Some of the retailers who purchase wholesale bulk sunglasses from Olympic Eyewear undoubtedly go on to sell them on Amazon. Other platforms, like eBay and Etsy, are pretty popular too. But given that Amazon dominates online retail, we thought it might be helpful to address one of the most vexing aspects of selling there: the ASIN.

ASIN is an acronym that stands for 'Amazon Standard Identification Number'. An ASIN is a unique identification number assigned to a product being sold through Amazon. Products get these numbers even if they never go through an Amazon fulfillment center. ASINs are necessary for Amazon to catalog and track the billions of products available through their site.

What does this have to do with the designer sunglasses you sell? A lot, actually. Amazon has some very specific rules relating to ASINs. If you don't follow the rules, your listings could be suspended. Persistent offenses could lead to your Amazon account being banned.

Every Product Has One - Wholesale Sunglasses or Not

Every product on Amazon has an ASIN. Just run an on-site search for anything and choose a product at random. Once the product page comes up, scroll down to the 'Product Information' section. You should see that product's ASIN on the second or third line.

Now, run an on-site search for designer sunglasses. Choose half-a-dozen products and check their ASINs. You might notice that some of them have identical numbers. Others have similar numbers that only vary by one or two characters. This is due to the fact that Amazon uses both parent and child ASINs.

A parent ASIN is a top-level number assigned to a specific product based on brand, make, and model. But in many cases – including designer sunglasses – products from the same brand and line come in different variations, like color for instance. Cataloging these variations is what child ASINs are all about.

Assigning ASINs to Your Products

Any designer sunglasses or accessories you decide to sell on Amazon will be assigned an ASIN. The question is, how? You don't actually create and assign the number yourself. Amazon does it for you.

Before listing a new product, search for it using Amazon's on-site search engine. Use search criteria related to a brand, make, and model. You might also use information like size and color to find variations. Here's what to do following your search:

• If You Find the Product – If you find the exact same product already being sold on Amazon by another retailer, you must use the ASIN already assigned to that product.
• If You Don't Find the Product – If you do a thorough search and can't find the product, proceed with creating your listing and request that Amazon assigns a new ASIN to it.

Bear in mind that Amazon does not allow duplicates. In other words, they do not want the same product with two different ASINs. They also do not appreciate retailers using creative means to invent new variations just so that they can get new ASINs.

If You Run Into Trouble

Assigning and utilizing ASINs generally isn't a big deal. Still, it can be tricky for eyewear retailers due to the sheer volume of sunglasses sold on Amazon. So if you ever run into trouble, either contact Amazon directly or work with a consultant who specializes in Amazon listings and ASIN resolution.

The ASIN is a necessary tool for doing what Amazon does on such a large scale. If you plan to sell on Amazon, familiarize yourself with ASINs and how they work. You are going to need to know before you create your first listing.