Flipping can be one of the highest paying side hustles out there with some flippers making over 6-figures from their efforts each year.
It can be a fun side hustle that can be done any time of year and it's a great way to increase your income and stay on top of your budget.
In this post, I'll explore the best items to flip for a profit, some tips to make more money flipping, and much more. Let's get started!
What is Flipping?
Flipping is the process of buying an item for a low price and then selling it for a higher price.
This can be done with just about anything, but some of the most popular items to flip include furniture, clothes, and electronics.
Some flippers will take it one step further by fixing or restoring the item before selling it to make even more.
Flipping is a great way to make some extra money on the side and can even be turned into a full-time business if you're able to scale it.
Related Reading: 35 Simple Ways to Flip Money Fast
Best Items to Flip for Profit
Below are some of the best thing to flip for a profit. From outdoor furniture to used power tools, there are plenty of items to flip to make some extra money each month.
1. Furniture
Furniture is one of the best items to flip for profit. You can find old furniture at garage sales and yard sales for a low price.
Wood furniture and vintage furniture manages to keep its value pretty well and depending on the particular item you pick up, you can sell it for a large profit.
The only difficult part of flipping furniture is that it can be hard to transport, especially heavy, old, wooden furniture – but this provides you an additional opportunity to make money. By offering to transport furniture you can make extra cash for your time.
Quality wood furniture can sell for a much higher price than their cheaper counterparts – so be on the lookout. When you find wood furniture – try to gauge how easily it will be to sell.
Another option is outdoor furniture.
Once you find a good piece to flip, you have a couple of options. You can restore it before selling your piece or try to find a buyer immediately.
Furniture can be bought and sold through a variety of avenues. You could try estate sales, Facebook Marketplace, a yard sale, or a local flea market. Browsing through all of these options can make all the difference in finding items to flip.
For example, I found this free coffee table and microwave on Facebook Marketplace that can easily be sold for $50.
2. Vintage Electronics
Like furniture, electronics and gadgets maintain their value for a while.
Vintage electronics like VCR players and old cathode ray TVs are considered collector items. Some will pay a lot more money than you would expect for an old monitor display.
You can find old electronics at thrift stores or a garage sale and flip for profit.
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3. Vintage Clothing
Clothing is another thing it is very popular to flip for profit. Vintage clothing from a previous decade or so can go for a lot of money, especially if the outfit is coming back in style. You can find vintage clothing at thrift stores collecting dust. So you might as well sell those vintage items for top dollar!
4. Vintage Video Games
Video games are a special kind of vintage electronic that can sell for a lot of money if you pick the right games.
Titles that are no longer in print or older first edition versions of games can go for a lot of money online. Video games are a massive market today and players are always looking for ways to re-experience their childhood with vintage games.
5. Old Books
Similarly, many people look for old books to rekindle their childhood or find titles that are historically relevant. You can find old books at pawn shops and thrift stores. There may also be a local used bookstore around you where you can source titles.
Some old books and first edition prints will fetch an incredible price online with collectors. For example, a first edition Fellowship of the Ring hardcover copy can go for up to $7,000.
6. Old Board Games
Board games have been an entertainment mainstay for a long time but it can be hard to find classic titles that might be out of production. Old board games are a popular category online because they appeal to nostalgia. Vintage games or rare versions of vintage board games are a great idea to flip for profit.
7. Appliances
Kitchen appliances and other household appliances are always a good item to flip for profit.
The good thing about kitchen appliances is that you can pick them up for really cheap and it does not take much to refurbish and sell them as if they were new.
You can look at items in thrift stores or see if you have any friends who are moving and want to get rid of old appliances quickly. Some collectors intentionally look for old kitchen appliances like coffee grinders or old teapots.
8. Shoes
Shoes, like other pieces of clothing, go in and out of season and they have vintage models. You can find old shoes at local stores and flea markets. If you find a rare pair, you can clean them up and sell them for a premium. Even shoes from a year or two ago can sell for a lot if they are part of a special, limited-edition line.
