it’s going. Oftentimes, you can find seasonal trends such as what products sell better in winter or summer months. Use this to forecast products you’d like to sell at different times of the year.
Learn How to Sell Anything on eBay with Whop
Whop is home to some of the leading courses and communities on all things ecommerce. So if you're researching how to succeed at dropshipping, or looking for the best products with the highest profit margins, you can find all the information that you need right here on Whop.
At Whop, you get access to any and all dropshipping education, from one-on-one coaching, to extensive education through courses and ebooks, and private communities with like-minded students.
eBay Dropshipping FAQs
Is it good to dropship on eBay?
Dropshipping on eBay is low risk and can be very profitable. You can source items directly from AliExpress for a low cost and sell them at competitive prices. You also don’t need to handle shipping and production because your supplier will handle that for you.
How much is eBay dropshipping?
Like other eBay sellers, you pay the website fees to sell through the marketplace. These include the $0.35 listing fee, a $4.95 per month store subscription fee, and a percentage of the total sale, which as of June 2024, is 13.25%.
What are the rules on dropshipping on eBay?
eBay allows dropshipping on their website, provided that they are identified as the seller on all packing slips and invoices. Other rules include ensuring that the item reaches customers safely and third-party suppliers are in a contractual relationship with the seller.
Why You Should Trust Us
Joe Niehaus is an ecommerce content writer at Whop who specializes in affiliate marketing, dropshipping, and direct-to-consumer brands. In the past, he’s written for sites like FORTUNE, Business Insider, and more.
