eBay may have begun as a place for trading collectibles, but today it is a virtual super store of new and used products. Millions of shoppers log on to eBay every day in search of everything from shipping supplies, clothing, and books to jewelry, concert tickets, and automobiles.

If you think your business is not a candidate for selling on eBay, think again. You could discover a whole new revenue stream that you can begin to capture immediately. And eBay isn’t just an auction anymore. Today eBay provides the option to set a fixed price (known as “Buy it Now”) or even set up an entire eBay store.

If you are seeking new ways to expand your business, eBay is worth considering. Here are some options to explore:

Peddle Your Products

 Whether you sell homemade blankets, technical manuals or airplane parts, there is a good chance that you can capture a new market on eBay. Though the sales competition on eBay has grown significantly over the years, there is still plenty of opportunity for new merchants. To beat the competition, focus on writing excellent product descriptions, offering top notch shipping and customer service policies, and setting competitive price points.

To determine if this venture will be worth your while, research your competition. EBay has extensive search capabilities so you can conduct keyword searches of competing products and study how items are described, pictured, and priced. You can even search on closed listings to examine the final sale price of items that have recently sold.

Sell Your Seconds
Items that are dinged or damaged and aren’t up to the standards of your regular customers can find a new home on eBay. For example, broken iPods are currently a hot commodity on eBay. Dented furniture, broken electronics, and dinged books are all fair game. Instead of writing off your damaged goods, you can recover your losses and discover new customers in the process. Just be sure to disclose all imperfections.

Liquidate Your Overstock
At the end of the season when it’s time to move merchandise out and make room for new inventory, eBay is an ideal place to unload the excess. You can list items for sale individually or sell through the “Wholesale Lots” category. Plenty of independent business owners are in search of large lots of inventory that they can resell at flea markets or through their own web sites. The possibilities are limitless since you can sell quantities of one to 1 million.

Unload Your Office
If you have fixtures you’re no longer using or supplies collecting dust on your shelves, you are likely to find a buyer on eBay. For large items, you can contract with a major shipping provider for delivery or only accept buyers in the area who are available to pick up the items at your location. If you’ve recently purchased new office electronics, such as computers or fax equipment, resell the old models on eBay. Smaller items, such as boxes of file folders, books, and business supplies can yield some extra cash instead of taking up space.