Want to know what actually sells online? Not what people say sells, but what really left the house, got packed in a box and went to the post office? A reseller who goes by @pickingjunkaddict on TikTok pulled back the curtain with a simple look at two days of sales, and the list is a lesson in how to turn used items into cash.
She tries to ship every day, but she missed one, so she was packing up two days’ worth of orders at once. Here is what went out the door.
@pickingjunkaddict
The two-day sales list
On Poshmark:
- A Bath and Body Works item she believes is discontinued sold for $32.
- A sweater she says she almost kept sold for $39.
On eBay:
- A vintage blue jean jacket sold for $19.
- An item her husband found at an online auction sold for $125. She does not remember what they paid, but she says it was not a lot.
- A used vintage Buzz Lightyear Toy Story blanket sold for $28.
- A vintage bag full of vintage clothespins sold as a set for $23.
- A vintage brown vest sold for $28.
- A Sears measuring cup that looks like a pan sold for $16.95.
- A frame sold for $16 on a best offer.
- Three small frames with pictures in them sold together for $20 on a best offer.
Also going out:
- A bag of Mary Kay products, roughly $60 worth, from a big bulk purchase she made.
- Something she had just picked up the other day for a dollar, which sold in two days for $29.99.
What the list teaches
Look closely, and you will see a pattern. None of these items are fancy. They are small, ordinary and mostly vintage: a blanket, a measuring cup, a bag of clothespins, a jean jacket. Add them up and you have a solid couple of days’ work, plus a reminder that the best flips often come from the junk drawer, the garage and the thrift store dollar bin.
Notice the dollar find. An item bought for $1 sold in two days for $29.99. That is the kind of return that makes people fall in love with reselling.
How to sell the things in your own house
If you are decluttering, you may be sitting on items like these right now. Before you donate a box, consider whether any of it could sell. Here is a simple way to find out.
- Look for “vintage.” Old kitchen tools, linens, jackets, toys and tins are popular. Anything 20 years or older might qualify.
- Check the sold listings, not the asking prices. On eBay, search for your item and filter by sold items. That shows what buyers really paid.
- Look at brand names. Sears, Pyrex, Mary Kay and Disney characters all have loyal followings.
- Use sets. Three small frames or a bag of clothespins sold together can bring more than the pieces would alone.
- Take clear photos. Use daylight, a plain background, and show any flaws honestly.
- Be open to offers. She took best offers on two of her frame listings. A quick sale at a fair price beats an item sitting in a box for months.
Which platform fits what
Her list also shows how sellers match items to places. Clothing and beauty products did well on Poshmark, a site built for fashion. Vintage household goods, toys and collectibles went through eBay, where collectors search by keyword. As a rule of thumb, clothing and accessories often do well on Poshmark and similar fashion apps, while vintage, odd and hard-to-find items tend to do well on eBay. Local marketplaces work for bulky things like furniture that are hard to ship.
Do the math before you buy
Her dollar find is the real lesson for anyone thinking of trying this. Reselling works when the gap between what you pay and what the buyer pays is wide enough to cover fees, shipping supplies and your time. A good habit is to decide your ceiling before you walk into a thrift store or yard sale. If you would not pay it for the item on a day when you had no plan to sell it, think twice.
Start small. Sell five things from your own home first, see how the process feels, and learn what your area and your online buyers like. Many people find that the first few sales build the confidence to keep going.
Keep shipping simple
One of her habits is worth copying: she ships every day. Packing orders promptly keeps buyers happy and your feedback strong. Keep a stash of mailers, boxes and tape in one spot, weigh items before you list so you can estimate shipping, and set aside a time each day for packing. A quick trip to the post office beats a pile of orders stacking up in the dining room.
Remember that fees and shipping costs come out of what you earn, so a $16.95 sale does not mean $16.95 in your pocket. Still, for things that were free from your own shelves, or cost a dollar, it adds up quickly.
So the next time you are clearing out a closet, pause before the donation box. That odd little measuring cup could be someone’s missing piece.
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