Great video! The “secret”? Consistent hard work 😂 … that’s it. most people I meet don’t understand the amount of work this takes for sure…Being a full time eBay reseller for 12 years ( 120k a year by myself) and a RUclips content creator ( 2 videos a week approximately 83k subscribers ) a vintage booth, and selling larger items ( furniture, sports equipment etc ) on FBMP..it’s definitely a 60 hr plus work week. Keys for me are : plenty of capital, keeping my buy in price point low, consistently educating myself on items that sell, listing EVERY SINGLE ITEM I purchase, and the calculated choice to buy a house and move to a state where the inventory is amazing and the cost of living reasonable. I have to say that both my husband and I find amazing stuff almost every time we thrift, but we do often hit several sources in one day and travel up to 2hrs away.
Just wanted to jump on here and tell you after 4 years of only selling clothes, shoes and accessories, I diversified into homegoods because of you and your channel. Well you got me interested and Thrift Adventure PNW....now I'm hooked. You made a huge difference in this girls life🥰
I’m so glad you commented! It makes me happy. I’m 62, and see no reason to stop thrifting & reselling, ever. I do have a slight fear of breaking a major bone (thanks menopause) that could sideline me but otherwise I’m in it for the long haul.
the biggest thing they dont tell you is that they make 70% of their money off adsense and brand deals and maybe 30% from reselling but they sell this dream and show the stuff they have off like its all from reselling when its from adsense. not to mention youtube puts a million more eyes on your business and people buy just cause its you. whatnot is big proof of that. it takes an insane amount of work to live off of reselling and I wish there was a youtuber who showed the actual grind not the fun lil trips that arent going to effect if they eat or pay their rent this month.
The internet makes everything look easy. Reselling is a grind. I’m thankful it got me into the self employed world and I hope to continue building multiple businesses to relieve the pressure of the grind.
Part time reseller here. I thought about going full time, but you do have to make so much more money. For instance, if I make $70k at a normal W2 job. They are paying half of my payroll tax (7.65%), matching 4% on 401k, paying over $10k of my health insurance premiums, etc. Plus they pay for my phone. I'd need to make about $90k reselling to have the same compensation as $70k at my W2.
I literally never jump on my phone to leave a comment but I had to give you props for such a realistic view on reselling. This is a breath of fresh air. I didn’t get a negative vibe either just the plain truth of the nuances of the business and the reality of reselling. I am fairly new and appreciate content like this versus the hyped up stuff. TY!
Sourcing and Thrifting is one thing - Actually selling is another. If you look at reseller's storage and garage and they have 5 years worth of inventory. He's right about a side hustle. When I go sourcing I see more elderly & college folks in the thrift stores. Very little GOOD inventory left! 😀
@@Chicago48 I find great items all the time. It's about having a mix and not solely relying on thrifting. You have to have good business sense and be able to spot opportunities. My reselling business is definitely growing each month since I've been focusing on it.
Thank you for being so real. I’ve watched several of your videos tonight. Really enjoyed them. It is so easy to get wrapped up in all the hype. You bring in the common sense factor.
I personally have stopped watching many “big resellers”. I find that they are filming just for the sake of making a video. Some are buying dirty shoes, stained clothing or knick knacks with a chip in them. It’s getting ridiculous. Some are out buying crap just to make content for YT, so it gives an unrealistic view to those of us not in front of a camera. You popped up in my feed and I’m glad you did. I’m off to hit the subscribe button.
I’m a thrifter NOT a reseller but I do know local resellers & you’re right about inventory, etc. Unfortunately some of the resellers I know have become hoarders! They go thrifting everyday like the videos show but then they don’t have the energy or time to list that stuff. Not everyone is going to get rich reselling. Be realistic & keep it real. ❤😊
That's a good way to go broke. LOL. I only source once a week and only allow myself to spend out of the previous weeks income. If I don't list I don't make sales. If I don't make sales. I can't go sourcing.
@@TravisInDallas the ones I know tried to do it as a “side hustle” so they have full or part time jobs to be able to source. They get the thrill of sourcing & then that’s it. 😕
I’ve been selling for 20 years, sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s not as great. I am in a continuous process of learning. I specialize in vintage clothing. I have found many holy grail items. The thing I don’t like about some of the RUclipsrs is they don’t take out cost of goods or fees when saying how much they make on an item. I think that makes their sales totally unrealistic for newbies.
