Your Guide To Reselling Thrift Store Items: 21 Best Things to Flip In 2024

Want to know the 20+ best items to thrift and resell for the most profit?

I’m gonna cut right to the chase because when you first get into flipping thrift store finds, it's key to know the types of things that can be quickly and easily resold for a profit. If you go in blindly, it's really hard to find winning ideas for resell garage sale or thrift store items.

This is usually a side hustle, but some people flip thrift store purchases as their full-time business. You just need to know what to look for!

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The Very Best Reselling Thrift Store Items

I’m here to help you with your thrift store flipping business.

Once you know what to look for, you can keep your eyes open wherever you go, so next time you pass flea markets or garage sales (or even an online flea market), you can keep your eyes peeled and find yourself some gems.

Garrett Yamasaki, owner of We Love Doodles says that there are two categories of items that tend to resell very well. "Pet and children's products. These items are typically marked up and easy to resell."

Here are some of the most profitable vintage items to look for at your local thrift stores!

Designer Clothes

Designer clothing items are always in demand and are one of the best items to thrift and resell online. If you hunt through the racks at your local thrift shops, or even garage sales in fancy areas of town, you can find some great designer clothes to sell for a profit.

eBay is one of the best places for a thrift store flipper to resell designer clothes, as it gets you in front of millions of buyers around the world.

Once you have found some items to sell, check them thoroughly to make sure they're in good condition.

When you are listing an item of clothing for sale on an eBay store, be sure to provide as much detail as possible about your thrift store finds. This will help you attract the right buyers and get the highest possible resale price for your item of clothing.

Things to include in the listing:

• Brand name
• Size
• Length
• Material
• Color
• Whether it is casual or formal clothing

You will also need to take high-quality photos of each item of clothing.

Try to take photos in natural light – this will give buyers the most accurate picture of how the clothes look. Here’s a great step-by-step guide on how to take pictures of clothes for sale

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Here's a list of more than a thousand boutique name ideas to inspire you when naming your online fashion business for thrift flipping clothes.

Vintage Board Games

Vintage board games are in high demand on eBay!

Depending on the age of the game and the condition, they can fetch between $30-$300.

If you spot a vintage game for sale in a thrift store, the first thing you will want to do is check that it has all of its parts. A complete game will give you a much higher resale value.

If you find a game for sale that has missing parts, it can still be worth money, you just need to get it for the right price. Incomplete games can be broken up and sold for parts. This works especially well for popular vintage games like Monopoly.

Some vintage games to look out for include:

• Scrabble
• MahJong
• Backgammon
• Horror House
• Subbuteo Hockey
• Crossbows and Catapults
• Ghost Castle

If you see a game that looks vintage, don’t forget to check for similar listings on your eBay app to see what sort of price you could get for it.

Vintage Glassware

Vintage glassware is great for reselling on eBay and Etsy. Colored glass in particular is very popular and easy to resell.

Here are a few Reselling Thrift Store finds to look out for:

• Sets of 4 or 6 glasses
• Vintage glass jugs
• Colored glasses
• Vintage cocktail glasses
• Smoked glass
• Vintage crystal
• Vintage cut glass

The only trouble with reselling glassware is that it’s a little trickier when it comes to shipping.

You will need to make sure any glasses you sell are well wrapped and boxed so they don’t break. If they break in transit you will have to refund the customer and you will have wasted both time and money.

Vintage Pyrex

Vintage Pyrex is very popular with collectors and can be very profitable to resell if you can get it for the right price. Some of the rarer patterns can sell for hundreds of dollars each.

Since vintage Pyrex is collectible, it can be worth buying even if you only see one piece from a set. A collector who is looking to find the missing piece from their set will be willing to purchase items at a premium!

When you’re scouting for inventory in thrift stores, remember to check the bottom of each piece for the Pyrex stamp to see if it is real Pyrex or not.

There are lots of vintage Pyrex patterns to look out for. To find out more about buying and selling Pyrex, visit PyrexLove.

Furniture

Flipping furniture has the potential to turn you a huge profit.

You can often find secondhand furniture in thrift stores for just a few dollars apiece. All it takes is a lick of paint and maybe some new hardware, and you could make yourself some good money.

The main thing that puts people off flipping furniture is the shipping costs. But you can use this to your advantage by selling things other people don’t want to deal with.

