25 items to sell on eBay to make money in 2020 – [MASTER GUIDE]
Selling used items online or locally is a great way to make extra money on the side from home!
Doing surveys is NOT how to make money online.
Any blog that starts with that as a first suggestion should be taken off the internet.
Want to know why everyone suggests them? Because they hire freelance writers to create fluff content to get clicks.
How to make money online for real:sell a product, sell a service, or market someone else’s product to your audience.
Everything below is the stuff that has put food on our table every night for the past three years. This isn’t clickbait or bull shit.
The items listed below are common and can be found daily within your local community. Some may be harder to come across than others, but you will find them eventually. Do your best to learn as much as you can!
I just told you the items are common, but these are EXTREME examples of these items.
What I did to get the eBay screen grabs is went to soldlistings for certain search terms and filtered by “highest price sold”.
You will not find thousand dollar items often, but it can happen. The information below is intended to open up your eyes to the value of items within 25 different selling categories.
If you cannot make money after reading this, get a job because no course or & guru can help you. Make sure to sign up for our free classes if you haven’t already! JOIN NOW!
Affiliate Disclosure: Links in this post may be affiliates, if you purchase anything through our links, we earn a small commission at no cost to you.
(this list is in no particular order)
1. Video Games
By no means am I an expert on this topic so this will be a very general overview.
Two things you want to know... SOME vintage is very sought after & can make you insane amounts of money. Also, eBay will limit your sales in these categories when you are a new seller.
Video games & consoles are great to sell for the simple fact that so many people buy them. Kids and adults both spend tons of money on gaming addictions, supply their drug!
Broken consoles still are worth your time as long as you get them for the right price.
Watch this video to learn how to value used items quickly!
2. Computers
Very similar to video games as far as being limited when first starting to sell on eBay. Though this category is incredibly similar, there are a few key differences.
The reason computers are so great to sell is because people use them for so many reasons.With a video game console, sure you can watch streaming movies & use some crappy apps, but most people just play games.
Computers are different, people use them to make money & art. Because of that, they sell quickly & typically hold steady market value on sought after computers.
See how I said sought after? All the PC fanboys are gonna hate me, but I mean stuff like Macbook Pros. So many people want those, I don’t know of many people that WANT a Google Chromebook or something like that.
Not all computers are worth your time. Understand how to read a spec sheet for a computer. Get a grasp on basic troubleshooting. Most common PC issues can really be fixed by just watching a Youtube video.
3. Gaming Accessories
I know we started this with video games, but this is wayy different. Think of this as video game consoles & computers had a baby. This is that category.
PC gaming is big right now, so many people are into it! With that comes a lot of new products. There are so many companies making fun accessories for computers now. It is a great time to be alive if you are a creative person!
From gaming keyboards that sell for over $200 to podcasting microphones that go for $500+, this category is filled with high priced stuff that sells fast!
The best part is that you get overlap in this category. What I mean by that is you can attract “normal” people too, non-computer gamers that just want a nice keyboard that lights up all pretty.
Avoid all the cheap crap in this market, way too many generic companies flooding the market with low-quality replicas.
4. Furniture
So I went to an auction a couple of years ago, at it, there were a bunch of “furniture sellers” that had brick & mortar stores.
In the preview, I spotted this table base. I knew right away what it was because that style is timeless Herman Miller. Problem was, no one else knew this…
How did “professional furniture sellers” miss something so obvious?
Because they didn’t know enough that is why. I paid $7 for this with no other bids.
When it comes to this category, mid-century style is king. People of all ages love it & it is timeless, plus a lot of pieces bring great money if they are quality.
Now the reason I tell almost everyone to start with this is because you can sell it quickly locally & even find it for free, like ALL of the time. I have taken so much stuff off the street and flipped it, a coat of paint & something can look brand new!
PRO TIP– If something is a bit beat up around the edges, just call it distressed or rustic
Furniture is a great category to flip locally.Finding free furniture is SO easy, check out this video and let me prove it to you!
5. Bikes & Parts
I LOVE this category for the simple reason that it has a huge market. So many people ride bikes, from daily commuters to guys that dedicate their lives to the sport.
Cycling has a lot of moving parts (literally).You need to pick whether you want to fix bikes, sell parts, hustle cycling clothing, or whatever else you can think of!