Yes so realistic! I’m retired and resell part time to supplement my pension, it’s enjoyable, low pressure, and not stressful because I don’t rely on reselling for income. The resellers on RUclips aren’t your regular resellers, thanks for pointing that out. Wishing you success .
I'm laughing because I knew you had to be brave to do this video and now I'm seeing reaction videos from resellers. I'm glad you did this video because it is so helpful and validates my feelings that this is not the same gig it used to be and wondering if it truly is viable. I'm paying 43% on fees and promotions, not including th ecost of goods. I don't know how anyone does it.
I subscribed just now. You sound ligit...I also joined so I could say I am one of those old folks you mentioned. For 42 years, I was a reseller at flea markets & 8 years on eBay. I just started listing again. At my age, I am not looking for millions, I just want to add to my social security. The economy has forced many retired people to look for some extra cash. Years ago, I'd spend up to 80 hours a week finding, cleaning, repairing, pricing, listing...and snooping, a term I use when I'm looking for "What's everyone else selling". It was an education. I tell people I know a lot about somethings & not a lot about any one thing. I really wish someone would make these kinds of videos aimed at us older people. We don't have the stamina we once had but don't count us out completely! Wishing you all the best in your business~
Thank you for saying what I’ve been thinking for a long time. A lot of these resellers glamorize it because it gets more views or they have something to sell you. This job is a ton of work. I wish they were more transparent about the actual labor and time involved.
I didn’t start making consistent money reselling until a few years in when I understood business and focused saving more than spending. Being a basic reseller goes a long way. And agree the big numbers people share are amazing, but for many who focus on sourcing locally don’t have the resources to pull thousands worth. It’s all about learning and applying.
Agree with everything you said! Been reselling part time since 2020. Things have changed so much in terms of inventory. Thrift store prices have skyrocketed and more people are reselling. You have to hustle for sure!
Nice video man. It’s tough to balance RUclips and reselling in a way that gets views and shows the boring parts. We try to be as transparent as possible by acknowledging the advantage we have with a large following and by showing the mediocre days along with the good ones. I do think it’s funny that these types of videos calling out RUclipsrs tend to get crazy good views. Watch out! You’ll be in someone else’s video a few years from now with them saying how your videos are unrealistic 😂
Brutally honest and so happy that someone finally said it. I watch and listen to RUclips about reselling and so many make it look extremely easy. It’s very hard! The people jumping in head first are thinking it’s easy quick money when in reality it’s not so easy. Plus at the end of the year they need to claim it on their taxes. Not enough talk on RUclips about all that goes into reselling behind the scenes and how their gross income is not their net income. People need to consider retirement and saving for an emergency. I’m retired and so is my husband. I’m very thankful that I did go get a job with benefits and a retirement plan. Reselling for me is just a side hustle that keeps me busy and puts some extra money in my pockets. Thank you for your honesty.
I didn't get a negative vibe at all from this video. It's good to hear someone sharing honest observations and expectations. I'm part time and about 7 months into this new venture. Most of what I see is "record sales", "huge daily thrift hauls" on youtube. And great for them. But I can say in my area, there is very little upper tier quality inventory in thrift stores. All those who live in areas and find 50-300 quality items daily/weekly...they are very very fortunate.
You have to go to stores,yard sales,flea markets,estate sales,marketplace listings at opening. You are not the only reseller in the world. It's a job 80 percent of it is just showing up
If your area doesn't have what you're looking for then you need to change what you're selling and sourcing. You need to work with what you've got. If your thrift stores are bad or overpriced then go to other cities or go to garage sales, online arbitrage, retail arbitrage, flea markets. If you still can't find inventory then you need to switch what you're selling to what is abundant. If you're trying to sell clothes then maybe you should switch to electronics or media. Not everyone can do the same thing because it depends on where you live and what is abundant. I'm currently doing media because that's what's cheap and abundant where I live. You can't carbon copy someone else and expect success you need to do what is working for you.
