I’ll never forget the weirdest "jackpot" moment of my reselling career. It wasn't a Rolex or a pristine pair of Jordans. It was a discontinued, greasy remote control for a specific 1990s ceiling fan. I bought a box of them at a liquidation auction for $5. I sold each one for $45. Why? Because when a homeowner's fan remote breaks, they don't want to replace the whole fan—they just want the remote, and they will pay anything to get it.
That experience taught me the golden rule of 2026: The best item to resell isn't the trendy thing everyone is fighting over on TikTok; it's the boring, invisible problem-solver that no one else is looking for. While everyone else is fighting over sneakers and Stanley cups, the real profit is in the "unsexy" corners of the market. In this guide, I’m going to break down exactly what are the best items to resell right now, moving beyond the obvious into the high-margin niches that actually pay the bills.
1. The "Nostalgia Tech" Wave: Why Old is Gold
If you are looking for the best items to resell on eBay, stop looking for iPhones. Start looking for the tech you threw away ten years ago. Gen Z is currently obsessed with "low fidelity" aesthetics. They don't want 4K video; they want the grainy, timestamped look of a 2007 Handycam.
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Digital Cameras (Digicams): specifically Canon Powershot and Nikon Coolpix models from 2005–2010. I consistently buy these for $10 at garage sales and flip them for $100+.
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VCR/DVD Combos: These are the holy grail. People have boxes of old family tapes and no way to play them. A working Sony VCR/DVD combo can easily sell for $150–$250.
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Cassette Players: The Walkman is back. Not just for decoration, but for actual use.
Here's where it gets interesting... The condition matters less than you think for some items. I’ve sold "For Parts" camcorders to prop houses and repair shops for $40. The market is hungry for the parts just as much as the whole unit.
2. "Gorpcore" and Specialized Outdoor Gear
Fashion trends move fast, but "Gorpcore" (high-end camping and hiking gear worn as street fashion) has staying power.This is currently one of the best things to flip because the retail prices are astronomical. Patagonia, Arc'teryx, and The North Face are the big names, but the real money is in the vintage pieces.
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Vintage Fleece: 90s patterns (Aztec prints, deep piles) are huge.
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Hiking Boots: Merrell and Vasque boots, especially the older models with "Made in Italy" stamps.
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Gore-Tex Shells: Anything waterproof from the 90s is liquid gold on Depop.
My Anecdote: I found a vintage 1996 North Face "Nuptse" puffer jacket at a Goodwill bins outlet. I paid by the pound—maybe $3 total. It had a small tear in the sleeve. I disclosed the tear, took artsy photos, and it sold on Depop for $180 in 24 hours. The buyer didn't care about the damage; they cared about the "vintage puff."
3. Industrial and Business Surplus (The B2B Flip)
This is the secret weapon for sellers who want items to buy and resell for profit without dealing with picky fashion buyers. Businesses break stuff, and they need replacements fast. They don't care about price; they care about speed.
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Pneumatic Parts: Valves, cylinders, and switches.
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Printer Toner: Unopened, expired toner cartridges often sell for surprisingly high prices because businesses have old printers they refuse to upgrade.
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POS Systems: Barcode scanners (Zebra, Honeywell) hold their value incredibly well.
Opinion: I would rather sell one $300 industrial barcode scanner to a warehouse manager than fifty $6 t-shirts to teenagers. The B2B customer never complains about "fit" and rarely returns items.
4. Predicting the Next Hit with Closo Demand Signals
The biggest problem with "Best Items" lists is that by the time you read them, the market is saturated. You need to be ahead of the curve. This is where I use Closo Demand Signals. Instead of guessing, I look at the search volume data.
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How Closo helps me predict demand signals: Last month, Closo flagged a 200% spike in search volume for "Chrome Decor." Most thrift stores were full of silver-plated brass and chrome lamps that everyone was ignoring because "Gold" has been the trend for years. Because of Closo, I knew the trend was shifting. I bought up every chrome desk lamp I could find for $5–$10. Two weeks later, the trend hit mainstream design blogs, and I listed my lamps for $65 each. They sold instantly.