Shoes don't have to be cheap to flip them. You can buy some shoes at a higher price and sell them for a huge profit to earn some extra cash. However, these shoes are often difficult to obtain but they easily sell.
9. Baseball Cards
For many, baseball cards were THE original collectible. Tons of people have made entire businesses selling baseball cards making them one of the best items to flip today.
Most cards are not very valuable but there are some that can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Baseball cards that are out of production or that feature famous players are especially in high demand.
Related Reading: Best Places to Sell Sports Cards
10. Vintage Cars
Vintage cars are another popular collector’s item to buy and flip for profit.
You can often buy vintage cars for very cheap then fix them up and sell them to a collector for a lot of money. It's important to note that you'll need some money to flip this item as vintage cars will sell for thousands even if they are worn down.
Fair warning though, flipping cars is hard work and you need to know your stuff. You need to know which models are in demand and how to fix a broken-down old car. Restoring vintage cars is fun work, but hard.
11. Houses
Like cars, buying and selling houses can be an extremely lucrative venture.
Homes can be bought for cheap (but can still be expensive), renovated, then sold for a massive markup.
Many people have a full fledged business buying homers to flip for profit. You can often go to public auctions where they may auction off foreclosed properties for sale or find old homes for sale through your network of contacts. Buy a house, fix it up, and sell it for profit to make a lot of money!
Check out the video below for more help on flipping houses!
12. Jewelry
Finely crafted vintage jewelry or costume jewelry from major designers are highly sought after in today's secondary markets. The value of vintage and modern jewelry depends heavily on the style, quality, and demand for the pieces.
Jewelry can be sold on its own or it can be sold in groups and packages with other pieces to make a collection. Pieces of a set might not be worth much alone but together they can be worth a ton.
13. Tech Gadgets
Tech gadgets and electronics do a good job of retaining their value because they retain their use even after a new model comes out. Tech gadgets like clocks, computers, old phones, trinkets, and other electronic items can fetch a fair selling price at flea markets and online platforms. Many older tech gadgets may also keep their value so you can sell them to collectors. Make sure you know how much your items are worth as some electronics and gadgets do not retain their values very well.
14. Household Equipment
Household equipment, like lamps, tables, or other pieces of equipment can go for a good price and be great things to flip.
Things like vacuum cleaners, grills, fans, and any other tool commonly used in a home are in demand practically all the time. You can almost always find someone who needs to buy some kind of tool for their home.
15. Scrap Metal
Scrap metal is another great thing to sell as the prices are fairly decent and you can often get your materials for free.
A side hustle selling scrap metal could make you $50 a day or even more.
You need to get a lot of metal to make any serious money but you can find free inventory at recycling centers or through sources like Craigslist. Just make sure that you don’t do anything illegal like stripping metals from construction sites or the like.
16. Domain Names
It might sound weird, but you can make a side hustle selling domain names.
Every business needs a domain name for its website. If the domain they want is already taken, then they can offer to buy it from the person who currently owns that domain name. So, you can buy up a bunch of domain names and sell them to companies and individuals who need a domain name that matches their brand.
You can buy domain names for as little as $10 a month but potentially sell them for more than $1,000 to the right customer.
I recommend purchasing your domain names with Namecheap. They are the most affordable domain registrar on the market.
17. Musical Instruments and Equipment
Musical instruments and equipment that are still in good working conditions can often sell for a lot in secondary markets making them one of the best items to flip.
Many kids and adults buy instruments but eventually grow out of their hobby. You can pick up used musical instruments for a low price and resell them for profit. Entire businesses are made out of flipping guitars and other instruments.
18. Cameras
Among other kinds of tech gadgets, cameras tend to hold their value extremely well.
Even older cameras are in high demand from some photographers because of the kind of visual effects they can achieve. Lenses for cameras can cost a ton of money, so if you find a used lens in good condition, then you could make a lot of money. Photography is an expensive hobby and people who do photography are willing to spend a lot on it.
19. Bicycles
If you have a thing for bikes, then you could flip those to make some money. Depending on where you live, bikes might be an extremely popular consumer item.
