Do you want to start a business but don’t have millions in capital to invest? Are you looking for ways to earn that don’t require specific skills or equipment? Flipping items for profit might be for you.
Flipping is the practice of reselling an item for a higher price than it was initially bought for. The process often includes refurnishing or repairing the item, so you get to sell it for a higher price.
If the idea of flipping interests you, we’ve listed below some of the best items to flip on Facebook Marketplace and other online and in-store marketplaces.
Best Things to Flip For Profit
1. Electronics
Electronics are profitable wholesale items to sell but keep in mind that they don’t hold the same value. For instance, secondhand iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones can be sold for hundreds of dollars, while MacBooks usually sell for at least $1,000.
2. Sports Collectibles
Sports collectibles, like ticket subs, autographed items, bobbleheads, shirts, and jerseys, are some of the best things to buy and sell in bulk. Sports fans are everywhere, and they’re willing to spend money just to get their hands on their favorite team’s or player’s memorabilia.
3. Power Tools
New power tools are expensive, which is why many people are looking for secondhand tools. To meet this demand and maximize your earnings, pay attention to the brand name, as buyers often search for brand names online.
4. Musical Instruments
As long as they’re in good condition, you can make a lot of money from flipping musical instruments. It’s common for people to outgrow their love for music, and once they do, you can buy those musical instruments at a lower price and resell them for profit.
5. Children’s Clothing and Accessories
Visit thrift stores and garage sales to find cheap children’s clothing and accessories. If possible, look for bigger items, like strollers and high chairs, as you could double your money on these.
6. Name Brand Shoes
Not a sneakerhead? Sell name-brand shoes instead. You can buy brand-name shoes for about $5 to $15 and resell them for as much as $300, depending on the condition and brand.
7. Limited Edition Shoes
Limited edition shoes are one of the best items to flip on Facebook Marketplace and other platforms. There’s always scarcity in this market as many manufacturers intentionally don’t produce enough sneakers to meet the current demand.
Flipping limited edition shoes will require capital but is definitely worth it as you can earn $80 to $100 per pair for starters. Find better shoes to sell, and earn up to $500 per pair.
8. Appliances
Because of their size and weight, getting rid of appliances is challenging. Fortunately, this presents an earning opportunity for you as you can buy appliances for less and take those problems off the owners’ hands — it’s a win-win for both parties!
Related: Here are the best places to sell used appliances.
9. Collectible Jewelry
Hand-crafted and costume-made jewelry from well-known designers is still popular in today’s thrift markets. The value of these pieces depends on the style, quality, and demand. You also have to ensure that you’re reselling original pieces, not knock-offs.
10. Trading Cards
Flipping trading cards, particularly baseball and Pokémon cards, have become a popular side gig in recent years. You can earn more than $150 profit per graded card depending on when, where, and what you sell.
11. Toys
When choosing what toys to flip, look for items that are popular and hard to find, as shortages drive up demand. Ideally, you should price used toys from 50% to 70% lower than their retail prices, depending on the condition of the toys and whether they’re vintage.
12. Video Game Consoles
With video games making their way into homes worldwide, it’s easy to see why reselling video game consoles can be a profitable side hustle. Look for popular game consoles, like Microsoft Xbox One or Nintendo Switch, to boost your earning opportunities.
Related: Making money playing video games.
13. Vehicle
Cars can be a profitable item to flip when you’re a pro at negotiating, have access to undervalued cars, and is mechanically-inclined.
The average vehicle flipper can earn about $1,200 per car. Some individuals who flip exotic or classic cars can earn up to $30,000 per car in profit alone.
14. Luxury Handbags
You can score authentic luxury handbags in consignment stores or online and resell them for profit. Find the right suppliers and audience, and you can earn a few thousand dollars every year from this side hustle.
15. RVs or Campers
RVs and campers can be profitable items to flip if you have maintenance and home repair skills. Flipping these vehicles requires work but is worth considering as you can earn hundreds or thousands of dollars.
16. Household Equipment
Household equipment, such as lamps, vacuum cleaners, fans, and other common tools at home, are in-demand all the time. It’s easy to find someone who needs these items.
17. Camera
Even old cameras are profitable items to flip because photographers love the kind of visual effects they create. Lenses for cameras are expensive, so if you can find lenses in pristine condition, you can resell the camera for a good price.
18. Wedding Dress
Buy wedding dresses off-season and sell them for a higher price during the wedding season. You can earn hundreds or even thousands from flipping wedding dresses.
19. Watches
When it comes to flipping watches, the older, the better — if they work. If you’re passionate about watches, this is an excellent way of making money on the side. If you have the tools and experience to make minor repairs, you can earn more.
Best Cheap Items to Resell
20. Furniture
Flipping furniture has become very popular as furniture is easy to sell. You can make anywhere from $500 to $10,000 per month, flipping furniture. It depends on the type of furniture you decide to flip and where you choose to sell it.
21. Books
Books are cheap items to resell but offer an excellent earning opportunity if you find the right book and buyer. As a neophyte, you can earn a few hundred dollars per month from flipping used books. Experienced book flippers can earn around $6,000 a month.
22. Vintage Clothing
Vintage clothing continues to hold a place in the resale market as many people want to save money on clothes or create a trendy look from unusual pieces. When you flip vintage clothing, you can earn $5 per sale or hundreds monthly, depending on the brand and current trend.
23. Board Games
If you’re looking for cheap items to resell, flip board games. You can purchase board games for $2 from yard sales and thrift stores and resell them for up to $100 — that’s an excellent return on investment or ROI!
