Thrifting for Profit is Possible

In the Beginning

I first got the idea about flipping used items for profit back in the early 2000s. I was living in Phoenix, AZ and eBay was pretty much the only game in town when it came to buying and selling used stuff online. I’ve always loved yard sales and one day, I happened upon a very unusual looking clock at one of these sales. Something told me that this item was worth something…something more than they were selling it for. I bought it for $8, I think. I took it home and did a little research. (This was before the days of smartphones, mobile browsers, and 4G). I learned that this was in fact an antique clock. I sold it on eBay for $75 in about a day. I attempted to repeat this process in a bit of a half-assed way and eventually gave up on the idea of thrifting for profit. Life got busy and I wasn’t making THAT much money. 

New Inspiration

Fast forward to 2019 when I decided to leave my corporate job and work for/with my husband. I now had more freedom and flexibility to pursue other interests. (This blog is one of those interests!) I had started thrift shopping more frequently because I could now hit the morning sidewalk sales that I couldn’t when I had my 9-5 JOB. One day I overheard one of the ladies working at the thrift shop mention that a lot of their customers come to their $2 sales to resell clothes. I had been shopping for myself and my daughter. But I once again was intrigued by the idea of thrifting for profit. So, I started listing items I found on Poshmark. I had been buying on Poshmark since 2014 and loved the concept! Why pay full price for something when you can get it slightly used for much, much less?

Figuring Things Out

When first starting out, I didn’t fully know what I was doing. I would source brands I recognized and that seemed decent quality. I also sold stuff from my own personal closet that I didn’t use anymore. I started to make a little money….but not much. But it was fun so I just would tell people that I had a “hobby that makes me money.” But, there was work involved. I mean I don’t LOVE ironing and steaming the clothes to get them ready for sale. Figuring out how to take the best pictures was also a challenge. I’ve never been good at photography. But, I knew that there were people who were flipping and thrifting for profit full time so I knew there was a lot that I well…didn’t know. 

So, I joined several Facebook groups just for resellers. I started to learn some important tips and tricks. Like how relisting a stale item can help get new eyes on it. Or, the importance of cross-listing. (Cross Listing is when you offer your items on more than one platform.) For example, I cross-list to both Poshmark and Mercari. I also have a few items on Kidizen and Depop but Poshmark and Mercari are where 98% of my sales come from. I also started getting active with other sellers on Instagram and I realized that there were a lot of folks new to reselling, looking for a way to make it a real business. COVID has impacted a lot of people’s income, my family included. 

5 Tips to Flip Your Thrift for Profit

The more I learn, the more success I have in reselling. So, I thought I would share a few tips for those who are new and looking to become successful quickly. So, I created The 5 Tips to Flip Your Thrift for Profit Guide. Thrifting for profit can be done, whether you are only a part-timer like me or looking to make it your full-time business.

If you are 100% new to thrift store shopping, I recommend you check out my 5 Tips for New Thrifters Blog Post.

If you’re ready to start thrifting for profit, CLICK HERE to get the FREE guide and I’ll continue sending more tips and useful info your way.