BY

JORDAN MALIK

AWARD-WINNING AMAZON.COM PRO MERCHANT & FOUNDER OF FINDSPOTTER.COM,

HONESTONLINESELLING.COM, & MYLOCALINVENTORY.COM

(c) 2013 JordanMalik.com Inc. DEDICATION:

This book is dedicated to our two 'girls', Cinnamon ('Cini') and Candy ('Can-Cans').

You will always be our '#1' plush toys: irreplaceable, omnipresent and infinitely loveable. Thank you for your reliable doses of joy and comfort in this uncertain world.

2 Legal Stuff

JordanMalik.com, Inc. ('The Publisher') shares its opinions and experience selling online within this guide. Please note that you are responsible for any actions you take as a result of reading the ideas in this guide.

All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, reselling, or copying of this material is unlawful. No portion of this book may be copied or resold without explicit permission from the Publisher.

The Publisher reserves the right to use the full force of the law in the protection of its intellectual property including the contents, ideas, and expressions contained herein.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SELL THIS BOOK ON EBAY NOR AMAZON NOR ANY OTHER

WEBSITE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GIVE AWAY THIS BOOK ON ANY WEBSITE.

Be aware that the author has legal resources to quickly pursue copyright violators.

The Publisher, its partners, employees, and subsidiaries disclaim any personal liability, loss, or risk incurred as a result of any information or any advice contained herein, either directly or indirectly. All mention of promises to earn money either implied or not implied are strictly based on the Publisher's opinion.

The Publisher does not intend to render any legal, accounting, or other professional

3 advice in the document contained herein. The author makes no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents of this book.

The Publisher is in no way associated with, or a representative of, eBay,

Amazon.com, Google.com and/or any other company mentioned herein unless specifically noted.

The Publisher may receive referral/affiliate revenue if you purchase/download/click-through any URLs/links within this e-book.

You can contact the publisher at http://JordanMalik.com

4 Table of Contents

Before We Begin...... 6

The Premise...... 7

Profit Proof...... 10

Wait! Ebay Sellers Profit with VINTAGE, Too! ...... 29

Sellers' Main Objection (Or: the 'ick!' Factor)...... 30

Where to Find Plush Toys...... 34

How to Inspect Plush Toys for Reselling...... 43

How to Photograph Plush Toys...... 46

How to Package Plush Toys...... 49

How to Describe Your Plush Toys...... 50

Be on the Lookout List...... 57

Avoid These Plush Toys...... 63

Can I Ask You for a Favor?...... 64

Also from the Author...... 65

5 Before We Begin...

Please stop here!

This guide assumes you have some knowledge of selling on Amazon AND buying/selling on EBAY.

If you don't know how to sell on Amazon, this FREE guide can help you: http://www.sellfba.com/jm.html. Or take my only recommended step-by-step video course here: http://jordanmalik.com/amazon.

If you don't know how to buy stuff on eBay, get started here (a free resource): http://bit.ly/startebay

If you don't know how to sell on eBay, get started here (also free info): http://bit.ly/sell-it-on-ebay.

Ok. Turn the page, and let's begin.

6 The Premise

Plush!

Did you know that plush toys (you know, the furry and soft kind, also known as

'stuffed animals') can bring in BIG profits on Amazon and/or eBay? They can!

I've been selling pre-owned, like-new and 'new with tags still attached' plush toys on Amazon (and some on eBay) for at least 3 years now.

Why are they so profitable? Remember that plush toys these are commonly considered 'throwaways' by the people who get rid of them. Many people and thrift shops and yard sale-ers don't know (or don't care) about the potential resale value of a plush.

The reality is that plush toys can be highly valuable (when you resell them on

Amazon and/or eBay) for one or a combination of reasons: 1.) Many plush toys go out of production. So, when a specific plush gets worn or lost and Missy or Junior need a replacement, parents/grandparents are willing to fork over the dough to get

'THAT ONE' (new or used!) because they need it right away. 2.) When plush toys go out of production, they naturally become scarce. Scarcity boosts perception (and, indeed the reality) of increased value to the buyer; and 3.) Collectors collect plush, too. They perceive them differently than little kids do (although kids—of ALL ages

—can be collectors, too!)