A good bike retains its value and you can pick up a bike for cheap, fix it up, then sell it for a markup. Be sure to troll around garage sales or yard sales to find old bikes. Once you tune them up and give them some fresh brake pads, handles, tires, and a new chain, you can sell them for a pretty penny.
20. Lego Sets
If you are like me, you probably wouldn’t think that Lego sets could be so expensive. But you would be wrong.
Lego has been around for a long time and some vintage and limited edition Lego sets can sell for literally thousands of dollars. Also, Lego sets can be pretty easy to pick up as many families have a ton to get rid of when their children grow up.
If you find a complete set, make sure that all the pieces and the instruction booklet are intact so you can get the maximum resale value.
21. Video Game Consoles
Video games in general are a massive market. While you can make a ton of money selling vintage video game stuff, you can also make money selling modern games and consoles.
For example, this past year with the PS5, tons of people made money buying and selling them for a markup.
Things like new video game consoles generally have a limited inventory at first, so you can buy consoles and sell them later for a significant profit when supply is low. You can do the same with modern video games as well, though this is more difficult as most modern games also have a digital version too.
Buying and selling old video games can be some of the best things to flip in your spare time.
22. Car Parts
If there is a nearby junkyard, then you can turn all that trash into money. Specifically, try to go hunting for car parts in junkyards.
You can often find tons of junk that is still perfectly usable or maybe just needs a small repair. Like other flipping organizations, you need to know which items are in demand and which ones are not.
If you are lucky, you might find some vintage parts that are not in production anymore, which could net you a very tidy sum when sold.
Car parts can be some of the best items to flip because of how many possibilities there are.
23. Computer Parts
Similar to video game consoles, computer parts are an excellent thing to buy and flip for profit.
Computer parts like processors, graphics cards, RAM, and motherboards, are always in high demand but production can falter. So if you can pick up a few high end processors and wait for production to drop, you can sell your copies for a lot of money.
Building computers is an expensive hobby and people will pay a lot of money if you have the parts that they want.
If you have technical skills, you can fix broken computer parts to make some extra money.
24. Fitness Equipment
Fitness equipment is a great thing to flip because they often get left behind whenever moving.
Items like treadmills, bikes, and weights can be good options to make some extra cash.
25. Vintage Dishware
Remember that cabinet your grandma had of those fancy plates and cups you never used? You would be surprised, but some people will pay a lot for vintage dishwares like plates, cups, saucers, and silverware. You can find vintage dishware at garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, thrift shops, and more.
26. Artwork
Despite what you might think, art flipping is not only something that millionaire gallery-owners do. Pretty much any business that sells art does some kind of art flipping.
Flipping art can be tricky as you need to have an eye for finding good art and picking which pieces you would be able to resell. It may help if you have some previous experience working in the art world and know a bit or two about how to sell artwork.
27. Housing Decor
Housing decor and decorations are other things you can sell for good money. People like decorations in their homes, whether it is something on the wall or bric-a-bracs on your shelves.
You can find all kinds of fun decorations at local thrift shops or flea markets and sell them for a profit. You may have to give some decorations a fresh coat of paint or get rid of any blemishes or imperfections but you can generally find someone willing to buy custom home decorations.
28. Records and Record Players
Records and record players are a great item to sell for a profit as you can very often pick up old records for super cheap.
You can find records at music stores for just a few dollars and finding a working record player should not cost that much either. If you can find some old records of famous bands, you may be able to sell them to fans for a massive profit.
Fans will pay a lot of money for unique records or first edition pressings of famous albums. For example, a first pressing copy of the Beatles’ White Album once sold for nearly $800,000.
29. Collectibles
We have talked about a lot of collectibles but not about them as a group.
A collective is any item that people will hold onto because it will increase in value due to its rarity or popularity. For example, old coins and stamps are two of the most common kinds of collectibles that people buy – making them some of the best items to flip. People will also collect old dolls and toys like Beanie Babies or action figures. There are tons of different types of collectibles, so it’s up to you to figure out which items might be worth a lot of money down the road.
30. Antiques
Antiques can cover a large range of items, from furniture to books and more. When most people talk about antiques, they are most likely referring to furniture.
