How To Start Flipping Things From Thrift Stores For Cash

Have you ever considered reselling thrifted things for profit?

Many people do thrift store flipping as a side hustle, and it can be quite rewarding.

With a bit of patience and an eye for spotting hidden gems, you can turn your passion for thrifting into a small business.

An Overview of Reselling Thrifted Things: A Primer

Thrifting is basically hunting for used items to buy from places such as thrift shops, flea markets, yard sales, charity stores, etc.

While some people go thrifting to save cash or look for unique vintage items, many others do it as a side hustle to make extra money.

It’s a great business idea for those who don’t have much money to start with. All you need to do is find the best things to flip and resell.

Not only is thrifting profitable, but it’s also a fantastic way to give a second chance to items that would otherwise go to waste.

That said, such a business isn’t for everyone. That’s because it requires patience to go through thousands of items and spot the right one.

It’s also essential for you to have the skills needed to flip these pieces.

How Much Can Reselling Thrifted Things Earn You?

In general, the amount of profit you can make reselling thrifted things depends on the item itself.

For example, you can expect a profit margin of about $300–500 per month selling clothes online.

However, the actual number depends on many factors, like how much effort you put into the process and how well of a job you do flipping it.

Overall, with the right mindset, you can make thousands of dollars flipping things from thrift stores.

All you need to do is spend some time researching where and what to thrift.

Moreover, you should learn more about thrift store flipping for your items to sell as quickly as possible.

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Side Hustle Reselling Thrifted Things?

Reselling thrifted things may seem like an easy way to make money. Yet, there are some involved costs you should take into consideration.

Here are a few of these costs.

• Buying Money: Thrift store items range from $1–$5 per item, and garage sales pieces are $0.25–$5 per item.
• Storage Cost: You should expect to pay $50–$250 per month for a storage unit if you don’t have an extra room at home to use.
• Utilities: Gas, electricity, internet, and water combined might cost you $120–$300 per month.
• Packaging Supplies: The cost of such supplies ranges from $1.5 to $7.5 per package, depending on its weight and size. It also changes according to the shipping method and location.
• Shipping Fees: The shipping fees range from $3 for standard shipping to over $50 for international shipping.
• Marketing Costs: Marketing usually requires spending a lot of money, especially influencer partnerships that can be as high as $2,000. As for social media ads, they may cost you around $20–$200.

Where Can You Resell Thrifted Things?

With all the online marketplaces and apps available, it can be hard to decide where to resell your thrifted pieces.

Some websites are better than others, especially for certain types of items.

Here’s a list of amazing websites and apps to help you resell thrifted things independently.

Amazon

It’s a great platform to start with, as it gets over two billion visitors each month.

You can easily become an Amazon seller as long as your products satisfy quality requirements.

Facebook Marketplace

The Facebook Marketplace is perfect for selling just about anything, from clothes and furniture to toys.

You can also start a business page on Facebook to sell your thrifted items regularly.

Craigslist

This platform is one of the best for selling higher-priced items, such as furniture, cars, etc.

However, Craigslist isn’t a scam-free website. So, be careful when using it.

Ebay

Ebay is the best platform to sell thrift store items, as it hosts a customer base of local and international buyers.

However, to keep the shipping costs under control, it’s better to use it for selling small and lightweight pieces.

OfferUp

This is another platform to sell thrifted items, especially large-sized and low-priced ones. It’s highly convenient and easy to use as well.

Why You Should Consider Reselling Thrifted Things as a Side Hustle

Reselling items from thrift stores can make a great side hustle, especially if you know the things to look for at thrift stores.

Below is a list of the three most vital reasons you should consider doing it.

1. Not Requiring a Large Investment: Any person can start reselling thrifted pieces as an extra source of income. You don’t need a fortune to do it (you can begin with under $50).
2. Allowing the Opportunity to Get Creative: You can work on flipping thrift finds uniquely, allowing you to put your creativity into action. Such practice also increases the value of the thrifted item.
3. Contributing To Waste Reduction: Getting into the reselling business helps preserve the environment by minimizing the pollution associated with fashion production.

Problems With Reselling Thrifted Things

Despite being a profitable business idea, reselling thrifted things has its problems, including:

• Time-Consuming: It takes time and effort to find suitable pieces that would resell at a reasonable price.
• Defying the Main Purpose: People donate their used items to allow the chance for poor people to benefit from them. Yet, reselling thrifted things doesn’t fulfill that purpose.
• Ethical Issues: Some consider buying thrifted things and reselling them a way of depriving low-income communities of affordable quality items.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is thrifting and reselling a good side hustle?

A: Thrifting and reselling can be a fantastic side hustle idea if you put in the needed effort. You need to do your research and put the associated costs into account before considering this business idea.

What thrifted items sell best?

Some thrift finds stand the chance of returning a decent profit when resold more than others. This includes designer clothing, video games, anything with the tag intact, vintage clothing or pieces (board games, glassware, Pyrex, etc.), books, silverware, and picture frames.