People are willing to pay a high price for household items like furniture they like. For example, let’s say you bought an end table for $5. Fix any minor problems, and list it on eBay for $150, which would give you a markup of 2,900%, and a gross profit margin of just over 96%.

Now that’s a good profit margin.

Maternity Clothes

Maternity clothes are one of the best things to look for at thrift stores to resell for a profit. Mothers often give away their maternity clothes once they are no longer needed, not realizing they could be sold for a profit.

Maternity clothes are expensive to buy new, which is why the demand for them in places like eBay is so high.

You can find secondhand maternity clothes at your local goodwill store and other second-hand shops in your area. Take some nice photos of them, and list them on eBay for a nice profit.

Vintage Toys

Vintage and antique toys can be very valuable, and reach a high selling price on an online auction. One of the reasons they are so popular is the nostalgia attached. People love things that bring them back to their childhood!

When it comes to buying vintage toys to resell, obviously the better condition it is, the more you will be able to sell it for. That being said, don’t discount vintage and antiques that are in a worse condition, as they can still be sold to people who want to restore them to their former glory.

Popular vintage toys to look out for include:

• Train sets
• Cast iron cars
• Vintage Star Wars Toys
• Tinplate clockwork toys
• Vintage matchbox toy cars
• Antique or Vintage pedal cars

Vintage toys that still have their box can sell for an even higher value!

Check out our list of toy company name ideas for naming inspiration for your thrift flipping venture.

Home Decor

People are always looking for home decor items on sites like eBay. Since home decor items can sell for pennies in most thrift stores, this is a great opportunity to make a nice profit.

Some of the best home decor items to keep an eye out for include:

• Picture frames
• Framed artwork
• Wall hangings
• Lighting
• Candlesticks
• Ornaments
• Vases

Remember to check the condition of each item, as they will lose value if they are visibly damaged.

Silverware

If you’re lucky you can sometimes find vintage silverware in thrift stores for a low price. Silver tarnishes easily, so to the untrained eye a piece of silver might not look like it’s worth much, but once it’s been polished it will look as good as new.

It can be tricky to spot real silver just by looking at it, so you will need to check for hallmarks to see if it is real silver or not.

Silverware is valuable, and even a single silver spoon can fetch between $10-$20. Look out for sets in particular, as they can be worth much more, but any silver you find could be worth buying to flip on eBay.

Books

Books are one of the best things to look for at thrift stores to resell, for a few good reasons.

• They are easy to store
• Books are not breakable
• They are cheap and easy to ship

There’s a lot of demand for books too. Books can be resold on marketplaces like eBay and Amazon. In fact, reselling books from Goodwill was Spencer’s first business venture!

Not all books will be profitable though. There are a few types of books to look out for to make a decent profit.

The best kinds of books to look for are:

• First Edition Books
• Boxed Sets of Books
• Art Books
• Comic Books
• Antique and Collectable Books
• Photography Books
• Interior Design and Decorating Books
• Sheet Music Books
• Business books

If you find a book that you think might be profitable, open up your eBay account and search for the title of your book. Select ‘sold’ listings, and you will be able to see the sale price of other copies of the same book.

You can also scan the barcode of your book with the Amazon seller app. This will tell you how much the book is selling for on Amazon.

Consider using a tool like TexTrader to help you find used books online to resell.

Try TexTrader to Find Books

Textbooks

Following on from books, another great thing to look for in the thrift store flipping business is textbooks. Textbooks are expensive, so there’s a huge demand for secondhand versions.

The great thing about textbooks is that people often donate them without realizing the value (and you may also be interested in our list of other things you can donate to make money). This means there’s a huge opportunity to profit. Some sets of textbooks sell high for hundreds of dollars.

You can look out for:

• High school and college textbooks
• Science textbooks
• Medicine and nursing textbooks
• Encyclopedias

You can sell used textbooks at your local thrift stores, garage sales, or on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, as well as Bookscouter, which is specifically aimed at buying and selling textbooks.

Consider using a tool like TexTrader to help you find used books online to resell.

Try TexTrader to Find Books

Baby Gear

Baby gear is always in demand. It’s expensive to buy new, so there’s a big market and opportunity for thrift store flippers selling secondhand baby stuff.

