I’ll never forget the day I realized my "junk" was someone else’s treasure. I had a broken Canon printer sitting in my hallway for three months. It wouldn't feed paper, and the ink was dry. I was about to haul it to the recycling center when I decided to check eBay "just in case." To my shock, the print head alone—just a small plastic part inside—was selling for $45.
I took ten minutes to unscrew it, listed it as "For Parts/Repair," and it sold overnight. That single sale shifted my entire perspective. I stopped looking at my house as a storage unit and started seeing it as a warehouse. Whether it’s broken electronics, vintage clothes, or just books gathering dust, there is a market for almost everything if you know where to look.
In 2026, the barrier to entry is lower than ever, but the competition is smarter. Finding the right things to sell isn't just about guessing; it's about data, timing, and knowing which platform suits your product.
What Things Can I Sell to Make Money? (The Low-Hanging Fruit)
When people ask me what things can i sell to make money, I always tell them to look down. You are probably stepping on money. The easiest inventory is the stuff you already own because it requires $0 investment.
Here is a breakdown of the easiest categories to flip right now:
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Old Remotes: This sounds boring, but it’s a goldmine. I once bought a bag of random TV remotes at a thrift store for $5. One of them was for a discontinued Sony VCR. It sold for $30. People lose these constantly, and universal remotes are annoying.
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Discontinued Cosmetics: Have a half-used bottle of perfume that they stopped making in 2022? Believe it or not, people buy this on eBay (make sure to list it as "used"). Scent is tied to memory, and people pay premiums for their nostalgia.
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Vintage Tech: Not just GameBoys. I’m talking about Walkmans, old graphing calculators (TI-83s are practically currency), and even old iPods.
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Merch from Fandoms: Concert t-shirts, limited edition tumblers, or even old movie tickets. Fan merchandise has an incredibly high sell-through rate.
How to Sell Things on eBay (The Collector's Playground)
How to sell things on eBay hasn't changed much fundamentally, but the strategy has. eBay is the kingdom of the weird, the rare, and the broken.
If you have an item that is hard to value—like a weird pottery vase or a vintage car part—eBay is your spot.
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The Strategy: For rare items, use Auctions. For everything else, use "Buy It Now."
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The "Parts" Strategy: As I mentioned with the printer, selling "broken" things is massive. Search for "For Parts" on eBay and you’ll see thousands of sales. I recently sold a Nintendo Switch with a cracked screen for nearly 70% of its retail value because repair shops need the internal chips.
Honest Failure: I once tried to sell a common, modern IKEA lamp on eBay. The shipping cost was $25, and the lamp was worth $15. I lost money on the shipping supplies alone.
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Lesson: Only sell items on eBay that fit in a standard mailer or are worth enough to justify high shipping costs.
How to Sell Things on Amazon (The Volume Game)
Learning how to sell things on Amazon is a different beast. Amazon is not for your used jeans. It is for new, barcoded products.
In 2026, "Retail Arbitrage" (buying clearance items at Walmart to resell on Amazon) is getting harder due to "gating" (brand restrictions), but it’s not dead.
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Best Items: Books are still the gateway drug for Amazon sellers. You can scan books at thrift stores and send them to Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon).
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The Risk: Amazon is ruthless with returns. I once bought a pallet of "discounted" phone cases to resell. It turned out they were for an iPhone model that was three years old. I sold zero.
If you want to find good products to sell online for Amazon, look for boring, consumable items. specialized lightbulbs, air filters, or replacement cords. Things people need now and don't care about the brand.
How to Sell Things on Etsy (Handmade & Vintage)
How to sell things on Etsy has evolved. It used to be just knitting and jewelry. Now, the biggest earners are often selling "Digital Products."
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Digital Downloads: Wedding invitation templates, planners, or wall art prints. You make it once, and sell it 1,000 times.
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Vintage Revival: Etsy is the best place for vintage clothes (pre-2006).
Trending Products on Etsy right now:
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Y2K Decor: Think inflatable furniture and neon lights.
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Upcycled Clothing: Reworked denim is huge.
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Mid-Century Modern: Still the king of furniture.
Here is where it gets interesting. Etsy shoppers are there for the vibe. Your photography matters more here than anywhere else. On eBay, a photo of a calculator on a carpet works. On Etsy, you need natural light and a nice background.
Where to Sell Stuff: Choosing the Right Platform
With so many options, deciding where to sell stuff can be paralyzing. Here is my quick cheat sheet:
The Cross-Listing Hack: Why pick one? The smartest sellers list on all of them. I use Closo 100% Free Crosslister to take my eBay listing and clone it to Poshmark and Mercari in seconds. It pulls the photos, the description, and the title. It essentially triples my exposure for zero extra work. If I have a vintage camera, I want the eBay collectors and the Mercari hipsters to see it.
Trending Products in 2026
If you are looking to source new inventory, here are the trending products I’m seeing fly off the shelves this year:
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Repair Kits: People are tired of throwing things away. Kits to fix phones, zippers, or drywall are selling fast.
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Sustainable "Swaps": Reusable coffee filters, beeswax wraps, and bamboo organizers.
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Retro Gaming: Not just the games, but the CRT TVs to play them on.
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"Dumb" Phones: Gen Z is buying old flip phones to disconnect from social media. I sold a Motorola Razr for $80 last week.
To validate these trends before I buy, I use Closo Demand Signals. It analyzes real-time sales data to tell me if a "trend" is actually resulting in sales or if it's just hype. It saves me from buying a box of fidget spinners three years too late.
How to Sell Things Online Without Losing Your Mind
The logistics of how to sell things online can burn you out.
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Shipping: Get a scale. Don't guess. I guessed on a heavy wool coat once, and the post office charged me $12 extra "postage due." The buyer refused the package, and I had to refund them.
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Storage: If you can't find the item when it sells, you have a problem. I use clear bins and a simple letter system (Bin A, Bin B).
Opinion: Stop worrying about "perfect" listings. A "good enough" listing that is live is infinitely better than a "perfect" listing sitting in your drafts folder. Speed is your friend.
People always ask me...
Do I need a business license to sell stuff online?
For selling your own old junk? Generally, no. That is a "garage sale." But if you start buying items specifically to resell them for profit, the IRS considers that a business. In 2026, platforms will send you a 1099-K tax form if you sell over a certain threshold (it varies, but keep records!).
Is dropshipping dead?
Traditional "AliExpress to Shopify" dropshipping is very hard now because shipping times are too slow. However, "High Ticket" dropshipping (selling expensive items from domestic suppliers) is still very much alive. But for beginners, selling physical items you have in hand is much safer and faster.
Conclusion
Finding things to sell is a skill you develop. You start with the obvious—the old video games, the designer purse you don't use. Then you graduate to thrift stores, flipping $5 mugs for $30.
The internet has democratized commerce. You don't need a storefront; you just need a phone and a little bit of hustle. Whether you choose eBay, Amazon, or Etsy, the most important step is listing that first item.
My advice? Go find something in your room right now that you haven't touched in six months. Look it up on eBay. You might be surprised that your clutter is actually cash.
And when you do start listing, don't waste time doing it manually on every site. I rely on Closo to keep my inventory synced across platforms so I can spend less time typing and more time finding the next big flip.
Start cross-listing with Closo today—it’s the easiest way to turn your side hustle into a real business.
