I vividly remember the Saturday morning in 2023 when I looked at a box of tangled wires in my garage and almost threw the whole thing in the trash. It was the dreaded "box of doom"—old power cords, RCA cables, and AC adapters from electronics I hadn't owned in a decade. Instead of trashing it, I spent an hour unraveling them and looking up the model numbers on the black bricks. To my absolute shock, a power supply for an old Yamaha keyboard was selling for $35. A proprietary cable for a 2005 camcorder was listing for $20. By noon, I had listed five cables on eBay. By Monday, three of them had sold for a total of $70.
That morning shifted my entire perspective on "junk." We often think that to generate extra income, we need to invent the next iPhone or start a complex drop-shipping empire. But the reality is that the most immediate cash is likely hiding in your drawers, your closet, or the trunk of your car right now. Finding things to sell to make money isn't about brilliance; it's about observation. It’s about realizing that your trash is someone else’s essential replacement part.
Things I Can Sell to Make Money in My Own House
When I first started, I was paralyzed by the idea that I needed capital to buy inventory. I kept searching for "wholesalers" and "distributors." Here’s where it gets interesting... The best inventory is free. It’s the stuff to sell that you already own. If you dig through your home with a "reseller's eye," you will find hundreds of dollars sitting dormant.
The "Broken" Electronics Strategy: People assume broken things are worthless. This is false. Broken electronics are gold mines for parts.
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Anecdote: In 2024, my gaming laptop died. The motherboard was fried. Instead of recycling it, I disassembled it. I sold the keyboard for $25, the screen for $60, and the broken motherboard (for chips/parts) for $40. Total: $125 for a "dead" computer.
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Why it works: Repair shops and DIY fixers need genuine parts. They can't buy these from the manufacturer anymore.
Empty Boxes: This sounds insane, but people buy empty boxes. Specifically, boxes for high-end electronics like iPhones,MacBooks, or Dyson vacuums. Resellers buy them to bundle with their loose items to increase the value. I once sold an empty box for a specialized graphics card for $25. The buyer just wanted to complete their set for display.
Old Remotes: Go to your junk drawer. Find every remote control you have. If you have a remote for a VCR, a DVD player, or an old stereo, look it up. Original brand-name remotes (Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba) often sell for $15-$30 because universal remotes are terrible and people want the real thing.
Opinion Statement: I honestly believe that selling "replacement parts" is the most stable business model online. Fashion trends change, but if someone's blender lid breaks, they need that lid immediately, and they don't care if it's trendy. They just pay the price.
What Things Can I Sell to Make Money? The "Boring" Everyday Items
If you’ve exhausted your own house, you might be asking what things can i sell to make money that are easy to find cheaply. The answer is usually the stuff everyone else ignores. I call this "The Boring Niche."
Discontinued Cosmetics and Toiletries: Have you ever fallen in love with a shampoo or a lipstick shade, only for the company to discontinue it? Panic sets in. You scour the internet to buy the remaining stock.
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The Opportunity: If you find sealed, discontinued toiletries at discount stores (like TJ Maxx or Ross), buy them.
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The Margin: A bottle of discontinued Axe body wash might retail for $5 but sell on eBay for $25 to a desperate superfan.
Vacuum Attachments: Whenever I see a vacuum cleaner at a thrift store or on the curb on trash day, I don't take the vacuum. I take the attachments. The crevice tool, the upholstery brush, the hose. These parts are universal money makers.They are small, lightweight (cheap shipping), and impossible to find in stores. I sold a Dyson "Animal" attachment for $45 last month. I paid $0 for it.
Instruction Manuals: Similar to empty boxes, purists want the manual to complete their collection. Video game manuals, vintage camera manuals, and LEGO instructions are steady sellers.Honest Failure: I bought a stack of random car manuals from the 2010s (Honda Civic, Toyota Camry) thinking they would sell. They sat for two years. Why?Because those manuals are easily available as PDFs online.Lesson: Only sell manuals for items where the "physicality" is part of the value (like retro games), not utility items where a PDF suffices.
Using Closo Demand Signals to Predict Trends
The difference between a hobby seller and a pro is data. You can guess what things to sell and make money with, or you can know. I stopped guessing a long time ago. I use Closo Demand Signals to tell me what the market wants before the market is flooded.
