Are you interested in making extra money on the side? Flea market flipping can be a great way to make money in your spare time. This is the process of buying items at a low price and reselling them for a higher price.
If you have a good eye for finding hidden gems at flea markets, thrift stores such as Goodwill, garage sales, or antique shops, then you may want to consider turning your hobby into a side hustle.
With the growing popularity of Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, more and more people are decluttering their homes and donating items. It’s no surprise this is good news for flea market flippers (also known as thrift store flipping).
Does flea market flipping sound like a good fit for you?
Learning how to make money online can be tricky. That’s why I put together this resource to share a legitimate way you can make extra money on the weekend.
Whether you’re looking to make an extra few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars each month, use these tips to help you get started flipping items for profit.
Related Posts:
- 35 things to sell to make money right now
- 19 best items to flip for profit
- How I made $700 in one week selling old stuff on Facebook Marketplace
Table of Contents
What is flea market flipping?
Flea market flipping is when you purchase items at a lower cost from one market (such as from a thrift store) and then resell it for profit in another market (such as on eBay).
One of the best parts about making money as a flea market flipper is you can set your own hours and make money doing something fun.
Plus, it has the potential for you to earn enough to pay off debt faster, save more money, or have the opportunity to work full-time for yourself. I know this is a dream shared by many Mint Notion readers.
How much money can you make from reselling?
The amount you make can depend on a lot of factors. In 2015, Rob and Melissa made $42,000 on the side, working between 5-15 hours per week.
In 2016, Rob and Melissa made $133,054 in sales flipping flea market, thrift store, and yard sale items.
They more than tripled their 2015 income ($42K). Rob used his 20 years of experience buying and reselling items to master his “buy low, sell high” model and turn it into a full-time 6-figure operation.
Both Rob and Melissa now work full-time doing flea market flips, spending an average of 20-25 hours per week on their business. They believe this is something anyone can learn how to do.
Whether you’re looking for some extra spending money or to build a full-time business, you can make enough money to help pay off debt faster or add more freedom to your life.
Could you imagine? What would you do with an extra $500, $1,000, or even $5,000 a month?
Check out some recent items that Rob and Melissa flipped for profit below!
Is reselling a good way to make money?
Yes, it can be an excellent way to make money part-time. Or if you put in enough effort, it has the potential to turn into a full-time income.
Most people are familiar with real estate flipping, but there are many different items you can buy and resell for profit.
For example, it’s possible to make money reselling items you can find at thrift stores, auctions, yard sales, and flea markets.
Flea market flipping is the process of buying items from places like yard sales for low prices, and then selling them online using eBay, Craiglists, Amazon, or others selling sites for profit. This means you have the potential to turn $100 into $1,000 or even $10 into $1,000.
I know many people are interested in starting their own side hustle, such as flipping furniture for profit, but say they “have no money”.
The great part about flea market flipping is that you can even find hidden treasures on the Craiglist “Free” section. This makes it easier than ever to find the best deals and start making extra money!
Still interested? Yeah? Ok, let’s do this!
Read Next: 21 hobbies that make money
What skills do you need to flip items for profit?
The good news is that you don’t need to have a college degree or any business education to make money flipping things for profit. Yep, this means that anyone can learn how to get started with flea marketing flipping.
Here’s a dining set that Rob and Melissa bought at an auction for $350. They sold it on eBay for over $2,000!
What are the best items to flip for profit?
According to Rob and Melissa, the masterminds behind FleamarketFlipper.com, there is not really one “type” of item to look for. Instead, they have found success selling all sorts of different things.
For example, Rob says he likes to search for items that look interesting, expensive, or weird. Then he’ll research it and find out if it’s really expensive or not.
While he’s happy to sell anything that will turn a profit, Rob likes to focus exclusively on high margin items to flip that will make at least $100. Otherwise, it’s not worth his time.
His wife, Melissa, likes to look for quality baby items or exercise equipment. For her, these are the easiest things to flip for profit. She’s a personal trainer and a mother of three young girls, so she tends to gravitate towards these types of items.
They both try to find items for $5-$50, however Rob is willing to spend more if the potential is there to make a great profit.
