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$3 - $40 a few minutes

by shaneburgess
25 replies
I just wanted to let some of the others in on how you might be able to turn a nice profit within a few extra minutes of spare time.

I work close to a thrift shop and I like to go for a walk each day. It was way too hot for a walk today so I decided to check out the thrift shop. It is large so I could do some walking and perhaps snag a deal.

With my phone in hand I looked at items and found a water filter. I looked it up on Ebay and they were selling for $50 - $60. I bought it for $3 and posted it on ebay and went to work.

This entire process took me 20 minutes.

A few hours later, someone bought it for $40 on ebay.

If you want some extra cash, head to the thrift store with your phone and see what you can find. Never go feeling like you have to get something or else you will end up with junk. Only buy things that you know have a high chance of selling for a profit.

Hope this helps
-Shane
#$40 #arbitrage #minutes
  • Profile picture of the author Victor Edson
    Nice job.. you can find some great deals at garage sales too, and they're all over right now during the summer.
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  • Profile picture of the author IzzuDino
    cool.. but is it really as it easy as it sounds? Tried eBay selling once using the same method; buying low and selling for a profit and god did I fail miserably...

    Maybe I was doing something wrong?
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    • Profile picture of the author shaneburgess
      You will not always get a 10x profit but as long as you have a smart phone, there is really not a lot of risk because you should know if something sells or not.

      A good way to start is to find things that you own and might want to throw away or donate. Then try to sell them on ebay and if they do not sell then donate or throw them away.
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  • Profile picture of the author Larry Leggett
    Something like this was shared by another member of this forum but he was talking about craigslist instead of ebay. He bought some old computer parts and sold it for some good profits at craigslist.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dragone
    Sounds good but how much of a hassle is it to ship it afterwards?
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    • Profile picture of the author BamIPD
      Last time I was at Goodwill I was looking at an NES game locked up in the glass case. I never heard of it so I tried to look up the value on my phone. I couldn't get service in the store so I stepped outside. By the time I came back in some guy already had it in his hands. I think in the future I'll just buy any old game for a couple bucks and see what happens.
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  • Profile picture of the author AJMontoya
    I do this at Goodwill all the time. Nice share!
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    • Profile picture of the author Lurk
      Originally Posted by xismfofx22 View Post

      I do this at Goodwill all the time. Nice share!
      but what's your primary income?
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      • Profile picture of the author AJMontoya
        I run e-commerce sites. I sell clothing or thrift finds on eBay in my spare time.
        Originally Posted by Lurk View Post

        but what's your primary income?
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        • Profile picture of the author Unlock Real Results
          I used to do a lot of selling on eBay - going to thrift stores and garage sales. You have to kiss A LOT of frogs to get decent items. At the time it was just a hobby and I LOVED the thrill of the hunt. And nothing is better than making $$$$ in a hobby.
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  • Profile picture of the author Japles
    I do this in addition to online marketing!

    Clothes are a great thing to swing on.

    Name brand jeans and clothes nearly always sell if priced right.

    Never tried water filters, thanks for the suggestion!
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    • Profile picture of the author AJMontoya
      I was once lucky enough to find a pair of vintage Dolce and Gabbana jeans in the racks at a Goodwill once. Got them for $5 and resold them on eBay for $50 in less than a week.

      Originally Posted by Japles View Post

      Clothes are a great thing to swing on.

      Name brand jeans and clothes nearly always sell if priced right.
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  • Profile picture of the author webrankingservices2000
    Banned
    This souds really easy , However when we include the shipping costs sometimes we might be in trouble. Ebay has reall made the selling process much easier. Always chhose the right horses before riding. This is also true for products before purchasing..
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  • Profile picture of the author FitMarketer
    Yes this method has been shared a few times here on the WF.

    Its a solid one if you have some time to spare. Good for teens on a summer vacation or if you need some holiday cash.

    But not a long term business model
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    • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
      Originally Posted by Dragone View Post

      Sounds good but how much of a hassle is it to ship it afterwards?
      ???

      You say up front shipping costs not included or you find a happy shipping medium.

      Sure, you need to put it in a box and ship - but the hassle depends on how far away you are from the post office.
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      • Profile picture of the author Meharis
        Originally Posted by Jill Carpenter View Post

        ???

        You say up front shipping costs not included or you find a happy shipping medium.

        Sure, you need to put it in a box and ship - but the hassle depends on how far away you are from the post office.

        When I was eBay seller, I never left my house to take the package to the post office.
        The mail person picked up from my mail box.

        Meharis
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        • Profile picture of the author Japles
          Originally Posted by Meharis View Post

          When I was eBay seller, I never left my house to take the package to the post office.
          The mail person picked up from my mail box.

          Meharis
          Yes you can virtually do everything from home.

          You can order thousands of USPS boxes to your front door, absolutely FREE, they will even pay for shipping.

          As long as you have a scale to weigh your package, you can print out shipping labels online using PayPal and then have USPS pick up your packages.

          I sell clothes on ebay and the most I pay for shipping is $5.60

          I use the flat rate USPS envelopes (non-padded). As long as it fits in that envelope, it will get shipped anywhere in the U.S. for $5.60

          I usually make $20-$30 revenue, depending on the item.

          And then about $15-$25 of that is pure profit.

          It's a great hobby and you can make some decent income/startup capital in addition to your primary job.

          However, I know a guy who sells car parts on eBay and he turned it into his full-time career. Last year he made over $250,000
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  • Profile picture of the author webrankingseoservices
    Sure ,You can make that amount. The ebay is full of possibilities. But you must be selective while choosing what to purchase and what to sell. Shipping is the biggest problem stopping ebay form growing even more.
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  • Profile picture of the author owais211
    Banned
    It sounds its a good deal
    Just asking,does the $40 inclusive of the shipping cost?and also,have you considered the time and hustles involved in the shipping process?
    Cheers!
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    • Profile picture of the author shaneburgess
      Item was $40 and shipping was $5 and I was able purchase shipping for $4. I got paid a total of $45.

      The point that I was really trying to stress was that I did this in my spare time and I agree that it is not a long term business that will help me quit my job. I actually like my job quite a bit.

      My only goal right now is to use this and other methods to pay off all of my debt which I am having no trouble paying but it is a nice goal to work toward at the moment.

      Ultimately, I would like to have some kind of online store that runs itself but, until then, this will do.

      Thanks for all of the input.
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  • Profile picture of the author twister85
    Worth trying, well most of the time we people are just talking to our girlfriends when we visit this type of stores as its one of the boring places. this time I'll with my phone switched to silent mode and see if I research something out.
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  • Profile picture of the author troy23
    eBay is a great resource.
    I started out selling iPod tutorials there back in the day.
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  • Profile picture of the author lalit657
    really very nice story...
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  • Profile picture of the author KevinChapman
    If you can get hold of the right items then you can make a killing on eBay. It's just so unpredictable though, you could never rely on it just appreciate it as a little bonus.
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  • Profile picture of the author flovin
    Is it really that simple ? My feel is that if you have the right items on ebay, then they will be out fast. Also again, it depends on luck. Have tried selling on ebay but so far no luck.
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