BTW, buy a park toolset if you plan on getting into this hustle, fixing bikes isn’t hard, just need the right tools!
Our business doesn’t sell bikes, but we LOVE cycling clothes. It is a staple in our inventory. From jerseys to padded shorts, we try to carry as much as we can.
High-end bikes & parts are really what you want to be on the lookout for.
Avoid lower end Walmart type bikes unless it is a beach cruiser style(those still sell great for casual riders)
6. Lawn Equipment
This category is SO SO SO easy to make money with locally. Everyone buys lawn equipment, even people that don’t want to!
I paid $100 for this chainsaw below
The best thing about this category is that fixing broken items isn’t that hard, most people just aren’t willing to learn/do it.
Plenty of people donate or just flat out give away for free in the trash broken lawn equipment. Whether it is lawnmowers, weed whackers, or just wheelbarrows. It is all worth money & if you can do basic repairs, you will win.
Also, this stuff pretty much sells year-round. Sure selling trimmers in winter will be hard, but chain saws & other heavy equipment still sell well!
The great thing too is that this stuff sells fast because SO many people look for it second-hand.
7. Tools
Now we could have been lazy & just grouped this in with lawn equipment, but tools deserve their own category.
Stay away from anything that is from generic type brands like Harbor Freight or similar retailers, stick to the major brands that everyone knows & trusts.
Also be aware that just because something is made by Dewalt or Stihl, doesn’t mean it is worth a ton of money. Look up model numbers to be certain as certain models have significantly higher values than others.
My favorite thing to sell locally in this category is actually toolboxes. I think they are beautiful, especially older Snap-On & Mac ones. They sell quickly & usually for good money. Kinda suck to move around though if you don’t have a truck or SUV.
BIG PRO TIP : Screw the tools themselves, think about the accessories!
Batteries & chargers for portable tools are one of the best categories to possibly re-sell in. I love finding this stuff because I always know it sells fast & for decent profits.
8. Home Decor
A whole niche in and of its self, this has nothing to do with furniture!
Rugs, paintings, & even mirrors bring great money locally. The stuff that makes a home a home isn’t cheap at the big box stores. Your house may suck & have no mood or life, but other people spend A LOT of money to make their home perfect.
Go to West Elm & see how much a rug sells for there, these things are no joke & bring serious cash for the right ones.
Don’t overlook things because they aren’t your style. I hate the farmhouse look, but women who buy home decor on Facebook LOVE it.
Though we will talk about this in the Toys category, later on, these Kaws figures belong here as well since they are now used for home decor. It may seem stupid that someone is willing to pay $4000 for a plastic statue, but these aren’t even close to the most valuable ones.
Collectors pay crazy money for rare items in every niche. Art has so many moving parts, don’t think because you haven’t heard of someone, that their art has no value.
Picasso isn’t the only artist that is worth money.
9. Printer Ink / Toner
Want to know my fastest sale ever?
I bought two ink toners, had them in my hand while listing them. As I was walking back to store them, they sold within 30 seconds of me pressing list.
It was the craziest thing, I had to double-check on the computer to make sure it actually it happened.
Why & how did that happen?
Simple, people hire overseas workers to scour the internet in search of good deals. They then buy them & usually drop ship them to a waiting customer.
Office products are really expensive. Go to Office Max and see how much ink toners sell for retail…It is INSANE.
So many people buy ink & toners from third party online vendors like me because it is about 1/4 of the price. Even just common household ink cartridges can go for great money, especially for printers designed for printing photographs (these typically have more ink colors)
Selling large lots of these is usually the best way to get rid of them.
People are very used to buying these in large lots to save some money. Shipping these one by one is kinda a pain due to shipping.
10. Restaurant Equipment
I worked in restaurants for years & saw how much some kitchen was worth, and let me tell you it’s no joke…
Heavy-duty pro quality equipment brings a premium because it is well made. Brands like Hobart make commercial-grade stuff intended to be used in places like bakeries and pizza shops. These things are really heavy & hard to find, but this is good stuff to know.
Just the parts from these things (like the actual mixing attachments) are even worth a ton!
You will not find this stuff often. It doesn’t make it to thrift stores. The people that own these items usually sell them instead of donating.
Don’t give up hope because there is still the normal everyday consumer that cooks, on to the next category!
