I still have a garage shelf that I call the "Wall of Shame." It holds about 500 units of a "smart" water bottle that lights up to remind you to drink. I bought them in 2019, convinced I was sitting on a goldmine. I had seen one viral video and assumed the world was ready to pay $40 for a blinking plastic bottle. I was wrong. The market was already flooded with cheaper knockoffs, and the "trend" was actually just a well-executed marketing campaign by a single brand that I couldn't compete with. I lost nearly $6,000 on that venture because I relied on my gut instead of data.
That expensive lesson taught me that there is a massive difference between a "cool idea" and a "viable business." Since then, I’ve launched seven successful private label products and flipped thousands of items by refusing to spend a dime on inventory until I have mathematical proof that it will move. Learning how to research if potential new product would sell isn't about guessing; it's about acting like a detective. You need to interrogate the market until it confesses its secrets.
Market Research Development: The Foundation of Profit
When people talk about market research development, they often picture guys in suits doing focus groups. For us—independent sellers, flippers, and bootstrappers—it looks very different. It means scraping data at 2 AM to see if people are actually searching for "ceramic cat bowls" or if it’s just a weird niche you like.
Here’s where it gets interesting... Most beginners skip this phase because it’s boring. They want to design the logo. But the boring part is where the money is made. You need to establish three things before you proceed:
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Demand: Are people looking for it?
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Competition: Is the market crowded?
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Profitability: Can you actually make money after shipping?
Opinion Statement: I honestly believe that 90% of e-commerce failures happen before the store even opens. If you choose the wrong product, no amount of Facebook ads or beautiful web design can save you. You can't market your way out of a product nobody wants.
How to Find Products for Amazon FBA (The Data Game)
If you are looking at how to find products for amazon fba, you are playing a numbers game. Amazon is a search engine,not a store. Customers type in keywords, and if your product matches, you win.
The "High Demand, Low Competition" Myth: Everyone tells you to find this magical zone. It rarely exists in 2026.Instead, look for "High Demand, Low Quality Competition." I look for niches where the top sellers have terrible photos or 3.5-star ratings. This indicates that customers are buying despite the product being bad because they need it. That is your opening.
My Validation Criteria:
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Search Volume: Must be over 5,000 searches per month.
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Price Point: Must be between $25 and $60 (below $25, fees eat your profit; above $60, conversion drops).
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Review Count: Top 10 sellers should have fewer than 500 reviews on average.
Honest Failure: In 2021, I tried to sell "silicone baking mats." The volume was huge. But I ignored the review count. The top sellers had 15,000 reviews. I spent $3,000 on PPC ads and couldn't even get to page 3.Lesson: Never fight a seller with 10,000 reviews unless you have a radically different product.
Using an Amazon Sales Tracker to Spot Velocity
To confirm that a product isn't just a seasonal fluke, you need an amazon sales tracker. You need to know if those 500 sales happened last week or over the last year. Tools like Jungle Scout or Helium 10 (specifically their X-Ray extension) are industry standards here.
How I use them: I track a competitor's inventory levels for two weeks. I add their product to my cart and check the "limit" (sometimes 999). I check it again the next day. If the stock dropped by 20 units, I know they sold 20 units. This "999 Method" is the poor man's sales tracker, but it’s remarkably accurate if you don't want to pay for software yet.
Parenthetical Aside: (I once tracked a competitor selling "weighted blankets" in July. I assumed sales would be zero.They were selling 50 a day. It turns out, people buy them for anxiety regardless of the weather. Data proved my assumption wrong.)
How Closo Helps Me to Predict Demand Across Categories
Historical data is great, but it’s looking in the rearview mirror. It tells you what did sell. I want to know what will sell.This is where Closo Demand Signals changed my workflow.
How Closo helps me to predict demand across categories is by analyzing search intent before the transaction happens.It aggregates data from social signals, search engines, and early-adopter forums.
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The Scenario: In late 2024, Amazon sales for "retro espresso machines" were flat.
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The Signal: Closo showed a 300% spike in Pinterest saves and Google searches for "sage green kitchen aesthetics" and "Italian retro coffee."
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The Action: I sourced green, retro-style appliances before they hit the bestseller list.
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The Result: By the time the trend hit Amazon, I was one of the few sellers with inventory, and I rode the wave up.
I use Closo Demand Signals to automate my trend forecasting – saves me about 3 hours weekly of scrolling TikTok to guess what's cool.
How to Research If Potential New Product Would Sell Using Free Tools
You don't always need expensive software. If you are bootstrapping, there is a powerful amazon product research tool free of charge: Google Trends. It is simplistic, but it saves lives.
The Workflow:
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Type your keyword (e.g., "fidget spinner").
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Set the timeline to "Past 5 Years."
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Look at the line.
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Flat line: Stable staple (good).
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Rising line: Growing trend (excellent).
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Mountain shape (Up then Down): Dead fad (avoid).
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Spikes every December: Seasonal (plan accordingly).
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Another Free Tool: eBay Terapeak: If you have an eBay account, use Terapeak. It shows actual sold data. Even if you plan to sell on Amazon, eBay data helps validate the secondary market value.
The Cross-Platform Test: eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari
Sometimes, you aren't launching a private label product. You are just reselling. The research here is different. You need to know where the item sells best. Is it an Ebay item or a Poshmark item?
The "Test Listing" Strategy: Before I buy a pallet of returns or a large lot of inventory, I do a "dry run." I take photos of similar items I already own or see in the store. I check the "Sold Listings" on all platforms.