@@user-rk7it2dw8t that's a fact! I'm in Florida. Would love to get some Patagonia. I have seen zero Patagonia so far but if I lived in California there's lots. So I work with what is here where I'm at. These people think it's 2001 eBay where you could sell a used hairpin for 100.00 all day long. It's not like that anymore. It takes work and research
I 100% agree with your views about reselling. I too live in NC and yes I do find items to sell but not like some resellers. Your location is a huge factor in the type/quality of items you can find. I used to watch RUclips resellers all the time , not so much anymore.
Have a yard sale - a real one where you are telling people 50 cent for this or that. Turning down no reasonable offer. Lot the rest up and post on Facebook to someone else that will sell it at a flea market or whatever. Build relationships with other local resellers.
Yard sales are a great way to unload that stale inventory you get stuck with. I have been a full-time reseller for 7 years now and that is how I unload that unsold inventory every year. I do take a loss unloading it that way and not every piece gets bought but in the end, I get rid of most of it even if it is only a dollar there it goes.
I just did a video on this. While I agree, I have to say Tech is a good egg. He is very transparent and offers a lot of free value and gives educational stuff. But people don’t wanna learn. lol My educational videos suck. Beginners just want the easy and fast lol so now I just focus on what is authentic to me. Education and literacy and upcycling. That said I think as a content creator I have an ethical responsibility to be HONEST about this. It’s a weird balance how do I make money on RUclips posting videos most people don’t click right away bc it’s work not entertainment.
I was worried it would be a an attack video, but it really is just encouragement to work harder and be more educated. Greetings from a fellow NC resident!
Popular resellers don’t just get all phenomenal items. They highlight the good stuff for content. Just go to their stores and check their actual sold items. It’s important to do your due diligence like anything in life to gain the best perspective. In my opinion I believe TechnSports is the most transparent and the most successful with respect to RUclips sellers.
It’s very true. Depending on where you live in the country it’s definitely easier to be a reseller no doubt. Some of reselling really is just luck (meeting the right people, living in the right area, etc..). Solid video
Had to unsub from Home Schooling Picker & Part Time Picker. Both used to be much more real with fairly good content. Now that they hooked up, it's the "Matt & Kayla" show with everyone fawning all over them....way too fake, contrived, and full of themselves now.
I agree. Matt was the best but now he's just yes maam. Sorry ma'am. Now what ma'am. All while being across the country without kids. Not to mention buys tons and tons of 10.00 items
They complain too much about the cost of the goods they’re getting. All while making tons of money from the views on the videos. Matt was notorious for lowballing people at yard sales. Yeah I get it, you want your cost of good as low as possible but be reasonable and fair. Its not their responsibility to give their stuff away to us. At least Tech doesn’t haggle the vendors at the flea markets.
@@SprucedandGussiedWhat turned me off was Kayla continually whining about people horning in on her deals at sales. Only to brag about "snagging" a lot of Monster High Dolls out from under the buyer ahead of her on FBMP by offering more $. That's bad business on both her part & the sellers.
@@rjo2269 only watched that one video of her that was huge, where she was bitching about the fact that the seller didn’t realize some of her vintage toys/ goods had been put out at the yard sale they were having and refused to sell them to her. The person having that yard sale had every right to do that. Never watched her channel again after that. But have seen her on Matt’s channel and it’s more of the same complaining. The entitlement is ridiculous.
You’re right on point with your video. I’m so tired of RUclipsrs telling us that we should only source items that can bring $50+, but then be sure to list at least 5-10 pieces a day! Maybe that works for them with their pallets and their high society thrift stores, but I’m in NJ in the middle of nowhere and I just don’t have access to that kind of merchandise. Luckily I only do this as a side hustle so I pick up what I can, but I don’t watch any of those “Come Thrift with Me” videos. They’re not relatable for your average Joe
Even if you do live in an area with good stuff the competition is insane. Since the pandemic it seems everyone is now a reseller so unless you can get to the racks when they come out first, or you've been doing this long enough to know what to look for that most will miss, you can forget about it. Yard sales are great, but the serious resellers are up before dawn going to them, hours before they open and they will get all the good stuff. I've never done that, I think it's dishonest but some don't care since it's a way to get the deals before everyone else. Another thing to consider is that the reseller platforms are flooded with the same inventory. That means the jacket you could get $50 for a few years ago because there were only two listed, you may have to accept that $20 offer because if you don't another one of the twelve listed will.
