Lee Meyer started reselling with exactly $7. Meyer says there was no clue what to do at the start, and not even any idea what Lululemon was. Today, according to @listingtofreedom, Meyer has sold thousands of clothing items online, made well over $100,000 in net profit, and even used reselling to help pay off her house.
The message for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the long lists of gear and software that newcomers are told to buy is simple: you need far less than you think. Meyer boils it down to 7 things that will carry a beginner to that first $1,000 a month.
Here is the list, in order, with the reasoning behind each one.
1. Inventory You Already Own
Meyer says the first thing you need might already be sitting in your house, and brand-new sellers are better off spending nothing at all. Go through your closet, the garage, the kids’ closets and the pile you keep meaning to donate. If you come up short, ask friends and family what they are ready to part with.
The benefit is almost no risk. You learn to photograph items, write a listing, price and ship, all without putting money on the line. Then you use those first sales to buy your first real inventory. Even if you start from scratch, a few dollars can go a long way. That $7 was a few years ago, so with inflation Meyer figures it might be $14 or $20 today, and a Goodwill Outlet can stretch that further.
Starting small does slow you down. Reaching $1,000 a month may take three or four months instead of one or two. But Meyer sees an upside, because you are going to make mistakes. Meyer once bought what looked like a Ralph Lauren piece, and it turned out to be a look-alike brand. A shopper corrected the listing, and it sold for about two dollars. The lesson is better learned with $7 than with $1,000.
2. The Knowledge To Spot Value
You cannot look up every item on the rack, Meyer says, or you will be in the store for nine hours. Over time you want to pick something up and get an instant feeling that it deserves a closer look. Brand is only one clue. Meyer also checks the material, such as wool, cashmere, leather or down filling, and asks whether the piece feels well made.
Style matters too, meaning whether it fits a look buyers are searching for right now. Vintage pieces, union made items, novelty prints and clothing made for a specific activity can all signal value, and none of them depend on an expensive designer name.
3. Research On What Buyers Really Pay
Meyer calls this the most important item on the list. In the thrift store, what matters is not what someone is asking, but what buyers are actually paying. Meyer does nearly all research on eBay, even when listing elsewhere, using the product research tool on the seller page of the app.
She says it beats simply filtering for sold listings because it shows the real sold price even when the seller accepted a best offer. A listing that looks like it sold for $75 may really have sold for $35 after an offer. The tool also shows the average sale price, the typical shipping charge and the sell-through rate.
That rate is the second question every beginner should ask. If a thousand similar jackets are listed and only two have sold, a jacket worth $40 on paper could sit for years. If many are listed and many are selling, demand is healthy. Meyer says it is your choice whether to chase a $50 profit that takes six months or a $20 to $25 profit that moves fast, but if the goal is $1,000 a month, faster turns help.
4. Someone To Answer Your Questions
The fourth item is a person you can ask, such as why something is not selling, whether you should buy it, and whether you priced it right. Meyer says this can shorten the learning curve tremendously, and the Empowered Reseller program offers monthly trainings, Q&As and a private community for those who want extra guidance.
5. A Phone And A Simple Listing
You do not need a mannequin, a backdrop, a lighting kit or a special camera. Use your phone and the light from a window. The tip is to turn blinds upward so the light bounces away, which gives a softer look, or use a sheer curtain. Lay the item flat on the floor or a table, or hang it on a hanger against a plain wall.
Photos only need to be clear and accurate. Then write a searchable title with the brand, item type, style details, materials and features, using words a shopper might actually type.
6. Free Packaging And A Scale
Do not buy 500 poly mailers before your first sale. Save the bags and boxes that arrive at your home. When Meyer started, it was manila envelopes from the dollar store, at about a dollar out of pocket to ship the first sales. The one tool Meyer says you need from the start is a scale, since you must know roughly what a package weighs to buy the right label. A kitchen scale works, and a shipping scale is usually under $20.
7. Patience And Consistency
This may be the hardest one. Some items sell within minutes, but Meyer says that is rare. Most take a few days or weeks, and some take months. With only a handful of items listed, sales will be sporadic, and Meyer says that is normal. Pick a pace you can keep, whether that is five items a day or 10 to 20 a week.
Meyer sees two common traps: buying things nobody wants and pricing far above what buyers pay. Keep reinvesting your earnings, Meyer says. In Meyer’s words, it has been the same $7 flipping ever since, and beginners are urged not to quit right before their work starts to add up.
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