I still keep a spreadsheet from 2019 labeled "The unremarkable wins." On row 42, there is an entry for a specific replacement lid for a CorningWare casserole dish. I found it at a thrift store for $0.50. It sat on a shelf next to chipped mugs and dusty vases, completely ignored by the sneaker flippers and the vintage tee hunters. I bought it, took two photos on my kitchen counter, and listed it.
It sold for $28 plus shipping in three hours.
That single transaction—a 5,500% return on investment—taught me more about economics than my college macro class. It wasn't a hype drop. It wasn't a rare collectible. It was a boring, functional piece of glass that someone, somewhere, desperately needed to complete their grandmother's set.
If you are looking for the best things to resell, you have to stop looking for what is "cool" and start looking for what is necessary or scarce. The secondhand market is currently valued at over $100 billion globally, but the real profit isn't in the noise; it's in the data. I’ve spent the last six years analyzing sell-through rates and flipping everything from industrial timers to denim jackets, and the data tells a very specific story about where the money is hiding in 2025.
The Golden Ratio: Sell-Through Rate vs. Profit Margin
Before we list specific items, we need to talk about the metric that actually matters: Sell-Through Rate (STR).
The Concept: A high profit margin is useless if the item never sells.
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100% STR: For every 100 items listed, 100 sold in the last 90 days. (This is a hot item).
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10% STR: For every 100 listed, only 10 sold. (This is a saturated market).
My Honest Failure: In 2020, I went all-in on "Beanie Babies" because I saw one sell for $5,000 on the news. I bought a lot of 200 bears for $100. I checked the data after I bought them. There were 50,000 active listings for "Peace Bear" on eBay and only 500 sold. The STR was 1%. I still have bags of them in my attic.
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Lesson: Never buy based on a headline. Buy based on the math.
(Parenthetical aside: I admit, I still check the tags on Beanie Babies when I see them, just in case. The hope dies hard, doesn't it?)
The Platform Matrix: Where to Sell What
Here’s where it gets interesting... an item that is trash on one platform is treasure on another. You cannot treat all marketplaces the same.
1. Electronics and Collectibles: Best Things to Resell on eBay
eBay is the global search engine for "hard goods." The Data:
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Vintage Audio: VCRs, Walkmans, and Boomboxes.
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Why: People have media (tapes) they can't play. New players aren't being made.
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Margin: Bought a Sony VCR for $8; sold for $75.
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Cameras: Digicams (2000s point-and-shoots).
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Why: The "Y2K aesthetic" trend on TikTok drove demand for Canon PowerShots and Nikon Coolpix cameras through the roof.
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Margin: Bought a Canon SD1000 for $15; sold for $120.
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2. Mid-Tier Fashion: Best Things to Resell on Poshmark
Poshmark is brand-driven. Buyers search by label. The Winners:
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Activewear: Lululemon, Athleta, Alo Yoga.
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Why: High retail prices ($100+ for leggings) make the secondhand price ($40-$50) attractive but still profitable for you.
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Mall Brands: Madewell, Anthropologie, Free People.
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Metric: Look for "Sold Out" styles or specific floral prints. Generic basics don't move fast.
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3. Streetwear and Vintage: Best Things to Resell on Depop
Depop is all about the look. The Vibe:
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Carhartt Jackets: Distressed, stained, ugly? Perfect.
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Baby Tees: 90s graphics.
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Harley Davidson: Vintage biker tees.
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My Experience: I listed a faded Harley shirt on Poshmark for weeks at $20. Moved it to Depop, styled it with baggy jeans in the photo, and it sold for $45 overnight.
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I use Closo Crosslister to move these listings between platforms—saves me about 3 hours weekly—because manually re-uploading photos to chase different demographics is a waste of sourcing time.
The "Boring" Economy: Items to Buy and Resell for Profit
If you want consistent income without fighting hype-beasts for sneakers, look at the unsexy aisles. These are the good items to resell that everyone ignores.
1. Replacement Remotes
The Logic: People lose remotes. Universal remotes are annoying to program. Original (OEM) remotes are gold.
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Brands to Watch: Sony, Panasonic, Bose, Yamaha, Kenwood.
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The Flip: Sourced a bag of remotes for $5. Found a pristine remote for a high-end Yamaha receiver. Sold it alone for $35. The rest were trash, but the profit was secure.
2. Vacuum Attachments
The Logic: A Dyson vacuum costs $500. When the "motorhead" brush breaks, people don't buy a new vacuum; they buy the part.
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Strategy: If you see a broken Dyson or Shark vacuum at a thrift store for $10, buy it. Part it out. The hose, the bin, the wand, and the heads are all sellable separately.
3. Discontinued Beauty
The Logic: When a favorite shade of lipstick or a specific formula of shampoo is discontinued, people panic-buy.
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Warning: Check expiration dates. Do not sell expired goods.
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Success Story: I found three bottles of a discontinued Bath & Body Works lotion (sealed). Paid $12 total. Sold the lot for $80 to a buyer who messaged me saying it was her "signature scent" from high school.
Heavyweights: Best Things to Resell on Facebook Marketplace
Now the tricky part... shipping. Shipping a dresser is impossible. Shipping a 50lb dumbbell is expensive. These items belong on Facebook Marketplace.
The Local Kings:
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Furniture: Mid-century modern dressers, West Elm coffee tables, solid wood dining sets.
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Tip: "Brown furniture" (antique heavy wood) is out. "Scandi" and "Mid-century" are in.
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Gym Equipment: Kettlebells, weight plates, squat racks.