7 So I am going to break it all down for you and when you're done with this guide, you'll be like me—you won't see JUST the plush bunny, but you'll see the money, honey. And that's what we're all here for!

But first, you need to know if you can trust me, right? So who am I?

 I've been selling on Amazon (via the FBA program) for over 3 years now

(with sales of over $135,000/year (see http://bit.ly/amz2013 ) . and I've been

an eBay Top-Rated Seller (see http://bit.ly/QWNzDh and

http://bit.ly/16ArvF9) for 7+ years.

 I also received Amazon.com's Top Seller Award for Holiday Season 2010 AND

2012 (see http://bit.ly/AmazonAward and http://bit.ly/2013aa).

 In 2011-2013, I founded SoldOutA.com, FindSpotter.com, and

http://mylocalinventory.com, all of which help online merchants find

profitable products to sell on Amazon.

 My eBay seller IDs are Member11756jm, JordansAutoAccessories,

JordansEurope, and glanterncostumes. You can look up all of them here:

» http://pages.ebay.com/services/forum/feedback-login.html .

You'll see I am a Top Rated Seller and that I’m trusted.

 My Amazon FBA Pro Merchant ID is Honest Online Selling (see

8 http://bit.ly/honestonline) Check that out too, you can see my recent

Amazon buyers' feedback, and my items for sale.

I hope you enjoy this guide. And I always welcome your comments or questions! My email address is [email protected] , and you can find me on Facebook here: http://fb.com/jordanmalik

Thank you,

Jordan “J.B”. Malik

JordanMalik.com Inc. / [email protected]

P.S. Get my free newsletter for eBay and Amazon revenue-generating ideas at http://honestonlineselling.com

9 Profit Proof

Ok, let's get right into it. Here is just a sampling of the plush toys (“stuffed animals”) that I've sold for BIG profits during the past 12 months or so.

I paid $.50 to ~$5.00 for each plush mentioned in this section, thus my ROIs

(Returns on Investment) were generally 500% to well over 1000%. Also, in some of the below examples, I include a snapshot of the eBay completed listings for an identical item, so you can see that some of these are profitable for eBay sellers, too.

The bulk of the plush toys I buy to resell are 'used' BUT what I

consider 'very good' condition. In most cases, I won't even bother

with a plush toy that has even the tiniest amount of dirt, or any kind

of rip or tear. I'll only bother with 'Very Good', or 'Like New', or

'New' Condition.

ALERT for Amazon sellers: 'Used' (or any condition other than 'new') plush must be sold on Amazon as 'Collectible', NOT 'Used.' When you start placing your used plush on Amazon to sell, you will be prompted to select a CONDITION of the toy, i.e.,

'Collectible-Very Good' or 'Collectible-Acceptable'. NEVER select 'Used-Very Good' or 'Used-Collectible', even if that condition is available for you to select. In this guide, you'll see the words 'used' and 'pre-owned' and 'collectible' and 'not new' used

10 interchangeably. Just don't use 'Used' as a condition for any toy. For more on

Amazon.com's policies about these conditions, go to: http://amzn.to/amz- condition-guidelines and scroll down to “Toys & Games—Collectible”

Here we go....

11 See this item on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WE9NT8/?tag=jordanmalik-20

Profit Proof (my records of the buyer who bought it from me) follows:

12 Turn the page for another example....

13 See this item on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00867B5M6/?tag=jordanmalik-20

Profit Proof (my records of the buyer who bought it from me) follows:

14 The following is a snapshot of an identical item recently sold on eBay:

15 Remember, for the most part, I bought all these 'used' plush for $.50 to $5. They were sold as 'used' ('collectible' in Amazon-speak).

Turn the page for another example....

16 See this item on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0031NWZLA/?tag=jordanmalik-20

Profit Proof (my records of the buyer who bought it from me) follows:

17 The following is a snapshot of an identical item recently sold on eBay:

18 Turn the page for another example....

19 See this item on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001N2LP26/?tag=jordanmalik-20

Profit Proof (my records of the buyer who bought it from me) follows:

20 Here's a recently sold listing of the same item on eBay (if you can't read the text in that dark rectangle in the next image, it says “(Each seller got $8 to $10 shipping in addition to the selling price)”.