Here’s some patio furniture that Rob and Melissa found on OfferUp. They bought it for just $100 and sold it for $2,500 on eBay!
Flipping stuff for profit can be an excellent side hustle opportunity. But like any business, it’s important to sell products that are valuable to your customers and provides a good profit margin for you.
Below are some of the easiest items to flip:
- Antique art or books
- Vintage clothing
- Baby clothes and baby items (such as strollers)
- Kids’ clothing and toys
- Furniture – Check out this guide on how to flip furniture for profit
- Video games and consoles
- Cetain technology and electronics
- Power tools
- Yard tools and equipment
- Sports equipment
- High-end luxury and designer goods
Read Next: The 18 best things to flip for profit
How do you find high margin items to flip?
If an item looks expensive or interesting, Rob and Melissa recommend searching for it on Google to see what it retails for. This can give you an idea of its value and make it easy to flip.
With over 20 years of flipping items, they’ve gotten an education through experience on what the best items are to resell for profit.
The key is to have a good eye at finding high-ticket items that are undervalued by the seller. Then you can buy it at a low price and sell it for a significantly higher price.
Furniture is one of the best items to resell for profit. Some of the best furniture to flip for profit includes kitchen tables, side tables, bookcases, and bedroom dressers just to name a few.
Here’s a crib that Rob and Melissa found at a thrift store for only $40. They flipped it on eBay for $400!
Where is the best place to find things to flip for profit?
The best place to start is by looking at what you already have at home. There’s a good chance that you already have items in your garage or storage that are worth lots of money!
Need some ideas? Check out this free list of 47 household items you can sell to make $100 this week. Below are some more great spots to source items locally:
- Garage sales / Yard sales
- Estate sales
- Thrift stores, such as Goodwill or Value Village
- Flea Markets (made popular by the HGTV show, Flea Market Flipping)
- Antique shops
- Online auctions
What is the best platform to resell items?
Online is the best platform to resell stuff from thrift stores. This will help get your products in front of thousands of people, which can help you sell things quickly and make the most profit.
Below are best platforms to flip stuff online:
- Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Groups
- eBay
- Craigslist / Kijiji
- Etsy
- Shopify (if you have enough products, you can create your own store front on Shopify. Try it for free with this 14-day trial).
Want to make quick cash now? Online surveys can be a great way to make fast money in your spare time. Each survey takes around 5-15 minutes to complete and you’ll get paid to share your opinion. My favorite legit survey sites include: Swagbucks, Branded Surveys, Survey Junkie,and Inbox Dollars. The more survey sites you join, the more money you can make!
Benefits of buying and reselling items
Working as a flea market flipper can have a number of life-changing benefits. Many people are looking to become a stay-at-home mom or dad, but still want to find a way to make money for their family too.
Working from home flipping items for profit might be the perfect opportunity for you. When you learn how to become a flea market flipper, you’ll get to enjoy:
- MORE FREEDOM – Be able to work when you want, where you want, and escape the 9-5 lifestyle.
- MORE FLEXIBILITY – Be able to create your own schedule. Work alone or choose to work with your family and friends.
- FINANCIAL SECURITY – You have the potential to earn enough money to stop living paycheck to paycheck, save money for your future, pay off debt faster, and afford to travel more.
We never know what tomorrow will bring. Relying on one job income can be a little risky. If you learn how to flip items for profit, this can help diversify your income in the case of a job loss or pay cut.
Do you want to start living a more financially free life? Learn how to get started making money flipping things here.
What tools do you need to flip items for profit?
The goods news is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money in the beginning. You can find items in your home or on the “free” section of Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist to flip for profit.
Ideally, I recommend looking for affordable pieces that are easy to restore and renovate. This will help you yield higher profits and allow you to develop your skills.
I would also focus on finding quick-selling items and smaller pieces that require only one or two people to carry. The fastest selling items are usually the most useful and practical for everyday life.
Below are some tools that you may want to consider investing in:
- A laptop or computer to research and list your items.
- A car or truck to take items home from thrift stores.
- Cleaning supplies to clean the items before you list them for sale.
- An orbital sander if you’re flipping furniture.
- Paint brushes and other painting tools.
- Paint, primer, and sealer.