I have been reselling part-time on & off for fun for about 12 years. I buy at garage sales, estate sales and auctions. The one thing beginners won't get at first is that it is super fun and exciting to find some big scores, but listing and shipping becomes monotonous. You can very easily get over-run with the dreaded death pile. If you really want to make a living reselling, you better get used to cleaning / prepping items, researching, taking photos, writing descriptions, storing / organizing, packing and trips to the post office.
The realest reseller video yet. I think Tik tok has expedited the thinking of “anyone can do this.” Yes, you can, but it takes a LOT of time and effort.
For me the reason I appreciate the reseller RUclipsrs is to expand my knowledge. Your point on the difficulty of finding profitable inventory is true. The more categories you learn the more potential inventory.
This video was great. Lots of truth… but WHY did you then immediately launch into talking up your $250k annual sales without touching anything on how/where you sourced, or what your cost of goods was?! This is exactly what you just called them out for.
This is so raw and honest. I didn’t get any negativity- sometimes reality is harsh- it is what it is. In Los Angeles- there’s so much trash- fast fashion crap no one wants- and like you said- it’s pretty wild what the contrast is compared to finds in Utah. It’s also important to note many resellers on RUclips sell to their RUclips audience. Over the last 10 years or so I’ve seen resellers unload their inventory on new sellers-- The reality is this: anyone can do it and it does work. Now, the scale- that depends on many factors- it takes having a plan and working the plan over and over. I ll watch anyone who can teach me what I don’t know so I think the law of averages really kicks in- without RUclips I would aimlessly be looking at eBay stores all day- Figure out what you like to sell- and make sure it sells, if it sells, sell a lot of it.
Wow... great and truthful info! I'm glad to have seen this and thank you! This is the reality of reselling.... I'm subscribing and looking forward to more! Thanks again Zac!!
New sub here 😊 Appreciate your honesty. My hubby and I are originally from NJ, then lived in PA and now Florida. I've been selling on eBay for years on and off and hope to get to the "full time" status one day. We take care of my mother in law, so right now that is a priority, but I'm still plugging away at sourcing and listing. I don't think I'll ever want to give up the thrill of finding a treasure, then hearing that cha-ching when something sells, lol 😂 Looking forward to your content. I've learned so much on RUclips over the years!!!
RUclipsr pickers also have developed a following of people who watch their videos and shop their eBay store. They know what their watchers like and resource more of those items. Starting out someone could find the same items but without that following item may not sell as fast without the awareness of their items.
Solid informative video. Earned yourself a sub for sure will be watching more in the future! Hard to find someone that is just truly honest and down to earth in reselling!
You are so right to bring this detailed view point because it's so regional thanks for this more new resellers should watch this video and cater their reselling to their region
Thank you!!!! I appreciate this - I've also noticed that the larger resellers tend to be clustered in certain areas which totally affects their inventory. It also affects the prices at the thrift stores. Keep the good info coming! Also - first time seeing your channel so curious about why you don't concentrate on selling sneakers anymore? I will search your channel to see if you discuss it. Thanks again!
Great points! Location is key! You have to live in a “upscale area” to find plenty of products, or travel. To live in a decent area it’s expensive. But something big resellers fail to mention is you need to put in the work! Hours sourcing hour’s drafting/ photographing hours listing. Another point is that they get paid from RUclips sponsorship afflict links. To be able to make a great living. I question if some of them would actually be able to make a full living from just reselling no RUclips. I think a lot of new resellers are being deceiving into reselling it’s hard this is my 3rd year. I have had plenty of ups and down. I am doing it to keep from going back to a 9-5 because I have 3 small children. Another point is that no one ever speaks about how expensive it can be to grow your store and constantly reinvest & pay your bills. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great side hustle and could be great for someone full time but it is a lot of work that goes into it. I have my husband income to help my family that’s also how I was able to start. We don’t just depend on reselling.
Your video came up on my feed. Thank you! I greatly appreciate this video. I am here in Virginia, agreeing with everything you said. I used to watch those larger RUclipsrs, and am now honing in on the smaller content creators. Those seem to be in areas that are getting more realistic hauls, in my opinion. I, too, watch them for the brands and success through their eyes. Resellers like you and bamajaybird are now my go-to! Thank you!!