21 Turn the page for another example....

22 See this item on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GT1GZE/?tag=jordanmalik-20

Profit Proof (my records of the buyer who bought it from me) follows:

23 The following is a snapshot of an identical item recently sold on eBay:

24 Remember, in all these examples, most of the plush toys were purchased by me

'used' and sold as 'used' (or 'Collectible' in Amazon-speak).

Turn the page for another example....

25 See this item on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GT1GZE/?tag=jordanmalik-20

Profit Proof (my records of the buyer who bought it from me) follows:

26 The following is a snapshot of an identical item recently sold on eBay:

27 (You'll get many more examples later, don't worry!)

28 Wait! eBay Sellers Profit with VINTAGE, Too

So you eBay sellers may be dismayed that generally (as shown above), Amazon sellers can get considerably higher prices for plush than eBay sellers. That's due to some things out of your control. (For instance, Amazon buyers can get 2-day shipping for free if they are Prime members, and thus they will generally agree to pay a considerably higher price for the item on Amazon, vs. eBay.)

However, there is an area where Amazon has not caught up to eBay yet (and probably won't): VINTAGE plush. Now, eBay sellers use vintage loosely (for some sellers, 'vintage' means pre-1990, for others, it's pre-1970, for others, it's pre-

1950s).

If you do a search for 'vintage plush' on eBay, you get tens of thousands of listings. If you do a search for 'vintage plush' on Amazon, you'll get, well, almost nothing.

So if you specialize in vintage plush, you may find that, for the most part, those vintage plush items do not even exist in the Amazon catalog. It's generally too much of a hassle to add a one-off vintage product to the Amazon catalog, so eBay is much better. Hence the large quantity of high-priced, vintage plush selling like hotcakes on eBay. Here's a video where I explain this phenomena in more detail: http://screencast.com/t/FZsZNy1Phf2

29 Sellers' Main Objection (Or: The “ick!” Factor)

As sellers, we're taught a major mental obstacle that you must get over if you want to make profits by buying and selling plush toys. (When you are able to get over it, you are trumping your competition, because, believe me, many of them won't get over it.)

It's the 'ick!' factor.

Let's be real. Plush toys can hold germs and/or have stains, etc. The reality is that my wife and I do a thorough inspection of plush toys when we're buying them (it takes just a few seconds*). If a plush toy has ANY of the below traits, we just don't buy it, it's that simple. (And at least 50% of the plush, we have found, do

NOT have any of the below traits):

 Moldy smell (or any other unattractive smell)

 Any stain or discoloring or foreign 'stuff' (food, etc.)

 Any matted 'fur'

 Any major pilling (looks like little 'dots' that are coming up off the material

 Anything missing (clothes, eyes, etc.)

The ASSUMPTION by other sellers is that plush toys are going to be disgusting. The

30 reality is, there are PLENTY of plush 'out there' (we'll get into 'how to find it' in a minute) that are perfectly clean and/or ready for reselling.

If you're unsure, you can always throw the plush in the wash for good measure

(we've done that too). Note that if the plush you're washing has the retail tags still attached, the tags will be ruined so you should remove and discard them before washing. And a plush toy with the original retail tag removed/discarded is going to be worth less than the plush toy WITH the retail tag still attached, so keep that in mind too. When in doubt, though, put cleanliness of the toy above profit potential.

In other words: if the plush still has the retail (cardboard) tag attached AND it has any level of dirt or stains and thus you feel the need to wash it, then remove the retail tag and discard the tag (ethically, it's not a good idea to reattach the cardboard retail tag) and sell the item at a lesser condition than 'new'.

If a plush toy is incomplete (e.g., it's missing an eyeball or a piece of clothing or whatever), you can't sell it on Amazon (it's against Amazon's policy to sell incomplete toys). You can sell it on eBay (just be up front about the damaged/missing parts, and be sure (by checking the completed listings for similar plush toys) that the damaged/incomplete item is indeed profitable to sell, given its condition).

* Are you a germaphobe? That's ok, you can still buy plush. We bring a mini bottle of hand sanitizer whenever we go scouting for plush. If you're a hard-core 31 germaphobe, wear some latex gloves when you are selecting/inspecting (yes, I mean wear gloves inside the store/at the yard sale, no one is going to care) and/or cleaning the toy.

The next-major objection from sellers that I hear (or feel, because they don't say it out-loud) when I talk about selling plush (especially used) is, 'That's beneath me!'

