Shoppers can make a fast profit in the run up to Christmas by snapping up the best selling toys and gadgets and swiftly re-selling them on eBay, the online auction site. Research by the Daily Telegraph shows that with a basket of eight popular presents including mobile phones this Christmas, canny shoppers could make a profit of £371 by immediately re-selling them on the website.
This is before you take into account theNintendo Wii, the games console that is predicted to be an even more popular hit than last year. Due to severe supply problems, the £179.99 gadget is almost impossible to track down on the High Street. As a result, it is regularly selling at well over £500 on eBay, with some fetching up to £1000. The lowest price obtained last week was £280. But even relatively low-priced gifts could land you a substantial profit. In the Night Garden – a hit programme with toddlers watching the CBeebies channel – has spawned a whole range of must-have toys. The Ninky-Nonk train, for instance, costs £9.99 in John Lewis. On eBay some buyers are paying £41 for the train. The most popular Transformer – Optimus Prime – is just £29.99 at Toys R Us, a fraction of the price sellers are charging on eBay, where one sold for £216 this week.
Profits can also be made from Baby Annabell dolls, Dr Who masks and the remote-controlled dragonfly that is predicted to be in many children’s stockings. It is estimated there are at least 100,000 people who regularly supplement their income by sophisticated trading on eBay and other online auction sites. However, if you want to make a serious profit you have to do your homework and second-guess what the best sellers are in advance.
Robert Pugh, author of 'The eBay Business Handbook’ says he bought most of his toy stock over the summer, when prices were cheap and supply was good. “To cash in now, you need to already be thinking about next year’s best sellers. This year is going to be too late, unless you strike it lucky.” Many of the most popular toys are already out of stock in many shops, leaving parents tearing their hair out and eBay traders with few options. However, Mr Pugh says even if you can’t track down a Wii on the High Street, you can always bank on “good, solid trade names” such as Lego and Brio to make money online