11. Home Kitchen
This category is an easy one because everyone uses kitchen gadgets. These things are bought as gifts & often sold third party for quite good deals.
People get crap like this all of the time as wedding gifts use it for 1 month and just sell them on Facebook for like 1/2 the retail value. They can be great flips if you learn the market.
Coffee gear can sorta merge nowadays, people get pretty high-tech at home. Coffee grinders can go for thousands of dollars. Espresso machines are great to sell, even broken as they have a lot of valuable parts.
Be cautious with these if you ever find them at a thrift store or anywhere in the wild… they are often broken 🙁
Learning what brands make expensive things will really get you a great head start. If you notice, the picture above is of a popular Breville espresso machine (great unit btw).
Now the one you will see in a sec that is below is by the same company, just a different gadget. You see how just a simple a panini press from this company can be worth so much?
Yet things like this always get overlooked because they are dirty & covered in grease when donated. Look at everything!
When I say look at everything, I mean it.
This category is so vital to master, so much of it is worth money! Gadgets are great, but simple pots, bake-wear, & knives can bring hundreds of dollars.
Call me a loser, but I really love talking about this stuff simply because professional cooking was a large part of my life… read that post here
12. Cell Phones
I HATE selling cell phones & pretty much won’t touch them at this point.
My problem with them is the risk to reward. The margins are typically pretty low on these things as USUALLY, people don’t just give them away.
What I mean is this.. you buy an iPhone from some kid for $300 & plan to sell it for $400 on eBay. After fees & crap, you’re looking at maybe a $50 profit… all of that money spent on one product to make $50? Not worth it.
The part that makes it really not worth it is this… people often steal these or don’t pay contracts off. There are ways to check if an IMEI is clear, but just know that no carrier will help you with this info if you plan on buying a phone from someone to re-sell.
What I mean is this.. you can’t call Verizon and say “Hey I’m buying this phone, the IMEI is this _____ & I’d like you to run it to see if it has any issues with it before I try to sell it”
They will tell you for confidentiality reasons you cannot ask anything about something that is tied to anyone else’s account.
What you can do is meet the person at the carrier’s store and ask them to go inside with you to get it all checked out. Again, to me & the way I structure my life, this is a HUGE waste of time.
Now, some people have mastered this, but they are unique & usually repair phone’s or take them apart and piece them out. Kudos to them & keep the hustle going, but I don’t suggest this to anyone starting out unless you get killer deals or part things out.
13. Photo & video gear
This is near and dear to me as photography was one of my first passions in life & why I try to talk about it so much on this blog.
Camera gear ain’t cheap folks.
Now, most people aren’t using $9,000 camera bodies $10,000 lenses, but some are... You have to remember this, cameras and everything in this category are purchased daily for professional use.
These things aren’t “cute” nor are they toys. They are serious pieces of equipment designed to produce beauty under the most dire situations. (fuck I love cameras)
Chances are, you will never run across a good deal on a really high-end camera, you would have to be incredibly fortunate. What you can stumble upon quite easily is vintage cameras, those can be found insanely cheap as most people think they are junk.
Thing is, most are utter junk as far as re-sell value. No one really uses these weird Russian bodies from the ’50s anymore, just no real use for them. Yes, there are tons of film shooters that love rangefinders (I’m one of them), but for the most part, these cameras are not super desirable.
UNTIL THEY ARE!
Some of these old clunkers can really bring some serious cash, but they look just like the cheap junky ones! That is the crazy thing, the difference cosmetically between a $3000 Leica & a $40 Russian vintage POS isn’t that drastic, but the price point is. Learn what makes these things so sought after!
14. Skateboards
I love rap & vintage skateboard stickers, though I don’t skate anymore, it was a favorite hobby of mine back in the day.
When I found this ad on a local buy sell trade group I almost had a heart attack.. this guy had this insane collection just stored away in his spare room. After a bit of talking, I bought 24 of these decks for $1000…
Within one day, I had sold just FOUR of the decks for $500 on eBay…
Like what the hell, right?
Needless to say, we made a great profit on that lot, I can’t remember exactly what we sold them for, but it was close to $3,000. How on earth did these make us so much money? They were rare and sought after since they were out of stock & the seller didn’t know that.
