I will never forget the day I paid my mortgage with a box of "trash." It was early 2019, and I had bought a junk drawer lot at a local auction for $15. Inside was a tangled mess of cables, a broken watch, and a greasy, unrecognizable remote control. I almost threw the remote away, but something told me to check the model number on eBay. It turned out to be a discontinued remote for a high-end 1990s HVAC system. It sold in 4 hours for $125.
That remote taught me the most important lesson of reselling: Value is not about what is "cool"; value is about what is "scarce." While everyone else is fighting over Nike Dunks and PlayStation 5s, the real money is often hiding in the boring, ugly, and weird corners of the marketplace. If you want to know the ebay best selling items for 2026, you have to stop thinking like a consumer and start thinking like a supplier.
What Are the Best Selling Items on eBay? (The 2026 Data)
When we ask what are the best selling items on ebay, we are really asking: "What sells fast?" A Rolex sells for a lot of money, but it might sit for six months. A pack of discontinued Polaroid film sells in six minutes. For a reseller, velocity is king.
The Top Categories for 2026:
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Consumer Electronics: Specifically "Retro Tech" (Y2K cameras, MP3 players).
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Auto Parts: Replacement mirrors, center caps, and ECU units.
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Home & Garden: Hydroponic grow lights and replacement water filters.
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Health & Beauty: Discontinued fragrances and specific dietary supplements.
Opinion Statement: I honestly believe that new sellers waste too much time chasing "Trending Products" on TikTok. By the time you see it on your For You Page, the market is already saturated. The real money is in the "Long Tail"—the items people need to fix their lives, not just the items they want to show off.
Electronics: The Perennial Cash Cow
If you are looking for what items sell best on ebay, electronics remain the undefeated champion. But I'm not talking about new iPhones. The margins there are razor-thin. I'm talking about the stuff Best Buy stopped selling ten years ago.
Best Items to Sell on eBay for Profit (Tech Edition):
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VCR/DVD Combos: These are gold. People have massive tape collections and no way to play them. A working unit sells for $100-$200 easily.
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Remote Controls: As mentioned in my intro, original OEM remotes (Sony, Panasonic, Bose) are money printers.Universal remotes are terrible; people want the real thing.
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Vintage Digital Cameras: The "Canon PowerShot" from 2008 is having a massive resurgence because Gen Z loves the "lo-fi" aesthetic.
Honest Failure: In 2024, I bought a pallet of "Customer Return" Bluetooth speakers. I thought I scored. Turns out, 90% of them had dead batteries. I spent weeks testing them, dealing with returns, and eating shipping costs.Lesson: Avoid "Customer Returns" unless you are a repair technician. Stick to used, tested vintage gear.
Sourcing with Closo Demand Signals
How do you find these trends before everyone else? You can't just guess. I used to guess. I have a garage full of fidget spinners to prove it. Now, I use Closo Demand Signals.
How Closo helps me to predict demand across categories is by analyzing search velocity across the web, not just on eBay.
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The Anecdote: Last October, Closo flagged "Cassette Players" as a rising trend, specifically "Walkman Sport" models.
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The Signal: The data showed a 300% spike in external search traffic (likely due to a popular TV show featuring them).
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The Action: I went to every thrift store in a 20-mile radius. I bought yellow Sony Walkmans for $5 each.
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The Result: Two weeks later, they were selling for $150 on eBay. I sold 12 of them before the trend peaked.
I use Closo to automate my sourcing list – saves me about 3 hours weekly of researching "what's hot" manually.
What Items Sell the Best on eBay: The Boring Stuff
This is my favorite category. The what items sell the best on ebay list is dominated by things that look like trash. I call this "The Broken Economy." People would rather spend $30 to fix their $500 blender than buy a new one.
Good Things to Sell on eBay (Replacement Parts):
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Blender Pitchers: If you find a Vitamix base with a burnt motor for $5, buy it. The plastic pitcher alone is worth $50.
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Vacuum Attachments: Dyson tools. Shark filters.
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Microwave Plates: The glass tray inside the microwave. These break constantly, and replacements are model-specific and expensive ($25-$40).
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Refrigerator Shelves: If you see a curb-side fridge, grab the plastic shelves. They sell instantly.
Parenthetical Aside: (My neighbors think I'm crazy because they see me pulling shelves out of fridges on trash day.They don't know that "trash" paid for my family's vacation to Disney World.)
How to Find Best Selling Items on eBay (Research Tactics)
You don't need a crystal ball to find the best item to sell on ebay. You just need to know how to use the search bar.
The "Sell Through Rate" Hack:
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Search for a generic term like "Men's Boots."
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Filter by Sold Items. Note the number (e.g., 5,000 sold).
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Filter by Active Items. Note the number (e.g., 10,000 listed).
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Math: 5,000 sold / 10,000 active = 50% Sell Through Rate.
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Rule: Anything over 50% is a "Best Seller." Anything under 10% is a "Long Tail" (slow mover).
Tools to Use:
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Terapeak: eBay's internal tool (free for sellers). Great for historical data.