Some of the best Reselling Thrift Store Items are:

• Baby carriers
• Door bouncers
• Bouncy chairs
• Playpens
• Stair gates
• Baby monitors

These items may only sell for between $30-$100, but the fact that they are always high in demand and easy to find in thrift stores could enable you to sell large volumes, making you a decent amount of money each month.

Vintage Cameras

Vintage cameras and lenses are always in demand. Photography is a popular hobby, and both amateurs and professionals alike love to experiment with vintage cameras. Lenses can sell on their own, even without the camera, so if you see one for a good price, snap it up!

Always remember to check the lenses for dust and scratches, as this will significantly lower the resale value.

You can also keep an eye out for camera gear, such as camera bags, straps, and cases. Camera gear is expensive to buy new and can fetch a good resale price on eBay.

Lego

Lego’s popularity has grown steadily over the last decade, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. If you can find lego for sale at a thrift store for a good price, it’s usually worth buying to resell.

You can buy mixed boxes of loose legos, as well as boxed sets. Boxed sets that are no longer for sale in retail stores can become collectible and will fetch a higher price on sites like eBay.

China and Dinnerware

Collectible china and dinnerware can fetch a high price on online auctions from people looking to complete their collection.

You might find that there is a lot of dinnerware for sale in your local thrift store, so finding the pieces that are going to make you money is the trick.

Some of the best brands to look for at thrift stores include:

• Disney
• Royal Copenhagen
• Royal Doulton
• Limoges
• Coca-Cola
• Pfaltzgraff (Especially the Winterberry pattern)

You will need to examine the bottom of each plate or dish to check the marking. This will tell you who the piece is made by and which set it is from.

Shoes

Good quality shoes can be very expensive to buy new. You can profit from this by buying lightly used shoes from good brands in thrift stores, and reselling them on eBay.

Here are some tips for reselling shoes:

• Look for good quality shoes from designer brands
• Check what material they are – look out for leather or suede shoes in particular
• Look out for shoes that have a specific purpose, such as orthopedic shoes, or hiking boots

Some popular shoe brands to look out for at thrift stores are:

• Allen Edmonds
• Johnston & Murphy
• ASOLO
• Nike
• UGG
• Birkenstock
• Merrell
• Steve Madden

The great thing about reselling shoes is that they're easy to pack and ship. It’s also easy to take good photos of them for your listings, as you don’t need a model or mannequin to make them look good.

Learn How to Find and Resell Shoes with This Complete Guide

Collectible Mugs

You might be surprised to know that there’s quite a market for collectible mugs! Collectible mugs from well-known brands like Starbucks and Disney can fetch a high resale price on auction sites like an eBay store.

Since mugs are fairly small, they are very easy to pack and ship. If you can find a good collectible mug for the right price, you could make a very healthy profit.

Discontinued Toys

Discontinued toys are a great money maker.

Once a toy is no longer available in retail stores, if people want to get their hands on it, they have no choice but to shop on online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon.

Aside from parents who are looking to replace their child’s favorite toy, discontinued toys are also sought out by collectors.

It’s hard to know exactly which toys are discontinued at first glance. This is why it’s so useful to have your eBay app open while you are scouting for inventory! You can simply search for the item in question and see what it has been selling for.

Bags and Purses

Certain bags and purses are very expensive to buy new, so if you see a bag from a well-known brand in a thrift store, it’s probably worth snapping up.

Bags from outdoor brands can fetch a good resale price on eBay.

Some bag brands to keep an eye out for are:

• Oakley
• Patagonia
• Osprey
• The North Face

Leather bags and vintage bags usually have a good resale value too, so it’s worth looking out for those too.

Video Games

Video games are a great thing to look out for at thrift stores (and for a bonus option, find out whether or not CDKeys is legit). They are easy to store and easy to ship since they are lightweight and can usually just be sealed in an envelope.

When it comes to reselling video games, you have two options:

• Look for current games that people are playing now
• Go for retro and vintage games from the classic consoles such as Nintendo or Atari

Any games that are recently outdated, but not yet considered vintage will not be worth much, so are probably not worth your while to pack and ship.

Sports Equipment & Clothing

Sporting goods are always in demand. In the past year or two, the demand for home workout equipment has soared, making reselling sports equipment a great business to get into.