That is also a major reason why other sellers won't touch the idea of selling pre- owned plush. They think they're 'too good' to do it despite the hefty profits that I've proven are rather easy to obtain. I bet you've been on a Facebook forum or Yahoo group for eBay/Amazon sellers where someone ranted and raved how it's

'disgusting'. Look, my wife and I have been selling plush for almost 2 years, and it's hugely profitable for us. Again, we're just extra careful of the cleanliness of a plush before we decide to sell it.

I will (and I encourage you to) naturally gravitate towards products—not just plush toys—that other sellers refuse to sell or that they think they are 'too good' for.

That's less competition for me/you.

The whole 'That's beneath me!” objection (from others) is woven in and out of my

life. I remember attending MBA classes in Boston in 1994. I showed up to the first

day of class wearing some ripped jeans and a bandana skullcap (I was just

dressing for comfort). I stuck out like a sore thumb, as I was the only

32 entrepreneurial one in the class (the other students were the stuffed-shirt, consulting type). Because I didn't have a 'business' background, I was kind of rejected from the inner circles of student groups. Today I challenge any one of those students to compare incomes with me, the 'Amazon guy' or whatever it is they'd call me now. Do they still think I'm 'beneath' them?

33 Where to Find Plush Toys

Thrift Stores:

We find the majority of our plush inventory at thrift stores. You can really find some goodies because thrift stores' personnel (generally) don't even suspect that plush is good for reselling on eBay and/or Amazon. PLUS, plush toys can take up a LOT of space so they (thrift stores) are eager to mark them down so they'll sell quickly.

I've used http://www.thethriftshopper.com/ to find thrift stores near me.

Also, check out http://thriftprofit.com, which has TONS of FREE information about how to make big profits from thrift store products.

Yard Sales:

I live in the Northeast U.S. (Long Island, NY) where it's 'Yard Sale Season' from roughly early May through late September. That's a long 5 months, where tens of thousands of homes, all within about 60 miles of me, start unloading closets and basements full of 'stuff'. The good part here is if a yard sale has plush toys, they're probably (in general) pricing them from $.25 to $1.00, because that's all the 'sale- going public' is going to pay for them.

34 For instance, I paid $1 for this GIANT Curious George, (used and without the retail tag) at a yard sale right down the block from me:

and here's 'profit proof':

35 That's a net ROI of about 2500%!

“Curious” if this George sells well on eBay? He sure does! (This one's 'new with tags,' though):

36 You can find local yard sales at http://craigslist.org, https://www.getyardsale.com/, and/or http://www.yardsalesearch.com/

37 eBay:

Yes! Amazon sellers can frequently find plush products (new and used) on eBay, and then sell them on Amazon for ROIs (Returns on Investment) of 100% and up, as

I show in the following screen shots:

First, here's a Care Bears 'Baby Tugs' that sold for $9.95 'New With Tags' on eBay:

That very same care bears sells for $45+ on Amazon (see the next screen shot):

38 So your total profit after all Amazon seller commissions, if you bought this item on eBay to resell it on Amazon, would be at least $18 or approx. 150% to 175% ROI.

Turn the page for another example.

39 Here are the robotic WowWee Alive Polar Bears (these take batteries and have motion and sound), that sold for ~$10 each (used) on eBay:

These sell around $30 each (for 'used', or 'collectible' in Amazon-speak) on

Amazon, with the prices bound to go up (since they're no longer manufactured).

See the next page for a snapshot of the Amazon 'used' item.

40 So your total profit after all Amazon seller commissions, if you bought this item on eBay to resell it on Amazon, would be at least $10 or approx. 75 to 100% ROI.

Now here's the eBay deal I am kicking myself in the pants for missing (turn the page):

41 You'll see this lot of 8 Elmos (all these are battery powered) sold for $41 and FREE shipping. My guess is the shipping alone probably cost the eBay seller nearly $40!

Ready for 'Profit Proof?' JUST the 'Pizza' Elmo New in the Box sells on Amazon for

MORE than the eBay purchase price:

42 That means if you bought the lot of Elmos on eBay, and sold them on Amazon, the sale of the 'pizza' Elmo ALONE would have paid for the cost of your goods

(the 8 Elmos) PLUS most of your Amazon.com commissions – and the sale of the remaining 7 Elmos ('TMX' and 'Extra Special' Editions) would all have been 'gravy', that's at LEAST an extra $150 net profit!