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Data: During January (New Year's Resolutions), the price per pound of used weights spikes.
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Tools: Table saws, miter saws, air compressors.
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Why: Contractors and DIYers check Marketplace constantly. Brand names like DeWalt and Milwaukee hold 60-70% of their retail value.
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The Niche of "New Old Stock" (NOS)
When asking what are the best items to resell, seasoned flippers will whisper "NOS." New Old Stock refers to items that are old (vintage) but still sealed in their original packaging.
Why it commands a premium:
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Collectors: They want the pristine packaging.
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Users: They want the reliability of the old version without the wear and tear.
Examples:
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Blank Cassette Tapes: Sealed TDK or Maxell metal tapes.
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Value: Can go for $10-$50 per tape depending on the "Type" (Type IV Metal is the holy grail).
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Software: Vintage PC games or productivity software (like my Windows 2000 flip).
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Ink Cartridges: Genuine HP or Epson ink (check expiration!).
Best Things to Resell on Mercari: The Digital Garage Sale
Mercari buyers are looking for a deal on everyday items. It’s less "curated" than Poshmark and easier to list than eBay.
The Sweet Spot:
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Toys: Funko Pops (though the market is cooling), Squishmallows, Lego sets.
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Tip: Loose Legos sell by the pound. Complete sets with instructions sell for a premium.
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Small Appliances: Coffee makers, blenders, toaster ovens.
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My Experience: I sold a used Keurig on Mercari for $40. It was bulky to ship, but Mercari's prepaid labels made it simple.
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Fragrance: Mercari allows the sale of open/used perfume bottles (which eBay restricts).
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Opportunity: If you have a half-full bottle of expensive cologne you don't wear, list it here. People buy "partials" to test scents without paying full price.
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The "One Year Rule": Sourcing Strategy
How do you know if something is a best thing to resell or just junk? I use the "One Year Rule." If I haven't seen it sell in the last year (via sold listings), I don't touch it.
The Workflow:
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Spot Item: A weird ceramic mug that looks like a face.
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Google Lens: Scan it.
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Identify: It's a "Treasure Craft" tiki mug.
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Check Comps: Go to eBay. Filter by "Sold."
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Analyze:
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Active Listings: 50
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Sold Listings: 2
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Verdict: Do not buy. Low sell-through rate.
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Analyze (Scenario B):
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Active Listings: 5
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Sold Listings: 20
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Verdict: Buy immediately. High demand, low supply.
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(Parenthetical aside: I honestly don't know why more people don't use this math. It takes 30 seconds in the aisle and saves you from hoarding piles of worthless pottery.)
People always ask me...
"What are the best items to buy and resell for beginners?"
Common question I see. Start with media and books.
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Why: They are cheap (often $1-$2), easy to identify (scan the barcode), and cheap to ship (Media Mail).
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Specifics: Look for textbooks, obscure non-fiction, and DVD box sets. You won't get rich off one book, but it teaches you the process of listing and shipping with almost zero financial risk.
"Is it better to specialize or sell everything?"
People always ask me this. Start as a generalist; end as a specialist.
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Evolution: You will likely start by selling everything you find. Over time, you will realize you hate measuring jeans or testing electronics. You will naturally gravitate toward what you enjoy and what makes money. I eventually stopped selling clothes because the return rate for "fit issues" was destroying my margins.
"What are the best items to resell on Etsy?"
Common question I see. Best things to resell on Etsy must be either Vintage (20+ years old) or Handmade supplies.
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Vintage: Mid-century decor, brass animals, vintage Levi's.
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Supplies: Sewing patterns, beads, fabric scraps.
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Warning: Do not try to resell modern goods on Etsy. You will get banned.
Conclusion
Finding the best items to resell is essentially a game of information arbitrage. You are capitalizing on the fact that the person selling the item at the garage sale doesn't know (or care) what the person on the internet is willing to pay for it.
The best item isn't always the most expensive one. It’s the one with the best data. It’s the ugly VCR remote. It’s the discontinued hair spray. It’s the boring, functional, necessary object that someone needs to keep their life running.
My advice? Download the eBay app. Go to a thrift store. Don't look at the shelves; look at your screen. Scan everything. Let the data tell you what to buy. You might find, like I did, that there is a fortune hiding in the things everyone else walks right past.
If you are ready to start scanning, read our guide on Inventory Management for Multi-Platform Sellers to keep your new stock organized. And if you are overwhelmed by the idea of listing on multiple sites, check out how The Best Cross-Listing Apps for 2025 can do the heavy lifting for you.
FAQ
Here's something everyone wants to know: What has the highest profit margin for reselling?
In my experience, used electronics and replacement parts offer the highest ROI. A remote control bought for $1 can sell for $30 (2,900% gross margin). While luxury goods have higher dollar profits (e.g., making $100 on a Gucci bag), they often require a high upfront investment ($300+ cost of goods), yielding a lower percentage return compared to "junk" items.
Common question I see: Is reselling getting harder in 2025?
The market is more crowded, but not necessarily harder if you adapt. The days of easily finding video games at Goodwill for $3 are largely over as thrift stores check prices online. However, opportunities have shifted to online arbitrage (buying from one site to sell on another) and niche categories like discontinued consumables, which are often overlooked by casual flippers.
People always ask me: Can I make a living reselling items?
Yes, but it requires volume and systems. To replace a full-time income, you typically need to maintain an inventory of 1,000+ active items or focus on high-ticket flips. Most full-time resellers diversify by using the best multi channel selling platform tools to list their inventory on eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari simultaneously to maximize daily sales.