Skateboarding may seem stupid to some people, but it is so loved by many that there are SERIOUS collectors in this category. Some vintage skate stuff from the Dogtown days will make your head spin.
15. Vintage Electronics
This is one I learned deeply about while living in Utah. Lots of older folks who are into this stuff there. I wouldn’t say that I found it often, but often enough to where it was interesting to me.
In my time, I found three really high-end pieces of audio gear, though I don’t have the original listings, the knowledge is what I can pass on.
It hurts me to say, but in this category typically the heavier, the more expensive. Some of this stuff goes for such insane money that it is really worth going out of your way to learn it.
Most reel to reel players are NOT worth your time.
Let me save you a headache, pretty much the only thing you want to look for in the vintage audio world is high-end stuff. Do not buy cheap stuff, the only people that use this stuff don’t want it. Also, collectors are usually older so they have extra cash to buy a bit nicer units.
Fun fact, if you find one that is in like a travel case or a hard shell, it pretty much is totally a waste of your time. Only cheaper units were usually built for travel. Collectors want heavy, great sounding players, not some plastic piece of junk.
Again, these can bring serious money and have a very active market. Broken units sell just fine if they are high end. Cheaper units here still sell. People typically aren’t AS picky with these as they are with reel to reel players.
Remember, a lot more people will listen to the radio on one of these, as opposed to that 1/10000 person who actually will use a reel to reel player, like EVER.
I bet most of you reading this have never even heard of a reel to reel player.
Point is, these are in the same category, but one has a much larger market share.
If you plan on buying & selling this kinda stuff, go buy some contact cleaner ASAP!
The amount of simple issues that this spray has fixed is insane!
16. Clothing
This is our main bread and butter, I should dive deep into this one, but I won’t. Follow us on InstagramAND our Youtube channel to get daily updates about clothing finds!
What I will cover is some crazy stuff you should know about.
Old rap, band, & horror movie t-shirts sell for a lot of money. There are tons of t-shirts out there that are worth hundreds of dollars just because they have certain artists face on them (and they are old)
Let me be clear, to think that you will find these items is comedic. They are so expensive because they are hard to find. Do not plan on making a living finding $500 vintage t shirts. Yes, some people do it and make a ton of money, but it is not normal.
To put it this way.. for the past three years I have dedicated my life to thrifting and re-selling used items online with a focus on clothes. I love clothes & love vintage stuff. I also know exactly what it looks, feels, & smells like.I know what is cool & why a Tupac bootleg is worth $300.
In my three years of tearing thrift stores apart, going to the Goodwill bins, going to garage sales how many rare t-shirts have I found?Four
I make a full time living from selling stuff online, but we base our business around normal people. Normal people don’t wear $500 t-shirts, they wear khaki shorts and button-down shirts. Wanna know what most used clothes sell for online? $15-$25. That is the sweet spot.
Why is it the sweet spot? Because those items are what you find at thrift stores DAILY. I don’t care about 1 crazy find a month that you get, I need you to find 100 basic items a week. That is how you build a business. Have a large inventory & see a slow trickle of money come in while you sleep!
That is why volume matters. Again, some people make a ton of money selling only 2 pieces of rare clothing a week, but to make it with clothes expect to sell at-least 50-100 items a week to see results.
We have a clothing masterclass in the works, learn more about it and pre-register today to save a bunch of money & get closer access to us!
This is one that is for only the toughest of us all. I’m going to pass totally on this one unless it is something boxing related (my thing).
I hate dealing with heavy or bulky objects, but hey, maybe you don’t give a fuck about your back! This is a great space to be in right now with all of this covid nonsense going on. People are working out from home more than ever and stores are showing record sales in this category.
So Rogue is a “cool” brand.They have a great marketing team and have really garnered a high price point for gym equipment. Even a basic pull up bar is expensive from them.
Just know that a pile of weights sitting in front of you can be worth thousands of dollars just because they are coated in colorful rubber and say Rogue on them…
Not shit talking, but it is crazy what marketing does. I honestly don’t know much about the company, i’m sure the products are solid, but at a certain point, 100 pounds is 100 pounds, not sure why I would pay a premium for weight plates, but someone will!
Work out machines like this pop up for free all of the time on Facebook & Craigslist, maybe not high-end ones like this, but at-least this gives you an idea of how expensive some treadmill can get.