There are hundreds of different sporting goods to consider, so if you are reselling sports equipment, you might want to pick a niche to get into. With each type of sport comes endless accessories and clothing, so focussing on one sport will give you a targeted customer base that you can resell to in the future.

Some different sports you could choose are:

• Golf
• Tennis
• Cycling
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Exercise and Fitness

Of course, you can choose more than one (or even all) of these sports. Sports equipment is usually easy to identify in thrift stores and clearly branded, which really helps when it comes to researching the resale price on your app. Check out our list of Sports brand names for your new enterprise here..

Smartphones and Cell Phone Accessories

Smartphones and cell phone accessories are highly sought after in the resale market, presenting a great opportunity for profit for thrift store flippers. When looking for smartphones, it’s important to make sure they work properly and aren’t tied to a specific carrier unless you’re aiming for customers who want that carrier.

Here's what to look for:

• Smartphones: Search for well-known brands such as Apple, Samsung, and Google. Older models in decent condition can still sell for a good price. Pay attention to screen damage and battery life, as buyers consider these aspects important.
• Cell Phone Accessories: This category includes items like cases, chargers, earphones, and screen protectors. Accessories from well-known brands, especially for the newest smartphone models, usually sell well. Buyers particularly like packages that are still sealed.

To reach a wide audience, sell these items on eBay and Amazon. Craft detailed listings that include high-quality photos and clear descriptions of the item’s condition. Highlight any unique features or extras, like original packaging or bonus items, to make your listing stand out.

Smart Watches

Smart watches are becoming more popular and can be profitable when resold. These gadgets act as an extension of a smartphone and track health and fitness, appealing to tech-savvy people. 

Here’s what you need to focus on when flipping smart watches:

• Popular Brands and Models: The Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit are bestsellers. Whenever a new model comes out, the demand for older versions goes up because people looking for bargains start searching for them.
• Condition and Functionality: Make sure the smart watch works properly and comes with important accessories, such as the charger and wireless connectivity parts. The battery's condition is key; a watch with bad battery life can lose a lot of its value.
• Original Packaging: Keeping the original box and documents can boost the smart watch's value, appealing to buyers looking for a gift.

eBay and Amazon are great for selling smart watches because they have a lot of electronics fans. When you list a smart watch, make sure to include details about the version, features like GPS and heart rate monitor, and any signs of wear. It's also important to have clear photos from different angles to show what the watch looks like.

Health and Beauty – Skin Care Products

The skin care product market is growing, thanks to more people paying attention to wellness and self-care. Selling second-hand skin care products can be profitable, especially with high-end or very popular brands. 

Here's how to make the most out of reselling these items:

• Brand Recognition: Look for well-known, reputable brands like La Mer, The Ordinary, Clinique, and Kiehl’s. People often seek out products from these brands because they are high-quality and work well.
• Condition and Expiry: Make sure products are sealed and unused. Always look at the expiry date. Skin care products close to or beyond their expiration date might not work well and could be unsafe to use.
• Niche Products: Organic, natural, and cruelty-free skin care products are gaining popularity. Products designed for specific skin issues, like acne treatments or anti-aging serums, often come with a higher price tag.

Sell these items on platforms like eBay, Amazon, or Etsy, especially if they're homemade or natural, to reach customers searching for unique skin care solutions they can't find locally. Make sure to list detailed descriptions, including all ingredients, so buyers know exactly what they're getting. It's also important to use clear, well-lit photos of the product and its packaging to show the product's authenticity and condition.

Records and Record Players

Vinyl records and record players are popular in the resale market, attracting audiophiles and collectors alike. The vinyl niche is booming, with both older and younger generations showing renewed interest in vinyl records. 

Here’s how you can successfully flip records and record players:

• Vintage and Limited Edition Records: Look for rare editions, first pressings, and albums from well-known artists. These items are in high demand and can be worth a lot, especially if they're in great condition.
• Condition is Key: The worth of vinyl records is largely determined by their condition. It's important to choose records without scratches or warping. The condition of the sleeve matters too; albums with undamaged covers and little wear are more valuable.
• Record Players: Vintage turntables are in high demand, with brands such as Technics, Pioneer, and Thorens standing out for their quality and durability. Make sure the record player works well by checking the needle, the motor's speed, and its overall functionality.

Use selling platforms such as eBay, Etsy, or niche sites like Discogs for music collectors. When listing, give clear details about the item’s condition, brand, model, and any accessories like needles or cables. Include high-quality photos showing different angles and close-ups of wear or special features.

