Best Items to Resell for Profit – Resale & Arbitrage Strategy Breakdown (What I Learned After Flipping 4,300+ Items)

Best Items to Resell for Profit – Resale & Arbitrage Strategy Breakdown (What I Learned After Flipping 4,300+ Items)

Introduction

I made my first resale profit in 2018 with something incredibly ordinary: a pair of Frye leather boots I bought for $22 at a local thrift store. I listed them on eBay that night, expecting nothing. Less than 12 hours later, I woke up to a $78 sale. What shocked me wasn’t the profit—it was the speed. That moment sent me down a long rabbit hole of identifying the best selling items to resell, and why certain categories explode while others collect dust.

By mid-2020, I was flipping everything—electronics, toys, vintage, denim, appliances, shoes—just to understand which categories produced consistent returns. I documented sell-through rates, average margins, seasonal spikes, and sourcing difficulty. Eventually, patterns emerged: certain goods resell well because of predictable buyer behavior, not luck.

This guide is the most complete breakdown of the best items to resell for profit based on my real numbers, failures, and arbitrage wins from 2018–2025.

Best Items to Resell for Profit 

If I had to narrow hundreds of SKUs to a shortlist that always performs, it’s these:

1. Branded Footwear

Nike, Hoka, On Running, Birkenstock, Red Wing, Dr. Martens
Why it works:

  • high demand

  • easy to ship

  • high percentage of “repeatable flips”

Anecdote #1 (June 2023):
I bought 14 pairs of On Running shoes from a liquidation pallet. Paid ~$31 each. Average resale price: $89. Sell-through: 11/14 in 10 days.

2. Small Electronics

Headphones, routers, hard drives, shavers, iPads
Why it works:

  • buyers trust used electronics

  • fast velocity

  • clear comps

3. Car Parts & Accessories

OEM hubcaps, mirrors, tail lights, sensors
Why it works:

  • high demand

  • low competition

  • predictable pricing

4. Vintage Clothing

Patagonia, Carhartt, Levi’s, Pendleton
Why it works:

  • buyers search by brand + model

  • timeless styles

  • global shipping potential

5. Children’s Items

Strollers, high chairs, Montessori toys
Why it works:

  • constant demand

  • parents prefer second-hand

  • safe margins

Anecdote #2 (Feb 2022):

I flipped a Baby Bjorn bouncer bought for $25. Sold for $89 on Facebook in 3 hours.

Best Selling Items to Resell 

Let’s break this down by category.

Clothing

Best subcategories:

  • technical outerwear

  • premium denim

  • boots

  • structured handbags

  • vintage sportswear

Worst (consistent failure):

  • fast fashion

  • low-value leggings

  • unbranded basics

Honest failure #1:

In early 2020, I bought 30 Forever 21 dresses at $4 each during a liquidation sale. I sold only 5. Lost money after shipping.

Shoes

The highest sell-through across all platforms.

Top performers:

  • On Running

  • Hoka

  • Nike Air Max

  • Timberland

  • Birkenstock

  • Red Wing

Why shoes work:

  • standard sizing

  • repeatable comps

  • low returns

Honest failure #2:

I once shipped a pair of Hunter boots without stuffing them. They arrived crushed. Refund cost: $60.

Electronics

Small electronics = top-tier profit.

Best items:

  • routers

  • headphones

  • keyboards

  • smart home hubs

  • gaming controllers

Anecdote #3 (December 2021):

I purchased 11 routers from Goodwill for $9.99 each. Sold all on eBay for $44–$52 within two weeks.

Tools

Tools resell astonishingly well.

High-margin items:

  • Dewalt batteries

  • Milwaukee tools

  • Ryobi saws

  • older Craftsman hand tools

Reason:
DIY buyers accept used tools if priced right.

Furniture & Home Goods

Best:

  • mid-century pieces

  • IKEA shelves

  • Dyson vacuums

  • air purifiers

Marketplace: Facebook Marketplace always wins for furniture.

Easiest Items to Resell 

If you're new, these categories sell with little skill required.

1. Shoes

List → ship → repeat.

2. Small electronics

Clear comps, fast sales.

3. Kids’ items

High demand.

4. Brand-name kitchen appliances

Ninja, Vitamix, Instant Pot.

5. Branded clothing

Lululemon, Patagonia, Carhartt.

Anecdote #4 (July 2024):

I listed a Lululemon scuba hoodie for $59. Mercari gave me three offers within 30 minutes.

Best Resale Sites for Each Category 

This matters because profit depends on where you list.

Category Best Platform Notes
Shoes Poshmark 20% fees but fast sales
Electronics eBay global demand
Tools Facebook/eBay pickup or shipping
Vintage Etsy/Depop aesthetic matters
Kids Facebook fast turnover

Opinion

Platform fit is the most underrated factor in reselling profitability.

Arbitrage Strategy: Turning “Best Items to Resell” Into Real Profit 

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Resale profit =
(Buy low) + (List where demand is highest) + (Price using comps) + (Ship efficiently)

1. Where to Source

  • thrift stores

  • outlets

  • Facebook Marketplace

  • estate sales

  • garage sales

  • liquidation pallets

2. How Arbitrage Works

Buy from one market → sell on another.

My highest-performing arbitrage paths:

  • Facebook → eBay (tools, electronics)

  • Goodwill → Poshmark (clothing)

  • eBay auctions → Mercari (fixed price)

  • Depop → Poshmark (streetwear)

Anecdote #5 (May 2023):

Bought a $15 Carhartt jacket. Sold for $68 on eBay in 18 hours.

People Always Ask Me… “What’s the single easiest thing to flip?” 

Shoes.
No contest.

Reason:

  • predictable sizing

  • strong comps

  • repeatable sourcing

  • minimal returns

Facebook Marketplace shoes flip especially fast because local buyers prefer trying items in person.

Common Question I See… “What items should beginners avoid?” 

Avoid:

  • oversized furniture

  • “mall brand” bundles

  • outdated electronics

  • heavy items with low profit

Beginner-friendly items must be:

  • light

  • in-demand

  • easily comped

  • cheap to ship

Anecdote #6:**

In 2019 I bought a huge HP printer for $25. Shipping cost me $43. I lost money. Lesson learned.

The Tools That Make Resale and Arbitrage Easier

These are the tools I rely on:

  1. Closo – pricing signals + resale automation

  2. Vendoo – crosslisting

  3. List Perfectly – bulk listing

  4. PhotoRoom – photo cleanup

  5. Evernote – sourcing notes

  6. Google Sheets – ROI tracking

CTA (contextual)

I use Closo to automate pricing and cross-market decisions—it saves me about 3 hours weekly and helps me catch stale inventory fast.

Advanced Arbitrage: Matching Items to Their Highest-Value Marketplace 

This is how real scaling happens.

1. High velocity → Mercari

Hoka shoes, headphones, toys

2. High margin → eBay

Collectibles, tools, electronics, vintage jackets

3. High aesthetic appeal → Depop

Streetwear, Y2K, curated styles

4. Heavy items → Facebook Marketplace

Furniture, appliances, kids’ equipment

5. Niche vintage → Etsy

Retro décor, mid-century, handmade goods

Worth Reading

Inside the Closo Seller Hub , you’ll find deeper breakdowns on multi-market pricing and category demand. It pairs naturally with my breakdowns on best resale sites for 2025 and Mercari vs Poshmark algorithms, which help you match categories to their strongest resale platforms.

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