18. Car Parts
You ever see the movie Fast & The Furious? (rip Paul Walker, you beautiful blue-eyed man!)
I crafted my younger high school years to be like that. My group of friends were all car guys & we chilled with the older dudes at their meetups. By the time I was 17 I had done 130 on a motorcycle & done crazier things in cars.
If you have ever been a part of the car culture, you know what “meet-ups” mean.
If you haven’t, they mean… 1. Talking shit & looking at cars for hours – general fun 2. Cruising around, showing off, going downtown 3. Street racing either for money or fun
What I learned from all of this is that people blow so much money on such trivial car parts that it will blow your mind.
Ever heard of JDM or EDM?They are the Japanese & European Domestic Markets. You know how here we can buy a Honda Civic & it looks a certain way? Well that is not the case in other places across the world.
I spent years as a young man hanging out on car forums and learning so much random crap.
People drool over certain headlights for their Volkswagen Jettas, The 4 Runner has a rare cousin that had a clear gas cap, & Honda Civics are upgraded more than you will ever believe.
Why do they do this? Just like anything, its expression. Car guys aren’t dummies. They can tell you exactly why they did something. They are passionate people and their vehicles are their canvas.
There are two types of people that upgrade Honda Civics 1. Idiots who make them into annoying go-carts (the ricers that everyone hates) 2. Guys who are uber passionate about finding only JDM spec parts, they strip the entire car down to the core and repaint it. That is love.
You want to cater to the latter, forget about the idiots making cheap modifications, go after the ballers who want $4000 wheels!
Or fuck it, just sell Ferrari wheels. YOLO.
19. Hunting Gear
We sold that bib last year, great sale because it was made of wool. Typically they are some sort of nylon, plus being in great shape they brought a premium.
Remember people buy hunting clothes to hunt in. You want to make sure everything is in great shape, skip anything that shows too much wear.
Lots of high-end clothing brands that make pants, shirts, & jackets that sell for hundreds.
So I don’t know anything about ducks, but have heard they do have value, even I was shocked when I saw this though.
I understand collectability but damn a wooden duck for $2k... I’m doing the wrong hustle if that is what these people are spending their money on. Crazy world we live in. Remember, never think with your own bank account!
Alright so I have pulled some pretty examples from eBay so far, but I mean night vision goggles guys.. that has to be the coolest.Like you’re telling me you would rather work at a shitty retail job for $10 an hour rather than sell night vision goggles?
People buy crazy stuff like this all the time for “hunting”. Typically its preppers just getting ready for war.
20. Hiking / Outdoors
Hunting & hiking are very similar categories, honestly, A LOT of these products will intersect with each other.
This category is widespread & covers everything from head to toe outdoors specific clothing all the way to high end climbing carabiners that are vital in saving lives.
Again, I will repeat my self, do NOT think with your bank account.
You don’t spend $500 on a backpack, $600 on boots, $500 on a jacket, & another $2000 on gadgets to go hiking, but A LOT of people do.
You won’t be finding this stuff daily in thrift stores, but It can happen!
Backpacks are an easy win because they are almost always overlooked in thrift stores and priced really cheap.
Look for anything that looks tactical (military style) or bags that seem a bit heavier duty. I would avoid the older style frame packs, though people still use them, they suck to ship & don’t sell well.
BUT!
When you find backpacks & frames like this…
Certain military style back packs bring amazing money, most don’t though since they are mass produced.
We picked up that set for just $4 and sold it for $199 within a day! People love this type of stuff & military collectors are varied & worldwide!
Go to any thrift store and you will see a section with ski gear, golf clubs, baseball bats, etc.
In this little are you can stumble across some treasures if you get lucky. Un-assuming trekking poles, ski gear & golf clubs can go for great money!
21. Toys
I will hardly cover this topic as I have very very little knowledge, in fact, I have none. I don’t sell toys. But they are super cool & maybe you will enjoy selling them!
So much to know, but so many things of value. A huge market of collectors willing to pay crazy sums of money for new in box rare stuff!
Thats the key, new in box or as close to it as possible. Collectors don’t want a dirty GI Joe, they want the box to not even have a wrinkle on it.
Those sorts of details are why I don’t sell these things, again the rare stuff is hard to find.