The big reselling channels make more money making videos about reselling than they do reselling, not to mention their paid groups and courses. Some are honest about that, but not all. I'm in Iowa, and if I were a clothing reseller, there is no way I would make it as we just don't have great brands here.
Love how youve always kept it 💯! I consider you one of the OGs of the reselling community and I’m still subbed to you after all these years . I’ve unsubscribed to almost everyone else .
It’s so refreshing to hear your honesty! Reselling and thrifting is hard work! It takes tons of time. Time to learn what works, what sells, etc. but I Love it. I watch many on RUclips and look at it as my “free” college education, even though my time is worth something. If you pour into your business and knowledge it will pay off. Thanks again for an honest review.
I’ve worked hard all my life & now am reaping the rewards. Reselling is my hobby. Always enjoyed garage sales & resale stores. Just started reselling three months ago. Will never be “ big time” but do appreciate all the videos that help me figure out the biz. I saw a video where a person found a pepper mill & showed how much it was worth. I found the exact item for $2 & flipped for a great profit. Never would have known about this item had I not been “ studying” these Videos . It was, in fact, my very first sale. Thanks to all that came before me ! Happy hunting ( & finding) to you all.
I've been retired for years and started my eBay store to sell my husband and my stuff. I've learned two things in this endeavor. Ebay needs to be fed--casual listing doesn't work. We like to travel so after six months, I put my new little store on extended vacation and it took two weeks to get it going again. Second, it is fun to find something outside my closets that makes a profit. (Let's face it, my stuff isn't that great) It can almost be addictive, which can be a problem in that I not only have my personal stuff but also what you all call a "death pile" (somewhat disturbing to an almost 80-year-old;) I appreciate your honest approach--Set aside money for the future. Be disciplined. And, stay educated.
Thank you Zac for making this video & putting it out there like you did few weeks ago. I found & you on here through another reseller who made a response video of this & i follow you now & loves your content. This is very important & informative to new resellers to know the the reality & truth of what other resellers are not telling us. I will learn a lot from you as well from now on. Btw, you look very simular to my father when he was your age. I'm also a white latin with a latin last name. 😊
Great video! Totally agree with your points on sourcing. It's VERY location dependent. The NE is very dry for sourcing compared to other places I've worked. Lots of kr very established competition woth comtacts and locales. Also worth mentioning that a lot of top YT resellers are able to leverage their streaming, partnerships, and ads into their business for sourcing income.
So a lot of good points. The thing is this… There are a handful or 2 of good sellers on RUclips who have a good area or they have done the work and got connections to supply their business and actually make good money. Many many more are lying or are just small sellers who are hoping RUclips pops off so they can make the “RUclips” money. What they fail to realize is, it’s not that easy. It’s hard work to make RUclips content and to get paid on RUclips. Most never make $1,000 a month. A good bit make a couple grand and even fewer go over $4,000 a month which would be full time basically. They hope lying and click baiting will get the views to fake it till they make it. A few have actually pulled it off getting people to believe they are big deal sellers and they were jokes but the lies got them big RUclips money and now it Doesn’t matter If someone is a legit seller they can prove it. It’s not hard to see. Are they claiming $10,000 days selling but getting evicted and repoed 😂 Are they claiming to be a big deal but their life prior to RUclips was a joke on old Facebook posts living in the dumps and now all of a sudden they are in Mexico? It’s not hard to figure out
I like to talk about a lot of the same stuff now I’ve started making videos, because I’ve been doing this for 18 years. I genuinely want to help people learn about it, but the hype gets out of control. There are also just so many variants to be considered. A lot of good points. I did laugh slightly, in a nice way, when you said “back in the day” referencing like 3-4 years. My back in the day was no smartphone, no comps, uploading all photos from a digital camera and no RUclips resellers. So much has changed.
Thanks, Zac, for sharing. Good info. I am 71 and still work full-time in a high-tech field. I plan to continue to work until I'm 75 - building up my 401K and retirement. I'm also a retired US Navy officer. But I have a lot of bills (like most folks). I was worried about what I would do once I retired. I started watching thrifting videos 5 years ago and have educated myself about thrifting and have been told that I have a good eye. My problem is that I buy but don't post - so I have a hoarding situation right now. Ugh. But that will change shortly. I plan to sell on Marketplace, NextDoor and Craigslist where I don't have to mail anything. I watch The Niche Lady and have learned so much from her. She talks about pros and cons, and she teaches as she shops. She even owned a thrift store for a year, but that failed due to many reasons. I look forward to watching your channel as I'm sure I will learn a lot of great info.