- A drill and screwdriver if you’re restoring furniture pieces.
Rob from Flea Market Flipper recommends starting with $20-$50 and growing from there. Most of his flips are bought for under $50.
Ideally, a $50 investment should bring you around $100-$300 (or more on some occasions). You may even find free items to resell.
How to start reselling items for profit
While anyone can get started buying and reselling stuff online, learning from someone who has over 20 years of experience can certainly give you a HUGE advantage.
Especially if you want to avoid wasting time with the trial and error approach and earn a decent income, faster.
Rob and Melissa Stephenson, over at Fleamarket Flipper are some of the most savvy and experienced flippers I know. They’ve turned their hobby of flipping used items into a profitable six-figure operation.
Now they’ve complied all their knowledge into a comprehensive course: Flipper University.
They’ll teach you the basics of how to buy and resell items to make sure you’re a skilled flipper superstar! After you’ve mastered these skills, Rob and Melissa will show you how to turn this newfound knowledge into and thriving and profitable business.
You’ll walk away from this course knowing exactly how to find items that will sell for high profit online, how to get your listings on eBay and Facebook Marketplace seen, and to become a Top-Rated seller so you can rise above the competition. Sounds like high-value stuff, right?
Almost all of their course graduates have amazing success stories. This can be the perfect opportunity for someone who’s motivated to find hidden treasures and make extra money on the side (or even work for themselves full-time).
They’ll even teach you the ins and outs of freight shipping with FedEx and UPS, so you can maximize your earnings while saving money on shipping costs. Check out their Pro Plus course option!
In this course, you’ll receive:
- 45+ lessons covered in 13 modules
- PDF downloads for listing worksheets, bonus guides & more
- Excel spreadsheets for income / expense records
- Video tutorials on what we do for finding, listing, selling, and shipping
- Plus 10 bonuses worth over $4,000 included for FREE!
Still not sure if Flipper University is right for you?
I can understand if you’re not ready to jump headfirst into this. There’s no doubt this course can help accelerate your success as a flea market flipper, but maybe you still have some questions.
For example, perhaps you’re thinking, “This is something I would love…but I have no experience, what if I can’t find anything worth money to resell?”
How do you go from knowing nothing about flipping stuff to reselling items for profit and making money?
Most online courses don’t teach you the part where you actually go out into the real world and apply what you’ve learn. This is what makes Rob and Melissa’s course so valuable – because a big portion of the course is dedicated to helping you find the best items to flip and how to sell for high profit online.
That’s why many of Rob and Melissa’s course graduates have been so successful. When you enroll in their course, you’ll gain the skills needed to succeed as a flea market flipper, PLUS you’ll learn how to not lose money on shipping so you can create a profitable business.
Don’t just take my word for it, though. I recommend checking out theirfree workshop(details below).
Free Fleamarket Flipping Workshop
Rob and Melissa have put together a FREE 75-minute workshop where they’ll share:
- Information about themselves, so you can get to know your teachers.
- 5 signs flipping/ reselling items could be a perfect fit for you.
- How flipping can be your ticket to lifestyle freedom and financial security.
- 3 insider secrets that will help you grow your flipping profits.
Their workshop is completely free to join. You can sign up here.
SIGN UP FOR THE FREE WORKSHOP
Flea Market Flipper Success Story
I was inspired by Kelly’s story, who now makes $5,000 per month on her flipper side hustle after completing Rob and Melissa’s flipping course. She’s a single mother who went from working two jobs to finding great success with her new flipping hustle.
The inspiring part is that she signed up for Flipper University in October 2018 and started making profit immediately. By Christmas 2018, she was making a solid $1,000 extra a month putting 10 hours of time into it. This allowed her to stop working overtime at her day job and make more money from her flipping business.
Before Kelly enrolled in Flipper University, she naturally had fears, especially about shipping. But once she joined the course, she felt more confident. And after selling and shipping a couple of items, she couldn’t believe how easy it was to do!
With the right training and tools, you too can make some good money with just a few flips. Flipping things for profit isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy hunting for hidden gems at yard sales, flea markets, or thrift stores, this can be a great fit for you.
Ready to kick-start your reselling business? Start by checking out Rob and Melissa’s online training here.
