The easiest way to make money is by flipping items. Here are the best things to flip for profit!
Are you looking for a flexible and lucrative extra income idea? Flipping is one of the best ways to make money in your spare time!
I started flipping things for profit back before there was Facebook or apps like Poshmark. I used to buy and sell used name-brand clothes from thrift stores back in the Philippines where I grew up. I’ve always been a serial hustler and enjoyed making extra income with minimal effort.
My husband was also a master flipper and had done this for years in the U.S. while he was still in the University. He had flipped SO MANY things for profit—from broken strollers and bicycles he got for free through Craigslist, to furniture and surf boards.
Indeed, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! If you know the best things to buy and flip and where to get them, you could easily start a flipping business in your spare time. It’s even easier now more than ever to make money flipping with money-making apps and platforms to sell on!
Interested in this extra income idea? Then learn what are the easiest things to flip for profit to help you make money fast flipping!
What is flipping?
Table of Contents
According to Wikipedia, flipping is buying an item for a low price (sometimes even at $0) and then reselling it for a profit. Some people are into flipping money, houses or stocks, but in this article, you will learn how to flip smaller items that could be of value, such as your grandpa’s vintage camera or that gaming console you’ve had in your childhood.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for any purchases made through these links at NO extra cost to you.
How Much Can You Make Flipping?
Well, there’s really no limit as to how much money you can earn flipping. You can make from a few dollars to thousands, depending on the type of items you flip for cash!
Melissa and Rob Stephenson from Flipper University, for example, have been earning lucrative income from flipping.
In 2015, they earned more than $42,000 by flipping items for not more than 20 hours per week. Their income rose to $133,000 a year later!
If you want to get started flipping and follow a step-by-step guide on how to make this gig more profitable, check out The Flipper University by Melissa and Rob. This course is designed for those who want to learn how to get started flipping, where to find things to flip for profit, how to make flipping profitable, and more!
If you want to learn more about selling on eBay, check out this FREE Beginner’s Guide to Selling on eBay.
Where to Find the Best Things to Buy and Flip
Now, you’re probably wondering where to begin and how to find things to re-sell for cash. Here are some of the best places to go to:
- flea markets
- thrift stores
- garage or yard sales
- auctions
- liquidation stores
- online selling sites such as eBay, Craigslist, Facebook
- your own house!
- Clearance section at retail stores
- discount stores such as Marshalls and Burlington
And if you’re wondering where to sell your stuff, check out these 24 websites to sell stuff locally!
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23 Easiest Things To Flip For Profit
So, what are the best things to flip for a profit? Well, they can be random things like books and baby gear, to some antiques, furniture, and old devices. The important thing is to know and study your niche so you know right away when you find something of value.
1. Wood furniture
High-quality wood furniture is durable and a classic, so it’s always one of the top things to flip for profit. Some people ditch their old wood furniture as they make room for new ones, and some of them will even sell for free as long as you’re willing to do the pick-up. Wood furniture sells fast and for a good price. For instance, a pair of 1960s Burlwood low side tables can cost $375.
2. Baby strollers
Babies outgrow strollers fast, so some parents think it isn’t wise to purchase an expensive brand-new stroller for their little ones. Look for brand-name strollers that are still in good condition in yard sales and then resell it locally to avoid shipping fees. Some of the used baby strollers listed on eBay cost around $59-$499.
Pro tip: Check out Craigslist’s free section! My husband got a name-brand stroller listed there for free. He fixed it and flipped it to make hundreds!
3. Book sets / collectible books
People are still reading good old hardbound books these days, while others just like keeping them in their libraries. Book sets are the best things to find (think of Harry Potter) as well as first edition books from popular authors. Some of the collectible books sold at Thriftbooks range from $20-$50.
4. Video Games & Consoles
Some people like to be reminded of what it was like in their childhood, so when they see vintage video games and consoles, they go ahead and purchase them. It might surprise you how many people are willing to shell out money for old-fashioned games, so there’s a market for that. According to PCWorld, the Atari Video Computer released in 1977 is worth $1000 for the entire system.