24. Bicycles
Besides repairing bikes, you can also add some accessories, like bike racks, pumps, and lights, to increase your margin profits. Bike flipping lets you earn anywhere from $20 to $100 on a single bike.
25. Rare Shirts
Rare or retro t-shirts are undeniably one of the best things to buy and sell in bulk as they’re priced low, but the demand is high.
People of all ages wear shirts and finding the right pieces — like shirts from sports teams and rock bands — lets you earn a couple of dollars on the side.
26. Car Parts
Visit the nearest junkyard in your area and look for car parts. Junkyards usually hold car parts that are still usable or need minor repairs. If you’re lucky, you can even find vintage parts that are no longer produced today.
27. Vintage Dishware
Some people will pay a lot of money for vintage dishware, making them one of the best wholesale items to resell. Look for vintage silverware, cups, saucers, and plates in different thrift shops, garage sales, and yard sales to earn profit.
28. Housing Décor
You can sell home décor for good money. You can find all kinds of unique and fun decorations at flea markets and local thrift stores.
Depending on the condition, you might need to apply a fresh coat of paint or remove blemishes from the decorations before reselling them for profit.
29. Rugs
Prices of rugs vary depending on the personal taste of the buyer. If you find an antique rug or one that has unique patterns, sell it to collectors to earn some money.
30. Yard Equipment
You can buy yard equipment for a low price. To make the biggest profit, buy tools that require some little repairs. Fix and clean them before selling, and you’ll make money in no time!
Best Things To Buy and Sell Online
31. Concert Tickets
There are websites that allow you to list and resell concert tickets for free. It’s possible to earn $1,000 from flipping a single ticket, especially if they’re for a famous artist’s concert or if it’s a last-minute rush for an event.
32. Domain Names
Do you want to start flipping items for profit but without the need to maintain inventory? Flip domain names. Domain names are like digital real estate — they give an address to a website.
On average, you can buy domain names for $40 each and resell them for up to $2800.
33. Websites
Websites can be one of the most profitable items to flip as long as you have the tools and experience to improve them. The goal is to find undervalued websites with high traffic but poor monetization or good monetization but poor SEO practices.
Related: Best paid online website testing jobs.
34. Stocks
Flipping stocks involves buying shares and waiting for the price to increase before reselling them. Stocks bought from an Initial Public Offering or IPO are even more profitable as you can make a profit from these due to the scarcity.
35. Blogs
Earn from your passion for writing by selling blogs. How much you can earn from blog flipping depends on the income potential of the blog, but the general rule of thumb is that you can resell a blog for at least 24x its average monthly profit.
How to Flip Items for Profit
Find Items to Flip
Start by finding items to flip in your home, thrift stores, antique shops, and auctions. Remain patient to ensure that you’ll end up with the best items to flip on Facebook Marketplace and other platforms.
Repair or Refurbish Your Items
After you secure the items you want to sell, do everything to make them look in tip-top condition. This will usually require you to polish appliances or remove the scuff marks from shoes.
Post High-Quality Photos
A DSLR camera isn’t a requirement — you can take high-quality photos of your items for sale with a smartphone. Just make sure that the staging and lighting are good.
Decide Where to Sell
You can list your items to flip in various places (which will be discussed in the next section), so compare your options carefully. Consider the number of people present on that platform, the ease of use, and the amount of commission they’ll take every time you sell an item.
Ask for Reviews
Always ask for reviews from buyers after doing business with you. This will make you look trustworthy and reliable and help you haul in more buyers in the future.
Best Places to Flip Items For Profit
eBay
eBay is one of the most popular platforms for people who want to sell different items. Its user interface is simple, so listing items for sale will be a breeze. However, eBay will take a certain percentage from your selling price as a commission.
Related: Best sites like eBay to sell more stuff online.
Facebook Marketplace
Use Facebook Marketplace if you want to sell to people living in or near your local area. One benefit of using this platform is not paying any shipping fees or commissions. But you have to arrange where and when you’re going to meet the buyer, which can be a hassle.
OfferUp
OfferUp works the same way as Facebook Marketplace — the app lets you connect with people within your area. Although the app doesn’t require any listing fee, expect to come across customers who will haggle consistently with your offers.
Poshmark
If you believe clothes are the most profitable item to flip, use Poshmark. This app connects sellers and buyers in different locations and provides opportunities for you to promote your items. However, since there are millions of sellers on the app, standing out might be hard.
Specialty Markets
Depending on the items you want to sell, you can use other online and in-person marketplaces for selling, like swap meets, forums, Autotrader (for flipping vehicles), and local consignment stores.
Learn the Basics
Flipping items for profit is a great side hustle, but only if you know what items to flip, how to flip them, and where to sell your flipped items.
Fortunately, this article covers all of that, so use this as your guide as you’re starting your flipping journey!
FAQs
What is easy to make and sell?
DIY crafts, like bath bombs, soaps, knitted scarves, and baked pet treats, are the easiest to make and sell as they don’t require specialized equipment or skills.
What is the most profitable thing to sell?
Jewelry is the most profitable thing to sell because it offers sellers a great chance to increase their profit margins. By finding a reputable and reasonably-priced supplier, you can markup your prices by up to 100%.
What things are in demand right now?
Some of the most in-demand items right now are beauty products and cosmetics, jewelry, designer sunglasses, children’s toys, shoes, and video games. Many people are also looking for pet supplies, electronics, and CBD products.