We talked about Kaws earlier in the home decor section, but lets hit it again..
It is important to know about the streetwear culture and the sorts of people it attracts. The people that are interested in this stuff have a lot of money & want to spend it.
Though I love Kaws and think from an artistic standpoint the figures are beautiful, the price they command is just out of this world.
I’m telling you all of this so you open your eyes a bit to what is out there. Again, I want to beat it into peoples heads, DO NOT THINK WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
22. Raw Supplies & building materials
So this is a pretty wide-open topic & will do best locally.
People love to build & craft, supply the need for raw materials! Things like slabs of raw wood are incredibly desirable for furniture projects. Old brick is re-purposed into new home projects to give spaces more character. Old doors are used for art projects rather than to open & close
Even just basic 2×4’s & sheets of plywood are worth good money if you have enough of them. Honestly, not much more to say about this category, just look everything up!
Even simple stuff like sandpaper, paint & buffing pads to finish off concrete. They are all worth money!
23. Home Cooling/heating/filtration
This is a category I know pretty decently since I was flipping pallets of Amazon returns air purifiers a year ago.
People LOVE air purifiers, air conditioners & portable heating units.
Creature comforts are a great business to be in because people will pay a lot of money to be cold in the summer, hot in the winter, & to not breathe in dust.
Units can range from just a few bucks at Walmart to thousand dollar large space pieces of equipment. Even just the filters on some units can bring good money.
We sold about 20-25 purifiers from these pallets that we were getting & man did they go quick. Selling 2-3 per day was normal for a couple of weeks.
I had a source for Amazon return pallets, though I was super lucky and had a GREAT source, you most likely will not get that lucky. The liquidation game is incredibly difficult & I do not suggest it as a starting place for new sellers.
Buy window unit AC’s in the winter & heaters in the summer. Store them until seasons change.
24. Knives / Firearms
Guns and knives are a cool category because they appeal to A LOT of people. From crazy people with tanks to normal people like me who carry guns to protect our families, they can be sold to tons of different people.
Selling guns has obvious risks, but one safe way to do it locally is to sell to people with valid CCW permits only. This isn’t a guide on how to sell used guns locally though, let’s dive into what you can actually sell online…
Guns aren’t cheap & they have a HUGE aftermarket industry. If you aren’t familiar with gun parts, you should start to be as some are insanely expensive.
People spend so much money upgrading their AR-15’s, supply their demand!
Pocket knives to a-lot of people just mean a cheap $20 beater that you can throw away. To others that mean ultra-rare knives with incredibly smooth mechanisms & beautiful steels.
I love selling knives online. They are such a fast seller as both people that collect & actually use them purchase them. Shipping is a breeze since most smaller knives weigh under a pound and can ship first class!
Don’t pass up on old rusty knives either. They can be worth a ton of money if they are the right ones. From old Japanese carbon steel gyutos (chef knives) to beat up WW2 fighting knives, you never know what you can find!
Since I dove deep into professional cooking, my knives had to match. Though my set isn’t that expensive,I still spent over $500 for just three knives.
Japanese & German knives are highly sought after by both professional and home cooks.
Even beat up ones will bring great money. People take the handles off, polish the blades, and restore these things all the time. It actually was a hobby of mine to make custom wood handles for them.
This is one I made for a blade that I had purchased on eBay.The actual blade was a old vintage Japanese Deba knife (like a thick butcher knife intended for bones). I took some battery acid and etched the blade & created a custom handle from mangrove wood.
Why did I tell you all of that?
Because you may not know. You may not know that people love to fix up rusty old knives. You may not know that people even use $1000 kitchen knives. This stuff isn’t a mystery, you just don’t know about it yet!
25. Books
Okay, so this category is one of the easiest and most accessible for anyone, of any age to win at.
Do not sell used books on eBay, doesn’t work as well as Amazon (usually)
Plenty of million-dollar Amazon sellers got their start with books. If you want to start with Amazon FBA, books are the best way to go about that. They carry the least amount of risk, are easy to find, & easy to value.
There are so many apps dedicated to scanning books quickly to see what they are worth. Next time you go to your local thrift store, look for the person in the book section with their phone or a small Bluetooth scanner out.
This is the scanner I used when trying to sell used books on Amazon FBA. It is a great budget option to get get started!
0 Comments