Closo Demand Signals basically acts as a time machine, telling me what people will want in 6 weeks, so I can buy it while it's still cheap.
5. The "Grandma-Core" Revolution
Similar to the chrome trend, interior design is shifting toward "Maximalist Grandma." This makes home decor one of the best items to resell 2026 has to offer. We aren't talking about valuable antiques here; we are talking about vibes.
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Mushroom Motifs: Anything with a mushroom on it (jars, canisters, wall art).
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Colored Glass: Amber, green, and pink Depression glass.
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Needlepoint Art: Framed cross-stitch pieces that used to be trash are now "cottagecore" staples.
Honest Failure: I tried to flip a set of "Precious Moments" figurines. I thought they fit the "Grandma" vibe. I was wrong.They sat for a year. The market wants aesthetic grandma (floral teacups, quilts), not collectible grandma. There is a huge difference, and I lost about $50 learning it.
6. Amazon Replenishables: The Boring Cash Cow
If you are asking about best items to resell on Amazon, the game is different. You can't sell one-off vintage items easily on Amazon. You need UPCs and volume. The winner here is "Replenishables"—stuff people use up and buy again.
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Discontinued Beauty Products: Shampoos, lotions, or lipstick shades that were discontinued. People are loyal to their brands.
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Groceries: Specialized snacks or regional sodas.
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Replacement Parts: Water filters, vacuum belts, blender gaskets.
Parenthetical Aside: (I know a seller who pays his mortgage entirely by reselling a specific brand of discontinued hairspray. He buys it from dusty shelves in rural drugstores and flips it for 4x the price on Amazon. It’s not glamorous, but it prints money.)
7. Toys and Games (But Not the New Ones)
Toys are always good items to buy and resell, but the profit isn't in the new LEGO set at Target (unless you catch a clearance error). The profit is in the parts and the retired sets.
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Loose LEGO: Buying bulk LEGO by the pound and sorting out the "minifigures." A single Star Wars minifigure can be worth $50.
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Replacement Board Game Pieces: Do you have a Monopoly game with a missing board but good pieces? Part it out. People buy just the "Top Hat" token or just the money.
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Radica Games: Those handheld electronic games from the 2000s (like 20Q or Bass Fishin').
Comparison: Best Resale Items by Platform
Now the tricky part... Condition Anxiety
When reselling vintage or used items, the biggest fear is: "What if it breaks?" This stops many people from flipping electronics, which are arguably the best items to resell for profit.
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The Fix: Be honest. Over-describe the flaws.
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If a camera has a scratch, photograph it under bright light.
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If a VCR remote is missing the battery cover, put it in the title.
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Buyers will still buy it, but they won't return it if they know exactly what they are getting.
People always ask me...
Is it legal to resell items I bought at a store?
Yes, absolutely. It is called the "First Sale Doctrine." Once you buy an item, it is yours to do with as you please, including selling it. However, you cannot claim it is "New" with a manufacturer's warranty if the warranty doesn't transfer (which is common with electronics). On Amazon, you may be restricted ("gated") from selling certain brands like Nike or Apple without invoices, but on eBay or Poshmark, you are generally free to sell anything legitimate.
How do I find out what an item is worth?
Never look at the "Asking Price." I can list a dirty sock for $1,000; that doesn't mean it's worth $1,000. You must filter by "Sold Listings". On eBay, toggle the "Sold Items" filter. On Poshmark, filter by "Sold." This shows you the actual cash that changed hands. That number is the real market value.
Conclusion
Finding the best item to resell is about ignoring the hype and focusing on the utility. The market pays for three things:
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Nostalgia (The feeling of 2005).
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Scarcity (The discontinued shampoo).
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Utility (The industrial part that keeps a factory running).
If you focus on these three pillars, you will never run out of good items to resell. But finding them is only half the battle.You have to get them in front of the right buyers. That means listing that vintage camera on eBay, Mercari, and Depop simultaneously. I use Closo to automate that process, ensuring that my best finds find their new homes as fast as possible.
Start cross-listing with Closo today—because the best item in the world is worthless if nobody sees it.