Camera Drones

Camera drones are a hot item in the resale market, giving thrift store flippers a pretty healthy profit - so long as you can get your hands on one - especially one in good condition! 

Here's what to look for:

• Camera Drones: Keep an eye out for popular brands like DJI, Autel, Skydio, and Parrot. Newer models with advanced features like obstacle avoidance and 4K video recording will be the most desirable. Check that the drone powers on, the camera functions properly, and there's no major physical damage.
• Accessories: Drone accessories like extra batteries, remote controllers, carrying cases, and propeller guards can add value to your listing. Complete kits with all original components tend to sell better.

But remember when listing drones for sale to use a reputable platform like eBay or the relevant sub-categories on marketplaces like Amazon and Facebook Marketplace. 

Provide detailed descriptions of the drone's specifics - model, age, features, flight time, etc. And be sure to disclose any defects or missing parts upfront.

You’ll want to, of course, use high-quality photos and videos to showcase the drone's condition and capabilities to help attract buyers. 

And with some smart sourcing and thorough listings, reselling camera drones from thrift stores can be a profitable venture for flippers.

Best Sites To Find These Great Reselling Thrift Store Items

There are lots of places you can resell items you have found in thrift stores, but your best bet is an online marketplace.

The best online marketplaces for reselling second-hand items are:

• eBay 
• Amazon
• Etsy
• Facebook Marketplace

eBay is your best bet for reselling clothing, shoes, and second-hand toys. When it comes to reselling books and buying items that are still new in their box, then Amazon is your best friend.

Etsy is great for reselling vintage items such as vintage glassware, furniture, and home decor.

Tips for Reselling Thrift Store Items

You will want to maximize your profits from any items you find at thrift stores.

Here are some of the top tips for reselling:

1. Consider your profit margin. Take into account the time it takes you to look for each item, as well as the postage and packaging costs.
2. Thoroughly check the condition before you buy an item. Clothing in poor condition won’t sell easily.
3. Look out for well-known brands – people search for their favorite brands on eBay, and are far more likely to purchase an item from a brand they already know and love.
4. Take great pictures. Use a white background, and take as many pictures as you need to to give a buyer a complete picture of the item.
5. Optimize your listing with the right keywords.

As you start to become more and more confident reselling your items, you can start to buy your packaging in bulk, and set up accounts with couriers to make shipping easy.

What to do if you can't sell a product

Sometimes, if a product isn't selling, you're better off getting rid of it at a loss than holding on to it. Business owner, Garrett does this: "We tend to dispose of unprofitable items and take it as a loss. You can also liquidate items for a fraction of the cost, but that usually takes longer and is a hassle to deal with. It depends on the item cost, though." Holding onto products that don't sell quickly can cost you more, especially with marketplaces that hold your inventory, like Amazon.

FAQ: Best Items To Thrift And Resell

You may still have some pressing questions on the topic. So I’ll try my best to answer the most popular and common question here! 

What are the most profitable things to resell?

Some of the most profitable items to resell that you can find at thrift stores include: vintage clothing and accessories, particularly from high-end brands; collectibles like records, comics, and toys; antique furniture and home decor; and gently used electronics and tools. However, profitability can vary greatly depending on your ability to source desirable items at low prices and market them effectively.

What do thrift stores sell the most?

Thrift stores tend to sell the most in categories like clothing, books, home goods (dishes, decor, linens), and basic electronics. Basically the items that people tend to get rid of to free up space or simply don’t use anymore. And while you can sometimes find valuable items, thrift stores move a lot of lower-priced, mass-market goods that appeal to bargain shoppers. But just remember that the best flips often come from uncommon, niche items.

Reselling Thrift Store Items in Closing

If you’re wondering what things to look for at thrift stores to resell, you can’t go wrong with these items.

Thrift store flipping can be a great side hustle, and it’s something that you could even turn into a full-time business if you wanted to, too.

It’s a great way to earn extra money in your free time, and it’s completely flexible, so it’s an ideal side hustle for moms or anyone with a busy lifestyle who needs some extra cash.

If you’re dreaming of leaving your 9-5, then you might also be interested in making money online. If that’s the case, check out these ways to make money online without paying anything, for some ideas and inspiration.

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