How Closo helps me predict demand across categories 6 weeks ahead is by analyzing search intent velocity.
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The Scenario: In October 2025, Closo flagged a massive spike in searches for "Ceramic Christmas Trees" (the vintage kind with the little plastic lights).
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The Sourcing: I went to every estate sale within 20 miles and bought three of them for about $40 each.
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The Timing: I listed them in early November, right when the Closo signal predicted peak interest.
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The Result: I sold all three for $150+ each. If I had waited until December, the market would have been saturated.
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The Benefit: I use Closo to automate my sourcing research – saves me about 3 hours weekly of scrolling through sold listings to find patterns manually.
Things to Make and Sell to Make Money (The Maker's Path)
If you aren't into scavenging for used goods, you might be looking for things to make and sell to make money. The "Maker Economy" is huge on Etsy, but you have to be careful about labor costs. If it takes you 5 hours to knit a scarf and you sell it for $50, you are making $10 an hour. That is not a business; that is a low-paying job. You need scalability.
Digital Products (The Ultimate Scale):
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Printables: Wedding planners, chore charts, budget trackers.
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The Math: You make it once. You list it on Etsy. It sells 1,000 times.
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My Experience: I created a simple "Reseller Inventory Spreadsheet" in Google Sheets. I listed it for $5. It sells about 10 copies a month. It’s only $50/month, but I haven't touched the file in two years. That is infinite ROI on my time.
Candles (With a Twist): Candles are saturated. But niche candles work. "Smells like [Specific Book Character]" or "Smells like [Specific City]." People buy these as gifts. However, be warned about shipping.Parenthetical Aside: (I tried selling candles in mason jars in 2022. I underestimated the weight. Shipping cost me $12 per candle. My profit margin was negative $2. Unless you figure out shipping zones or sell locally, heavy items will kill you.)
The Easiest Thing to Make and Sell: Propagated Plants
If you want the absolute easiest thing to make and sell, look at your windowsill. Houseplants. Specifically, Pothos,Monsteras, and Succulents.
The Process:
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Take a cutting from your existing plant.
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Put it in water until it roots (free).
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Plant it in a cheap plastic nursery pot (pennies).
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Sell it locally on Facebook Marketplace for $10-$20.
Why it’s genius:
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Inventory replicates itself. One Pothos plant can produce 10 babies a year.
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Local Demand: People hate shipping plants because they die. They love buying locally.
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Vibe: It requires zero "skill" other than patience. I made about $300 last spring just thinning out my overgrown Monstera and selling the cuttings to neighbors.
Stuff to Make to Sell: The Customization Niche
When looking for stuff to make to sell, personalized items always win. People love seeing their name on things. You don't need a factory; you need a Cricut or a laser engraver.
Personalized Pet Gear: Dog bandanas with names. Tags. Bowls. People spend endless money on their pets.Anecdote:My friend bought a laser engraver for $400. She started buying generic slate coasters from Amazon and engraving wedding dates on them. She paid off the machine in one month during wedding season. The "value add" of the customization allowed her to charge $40 for a set of coasters that cost her $4.
Opinion Statement: I find the "Print on Demand" t-shirt market to be completely oversaturated. Everyone is doing it.Unless you are an incredible graphic designer with a massive following, you will likely sell zero shirts. Stick to physical customization where the competition is lower.
Sourcing Strategies: What Things Can I Sell to Make Money from Thrift Stores?
If you want to flip used items, you need to know what things can i sell to make money from a Goodwill or Salvation Army. Most of the store is junk. You are hunting for the top 1%.
Vintage Media (Blank Tapes): This is a sleeper hit. Sealed, blank VHS tapes or cassette tapes. People still use them, and they aren't made anymore. A sealed 3-pack of high-grade Sony cassette tapes can sell for $30. Thrift stores price them at $0.50 because they think they are obsolete.
Mugs (Starbucks): Look for the Starbucks "Been There" or "You Are Here" series mugs. Collectors go crazy for specific cities. If you find a "Starbucks Paris" mug in a thrift store in Ohio, grab it. It could be worth $50+.Caveat: Check for chips. A chipped mug is worthless.