5. Vintage and limited-edition clothing
It would be nice to find a concert shirt of a famous band or singer because such merch is often discontinued after the event. For instance, a die-hard fan of The Beatles would be itching to get his hands on the 1964 World Tour concert shirt, and he’ll probably won’t mind shelling a few hundred bucks for it. And oh, eBay sells such shirts for around $20.
6. Event tickets
In cities with lively cultures, such as New York, events are bountiful. Event tickets are surprisingly some of the best things to buy and sell because a lot of people would be rooting to seeing their dreamed concerts and theatre plays. A great way to make a sizable profit is buying the tickets in bulk and reselling them on Craigslist.
7. Cameras and camera lenses
Photographers know that it takes some money to have the right gear, so most of them already expect to pay a good price for this hobby. That’s why buying and selling photography gear is such a hit.
Some photographers like to purchase vintage cameras for their collection, while others would purchase modern ones to use in their profession. A vintage Nikon F2 may be sold at $1100 (body and lens), according to Collectiblend.
8. Watches
Watches are some of the best things to buy and flip for profit. Watch collectors love to obtain vintage watches, as well as branded and mechanical timepieces. The value of a watch depends mainly on how old it is and what its condition is. For instance, a vintage Rolex Men’s Oyster Perpetual Explorer is sold at $3,793 at Chrono24.
9. Vinyl and record players
We may have moved on to the digital age and it’s now so easy to stream music on demand, but some people still appreciate the good, old-fashioned music. It’s also a gold mine if you know which records would sell for a higher price.
People need record players to play their favorite music too. According to RareRecords, an original Pink Floyd vinyl record from Japan is worth $295.
10. Websites
The best way to profit from flipping a website is by building one up, filling it with amazing content and increasing its number of visitors and subscribers. You’d also want to integrate SEO into it too so that website ranks high on search engines. You can then sell the website for a profit, equivalent to its 24x – 36x of monthly revenue, according to Forbes. So if your website makes $1000 a month, you can resell it at $24,000 at least.
If you are interested in flipping websites or blogs, check out my detailed tutorial on how to start a blog and make money. The best thing about flipping blogs or website is that it’s cheap to start. You’ll only need to invest $2.75 per month to get started.
Interested in flipping money? Here’s a list of ways on how to flip money today!
11. Power Tools
A lot of people give away or sell their power tools for cheap when they want to upgrade to the newer units or when they’re moving out. Power tools are essential in getting specific tasks done, so there’s always a market for them. A lot of these tools go on sale at yard sales, buy-and-sell websites and auctions. Just make sure to inspect the tool properly before buying them.
12. Collectible toys
If you think toys are just for kids, then you’re dead wrong. Even adults can make good money from toys, especially if they are collectibles. Collectible Lego sets in their original packaging, for instance, can rack in at least $200 to $3,000. Funko pop characters and J.I Joe toys are auctioned on eBay for $100-$200.
13. Baseball cards
Sports memorabilia are also some of the best things to flip for profit, particularly if they’ve been autographed. Some of the most valuable baseball cards are vintage and from the pre-war era. According to Old Sports Cards, 1916 Babe Ruth rookie cards in PSA 8 condition can sell up around $1 million.
14. Vintage Picture Frames
Picture frames are surprisingly some of the best things to flip for profit, especially the vintage ones which are kept in mint condition. Most of these items are kept within families as heirlooms for generations, but others end up in yard sales, thrift stores and auction sites. They sell nicely too. For instance, this gold gilt frame from the 1850s sells for $467 on eBay.
15. Vintage pyrex
If you have some hand-me-down tupperware and pyrex containers in your kitchen, chances are, they may be old enough to sell for a pretty price. Look for pyrex with popular vintage patterns as they may sell between $80 – $4,000.
16. Vintage tea cups
Tea cups are some of the best things to collect, especially if you’re looking to make quite an income from selling them later on. Dainty, ornate and porcelain tea cups and saucer sets used to be the gifts of choice particularly to the ladies in the Victorian era, so the old and rare ones prove to be highly valuable. You’ll find antique tea cups and saucer sets on Collectors Weekly selling up to $338.
