With around 133 million active buyers around the world, eBay is the second-largest marketplace in the world. It's well-known among online shoppers for offering virtually every type of product to buy: electronics, fashion, collectibles, and even industrial equipment, from toolboxes to heavy machinery.
For sellers, eBay is a thriving environment to sell in. Its large number of active buyers, in addition to diversified sales methods, with the option of auctioning products, make the marketplace a profitable option for online retail.
But to be successful on the platform, you need to know exactly what to sell. If you want to start your own online sales business on eBay or want to improve your inventory, this article is for you.
Keep reading to find out the best things to sell on eBay.
Why should you sell on eBay?
With almost 30 years in business—originally founded in 1995—eBay generated $2.6 billion of revenue in 2024 alone.
It’s one of the most globalized marketplaces on the market, and eBay's own stats confirm this, as according to the platform, 49% of eBay's total revenue comes from international operators.
Let's take a look at the general reasons why you should sell on eBay:
Its massive customer base
As mentioned earlier, eBay has a customer base of millions of online shoppers spread across the globe. Also, eBay’s international shipping services allow sellers to sell to buyers in over 200 countries.
This number of active buyers and massive geographical reach definitely put eBay as one if you plan to scale your brand across the seas.
It has diverse product categories
You can sell just about anything on eBay. While it’s best known for finding rare and unique products, such as collectibles or vintage items, the platform has a nearly limitless number of categories.
There are standard categories, such as clothing and electronics, but the marketplace also allows you to create customizable categories for specific products.
Sellers can create up to 300 unique Store categories to help organize their listings and display items to buyers, making it easier to find specific items in search engines.
It is cost effective
Starting to sell on eBay can be cheap compared to other marketplaces, depending on the type of product you sell. Each general category has a specific fee that can range from 3% to 15%, based on the product itself and the quantity you sell.
And with the auction-based sales model, it’s possible to make quite high profits especially if you’re selling rare and unique items.
You can set auction or fixed price options for your listings
The auction model has been around since eBay’s inception and continues to this day. When you create your listing, you can either set the item up for auction—where buyers bid according to their preferences—or set a fixed price.
The advantage here is that you can make the most profits possible. Rare, vintage, or unique items benefit most from this model.
The 23 best things to sell on eBay
Here are the best products to sell on eBay:
1. Clothing
eBay has an extensive section dedicated to fashion in general, including new, used, designer, vintage, and many other styles.
Specific accessories, such as suspenders and other retro pieces, are always good options to sell because they are always in demand on the platform.
2. Sneakers
Sneakers are very popular items on many platforms, not only because of their undeniable style and quality as footwear but also because they have become very prominent items for collectors.
More exclusive models of sneakers can cost several thousand dollars and many online buyers are willing to offer very high prices for more exclusive models. They are an especially lucrative item to sell on eBay and many resellers on Whop make a pretty penny from doing so.
3. Jewelry
If you click on "fashion" on the eBay homepage, the first items you'll see listed are jewelry. It's no wonder, jewelry is a very popular item on eBay, and buyers are always looking for the best pieces at the best prices.
4. Designer handbags
Designer handbags are another very popular product on eBay. Because they are expensive items, online shoppers often look for better prices on eBay than they would find in brick-and-mortar stores and other sales platforms.
If you plan to sell these types of items on eBay, "competitive" prices can still yield good profits, especially if the designer handbag in question is exclusive.
5. Watches
There’s nothing like a good watch, right?
Classic mechanical models are especially popular on the platform. It’s also not uncommon to see more vintage models being auctioned for a few hundred thousand dollars on eBay. If your business involves selling classic watches, eBay is certainly the marketplace for you.
6. iPhones
Whether new or used, online shoppers are always looking for smartphones. Although it doesn't necessarily have to be iPhones, there is a huge demand for the brand in almost every part of the world, which is reflected in great sales on a platform like eBay where prices can be better.
7. Retro gaming consoles and games
While video game accessories in general are great items to sell on eBay, the platform is popularly known for being the place to go when it comes to finding rare games, retro consoles, and all sorts of classic video game accessories from decades past.
Collectors and retro game enthusiasts are constantly flocking to eBay in search of new items and are willing to pay top dollar for them. It’s a niche product, but one that can be very lucrative for your business.
8. Home decor
Whether it’s unique paintings, rugs, or cushions, online shoppers are always looking for that extra item to decorate their homes and make the environment more comfortable. Offering a variety of designs, from modern to vintage, is a good option to attract buyers of all tastes.
9. Fitness equipment
As the fitness lifestyle grows in popularity year-on-year, demand for all sorts of exercise equipment is growing on major marketplaces like eBay.
Think weights, treadmills, exercise bikes, or even simpler things like yoga mats. These are all high-demand products that you can even sell in bundles for a bigger profit.
10. Gym clothes
Still in the fitness category, gym and sportswear are items in high demand. They are great products to sell because they are easy to store and ship. They can also be sold in bundles to maximize your profits.
11. Power tools
Anyone who enjoys home improvement and DIY knows the importance of a good tool and how difficult it can be to find exactly what you need to do a specific job around the house.
