Part of the reason I've been so successful on eBay is that I haven't looked for the obvious niches. In fact, unless someone called me up and offered me a fabulous deal I wouldn't even consider the 'hot' products above.

* So, if we're going to look for obscure items, how about this one ... concrete floor finishes. Huh? Why in the world would I want to do that?

Well, first there is no competition. I mean that almost literally. For instance, my market research tools show no results at all. Nada. "Not enough data".

Yet, there are quite a respectable number of searches, according to my keyword tools:

* concrete floor: 129 per day
* concrete floors: 57 per day
* concrete floor paint: 72 per day
* painting concrete floors: 54 per day
* concrete floor coating: 49 per day
* concrete floor coatings: 40 per day
* concrete floor repair: 39 per day
* concrete floor finishes: 32 per day
* basement concrete floor paint: 29 per day

Here are the eBay auction numbers: {results may vary depending on the day you read this}

* concrete floor: 26 auctions
* concrete floors: 1 auction
* concrete floor paint: 4 auctions
* painting concrete floors: 0
* concrete floor coating: 0
* concrete floor coatings: 1 auction
* concrete floor repair: 0
* concrete floor finishes: 0
* basement concrete floor paint: 0

This is clearly a niche where the demand far exceeds the competition!

What about the profits in this niche? Well, one of the reasons for my interest is that we recently used a concrete floor finishing compound in our basement. It cost $67 a bucket at Home Depot and they didn't have any for approximately three weeks. According to one of the clerks, they can't keep it on the shelf! He told us that whenever they got in an order of this particular brand, it was usually gone within about 3-5 days.

Can I find a source for this product? I took a quick look (about 10 minutes) and didn't locate the product I found at Home Depot, although perhaps I could find it if I spent some time. But I did find two other brands, both from famous companies. In addition, there are many other products that can be sold in this niche besides just the basic covering compound.

As you can see by this picture, concrete is more than just an ugly old floor. In fact, I was astonished by the beauty of this floor. Apparently this stuff is wildly popular in lofts. I don't personally want concrete floors anywhere in my home except the basement and garage. But that isn't the point, is it? It's not about what I want. It's about making money in my business.

Am I suggesting that you rush out and immediately start a concrete floor finishing business? Not at all. This example is much more about a new way of thinking. Forget what everybody else is doing and find smaller niches that aren't so competitive. You will find it much easier to succeed.