Summer is treasure hunting season. That's when all the venues for reselling are going strong. I am generally out every week searching for items to stock my booth at Flory's Antique Depot in Brookville, Ohio, booth 21. I am also looking for items to post on eBay. My goal is to find items that I can store to help keep me going through winter too, so I will have a little stockpile that includes vintage items as well as holiday stuff. When the cold winds blow, you will find me sorting, cleaning and getting items ready for resale. I only spend about six hours a week on my little side-hustle.
If you are thinking about a way to make some extra income, and you think reselling might be something for you, here are some things to consider. First, focus on what interests you. The way I think about it is, if it doesn't sell, is it something that I would want? If you aren't interested in something, you won't want to delve deep into researching it. I am interested in old mason jars and can spend hours researching which ones are the most collectible. However, I have no interest in Pokémon cards and would never have the interest to look into those. I also love antique furniture and vintage kitchen items. And most of all, I love old cookbooks.
After that, see how much money you can invest in your new adventure. I started with $100. That was my limit. Once that was spent, I would have to wait until my sales brought me another stash of cash, and I would take a portion of the profits to reinvest while taking the overage as my profit. You might want to think about why you are doing this. Is it to add to your savings? Pay off a bill? Add to your child's college fund? It helps if you have a focus like that. It keeps you under control because certain aspects of this business are certainly fun (the treasure hunting aspect), while the cleaning, tagging and packaging and shipping or schlepping the items to a booth or setting up a sales table are clearly not as fun. You can over-buy because of that, and things can back up, which you don't want. Every job has its good and not-so-fun activities, so balancing that is key.
Then you have to decide how you want to resell. Do you want to go with one of the online venues?
eBay: An online reselling market where just about anything can be found. Here for certain fees you can open an online store, set up auctions and list things for Buy it Now.
ThredUp: A massive online consignment and thrift store, especially great for women’s and kids’ clothing. They handle the shipping and listing for you, which makes it super convenient.
Vinted: A peer-to-peer platform where you can sell clothes, accessories, and even electronics with no selling fees. It’s community-driven and easy to use.
Poshmark: Known for fashion, home decor, and beauty products. It’s social too—you can follow sellers, share listings, and join virtual “Posh Parties.”
Each of these reselling outlets must be investigated and their selling platforms have to be learned, but it isn't hard. And you can also find how-to books for each outlet on Amazon that will hold your hand step by step through it. It is best when you have a good printer to print out shipping labels, and a weighing scale. You'll have to stock up on boxes, bubble wrap and bubble envelopes. One way I save on this is I collect boxes from friends for free, often with free bubble wrap. I end up only purchasing bubble envelopes in quantity and 2-piece labels off eBay to save on costs there. Sometimes you can pick up free boxes at chain stores for free too.
Two other ways to sell are by getting a booth at an antique mall. You will have to be prepared to pay a booth fee, as well as a fee for individual sales. This gives you a place to sell things that are larger and harder to ship. It takes much more commitment as the rent is due every month, so you have to work at it consistently by stocking and rearranging or what I call refreshing. Last, you can set up tables during city-wide yard sales, or at flea markets or festivals. This is more flexible, but can take up a good part of your weekends, and you'll have to invest in some equipment such as a pop up tent, nice chair, cooler, and have the ability to transport your wares.
It's all according to your needs, time and interests. Once you decide on that, then you will want to actually find your "treasures".
Where to Look
Thrift Stores & Garage Sales: These are gold mines for undervalued items like vintage clothing, electronics, and collectibles.
Online Marketplaces: Check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, and even eBay for local deals. Goodwill Online also has some lots that will give you enough of a profit. Buying in lots saves postage and you usually pay less for the items on average.
Estate Sales & Auctions: You can often find high-quality items at a fraction of their value.
Clearance Sections: Retail stores sometimes mark down items that can be flipped for profit online.
Flea markets: These are fun and often items can be bargained for.
What to Look For
Designer Clothing & Accessories: Especially handbags, shoes, and vintage pieces.
Electronics: Even broken laptops or gaming consoles can be resold for parts.
Furniture: Small pieces that can be easily refurbished or upcycled.
Toys & Games: Especially vintage or collectible ones.
Pet & Children’s Products: These tend to resell quickly and at a good margin.
Vintage: Anything old that you find yourself attracted to; old clocks, decorative household items from long ago, pottery
Specialization: Sometimes, people specialize in one or two items. I like Longaberger baskets, so my store often has those. You can specialize in old glasses, maps, postcards, jewelry.
How do you know what to charge for your newly found treasure? You can get an idea by checking out these:
Zik Analytics: Great for checking what’s trending on eBay.
Google Lens: Snap a photo of an item and search for its value online.
eBay Sold Listings: See what similar items have actually sold for—not just listed prices.
If that has sparked your interest, I hope you have an exciting summer of treasure hunting! You never know what you will find, and in the meantime, you'll be making some extra income while having fun doing it.
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