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Google Trends: Good for seasonal checks.
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Closo: Best for predictive "future" demand.
Trending Product: The Viral Factor
Sometimes, a trending product defies logic. Usually, it comes from social media.What is ebay's best selling items list often reflects the "TikTok Made Me Buy It" phenomenon.
Examples from recent history:
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Stanley Cups: For a few months, these were selling for double retail.
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Trader Joe's Tote Bags: A $3 canvas bag was selling for $200.
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Discontinued Cosmetics: When a popular lipstick shade gets cancelled, the eBay price skyrockets.
My Strategy: I keep an eye on Closo Demand Signals for "Retail Arbitrage" opportunities. When Closo tells me a specific Target collaboration is spiking, I go to the store, buy the inventory, and flip it same-day. Speed is everything here.
Managing Inventory with Closo 100% Free Crosslister
If you are selling high-demand items, you want them everywhere.Highest selling products online often have buyers on multiple platforms. That vintage camera sells well on eBay, but it also sells on Depop and Mercari.
I use the Closo 100% Free Crosslister to maximize my exposure.
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The Workflow: I list the camera on eBay first (because I want the auction option).
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The Sync: I click one button to push the listing to Mercari (for fixed price buyers).
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The Safety: When it sells on eBay, Closo helps me pull it from Mercari instantly so I don't double-sell.
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The Benefit: I effectively double my audience without doing double the work.
Fashion and Clothing: What Sells Best?
Fashion is tricky.What items sell the most on ebay in clothing? It is NOT "Fast Fashion" (Shein, H&M, Forever 21). Do not buy this stuff to resell. It has zero value.
What Actually Sells:
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Workwear: Carhartt jackets (even with holes/stains). Dickies pants.
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Vintage T-Shirts: Single-stitch shirts from the 80s/90s. (Band tees, Harley Davidson).
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Sneakers: Jordan 1s, Yeezys, Nike Dunks (but authenticate them!).
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"Gorpcore": Patagonia, North Face, Arc'teryx. Outdoor gear holds value incredibly well.
Honest Failure: I bought a bag of "Designer Jeans" at a thrift store. They were "True Religion" and "Rock & Republic." Ten years ago, these were $100 bills. Today? I couldn't give them away. They sat for a year and sold for $15.Lesson:Fashion trends move fast. What was a best selling item five years ago is often donation-bin fodder today.
Highest Selling Products Online: The "Lot" Strategy
If you want to move volume, stop selling one-offs. Sell "Lots." What items sell best on ebay in bulk?
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Video Games: A lot of 10 mediocre PS2 games sells faster than 10 individual listings.
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Jewelry: "Junk Drawer Jewelry Lots" (tangled necklaces, broken earrings). Crafters buy these to harvest beads and gold scrap.
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Toys: A bag of loose LEGOs (sold by the pound) is consistently one of the most bought items online.
The Math:
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Single Listing: 1 item x $10 = $10 (minus fees/shipping/time).
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Lot Listing: 10 items x $4 = $40 (one shipping label, one photo session). Lots save you time. Time is money.
Good Things to Sell on eBay From Your House
You don't need money to start. The best items to resell on ebay are currently collecting dust in your closet.
The "Zero Cost" Start List:
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Old Cell Phones: Even broken ones sell for parts.
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Empty Boxes: Yes, really. The empty box for an iPhone or a specialized Dyson fan sells for $15-$20 to people who are reselling their own items or moving.
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Instruction Manuals: Vintage video game manuals are worth more than the games sometimes.
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Board Game Pieces: Don't throw away a game because it's missing cards. Part it out. Sell the little metal Monopoly tokens.
Common Questions I See
People always ask me... Is the market saturated?
For "easy" items like new clothes? Yes. For "hard" items like vintage electronics that require testing? No. The harder the item is to list (cleaning, testing, shipping), the less competition you have. Laziness is your friend; be willing to do the work others won't.
Common question I see... What sells fastest?
Consumables. Printer ink (HP, Canon) that is expired but sealed. Polaroid film. Discontinued shampoo. If people use it up and need more, it sells instantly.
People always ask me... Can I sell broken things?
Absolutely. eBay has a specific condition category called "For Parts or Not Working." Just be brutally honest. "Does not power on. Screen cracked." Repair shops buy this stuff every day to harvest the chips and buttons.
Conclusion
Finding the ebay best selling items isn't about luck. It is about recognizing utility. The best sellers aren't always the glamorous items on Instagram; they are the remote controls, the vacuum filters, and the old T-shirts that people desperately need to complete their lives.
My honest assessment is that you should stop looking for the "Magic Product" and start looking for "Magic Data." Use tools to verify demand before you spend a dollar.
If you are ready to turn your sourcing into a science rather than a gamble, use the Closo Seller Hub to analyze your next buy.
For more on how to expand your empire once you find those winning items, read our eBay Reseller Guide
And if you want a cheat sheet for next month's winners, check out Trending Products Forecast 2026
