This is another great question that I often get asked, but the first thing that comes to my mind every time is this - "What if you are selling a thousand products?"  Ordering products from your supplier just to see what they are like, could get costly.  I am not saying its a bad idea, but it is an expensive one that I think you could avoid by doing a few "simple" other things.  With that said, I want to make it clear that I think its a great idea (even a must) to have a clear understanding of your product line no matter what before you start selling products online.

My first opinion is that it really depends on what product line you are selling.  For some product lines, it may be easy (or cheap) to order just "a few" of the products and be able to get a pretty good idea of what the products are like.  I do not think that will be the case for most product lines though, because what if you are selling furniture items that have an average of 700$?  That's gonna add up, and quick!  What you can do in those circumstances is simple - just research the product online through "review sites", or go and visit a store that is selling the same product you are, and "see what its like" right there, in store.  It will be a lot cheaper in the long run and you have not wasted money on a product you do not want.  I can't begin to tell you how many times I go into Sears or some other place and find the product I want, and make sure its what I want, and then I go online and find the best price.  This is the power and beauty of the Internet.

However; there is even one more way you can look at it.  If you really (really) want to order the product to test it out for your self, you can always re-sell it on eBay or Craigslist.  Because you are ordering it from your supplier, you are getting the best deal out there, so you still will make some money even re-selling it.

Any one of these suggestions I have given above would work to accomplish the goal, which is to get more educated about the products you are selling online.  If you can accomplish that, then I think you have taken a great step forward to becoming an even more successful Internet business owner.

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