Great video. It's getting harder and harder to find good clothing. The competition for men's clothing inventory is getting outrageous. You speak facts. I had to laugh about your pandemic sneaker empire, I had free inventory for 5 months until the local Offer Up shut me down. Keep em coming!!
I have been a full-time reseller for 7 years now, I have to travel to get a lot of my inventory since I live in rural area of Montana with only 3 thrift stores and 3 months of yard sale season. I have seen my ROI drop over the past two years, cost of inventory is more expensive and with the flood of most inventory listed on eBay we can't command the price we used to get. Also, with the rise of other platforms like Whatnot and Mercari -no fees and live selling on IG & YT making the competition even more real. I thought for sure after covid that a lot of the newer resellers would drop off but that hasn't been the case. Using YT to funnel customers to your eBay store is helpful in some ways, and I wish I had jumped on the YT train 5 years ago when a lot of the RUclipsrs you mentioned got started, I might be where they are now and have recently started my channel, so it is slow growing.
Great honest review. What part of NC are you in? I'm a PT reseller in Charlotte. I agree with all you said. It's tough here at times. Some of the YT resellers seem to be in such great areas for inventory.
I don't live in a major metropolitan area or anywhere near a major sea port, shipping hub, etc. Inventory is everywhere. Sourcing is the easy part. You may not be able to find it all at Goodwill or flea markets, but those aren't the only places to find things. Every reselling youtuber I can think of has developed relationships in their area with businesses, private individuals, etc. to find what they need. Ultimately, sourcing is the easy part. I have more inventory than I can process and I'm constantly in a speed race against my death pile.
I am a lazy reseller. went to a couple sales last weekend paid $140 for $2000 worth of books, toys, bats, shoes, and video games. Found that in 5 hours. Sourcing is easy.
Let’s put it this way, if you can do a million dollar sales, i dont see why some of the RUclipsrs will be so focused on selling courses. If they are selling courses, its obvious where most of the people were made: from the courses and not the selling
So happy you popped up in my feed. Great video. I’m semi retired and resell part time. I’m in NC Winston Salem area and it’s hard to find holy grails. Love to see so many other NC people in comments. Looking forward to more videos. FYI I’ll be the 75 yr old at the thrift. lol
Thanks for your input, you have lots of knowledge for only doing reselling for only 4. I have been selling selling stuff for all my life and have been on eBay for close to 20 years. I also started a picking youtube channel a year ago because its not hard to take videos while your picking as an another part of my business. Most of my life I have been doing this as a side hustle. Last year I worked hard to make this a full-time business or mostly full-time.
Very true! Only select people in certain areas find better inventory on the regular and have good connections for bulk inventory. Those are the lucky ones and on top of that they make good money off consistent youtube content. It definitely isn't reality for most people across the country in their areas.
This also explained why I’m able to sell certain items to other parts of the country. I live in Allentown, PA, and we have so many thrift stores, flea market and garage/yard sales that it is easy to find the things people are looking for.
I really liked this video. It reminded me how important location is for finding good inventory. Not to get upset when I don’t find what other people are finding. I had to unsubscribe from some resellers because their content was too over-the-top. I prefer smaller channels; they just feel more real and genuine to me.
I too unsubscribed from a few that he showed. It’s become a ‘gate keeper’ game for their good regular stuff + the YT channel has mostly become ‘for entertainment purposes only’ and cha ching for them… ‘only’.
The farmers of southern MN don't wear really nice clothes so nothing good here for reselling. I can barely clothe myself let alone find gems to sell. You're right, not all areas are equal.
Such a good video. Thanks for being down to earth and telling it like it is. You’re also super smart about mentioning putting money away for retirement. The world is going to come crashing down on everybody who is trying to make a quick book but doesn’t realize that they need to put money away and invested for their future.I’m a very successful reseller now as my quote career” but have a very nice nest egg from my first career for retirement.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I live in San Francisco. Tons of competition here, not many thrifts/sales and everything is expensive as fuck. Happy to hear you mention Utah, cause that is one of the spots I was thinking of moving too. But it looks like even there housing/everything is getting pretty expensive.