Furniture is one of the most popular kinds of antiques to get and can be sold for a large profit if you find the right buyer. You need to be pretty knowledgeable to make money with antiques because you need to know which items are popular and which ones are not worth much. Specifically, you need to know more than the person that you are selling things to.
31. Services
It might sound weird flipping services but you can absolutely do that. The trick is to find some gig or job, then outsource the job to another party.
Here is what we mean. Say you accept a freelancing job that pays 7 cents a word. You could then hire someone for that job at 4 cents a word. Then, you could pocket the difference on the job you make. You need to make sure that the rate that you command is higher than the rate that the other person will get. You should also make sure you are knowledgeable about the field you accept the job in.
32. Concert T-Shirts
When most bands go on tour, they will create shirts specifically for those tours. These shirts can rapidly rise in price once they are no longer available. For example, if you got your hands off an old tour t-shirt from a famous band, then you could potentially sell it to a die-hard fan and make a lot of money.
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33. Book Sets
We mentioned vintage books earlier but you can also make money selling entire book sets. Say you found all the copies to a set and they are uncommon editions. There may be plenty of people who would be willing to buy a set of classic novels all together. Not all books need to be old or out of print either. You could probably pick up the 7 Harry Potter books individually for cheap and sell them together for a profit, as an example.
34. Rugs
When it comes to decorations, rugs are probably one of the most popular kinds. A good rug can sell for a lot of money, and the price of rugs can vary quite a bit depending on the personal tastes of the buyer. If you can find a special rug that is old or one that has a unique pattern, then you could sell it to collectors for some money.
35. Smartphones
When it comes to modern electronics, one of the best things you can flip is old smartphones. Even if a smartphone is a year or two old, they still are super useful. But a lot of people get a new model every year so you can often pick up old models or models with some imperfections for cheap. For example, you could pick up an old iPhone with a broken screen, get the screen replaced, and sell it for much more than you bought it for.
36. Children’s Toys
Most parents of older children probably still have a ton of old baby stuff and toys that their kids have grown out of.
If you can pick these items up for cheap, you can sell them for a profit to new parents who need toys and other items for their children. You can also find grandparents who want to sell their grandchildren’s stuff that they no longer use.
Children's toys can be some of the best things to flip because there is always a market for them.
37. Sporting Equipment
New sporting equipment is often very expensive, so people will look for used sporting goods at secondhand stores and online. Sporting goods like golf clubs, hockey equipment, ice skates, bicycles, balls, shoes, and more are all things you could potentially sell. Some sporting equipment is seasonal so make sure you are buying things in season.
38. Websites
Website flipping can be an excellent way to earn extra money in your spare time.
You can buy and sell websites through several websites. For example, Flippa or Empire Flippers can be great choices for those just getting started website flipping but there are other online marketplaces for more experienced flippers.
When flipping websites, you'll want to know exactly what to look for in your purchase and estimate the selling price to determine your profitability.
39. Wedding Dresses
Wedding dresses can be a great thing to flip because they generally only come out once or twice a year.
You can buy wedding dresses relatively cheap during the off-season and then sell them for a higher price during the wedding season.
40. Sports Memorabilia
Sports fans can be somewhat crazy when it comes to the memorabilia they collect.
This provides many flippers a tremendous opportunity to make money.
There are many different pieces of sports memorabilia that can be flipped such as jerseys, balls, bats, and much more.
41. Power Tools
Power tools can be a very profitable item to flip because they are always needed and can easily be purchased at many garage sales or yard sales.
Items like drills, saws, and sanders can be perfect items to pick up and sell for a quick profit.
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Tips for Flipping Items for Profit
Here are some useful tips for flipping items for profit.
Focus on Sourcing Items
Whether or not you can make a profit depends heavily on whether you are sourcing your items for a good price.
If you pay too much for things you won’t make much when you resell them. Now is the time to take advantage of any friends or contacts you have to get cheap stuff.
Websites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or local Facebook groups are great platforms for finding local items. The good thing about these kinds of platforms is that many people are looking to quickly get rid of items, so they will part with them for cheap.