Do you see how 'buying low on eBay and selling high on Amazon' can be very lucrative?

For more on 'buying low on eBay and selling high on Amazon', I highly recommend my best-selling guide http://Blesha.com. Readers of that guide are making profits from following my ideas in that book.

43 How to Inspect Plush Toys for Reselling

First, see the earlier chapter, “Sellers' Main Objection (Or: The “ick!” Factor)”

Now, when you're selecting a pre-owned/new plush toy to buy:

 Ensure the item is free of defects (rips, tears, etc.).

 Ensure the item is free of stains or any 'stuff' (=food, boogers, etc. Sorry to be

gross, but it happens).

 Sniff (yes, sniff) the toy in several different areas. You should smell 'nothing,'

or something pleasant (a baby power fragrance or something). If your nose

turns up in the least, or any part smells musty, skip it and move on to the next

plush toy.

 Most plush toys (new and used) have a ‘tush tag’ (that's the little cloth floppy

tag that's usually around the 'butt' area of the toy). If the ‘tush tag’ is cut or

ripped off, the plush becomes much less valuable (I would strongly

recommend NOT buying a plush with the ‘tush tag’ cut off. There are

exceptions, of course).

 If the toy has the retail tag (some call these 'swing tags' or 'hang tags') still

attached, that's a big 'plus'. And, if that tag is pristine (no discoloring, no

major creases, no tears) that's an even BIGGER plus.

44  If the toy is missing the retail tag and you still buy it to resell, you should not

call the item 'new', even if you think it's otherwise 'new'. The hallmark of a

truly 'new' plush is having the retail tag intact and still attached AND the

entire toy is without marks/stains, etc., AND the toy is 'clean and pristine'

AND nothing is missing on the toy.

 If the plush toy takes batteries (like the Elmo lot we mentioned earlier),

ALWAYS insert brand new batteries (buy the store-brand in bulk, cheaply at

Bjs or Costco or Sam's Club) inspect the toy to make sure it operates properly,

ALWAYS check the battery compartment to see if there was a battery acid

leak (brown 'crust') and if there is, clean it up the best you can and if it can't

be cleaned, throw the toy away (don't sell it). If it DOES work, be sure you let

buyers know that in your condition note/description, AND let them know

you've included NEW batteries.

45 How to Photograph Plush Toys

If you sell on eBay or Amazon or both, your picture can make or break your sale and/or make a difference in your sale price. Your pictures should include multiple angles, close-ups and be clear. That's obvious if you're an eBay seller. It's dead-easy now that many smart phones have built-in cameras. No excuses: take and use multiple, clear photos!

If you're an Amazon seller, you can add photos to an existing Amazon product detail page, and if the main photo (that the original seller of the product uploaded) is crappy, you can actually upload your own AND request Amazon.com support staff

REPLACE the crappy photo with yours.

If you sell on Amazon and/or eBay, beware: A small-ish, face-front product shot isn't ever 'enough' to sell your item at the maximum possible price. For Amazon sellers: Yes, I realize that by uploading your own photo to an existing listing, you are also 'helping' your competing sellers of the same product (since each competitor's listing shares the same Amazon.com product photo(s), but you need to suck it up. A listing of the product with a lousy photo won't help ANY seller, notwithstanding you! So if you want to accelerate your sales and/or get the highest possible price for an item, you should have (in addition to the main photo), at least two additional photos, each in high resolution and taken from different angles (top, bottom, side, etc.). 46 I'm not going to get into exact examples, but blurry, dark, or inadequate photos nearly ALWAYS lead to slower and/or less profitable sales. You CAN get a higher price (and/or a quicker sale) if you have multiple photos of your plush. With plush toys, buyers are especially looking for flaws/defects/stains, so it's important that you get a close-up shot of EVERY major angle of the toy (top, bottom, front, etc.) AND a close-up shot of the tags (tush tags and/or retail tags, if they're still attached).