Yeah I had to stop watching as well, especially how they find Lulu lemon and Pategonia for $3. Just most of the things they find and say they only pay 3 bucks is no way in my area
Same! I'm in Charlotte and the bins here are awful. Thrift stores are OK but most of them cherry pick now. I've been branching out to smaller local thrifts and traveling a little further.
I live near an affluent area of South Florida (north of Technsports) and I vey rarely find any of the high sell-thru rate clothing and stuff these other people find. It's usually junk or long-tail stuff.
Thank you, I like your realistic take on reselling. I have been doing it for several months as a side hustle. I am graviting to resellers that are more realistic. The area you live in is extremely important. My area isn't bad.Very important to remember not all of us live in Portland.!
I'm doing the one-time niche seller of my comics (once they're gone, that's it). I usually get like 1-2 sales a week. It took a year of understanding these resellers that I'm not gonna make what they make with just my books and I've accepted that. Like you said, it's great entertainment with a smidgeon of tips and advice...like this one. Great vid, sir!
I do like Technsports. He has at one point worked up to 12 hour days as a seller. He actually does some wholesale work and he coaches clients. I also follow a seller out of Ohio who is willing to drive up to 3 hours to source. She is also my coach. I love her advice. She has helped me make more money than if I had done it on my own. I am not full time but I like that I can make a part time gig out of this. It’s very enjoyable and I hit the sales with the retirees and there are some tough boomers out there. Don’t be fooled!😂 They like to make a few bucks too.
Just subscribed from Australia, very accurate description of reselling nowadays. Have been selling on eBay since 2004, way easier back then. It is only the last 4 or 5 years that I have turned offers on, can’t even remember if that was an option when I started. People just bought stuff for the listed price, go figure 🤣 There was also no promoted listings which is a money grabbing con. So the reality today is if you don’t promote or send out offers, sales will be slow unless your selling discounted gold bars.
It's true thrift stores vary greatly from area to area, but there are many other sources of inventory. What it really comes down to is that many people dont have the work ethic or business acumen. It's not for everyone, it's "easy" but not everyone can so it at a high level.
I live in rural Wisconsin in a town of 800 people, in one of the lowest income counties in the state. There is no bins by me, and my local thrifts are nothing like what I see many other resellers are like, and garage sales are miles apart from each other, and generally lackluster. You're absolutely right about how where you live plays a large role in your success, espescially if you're a one off seller.
Numbers show there are fewer active resellers on ebay since the boom in 2020 when everything was selling. Everyone had that stimulus cash. It was easy to be a reseller then. Any sports cards, trading cards, ANYTHING Pokemon went nuts. Now with the downturn, it's really going to separate good pickers from others. Can't always look for the same things either. Appreciate the perspective. Good stuff.
Also these RUclipsrs spend a fortune on inventory, so much stuff they have to store it in a warehouse, garage,shed and their homes. Most have thousands and thousands of items listed just to get daily sales to actually survive off. Also tons of dead inventory not selling, which means money tied up in inventory. Most have supportive job working partners in which they can rely on when sales are down. Most dedicate every waking moment in some sort of reselling activity whether it be sourcing, listing cleaning, organizing, customer service, price comping, promoting,networking,packaging or shipping. It doesn't end, these activities are sometimes done while in bed or waiting at a doctor's appointment or picking up a child from daycare. So keep all this in mind.
I appreciate your honesty. I started reselling a couple of months ago. The area I live in doesn't have a lot of great stuff at the thrift stores. I'm plodding along. But I didn't start doing this because I felt like I could make it a full time job. I just wanted to sell enough per month to make part of my car payment which was an unexpected but unavoidable purchase. So far so good. And if that's all that ever comes of reselling for me then I'm happy. If my little side hustle grows that's great but I will be keeping my full-time job.
This is my first time watching one of your videos and I appreciate your honesty and perspective. Two months into this, and I already figured out that I’m not going to make a gazillion dollars selling on eBay and a lot of that has to do with where I live…Chicago suburbs. There are just not good clothes in the GW, and the estate sale prices here are retail. One Thing I’ve learned to do is dicker over price at The sales. Done it 3 times in the past week. I’m constantly evolving my POV, and building a social media following. I’m also looking at upcycling items and doing art projects with thrifted items. My husband and I are 67 and like most Generation Jonesers, we’re were not set up well for retirement. But I know we can do this. I just need to follow my heart about what interests me, and what I have expertise in. Thanks so much for validating my feelings about area. I keep telling my husband we need to move!
