If I were you I would draw a very large "T" on a piece of paper and on the left side I would write the pluses about a niche and on the right side the negatives. Sometimes this makes it easier to decide if you are looking at multiple niches. I would also have some goals on paper. Such as how much you want to make. This too can help you decide on a niche. For example if your goal is $300 profit a month and your item can turn a $2 profit then do the math. $300 divided by $2 is 150. Can you sell 150 items per month? To me this is a very important part of your research.

Most power sellers agree that there is more to figuring out which items sell best than this. In fact, they claim that it is a science. A great way to start your search for items that will result in a successful auction in the future is to do research on the auctions that were successful in the past. You can view old listings that have completed at: listings (dot) ebay (dot) com.

A new way to determine what items sell best on eBay is "eBay Marketplace Research." Marketplace Research will allow you to view important statistical information on the buying trends at eBay. This product contains all of the data one could possibly ever need to determine how well or how poorly an item will do in an eBay auction. There is a small fee for using the eBay Marketplace Research tools, however.

Yet another tool that will be very useful in your quest for finding hot selling items for your eBay auctions is the listing of popular eBay search terms that is found on the site. This list can be found at: popular (dot) ebay (dot) com. This list is divided into categories, which will make it easier to determine how popular your potential item may be.

Avoid the mistake of thinking that an item will do poorly, or that it will do well without doing your homework first. Some things sell for the highest prices, while items that would sell quickly in any other environment just sit there. Almost any eBay Power Seller will tell you that the key to a successful auction rests in the amount of research you put into the items you hope to sell. The lesson here is to research, research, research!

Free Power Sellers eCourse

Learn more by contacting Don Schonberg who has 30+ years of technical experience in the corporate world of Information Technology. Now retired from the corporate world, he spends his time marketing on the internet. He is an eBay Power Seller and offers a free 11 lesson Power Sellers ecourse at . His blog, Internet Marketing Made Simple, can be found at