A common question I am asked is how I quickly identify potentially profitable items in supplier catalogs when dropshipping. People want to know how to find the easiest items to sell on Amazon for a profit. And, when you’re dealing with a supplier like Novatech Wholesale, this is especially difficult. With thousands of items in the catalog, it can be very time-consuming to go through each of the items and compare their prices to the going prices on Amazon.
The truth though, is that I don’t go through each of the individual items in a supplier’s catalog. I’ve developed a 4-step system for identifying item categories in a supplier’s catalog that have potential.
Here are my tips for finding the easiest items to sell on Amazon for a profit:
Tip #1: Avoid Restricted Categories
Once you’re an experienced seller you can focus on restricted categories.
BUT in the beginning, you’ll want to avoid these since to be accepted to sell in restricted categories, your Amazon seller account must meet some specifications.
The restricted categories are:
- Beauty
- Grocery Items
- Health & Personal Care Items
- Jewellery
- Watches
- Toys & Games during the 4th quarter
- Certain high-end brands that are popular with counterfeit items, like Apple of Beats By Dre Headphones.
Avoid restricted items when identifying the easiest items to sell on Amazon for a profit.
Tip #2: Ignore categories that are dominated by Big Brands or Items
There are some types of items that are heavily dominated by big brand names. These big brands are so big and encompassing that they have eaten up the majority of the market.
The problem for dropshippers and wholesalers is that you’re unlikely to find a supplier selling these items for below market value. Even if you do, after you take into account Amazon seller fees, you’ll still be making a loss or at most a tiny, tiny profit.
When looking for the easiest items to sell on Amazon for a profit, avoid these types of items - like ebook readers.
Tip #3: Ignore saturated categories
Some niches are flooded with products and sellers on Amazon. Clothing and accessories for popular electronics such as iPhone covers are a great example.
When looking for the easiest items to sell on Amazon for a profit, I’ll avoid item categories like this. Occasionally I’ll give it a chance by focusing on a subniche. For example, if I saw that a supplier had a top-level category for “clothes” I’d dig a bit deeper and see what types of clothes they offer. I’d ignore general clothing like t-shirts or jeans, but if they had clothing aimed at a subniche like duck hunters, I would price-check their stock against the going price on Amazon.
Tip #4: Browse first through categories that appeal to a specific hobby, interest or need
The easiest items to sell on Amazon for a profit are items that appeal to people who have a specific type of hobby, interest or a need to fulfill. For example. One of the categories I was immediately drawn to on Novatech Wholesale’s catalog was Surveillance Cameras. It met my other three criteria. It isn’t an Amazon restricted category. There isn’t a single big brand on Amazon dominating the market. Plus, it isn’t a saturated market with tonnes of sellers.
The reason it isn’t saturated with sellers is because when most people start a store, they don’t think to sell Surveillance Cameras.
You see, when most people sit down and plan out their online store, they’ll brainstorm what types of items they should sell. They’ll look around their house and see what THEY have and what THEY need (this is why so many people try to sell clothing: Because everyone needs t-shirts and jeans).