Here are links on adding a photo to a product listing. (NOTE: ALWAYS make sure you own the rights to a photo you're uploading. DON'T take a photo someone else took (EVEN IF IT'S THE MANUFACTURER) and upload it. Take the pictures yourself instead):

For Amazon.com sellers: http://amzn.to/12xBnZM

For eBay.com sellers: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/pictures.html

More tips from me (I use these ideas):

 If you are uploading any photos to any listing, make sure they are your own

photos that you took (always). Anything else could be copyright infringement

and land you in trouble (An Amazon seller got booted for using a retail store

chain's photo in his Amazon listing).

47  Ensure your item 'fills up' the photo (don't shoot it from too far away).

 Take the photos outdoors if you can (daylight has the best lighting for

photos). If you must take your photos indoors, use a flash and/or some bright

lights (two bright lights at different locations in your 'photo shooting area', or

an overhead light are better than one bright standing lamp. Having just one

bright standing lamp will render an ugly shadow in your picture of the plush

toy).

 Take a close-up of any embroidered or plastic, et. al. emblems (e.g., the small

plastic heart that's attached to the rear end of every authentic Care Bears

plush).

 Did you take a blurry photo? Delete it and try again (NEVER use blurry

photos).

48 How to Package Plush Toys

For plush toys that you are sending to Amazon's FBA warehouse,* each toy has to be fully enclosed in plastic poly bags. I'll give you a link to the specifics in a moment.

The bags have to have a warning sticker affixed to the outside of the bag.

*Amazon merchant-fulfilled sellers and eBay sellers should follow these steps,

too.

Amazon packaging requirements for plush: www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200280460

Amazon warning label requirements for poly bagged units: http://bit.ly/suffowarning (scroll down to “Poly bagged Units' in orange text).

(If you need suffocation-warning labels, you can use mine! I uploaded them here: http://bit.ly/labeltemplate.)

(Note: you should print the labels out on Avery 5160 label sheets or equivalent

(each label is 1 inch high x 2 and 5/8 inches wide).)

Need poly bags? You can go all 'el-cheapo' like I do, and use these bags (select the 4- gallon version), just be sure to knot-tie the bag to close it, and affix the aforementioned suffocation label sticker securely. OR you can get the fancier bags with suffocation labels pre-printed from Uline (a well-known and very reliable

49 vendor) here.

50 How to Describe Your Plush Toys

On Amazon:

Before you describe your item within the 'Condition Note' field on Amazon, you should ensure the toy is indeed in the best possible condition. Don't lie about a condition! Like, if the plush toy has a mark or a stain or a rip (you probably shouldn't be selling it anyway), you need to say that. EVERY description should provide a good amount of detail AND reassure the buyer that they're getting a good, clean, quality toy. Below, I've copied and pasted some of my exact Condition Notes that I use. Copy them direct if you wish, just ensure that they're 'really' describing your toy accurately without lying. Yes, I put some colorful 'marketing' words in my

Condition Notes, but I don't lie!

(Yes, I cover descriptions for you eBay sellers later in this chapter).

Screen shots of 2 of my exact item listings, with notes, begins on the next page:

51 If you can't read the notes above, this is what it says (feel free to copy mine 'word- for-word, I don't mind!): “ALL ORIGINAL TAGS STILL ATTACHED! Pristine and NEW!

Stored, Sold + Shipped by Amazon. EXACTLY AS SHOWN IN PHOTO! BRAND NEW!

Guaranteed to DELIGHT the Recipient. From a Trusted Seller (Please view feedback). *NO HASSLE RETURNS*”

52 If you can't read the notes above, this is what it says (feel free to copy mine 'word- for-word, I don't mind!): “*ULTRA-CLEAN, ULTRA-PRISTINE*, Exactly as Shown in

Photo. No Rips, No Stains, No Smells, Guaranteed. No retail tag (however still has tush tag). TRUSTED SELLER (Please view feedback). *No-Hassle Returns* WHY

BUY 'NEW'?”

53 On eBay:

We're going to compare two eBay listings and their descriptions. Each listing was for the same item (a used plush), but from a different seller.

Seller 1: http://bit.ly/BadPlush (sold for $14.99 total)

Seller 2: http://bit.ly/GoodPlush (sold for $22.99 total). That's an approx. 50% higher selling price.

What made http://bit.ly/GoodPlush sell for a much higher price than http://bit.ly/BadPlush?

I'll tell you.

