Enjoy shopping at thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets, and want to try your hand at buying things to flip? Here are the best (and easiest) things to buy and resell for a profit.
Shoes
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Keep an eye out for new or like-new shoes from sought-after designers and lines, like Gucci, Uggs and Air Jordan. People who aren't willing to shell out retail for these brands are more than willing to pay half the retail price. To maximize your profits, familiarize yourself with all the kicks that the sneaker heads are currently after. Rare sneakers can sell for thousands (even if they're used).
Where to Sell: eBay, TheRealReal or similar sites that deal in designer brands.
Potential Profits: $20-$1,000+
Vintage Electronics
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Spend a day shopping at thrift stores and yard sales, and you're bound to come across lots of obsolete electronics that no one wants, but among all that junk there are probably also some highly-sought-after gadgets that could turn a quick profit. Some things to look for: record players, Walkmans, eight-track players and certain film cameras. Not all brands and models are in demand, so do a quick search on eBay to check the sales history before you buy.
Where to Sell: eBay. You'll reach the most collectors, so you'll make more and sell your item faster
Profit Potential: $100+
Video Games and Consoles
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You can make big profits on video games and consoles, but you have to know what sells and what doesn't. Games for the latest gaming systems are an easy sell, as are vintage games and consoles from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Snatch up Atari, NES and Super Nintendo stuff. Pass on Wii and Xbox. They're too recent to be sought after.
Where to Sell: eBay, Amazon Marketplace, or locally on Facebook Marketplace
Profit Potential: $20-100+
Collectible Toys
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Sift through all the toys on offer at flea markets, garage sales and thrift stores in search of the ones that are collectible. Things like American Girl dolls, Legos and vintage toys from the 80s (or before) are easy to flip for a good profit. So are toys that were made as tie-ins to popular movies, like Star Wars.
Where to Sell: Ebay. You'll reach more collectors there, than if you try to sell locally
Potential Profits: $20-$100+
Ink and Toner Cartridges
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The price of printer ink and toner cartridges gives everyone sticker shock, so there's a huge resale market for unopened ink and toner—even if it's expired. Potential buyers often set up alerts on auction sites, so they'll know as soon as someone lists the ink or toner their printer uses. This means you can often flip these items in a matter of hours.
Where to Sell: Ebay
Potential Profits $20+ (more for toner)
Books
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If you aren't a big risk-taker, books are an excellent item to flip. Just use a site, like BookScouter.com to look up what over 40 buyers are currently paying, and you'll know whether you should take a book to the register, or leave it on the shelf. Another nice thing about selling books: you don't have to store them until they sell. Since you'll already have a buyer lined up, you can pack books up and ship them off right away.
Where to Sell: Go with the buyer who makes you the best offer on BookScouter, or list them on Amazon.
Potential Profits: Anywhere from a couple bucks to several hundred dollars. Look for first editions to increase your profits. Textbooks can also turn a good profit.
Brand Name Clothes
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Lots of the clothing that gets donated to thrift stores is dated or just plain ugly, but if you're willing to sift through the racks, you can also find resale gold. To maximize your profits, look for designer labels, vintage pieces, items that are new with tag, and specialty items, like maternity clothing, kids' holiday dresses and premium jeans. Clothing tends to take longer to flip than other items, so make sure you're willing to tie up money and space in your home, while you wait for your items to sell.
Where to Sell: Ebay, TheRealReal, ThredUp, consignment stores or sales
Potential Profits: $5-100+