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Ebay: Good for electronics, parts, and collectibles.
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Poshmark: King of fashion and mid-tier brands.
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Mercari: Great for cleaning out random household goods.
Expanding with Closo: Once I find a product that works on one platform, I don't stop there. I use the Closo Free Crosslister to blast it everywhere.
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The Workflow: I create the listing on eBay.
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The Action: I use Closo to instantly copy it to Poshmark and Depop.
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The Benefit: I get data on which platform bites first. If Poshmark sells it in an hour while eBay sits for a week, I know my future research for that category should focus on Poshmark metrics.
I use the Closo Free Crosslister to test my inventory across markets – saves me the headache of manually copy-pasting descriptions five times.
How to Find Products to Sell Online Beyond the Marketplace
If you stare at Amazon all day, you will only find what everyone else is seeing.How to find products to sell onlinerequires you to look where money is being spent outside of the store.
Social Listening: Go to Reddit. Find subreddits like r/BuyItForLife or r/ShutUpAndTakeMyMoney. Look for complaints."I wish I could find a dog leash that doesn't burn my hand." "Why are all travel pillows so uncomfortable?" These complaints are product roadmaps. If you can find (or make) a product that solves that specific complaint, you have a guaranteed customer base.
Now the tricky part... You have to verify if they will pay. Redditors love to complain, but are they buyers? Check if there are existing solutions. If there are solutions selling for $50 and people are buying them, the market is validated.
Selling Trends: Riding the Wave vs. Building a Dam
There are two ways to make money with selling trends.
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The Surfer: You spot a trend (like "pickleball"), you buy inventory fast, sell it fast, and get out before the crash.
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The Builder: You spot a trend that is becoming a lifestyle (like "remote work"), and you build a brand around it (ergonomic chairs).
Closo Demand Signals is crucial here. It helps distinguish between a "Flash" (fad) and a "Shift" (market change).
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Fad: Fidget Spinners (Spike and crash).
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Shift: Blue Light Glasses (Spike, slight dip, then stable long-term growth).
Opinion Statement: I avoid fads. The stress of timing the exit isn't worth it. I look for shifts. I want products that I can sell for 3-5 years, not 3-5 weeks.
The "Smoke Test" Method
This is the most advanced and accurate way on how to research if potential new product would sell. Before you manufacture anything, run an ad.
The Process:
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Create a simple landing page (Shopify or unbounce).
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Put up a mockup photo of your product.
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Set the price.
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Run $50 of Facebook ads targeting your audience.
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The trick: When they click "Buy Now," show a page that says "Out of Stock - Notify Me."
The Metric: If you spend $50 on ads and get 5 people to click "Buy Now" on a $50 product, you have validated demand.You proved people would have paid. If nobody clicks, you saved yourself from manufacturing a dud. You only lost $50 on ads, not $5,000 on inventory.
Honest Limitations of Data
You can have all the market research development charts in the world, and you can still fail. Data cannot predict:
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Supply Chain Disasters: Your ship gets stuck in the Suez Canal.
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Platform Changes: Amazon changes the fee structure overnight.
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Black Swan Events: A global pandemic shifts buying habits.
Anecdote: I researched travel accessories in January 2020. The data was incredible. Sales were up 20% year over year. I ordered $10,000 of passport holders. By the time they arrived in March 2020, nobody was traveling. I sat on that inventory for two years.Lesson: Data is history. Life is unpredictable. Always have a contingency fund.
How to Find Products to Sell Online: The "Bundling" Hack
If you find a competitive niche, you can still win by bundling. Research what items are frequently bought together.
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Search: "Yoga Mat."
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Amazon Suggests: "Yoga Blocks" and "Yoga Strap."
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The Opportunity: Don't sell just a mat. Sell a "Beginner Yoga Kit" with all three.
You are creating a new product that has no direct comparison. Customers see your kit for $40 vs. the competitor's mat for $20, but they perceive $60 of value in your bundle. This is how you bypass the "race to the bottom" on price.
Common Questions I See
People always ask me... Do I really need paid tools like Helium 10?
If you are serious about Private Label (creating your own brand), yes. The data accuracy regarding revenue estimates is essential when you are investing thousands of dollars. If you are just flipping thrift store items on eBay, no. You can rely on free tools like Terapeak and Google Lens.
Common question I see... How long does the research phase take?
It usually takes me about two weeks to fully validate a Private Label product. For arbitrage (flipping), it takes seconds standing in the aisle. Don't get stuck in "analysis paralysis." If you have checked demand, competition, and profit,execute.
People always ask me... What if the data looks good but I just don't like the product?
Sell it anyway. This is business, not a hobby. My best-selling product for two years was a weird foot fungus cream applicator. I hated looking at it. I loved the checks it deposited. Separate your personal taste from your business logic.
Conclusion
Learning how to research if potential new product would sell is a skill that pays you for life. It protects your capital. It saves your sanity. Whether you are using an amazon product research tool free of charge or leveraging predictive AI like Closo Demand Signals, the goal is the same: Remove the guesswork.
My honest assessment is that you should start small. Validate one item. Use the "Smoke Test" or the "999 Method." Once you see that first sale come in exactly as the data predicted, you will never go back to guessing again.
If you are ready to stop gambling and start sourcing with precision, use the Closo Seller Hub to find your next winner.
For more on expanding your validated products to new markets, read our Pages Similar to eBay Guide
And if you want to know what trends are forecasted to spike next season, check out Trending Products Forecast 2026