You can also source free items from a lot of places like dumpster diving, going through your garage, or at a yard sale. To reduce these costs, sell locally to save money on fees and shipping.
Research Competition
You need to research the competition to see how much you can sell your yours for.
One useful way to check prices is just to go on eBay and see what your items are being sold for by other vendors. Look for green numbers on eBay’s “completed listings” tab as that will show you what items actually sold for, not just how much they were listed for.
When you flip items online, making money will depend on any fees and shipping costs associated with the sale.
Take Lots of Pictures
Many times, people will find a listing they like online but won’t buy it because the pictures are bad.
Make sure that you take good quality pictures of your items from multiple angles when you are listing them online. The better quality photos you take, the more likely it is that someone will buy your stuff.
Similarly, make sure that you provide a concise yet full description of the item and any interesting features/specs. Having a detailed listing can help you to sell your items easier.
Don’t Get Rid of Inventory
If something is just not selling, don’t immediately get rid of it.
Lots of things will go through cycles of demand so if something is not selling right now, then it may sell later.
Items that have been sitting in your inventory for a while can be relisted at a discount to try and drum up interest. However, don’t put too much effort into selling sitting inventory. If something did not sell the first time when you had good pictures and tags, it probably won’t sell the next time.
Look at What Other Resellers Are Doing
If you are not already, find and follow resellers in your local area or online.
You can see what they are doing and how they go about selling items. Following other resellers can also give you clues about what kinds of things are in demand and what kind of prices you can get.
There are reseller communities on basically every major social media platform.
By seeing what others are doing you can find items to flip.
Use the Internet
The internet is probably the single most useful invention ever made for flippers. It internet gives you a way to not only find merchandise through marketplaces but also connect with people who want to buy.
Be sure to push your listings through social media channels and any other relevant websites where they might get attention.
When you sell an item online, be sure to consider the fees so you don't lose all your money.
Don’t Expect to Sell Things at Full Price.
When you are listing items, we recommend listing them for at least 20% more than you actually want for them. That way, if the customer decides to negotiate, then you can haggle the price down but still be meeting your bottom line. Another psychological trick is to list the 20%+ price first but then list the actual price you want as the “discount” price. When customers see that something is on discount, they are more likely to consider buying.
Keep at It.
It may be hard to get things to sell at first, whether it’s because you picked the wrong inventory or your marketing is not up to par.
Don’t be discouraged though.
It can take a bit to make your first sale and even longer to think up a marketing strategy that results in consistent sales. The more you keep at it the easier things will get and the more money you will make.
When you sell items you'll gain confidence to keep you going in hopes of turning your side hustle into a full time income.
Do your Product Research
If you do not know how much money things cost to sell items locally, then you will not be in a good position. Browse online marketplaces to get a feel for what kinds of items are selling for a nice profit. One problem a lot of people have originally is that they don't know how much money they need to ask for higher priced items to stay profitable. If your sourcing costs are high, then you won't make much money compared to doing research.
Try Retail Arbitrage
Sometimes you can save money on your inventory by purchasing items from local retailers that can be resold online for a profit.
This concept, known as retail arbitrage can be a great method to find some of the best things to flip. You can find the market price for your items online while shopping in store.
Making money with retail arbitrage can take some time but can be well worth it.
Why Flipping is a Great Side Hustle
Flipping is an excellent side hustle to start because of how affordable it can be to get started.
You can purchase items like sports memorabilia for pretty cheap and sell them for a higher price for an easy profit.
Another great reason – you can make a full time income by finding the right items to flip.
Final Thoughts on the Best Items to Flip
Flipping items for profit is a fun side hustle that can turn into a full-time career if you are good enough at it. Flipping items involves having good business sense and a penchant for finding unique items. You will have to spend a lot of time looking for vintage items all over the place but the payoff is that you can find great stuff to sell for a profit.
The only time to get started that is better than yesterday is today. So if you are interested in selling items for profit, try to list a few objects in your home right now. Getting started as soon as possible means that you will get the most out of it. The sooner you get used to flipping things, the faster you will be able to suss out which items are worth buying to markup and sell.
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