That's why power tools and other home improvement items are always among the best-selling items on platforms like eBay. Whether you sell one or a set of tools like in the image above, you'll definitely build a customer base.
12. Vinyl records
Vinyl records are a classic that are still favored among retro enthusiasts and music lovers who prefer the sound of vinyl players to modern sounds, making them a highly popular product online, especially on a marketplace known for vintage items like eBay.
There's no secret here: if you offer this product, there’ll be someone who will buy it. Of course, rarer records are worth much more, but even the most "common" ones can guarantee a good profit.
13. Pet products
Whether it’s toys, clothes, accessories, or food, interest in pet products has been growing more and more on marketplaces. And many people access eBay in search of unique accessories that can’t be found anywhere else.
Think exclusive clothes or eco-friendly toys. Innovation goes a long way in this growing market, and you can position your business ahead in a marketplace that already brings you a lot of traffic.
14. Camping gear
This is another popular category to sell on any marketplace.
Items like tents, sleeping bags, heaters, or accessories like insect repellent and waterproof backpacks. Many camping products can be used for other everyday things, so it’s a type of product that you can sell throughout the year, regardless of the season.
15. Kitchen cutlery
Cutlery and other kitchen accessories are always in high demand and are perfect products to sell on eBay. Designs made from wood and other renewable products are a big trend and are particularly lucrative to sell too. Consider selling rarer cutlery items to stand out from the pack.
16. Toys for children/toddlers
Educational toys for children and newborns are a big trend in ecommerce, especially products made from renewable materials, such as wood and recyclable materials.
17. Lego sets
There is a very strong collector culture around Lego, especially Lego sets of historical monuments and pop culture figures, and eBay has become the go-to place to buy and sell these types of products.
More exclusive models are constantly auctioned for very high prices, making it a niche that is well worth investing in if you are an online retailer looking for new segments to target.
18. Board games
Another very popular category, online shoppers constantly visit eBay looking for unique and interesting board games. Offering a wide variety, and even some unique and exclusive ones, can be a very profitable idea for your business.
19. Cardgames
Whether for collecting, competing in tournaments, or just trading, card games are a worldwide craze that has its own market, generating millions of dollars each year.
Rare cards can be worth thousands, if not millions of dollars. To give you an idea, Logan Paul, a popular content creator and influencer, bought a single rare card from the Pokémon card game for $5.25 million!
eBay is a traditional marketplace for trading card games, and it goes without saying that this is an excellent product to sell on the marketplace.
20. Action figures
Whether it's ultra-realistic figurines for display purposes or minimalist Funko POP! figures to complete collections, action figures are always a great product to sell because they appeal to a wide audience.
Adults and children, hardcore collectors, or people who just like to decorate their homes with characters from their childhood all have a soft spot for action figures. This is a product that can clearly generate good profits and is always among the bestsellers on eBay.
21. Beauty products
Products like makeup, skin creams, and other wellness items are very popular in ecommerce, especially with consumers preferring vegan products—without animal byproducts. It’s a category that’s always trending on eBay.
22. Photography equipment
As a major online retailer, eBay is the perfect marketplace for professionals to buy equipment that would be hard to find or unaffordable in many places. That’s why photography equipment in general is so popular on the marketplace.
Add to that the growing number of influencers and the culture that values high-quality images and photography. It’s a category that’s simply too popular on the marketplace and definitely not a bad idea as a product for your business to sell.
23. Car accessories
These can be spare parts, interior and exterior accessories, tires, or even decorations like stickers. You can offer everything when it comes to cars, and there is certainly a lot of demand for all types of products.
Mechanical parts that are harder to find usually go up for auction and fetch very high prices. It may not be the first product category that comes to mind when it comes to ecommerce, but it is certainly a very profitable one.
What to consider if you’re thinking of selling on eBay
Despite its many benefits, eBay also has a number of drawbacks that need to be considered when thinking about selling on the platform. Here’s what you should keep in mind when selling on eBay.
It's highly competitive
As we mentioned earlier, eBay has thousands of users. While this means there’s a lot of traffic, it also means you’ll face a lot of competition no matter what product you’re offering.
Of course, this goes for pretty much any online marketplace, but eBay, being one of the biggest, means you’ll face more competition than you would if you were selling on smaller platforms like Etsy.
Limited opportunity for branding
Unlike having your own website or landing page for selling, with eBay you have minimal opportunity for customization, both in terms of marketing and in providing a shopping experience for your customers.
Your storefront is part of the eBay ecosystem and is subject to eBay's policies. The good thing is that you can take advantage of the marketplace's organic traffic, something that would be more difficult with your own website.
Abrupt changing policies
When selling on a marketplace, your business will always be subject to sudden policy changes. Whether it’s changes in sales fees, types of products that may no longer be accepted for sale on the platform, or even pricing rules.
That’s why it’s always important to keep an eye on the terms of use of eBay, or any other platform you sell on.
Returns can be a headache
The fact that eBay focuses so much on selling pre-owned and vintage items means that items can be returned much more quickly. This is a positive for buyers but can be a hassle for sellers, especially if you sell internationally.
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