The benefits of microwave heat packs are three-fold. They can be used for pain and stress relief, to heat a bed, as well as to aid sleep. Recently modern technology has been utilized to bring the concept of the hot water bottle in to the new millennium. Heat-retaining gel has been used; however this has a limited lifespan. Many people are turning to tried and tested methods, while heated water carries a risk of scalding, microwaved wheat and dried pulses, retains heat safely. Just two minutes in the microwave can bring pain relief, a warm bed and - with the addition of aromatherapy oils - natural healing.

Commonly listed on eBay as "wheat bags" or "wheat heat packs", these items sell for a range of prices, depending on the design. They all usually contain wheat, sometimes mixed with lavender flower buds. Alternatives to wheat are flax seed and sunflower seeds. 20kg of wheat can be purchased online for as little as $20 with each heat pack holding no more than 1kg, this is an excellent price.

As noted above, the design of the bag affects the value of these items. You might be looking at designing a novelty bag; although needlework goes beyond the scope of this article, you may find that an item such as a microwave heat bag is something which would be more attractive to women rather than men as such you may want to incorporate the bag into a cuddly toy-style design.

The fabric used is important too, both on the value of the item and on how the bag feels to the user when heated. Velvet bags in particular are popular especially for use around the neck. Most bags are made of standard cotton fabric that is among the most versatile materials.

A basic pain relief heat bag may resemble a small beanbag or be around three times the length of a beanbag. These are the simplest versions, and can be sold for around $5 on eBay. The elongated version in particular can be applied to larger areas of pain as well be wrapped around the neck; however you may consider that specializing in shaped bags is an area to exploit. A horseshoe shape suits the neck perfectly.

Smaller bags can be used as inserts, and you may decide that there is a lack of heated gloves and hats and scarves available. What better way to heat these items and provide you customers with added protection against the cold than to sell scarves and mittens and hats with space for small heat pack inserts?

ZhuZhuuk's eBay Store (link: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Zhu-Zhu_Wheat-bag-Heatpack) lists a range of heat packs filled with wheat. These are both specially designed and shaped bags or cuddly-toy shaped items that bags can be inserted into. Zhuzhuuk, who has a feedback rating of over 2950 (99.9% positive) sells the heat bags for a Buy it Now price of $7.99, or as an auction item with a starting price of $4.99. This eBay seller is extremely popular in this niche, and lists the items in the Health & Beauty > Natural/Alternative Therapies > Healing category.

There is a massive range of possibilities with this eBay selling idea, so good luck developing your heat bags. You might even try targeting other markets within eBay, such as the sports sections.

Whatever you do, remember to maintain a level of professionalism, and treat your dealings with online customers with the same dignity and respect that you would treat your local customers.

Resources:

http://www.etsy.com/how_selling_works.php

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf126288.tip.html

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/cm_heatingpad.html

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/herbal/msg0914335115849.html