You probably know that already, especially if you travel extensively yourself, but what you may not expect is that you can sell certain foods on eBay and in other online marketplaces, especially items that are non-perishable and travel well.

There’s a great business opportunity awaiting you here, namely one of selling regional dishes to people who don’t travel or who prefer staying home while still enjoying flavors and smells from faraway places.  The other major market to consider here is expatriates and others living away from home long term and missing foods they can not obtain in their current environment.

Food is something everyone buys and, properly done, it can also grow you a full time business and a very tidy income from eBay.

Get started in this business by searching current and past completed sales on eBay for foods from specific locations in your own country or from overseas and check out prices paid and number of items sold by specialist food sellers.  Check out their most popular dishes, see if those dishes sell from one eBay listing as multiple products, for example, and study how goods are delivered and how long delivery takes.

If you live in an area that’s famous for its own famous dishes, such as Haggis in Scotland, oranges in Florida, lobster in Maine, and so on, look around for ideas from local restaurants and other food outlets.  Don’t copy ideas too closely, just use them as the basis for your own food ideas.  If you’re not a good cook or you don’t have space or facilities available, make friends with local hotel and restaurant owners, also food specialists with shops and market stalls, and offer to promote their goods on eBay for a share of the profits.

These are only a few suggestions, but only those who have lived in a city or town can truly know the regional food items that would sell best.

Next, you should list your food item under the ‘home’ category in the ‘food & wine’ section. Make sure to put the state and city in the title of your listing, along with the name of the food item. This will increase exposure since anyone looking for ‘chili’ can pull up your listing, but also someone doing a search for ‘Texas’ can find it as well and it just might spark his or her taste buds. Your description must create the same effect for the bidder as walking into a grocery store on an empty stomach. Tempt them. Tell them about the flavors. It's okay to use superlatives like ‘sumptuous’ or ‘delectable’, but that doesn't really make the experience real for the bidder. Describe the flavor by relaying an anecdote about serving the item, to your guests, and what they thought of it.  Such as my guest said, “It was creamy and left a pleasant aftertaste of nutmeg’ or ‘my boss tried it at our event and said the nutty flavor of the coffee reminded him of the Kona blends he enjoyed in Hawaii.’  Personal anecdotes give the food personality and make the seller seem like a regular Joe that is easy to like.

Finally, photos are essential.  Without a photo of the food, the sale will likely not happen. People like to see exactly what they are getting. Saying the size of the portion in the description is important, but it is hard to visualize how much six ounces of chili mix really is.  Plus, your photograph will show the bidder how the food will be packaged - in a can, in cellophane, in a jar, etc.  Make sure the resolution is good and the lighting is warm and inviting.  You might even want to show food prepared with the item, such as a bowl of chili or a cup of steaming coffee.

Tempting bidders to bite into a purchase can be rewarding if you know how to drive traffic to your listing.  By properly headlining your item, describing your food, and showing what the food looks like, you can turn your chow into Cha-Ching.