Firstly, the description. Seller 1 ( http://bit.ly/BadPlush ) had virtually no description. By comparison, Seller 2 (http://bit.ly/GoodPlush) had a detailed description about the item. Read Seller 2's description again. Look at all the details he/she put in there. Not only that, Seller 2 gives an overall feeling of confidence to the buyer, right? Go ahead, read the descriptions! Seller 1 didn't bother to give any feeling of confidence (or ANY feeling, for that matter) to the buyer.

If you're listing a plush toy, you can use some of my language in my description, too

(copy mine exactly, if you wish, just make sure what you're claiming is true!). A screen shot of one of my descriptions follows:

54 In case you can't see the above, I've put the text (minus the specific product information) here:

“FREE, FAST SHIPPING * FREE TRACKING * 14-DAY 'No Questions-Asked' RETURNS

* / ULTRA-CLEAN, ULTRA-PRISTINE! NEW WITH ORIGINAL TAGS (see photos). /

Hard to find / CUTE! / No Smells, No Stains, No Rips GUARANTEED! / FREE, FAST

1st Class Shipping / (Most items will arrive 3 to 6 business days after payment.

Upgrade to PRIORITY (2 to 3 business days) for just $4.95!) / NO HASSLE

RETURNS: Just Return the item within 14 days. We'll refund you 100% in full, no questions asked.”

See how I put my buyer's fears to rest (You should do this (I do) for any/all eBay items):

55  I easily accept returns

 I don't leave doubts to the fact the product 'is what it says it is'

 I assure there are no flaws/smells/rips etc.

 I provide free shipping (If you're worried about shipping making a dent in

your profits, you should then build your shipping cost into your price, instead

of charging for shipping. Last I checked, eBay gives better exposure to listings

that have free shipping than ones that don't.)

The bottom line? Careful descriptions and 'pro-customer' policies/communication/actions count towards bigger profits!

56 Be On The Lookout List

So what types of plush sell? Generally, very popular (or recently-popular) characters and brands: Here's a short list that I DO look for (I will get into specifics in a minute). Generally I *avoid* bean-bag size plush, so keep that in mind as you review this:

 Disney (note Disney includes a LOT: Lion King, Mickey Mouse and other

major characters, Nemo, Disney Princess, Ariel, Winnie the Pooh characters,

etc.)

 Care Bears

 Dr Seuss

 Furreal Friends

 Littlest Pet Shop

 Muppets

 Madagascar

 Pokemon

 Shrek

 Spongebob Squarepants 57  Strawberry Shortcake

 Teletubbies (remember those?)

….and I am sure you can think of some others. Note above I said those are my general 'Be on the Lookout' plush, of course there are going to be exceptions, ones I missed, etc.

In the following pages, I have a series of links, categorized by 'Character,' in this section. Each link brings you to the Amazon.com item and (if applicable) the eBay item. (Items with a '**' mark to the left of them are items that have been sold profitably (recently) on eBay, and I have a bit.ly link for 'profit proof'. Whether it's the Amazon or eBay link, I am only showing you items that are profitable if you can buy them for comparably a fraction of its Amazon selling price (new and used). A good rule of thumb is never pay more than 1/5 to 1/3 of what the price is on

Amazon or eBay.

How to Use the Links Below

My suggestion is for you to print out the Amazon.com pages from every link below, in color, cut out the picture of each toy and staple them together into a mini booklet.

That way you can keep them handy for reference when you are out at yard sales/estate sales/thrift stores. OR, a quicker method: (if you have an iPhone or iTouch), use my free app at botlapp.com and follow the instructions at

58 http://www.botlapp.com/help/3.html. In short: by using my iPhone botlapp to take and log pictures of top-selling plush you see on your computer screen, you can keep a traveling, instantly-accessible index of them!

