Best Items to Flip — 2018

Jake W
4 min readOct 14, 2018

--

Once in a lifetime a flipper might get lucky and find their golden goose, an item that they buy for next to nothing and then turn for a ridiculous profit, but for most of us this is just a dream. In reality a good reseller will look for items that will consistently turn a profit, and only occasionally take risks. Flipping in itself can be a risk, so it’s best to choose items that will always make a profit. Below is a list detailing the best items anyone can flip to make extra profit, whether you’re a new reseller or not.

Clothes

One of the best items to flip is clothes. Typically you can get a good return on your investment, also known as ROI. The ROI of clothes tends to vary by brand, and what platform you sell on. Poshmarks demographic is primarily women, so it wouldn’t make sense to try and sell Mens dress shirts that you picked up (a mistake I have made many times). Instead you should go for womens and kids clothes, and make sure you selectively choose based on the season. People aren’t gonna want to buy a tank top in the dead of winter, so choose wisely. Below is a list of brands I have had good luck with, however these vary by what demographic you are selling to, and what inventory you already have. The ROI on these items tends to be around 10%-20%

Best brands on Poshmark

  • Coach
  • Aeropostale
  • Vans
  • Hollister
  • Forever 21
  • J. Crew

This is just a few of the many brands that will sell on Poshmark, however it is usually a good idea to experiment with different items.

Video Game Consoles

Good deals are difficult to come by, however by using websites such as Craigslist or apps like LetGo and Mercari, consoles can come cheap. Flipping consoles and controllers on eBay is a good way to make very easy money. If you are able to haggle with someone, you’ll most likely be able to drop the price enough to get a great ROI. Many console flippers make up at least 10% ROI per console, and a little bit more on controllers. Playstations and Xbox Ones are almost always in demand, and increase in times closer to holidays. Reselling controllers can be a good way to make extra cash too. However, in flipping consoles you must be aware of scammers. On eBay, people who sell consoles can easily get scammed. Frequently users will message them, asking to pay extra if they ship the item same day. Do not accept an offer like this, as it is without a doubt a scam. Be cautious of who you purchase from as well, as occasionally people will sell broken consoles without informing the buyer. Always ask for proof of it functioning, and be wary of people who seem sketchy. Remember, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

Power Tools

An item commonly overlooked by many is power tools. At a flea market or garage sale it is likely you can pick up quality power tools, such as Black and Decker or Craftsman. The ROI on these items is usually good, however it varies greatly by the tool and condition so there is no exact percentage. If you work a blue collar job, or have experience in one, this is a great niche to get into. Below is a list of the brands that you can typically find at a garage sale, and resell for a good amount on a website such as Craigslist or LetGo.

Best power tool brands

  • Black and Decker
  • Stehle
  • Snap-On
  • Craftsman

Workout equipment

While this niche does usually require a pickup truck, and some muscles, workout equipment has an amazing ROI. Items such as treadmills will occasionally be given away, and can be resold for $500-$1200 depending on the condition and type. Benches and weights on their own again sell for cheap, and can be resold at a much higher value. However the downside to this niche is that occasionally items such as the treadmills will need fixing, and the equipment will almost always need cleaning. However if you have the tools available to do that, then this niche can make you lots of quick cash. It is best to resell only on LetGo or Craigslist, as shipping a treadmill would be a little.. err.. difficult to say the least.

A summary (Tl;dr)

Flipping on its own can be a great way to make extra money on the side, and for some people can make them a living. It is highly recommended to find a niche and stick somewhat close to that in the beginning as you will be very knowledgeable and be able to make good decisions based on that. Thank you for reading, and remember the KISS principle.

You can check out more articles I have written at my blog, Peak Xci. Here I provide free guides to flipping with no sign up required.

--

--