Vintage Snapback Hats: Look for hats from the 80s and 90s. Sports teams (especially Starter brand) or weird corporate logos (seed companies, cigarette brands). These are light to ship (under 8oz) and can sell for $20-$100 depending on the rarity. I clean them up with a little OxiClean, reshape them over a bowl, and list them.
Managing Inventory with Closo 100% Free Crosslister
The more things to sell to make money you find, the messier your life gets. You have a pile of cables, a box of mugs, and three propagated plants. You need to list them where the buyers are. Cables go on eBay. Plants go on Facebook Marketplace. Mugs go on Mercari.
But managing three apps is a nightmare. I use the Closo 100% Free Crosslister to stay sane.
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The Workflow: I take the photos once. I write the description once.
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The Propagation: I use Closo to push the listing to eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari simultaneously.
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The Sync: If the mug sells on Mercari, Closo helps me pull it down from eBay so I don't accidentally sell it twice.
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The Result: I spend less time typing on my phone and more time hunting for treasure.
Seasonal Stuff to Sell: Timing is Everything
Some stuff to sell only works at specific times. If you sell a winter coat in July, you will get pennies. If you sell it in November, you get top dollar.
Q4 (The Golden Quarter): October, November, December. This is when people buy gifts.Toys: Look for discontinued toys or parts.Decor: Christmas ornaments.Clothing: Heavy wool, cashmere.
Summer:Swimwear: If you find vintage high-waisted bikinis, list them in April.Sporting Goods: Baseball mitts, tennis rackets, golf clubs.Honest Failure: I listed a very expensive snowboard in May. It sat. And sat. And sat. I eventually lowered the price by 50% just to get it out of my garage. If I had waited until October, I would have gotten full price.Lesson: Your garage is a warehouse. Sometimes holding an item for 4 months is the most profitable thing you can do.
Things to Sell and Make Money on Autopilot (Digital Downloads)
We touched on printables, but let's go deeper into things to sell and make money that require zero shipping.Stock Photography: You don't need a DSLR. Modern phones take 4K images. Take photos of generic things: textures (brick walls, wood grain), office setups, coffee cups. Upload them to sites like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock. It is a volume game.You earn cents per download, but if you have 1,000 photos up, it adds up to a nice dinner every month for doing nothing.
3D Printer Files (STLs): If you know how to model in CAD (even basic Tinkercad), you can sell the files. People with 3D printers are always looking for cool things to print. You sell the file, not the plastic object. No shipping. No inventory.
Common Question I See: Is it worth selling cheap items?
Common question I see... Is it worth selling items for $10? My answer is: It depends on your speed. If it takes you 30 minutes to photograph, list, and pack a $10 item, you are making sub-minimum wage. However, if you can list it in 3 minutes and pack it in 1 minute (using a template), then yes. The key to selling low-value items (like DVDs or common clothing) is volume and systems. If you don't have a system, stick to items worth $25+.
People Always Ask Me: What if I don't have anything to sell?
People always ask me... I have no clutter and no money to buy inventory. What do I do? Go to the "Free" section of Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. People give away valuable things just to get them out of their house. Furniture, old appliances (scap metal), moving boxes. I once picked up a "broken" washing machine for free. I watched a YouTube video, replaced a $12 lid switch, and sold it for $150. The inventory is there; you just have to be willing to haul it.
Conclusion
Finding things to sell to make money is a mindset shift. It is about looking at a remote control and seeing a $20 bill, not a piece of plastic. It is about realizing that "value" is subjective—what is trash to you is a treasure to a collector in Nebraska. Whether you choose to flip thrift store finds, propagate plants, or sell digital files, the opportunity is massive.
My honest assessment is that you should start with the "Box of Doom" in your own closet. Prove to yourself that you can make $100 from "nothing." Once you feel that thrill of the sale notification, you'll never look at a garage sale the same way again.
If you are ready to identify which of your household items are secretly valuable, use the Closo Seller Hub to research sold listings and demand.
For more on where to list these items, read our Pages Similar to eBay Guide
And if you want to know what product categories are about to explode in 2026, check out Trending Products Forecast 2026
