I don't need to thrift these days since I can source plenty for free from my curbs. Especially with health risks these days, I barely thrift.
When I do, I usually just go to two places right by my apartment after dropping off my shipment. I have long-term relationships here with management and staff, so I keep in touch to get some good deals and favors. I've played my cards right over time to get these perks. I've spent plenty at these places over the years and am riding into the thrifting sunset.
While I mostly thrift for fun, to teach a friend, or for stuff for home, I do grab some items to flip when they're obvious wins. This usually means that an item is new, is popular, or sometimes if it is rare. I don't enjoy spending money for something to sell when I can easily get more for free outside, but I do chip in occasionally since it's money for the taking.
So far, I've literally bought only 33-35 items from thrift stores to flip this year. On the other hand, I've saved countless items from the curbs.
Here are 6 recent thrift store flips.
Sealed new early Sarah Brightman CD import bought for $0.64 and sold online for $64.99.
This is the type of profit margin that excite me. Perhaps I'm spoiled by crypto and free merchandise, or I've earned the right to feel this way with years of hustle and sacrifice.
This took a while to sell, but it did to a happy customer with positive feedback received. Sadly, the site I sold it on has high fees for media like this, but I didn't have a better outlet.
Profit after costs, fees and shipping was $50.29.
Brand new PlayStation 3 wireless headset bought for $8.70 and sold online for $50.
Nothing crazy, but sealed video game stuff always sells. This was oddly the EU version, but it still sold just fine.
Profit after costs, fees and shipping was $29.29.
Sealed new Apple Magic Trackpad 2 bought for $49 and sold online for $109.
This was a bit of a spend relative to my normal flip ratios since I knew I wouldn't be making many multiples. However, sealed new Apple is a layup. It sold a few hours after listing it online, only after I had a cash buyer bail on me 15 minutes before meeting.
Profit after costs, fees and shipping was $53.71.
Bluetooth/wifi friendship bracelet bought for $10.89 and sold online for $44.99.
There were 5 of these I was excited to get in bulk since the pairs sell very well. Unfortunately, 4 of them proved to be dead (store returns), so I bought one merely as compensation for my time. I reported their condition to the store manager who removed them from the shelf.
Profit after costs, fees and shipping was $23.41.
Miele vacuum bought for $5.43 (Yep) and sold for $150 cash.
I saw this in a side room by the registers when paying for two pairs of new khaki shorts for my summer wardrobe. I asked the manager what the deal was, and said that he was sending it to their warehouse because it looked dirty. My eyes lit up.
I told him that I'd take it, and in unspoken words, he essentially gave it to me for free. In return, I explained how rubbing alcohol would remove all of the marks on the vacuum and other donations to increase their value. He appreciated the tip, but an older woman scorned me for giving him advice -- presumably because she was a selfish pos.
Ironically, I just found a Miele in the same color and almost identical model in the same week, and was trying to find one missing brush for it. It was funny to find what I needed at the thrift store, but I wound up selling the set from there as a whole, leaving me with one floor brush short for selling the other from the curbs.
Yes, vacuums... I can't escape them.
After I'd agreed to meet the girl for the cash pickup, another buyer reached out and offered me extra for this and the other curb-found Miele I hadn't listed yet (but had mentioned to him in the chat). I kept my word and declined the temptation, and hope that this will give him confidences to buy in bulk from me as he alluded that he would do. He runs a cleaning business and is always buying Mieles... a perfect partnership.
Profit after cash sale of $144.57.
Discontinued desk pen and base bought for $13.07 and sold for $90.
This wasn't something that jumped out at me, but the quality of the metal ring around the base told me it was higher end. If it was new, it'd have been an easy $150 since they're hard to find these days. However, even though it was in mint condition, the ink was used up, and I listed it accordingly as used for a discount.
Profit after costs, fees and shipping was $55.40.
Summary:
While the Apple purchase messed up my profit margins, I can't complain with an instant 2x flip when I want to keep buying the dip.
Total costs: $87.73
Total profit after all fees: $356.67 (4.06x my costs)
Not too bad for having some fun and cherry-picking a few easy winners.
Enough of this thrifting stuff!
Time to go outside late-night and find some free curbside stuff, where the real fun and impact is.
Thanks for your interest,
Matt
Amazing flips.
Happy hunting!
Thanks. Thrifting when I can get stuff for free feels counterintuitive, but I do dabble here and there. I used to go to 10-18 stores a day in my city and really crush it. This was before I noticed the curbside stuff, and also before the prices shot up.
nice flips, you got a good eye for value
Thanks. I usually like to be in the the 5-20x range when I buy, mainly because I can get stuff for free whenever I want, but those snipes are harder to find these days when the stores' prices have gotten so high. They've gotten greedy and/or too much pressure from corporate... or it's inflation and we should hold BTC.
Thrifting is so fun. Like a treasure hunt each time