Where to Source Items to Resell on eBay: 9 Places and How to Judge a Find

You make money on eBay when you buy, not when you sell. A great listing can't rescue an item you overpaid for, and a mediocre listing of an item you bought cheaply still makes a profit. So the first skill to build is judging a find quickly.

The two-minute check before you buy

Standing in the aisle, do this on your phone:

1. Search eBay for the exact item and filter to Sold items. (How to read sold prices.)
2. Note the typical sold price and how many have sold recently.
3. Subtract eBay's fees and your shipping cost. The fee calculator does this in seconds.
4. Compare the profit to your minimum.

Many resellers set a floor, for example at least $10 profit per item or a margin they're comfortable with, and walk away from anything below it. Some use a rule of thumb of paying no more than about a third of the expected sold price. Treat that as a starting point, not a law, since fees and shipping vary a lot by category.

The check in action

Here are three finds from the same trip, run through that check. Fees are 13.6% plus the $0.40 per-order fee, and the minimum is $10 profit.

The vase is the classic trap. It looks like a $4 find that sells for $12, but it's heavy and fragile, so shipping and packing swallow the profit before you've written the listing. The jacket does the opposite: cheap to ship and priced well above what you paid.

Nine places to find inventory

1. Thrift stores and charity shops. Steady supply, especially of clothing, housewares and media. Prices have crept up, so the two-minute check matters.
2. Estate sales. Whole households at once. Go early for selection, and on the last day for discounts.
3. Garage and yard sales. Early arrivals get first pick. Bundle several items and negotiate.
4. Facebook Marketplace and local listings. People who need things gone quickly will often accept a low offer. Meet in a public place.
5. Retail clearance. End-of-season and overstock markdowns at big-box stores. Always check sold prices first, because a markdown isn't a bargain if nobody pays more.
6. Library and school book sales. Cheap books, sometimes by the bag. Only a minority of books sell well online, so check each ISBN before you commit.
7. Auctions, including storage-unit auctions. High variance. Factor in buyer's premiums and the fact that you're often bidding on photos.
8. Liquidation and return pallets. Mixed quality and a mix of tested and untested goods. Work out the cost per item after shipping and expect some duds.
9. Your own home. Free inventory. Closets, garages and drawers are a good place to practice the whole workflow before you spend money.

What tends to sell, and what doesn't

Items that are light, small, durable and recognizable usually do best, because shipping is cheap and returns are rare. Fragile, heavy, low-value things such as glassware, large furniture and bulky decor can cost more to ship than they sell for. Brand names, discontinued models and anything with a collector following are worth a second look.

Red flags

• Counterfeits. If you can't verify authenticity, don't buy it to resell as the real thing.
• Recalled products. Check recall lists before reselling children's items, small appliances and similar goods.
• Missing parts. A game console with no controller, a camera with no battery, or a set missing its pieces sells at a fraction of the complete price.
• Odors and mold. Hard to remove and a guaranteed return if the buyer smells it.
• Restricted items. eBay prohibits or restricts some categories. Read eBay's rules before listing anything unusual.

Track what you spend

Keep a simple sheet with the date, source, what you paid, what it sold for, fees and profit. After a couple of months it will tell you something no guide can: which sources and categories actually pay you.