17. Vintage rugs
Rugs and carpets are some of the best investments, not just in making your home look pretty. If you didn’t know vintage carpets and rugs are some of the best things to flip for profit, especially if they are very old and are in good condition. If you find an antique rug selling for cheap, you may opt to have them appraised by dealers or experts so you know how much you can potentially sell for. You may also look at sites like Nazmiyal Collection where antique rugs are sold to the tune of a couple of thousand dollars.
18. Car parts
You can flip cars, but if you’re starting out small with the whole flipping business, you can start with car parts. Car parts are in demand, so it isn’t surprising to find people disassembling their old cars to find car parts that can be sold for a nice sum. The best selling car parts are wheels, exterior parts and lighting devices and they’re best up for sale on eBay. Did you know that eBay Motors sells three car parts or accessories every two seconds? That speaks volumes of how in demand car parts are online.
19. Vintage mason jars
Old canning jars may seem useless and obsolete to you, but did you know that vintage mason jars command incredible prices? For instance this Ball Perfect Mason Blue Quart Jar sells at $220 on eBay. Meanwhile, an Upside Down Jar by Ball produced between 1900 to 1910 costs $1,000. So if your grandmother gave you a couple of these antique canning jars, it’s time to take a look at them and see how much they can potentially sell on the market.
20. Bicycles
Some people forget their bicycles as soon as they find a new hobby or buy a new one. But you can make money from scouring, buying or selling these used bicycles. Some of them may need some repairs, while others need parts to be replaced, so it’s essential that you know you’ll earn more after performing the required modifications.
21. Board games
Like all things vintage, vintage board games are also hot stuff to flip for profit. You’ll find most of these in yard sales and thrift stores. You never know, the games you used to play in your childhood might rake in some good money today. According to Purple Pawn, a 1967 Be A Manager board game now costs $1,500.
22. Designer label items
Items from designer label brands, such as Hermes, Coach, Fendi and Louis Vuitton are also good stuff to flip online since some people like to obtain that “status symbol” without paying full price for them. You can find a lot of these products in thrift stores, yard sales and consignment shops and you can re-sell them for 3x or more of the selling price.
23. Sporting equipment
It’s often expensive to purchase brand new sporting equipment, so a lot of people are willing to buy second hand as long as they’re in great condition. If you can snag these items from your own home or find them selling for cheap in thrift stores, they should be wonderful things to flip for profit. You may also consider buying sporting equipment as a bunch since some people also look to getting all the gear they need in one place, rather than buy them separately from different places.
How to Flip Things for Profit: Tips for Success
Flipping is an easy process, but sometimes it involves some deliberate brainwork because you have to nail down the right price for re-selling so you can make the best possible profit.
Not all things you find in a yard sale have the potential to flip, so you have to know which items to look for. Some of the best things to flip are those that are name-brand items, vintage things and rare finds that are still in great condition.
Next, know how much the stuff you find would sell. You can go online and research how much similar products to sell.
However, those who are serious about this trade go the extra mile to make sure their items sell fast with the best prices. Some of the best things you need to consider to achieve this level of flipping success are:
- Cleaning up and repairing the items. Clean, repair and restore the product to its former glory so that they become more appealing and interesting.
- Putting up a photo station. You don’t need a studio. A small nook at home would do the trick. You want to put up a clean background, some great natural and/or artificial lighting, and a decent camera.
- Start small. If you’ve never flipped before, start small so you don’t end up risking your hard-earned money on your first flipping attempt. Even better, look around your home to find items to resell. That would make it $0 in capital.
- Reinvest. You want to keep the business rolling by keeping some of the profit to yourself, and then another portion to reinvest.
Final Thoughts
Flipping is a great way to earn an income. You can do it part-time or full-time, command your working hours and set your prices. It may take some research so you can learn how to flip things for profit, but it’s a fun and rewarding job.
Most times, flipping doesn’t even feel like a job but more like shopping for some profit, later on. So, start looking for the easiest things to flip for profit in your own home or the nearby thrift shops, and who knows, you might find something very valuable and make you big bucks
