I'm retired, presently living only with my wife who is also retired. I was a Quality Control Technician when I was downsized out of a job. I have a lot of experience in various types. I have had a life-long interest in Mail Order Marketing and now Internet Marketing, but very little experience in using computers and the Internet. I'm not interested in MLM. My question is what source can give me a legitimate opportunity for my situation?

First learn to use the computer and how to surf the net. Then you can see all the opportunities out there and also the scams.

Sorry. From your post I didn't know how well you could use your computer or else I would not have assumed that you didn't know how to Google what you were looking for and cross checking with the local Better Business Bureau, Also knowing how to use Comment on this post, would help, as no one will take a chance giving an answer and risking a red square on his reputation count. I will warn you that many sites require a membership and fee to get the info you need so being able to Google and use keywords will be helpful.

Selling on the internet is not unlike selling in a traditional retail environment. You will need to do the following,
-research various products try and find something you know well and have a passion for.
-research your competition, see what they are selling it (them) for and see if you can compete at your price structure
-now you have a product and you feel you can be extremely profitable on the web and compete with the "others".
-Have some one build you a web site. Remember when someone builds the site you will still do the work such as images, description, pricing, and testomonials and or comparisons
-web site is online BUT you are on a dead end street in a residential neighborhood (metaphoricly).. . Who is going to find you?
-there are a few ways of marketing one is to move to a high visibility location. That would entail optimizing the site to come up in the top listings when key words are entered, this is timely and costly depending on the product. Basically you are trying to sell NIKES in a mall with 100 other people selling so you want to be at the enterance to the mall.
-The next way is more of paying someone to catch the people as they are going to the mall and redirecting them to your store. This is called PPC pay per click. When a person types in NIKE or whatever you are selling you will grab them by coming up in the top listings. This is a costly method but gives instant results and you can set budgets.

In the end it comes down to this.. . If you have thought of it someone is probably doing it. You need a real niche product these days and excellent marketing skills. Do not spend money until home work is done and complete.

Hope this helps.

First may I call your attention to the suggested guidelines for using the comments feature found here:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/feedba...ure-24951.html

I think you owe Tal an apology.

Second, a lot depends on what you want to do here. Do you want to open a store and sell a line of products? Do you want to just look for bargains you can buy then sell them to others (kinda like a job lot store). There are loads of opportunities that are real and that can be researched before risking anything. But your first step would be getting more familiar and comfortable with using the Internet and WEB.

I recently met a retired FDNY member, who was supplementing his retirement by finding things to sell on E-Bay. Discarded items he would fix up and sell. Odd lots he would buy and sell, etc. He and his wife had purchased a motor home and planned on being full time RV-ers conducting his E-Bay selling business from the motor home.

I do not feel that I owe “Tal” an apology. “Tal” in the first place paid me the inconsideration of rewording the supporting statement to my question as an answer. “Tal” either felt that I was too stupid to understand English, or not worth his time. Considering the value of his answer, I can’t see why he wasted even the time it took to type it out. It was neither right or wrong; it is obviously worthless. Although that is my opinion, I can’t see why anyone could not see it as FACT.

“Tal” added a response to the thread which I am respecting by posting nothing more to it.

He was responding to your statement:
"I have had a life-long interest in Mail Order Marketing and now Internet Marketing, but very little experience in using computers and the Internet."

I can't see you getting a lot of help here with the attitude you portray in your posts.

"My question is what source can give me a legitimate opportunity for my situation?"
That was the question. . Should have been answered without a poke in the eye or not at all. Not everyone is fluent in all things, we should handle these with a gentle touch. BUT we all have a bad day I can be as mean as the next.. . Lets move on.

I didn't see it as a poke in the eye, quite the opposite in fact. If the medium of business he intents to be in is the internet then being savvy with computers and the internet is key. We don't want to see another senior getting scammed by someone who knows how to misuse PayPal effectively or persuades him to install a "helper" program.

Uncle!

Hehe. :)

Sometimes the answer to a post is not necessarily the answer to the question asked.. In this case, Tal responded to your statement; "very little experience in using computers and the Internet". He therefore offered, what I felt was at least valid advice on how to get started. You may have felt it wasn't the advice you wanted, but it was valid advice based on the info YOU posted. Therefore it did not deserve a negative comment. You are now compounding your error by making assumptions about Tal's motives that I can assure you are misplaced. Most of the people here who answer questions do so out of a sincere desire to help. Sometimes that help could be better, sometimes the question is worded ambiguously so the answer may not be what the asker was expecting. But that doesn't deserve a negative comment. Remember the people here volunteer their time and expertise to help others. They should be given the benefit of the doubt that they were trying to help.

I agree with NeedKarma that your attitude is not going to help you get answers. You DO owe Tal an apology, even more so than before.

This post makes me laugh. It went from home based business to analysis of the wording used and how it developed from the first post and just continued on.