Here are items that I've profited remarkably with:

Care Bears: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OXYZAQ/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $25) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003PLLFM8/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine new with tags, on Amazon, for $15)

**http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006L3MD8M/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $55+) (Can be profitable for eBay Sellers, too: http://bit.ly/18gcSVN)

** http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ET8PW6/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $25+) (Can be profitable for eBay Sellers, too: http://bit.ly/14OuXbv)

“Kohls Care for Kids”-branded Plush: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058JCRJU/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $25) 59 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013L8I3G/?tag=jordanmalik-20 ( I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $15) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E5DM1G/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $25)

TY Beanie Babies

(not all Beanie Babies are profitable, so beware! Generally, I only buy TY Beanie

Babies that still have the heart-shaped cardboard 'retail' tag still attached. I also will only buy them if they're $1 or less. Most Beanie Babies you find are not worth much, but there are some exceptions, like these below):

** http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LIN576/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

'new', on Amazon, for $35). Can be profitable for eBay Sellers, too: http://bit.ly/12KgwVM

** http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00124WANS/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

'new', on Amazon, for $35). Can be profitable for eBay Sellers, too: http://bit.ly/ZbyQZy http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O84C5C/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

'like new' condition, on Amazon, for $12).

60 Almost anything from Disney

(generally: the bigger and/or 'older' the plush (even if it's just a few years old) the better, as long as it's 'clean and pristine' of course): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Z8NFR4/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $15) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018DIKAU/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $17) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006KFB0U8/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

'new', on Amazon, for $55)

** http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BVRR36/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $25). Can be profitable for eBay Sellers, too: http://bit.ly/12ZmtgG http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005OK0UMO/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $15)

Furreal Friends (These are battery-operated): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OVBYR8/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $25)

** http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UVXOIE/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine 61 USED, on Amazon, for $20, however I see now that used ('Collectible') is selling for

$50+ now. Can be profitable for eBay Sellers, too: http://bit.ly/10jELdS

** http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043WI65C/?tag=jordanmalik-20 (I sold mine

USED, on Amazon, for $16). Can be profitable for eBay Sellers, too: http://bit.ly/14uPLp7

(** = previously proven to be profitable for both eBay and Amazon sellers, IF purchase price is generally under $5.00.)

62 Avoid These Plush Toys

I generally avoid selling these items:

 Most teddy bears (most Gund, Vermont Teddy Bears, Build-a-Bear, etc.)

 Most Sesame Street plush (I avoid it unless it's 'New,' larger (not-beanie-bag-

sized) and priced under (say) $5 and/or if it's 'Jumbo' plush and priced

under (say) $15).

 Most Thomas the Train plush (New or used, I find they're not worth much).

 Most 'no name' characters. These are 'generic' plush, e.g., plush no-name, no-

character-name animals, characters, etc.

 Most plush 'superhero' characters, e.g., Superman, Batman, etc. (I avoid them

unless they're New). Most used plush of this genre don't hold any value (of

course there are exceptions).

Note above I said those are my general avoided plush, of course there are going to be exceptions.

This is the end of the guide—I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, go out and PROFIT!

63 Can I Ask You for a Favor?

Did you find my ebook helpful? If you did, I would be HONORED if you would

write a quick review of me and/or this book.

See, my reputation means EVERYTHING to me, and with your help, I can

maintain my reputation!

So please click here to get started: http://bit.ly/ReviewJM

(I promise, you only need to spend a few minutes to do this for me).

Thank you!

-Jordan

64 —Also from the Author—

More Amazon/eBay Seller Help Guides and Services:

FREE: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com – Blog/newsletter with remarkable

and proven ways to make a living on Amazon and eBay

FREE: http://Sourcingator.com—Proven inventory resources for Amazon Merchants

FREE for FindSpotter.com members: http://www.ResellToys.com – 118 Toys You

Can Buy Locally and Resell on Amazon for Big Profits (Reg. $27)

FREE for FindSpotter.com members: http://AExposed.com/ – Amazon Seller

Secrets Exposed (Kindle version: http://bit.ly/AmazonExposed) (Reg. $20) http://Blesha.com—How to Buy Low on eBay and Sell High on Amazon (Kindle

version: http://bit.ly/buylowsellhigh ) ($20) http://FindSpotter.com Membership – The site that tells its VIP members 'What to

Sell on Amazon' and 'Where to find it' ($5+/month)

http://www.SoldOutA.com – Identify and get help locating sold-out, niche products

on Amazon ($27/month, but FindSpotter.com members get a ~30%

discount) http://www.mylocalinventory.com – service that alerts Amazon Merchants to local

products that can be sold on Amazon at a high ROI (Return on Investment).

($29.99/month, but FindSpotter.com members get a ~30% discount) 65 Affiliates:

Earn 50% of every sale of this guide.

Sign up (it's free!) here: http://bit.ly/plush-aff

66