At first I was thinking this was a click bait video where the title just gets you in, but nope, as someone who is looking to start to just earn some side income, the mentions and information in this video were what I was looking for. Not sure how I came across your channel, but glad I did. I have hats I would like to sell, that I believe I could get some decent cash for, along with records, mens tshirts etc. Going into it I figured I wouldn't be making bank as I see others do, and for my area, I doubt I can find things like others do. Just wanted to comment and share my, long with others I assume, frustrations about the people online showing their ridiculous finds and sells. Cheers and Thanks.
That's exactly how I felt watching these videos. The area I live in is blue collard workers just trying to survive. It's more than a hustle when you have a full time job and learning how to resell
I’m in NC as well, for me Goodwill is bad for hard goods but I typically find good clothing that I can sell for between $20-50. The few rummage sales we have pop up are the best though.
Great video! The “secret”? Consistent hard work 😂 … that’s it. most people I meet don’t understand the amount of work this takes for sure…Being a full time eBay reseller for 12 years ( 120k a year by myself) and a RUclips content creator ( 2 videos a week approximately 83k subscribers ) a vintage booth, and selling larger items ( furniture, sports equipment etc ) on FBMP..it’s definitely a 60 hr plus work week. Keys for me are : plenty of capital, keeping my buy in price point low, consistently educating myself on items that sell, listing EVERY SINGLE ITEM I purchase, and the calculated choice to buy a house and move to a state where the inventory is amazing and the cost of living reasonable. I have to say that both my husband and I find amazing stuff almost every time we thrift, but we do often hit several sources in one day and travel up to 2hrs away.
Thanks for sharing your input. You have a great channel.
Karen does have a great channel and she is a worker at it!
Is the 120k gross sales or net?
Just wanted to jump on here and tell you after 4 years of only selling clothes, shoes and accessories, I diversified into homegoods because of you and your channel. Well you got me interested and Thrift Adventure PNW....now I'm hooked. You made a huge difference in this girls life🥰
May I ask what state you live in?
I am 83 still thrifting and selling. Still elbowing my way through. It is very possible to do. I have no intention to stop anytime soon.
Glad to hear that. Hope it keeps you occupied and active!
I’m so glad you commented! It makes me happy. I’m 62, and see no reason to stop thrifting & reselling, ever. I do have a slight fear of breaking a major bone (thanks menopause) that could sideline me but otherwise I’m in it for the long haul.
58 yrs old here and have been reselling since the early days of eBay! no intention of ever stopping. love the extra $
Great News, just getting started sold a few things on ebay, not huge profit but that doesn't matter to me.
That's awesome
No negativity at all, just the
truth that most people do not want to hear. Congratulations on stating the true facts.
the biggest thing they dont tell you is that they make 70% of their money off adsense and brand deals and maybe 30% from reselling but they sell this dream and show the stuff they have off like its all from reselling when its from adsense. not to mention youtube puts a million more eyes on your business and people buy just cause its you. whatnot is big proof of that. it takes an insane amount of work to live off of reselling and I wish there was a youtuber who showed the actual grind not the fun lil trips that arent going to effect if they eat or pay their rent this month.
I really appreciate how you're so honest and authentic. ☺️👏
The internet makes everything look easy. Reselling is a grind. I’m thankful it got me into the self employed world and I hope to continue building multiple businesses to relieve the pressure of the grind.
What other businesses are you thinking about? Besides your RUclips channel?
Calleb is one of the good ones here and I’m happy for his RUclips success 🙏🏻✨🔥
I agree - Caleb seems like a genuinely kind soul.
I can’t tell anyone until I get them going because people will beat me to my ideas lol. I go slow having a little one to chase around and no free time
Part time reseller here. I thought about going full time, but you do have to make so much more money. For instance, if I make $70k at a normal W2 job. They are paying half of my payroll tax (7.65%), matching 4% on 401k, paying over $10k of my health insurance premiums, etc. Plus they pay for my phone. I'd need to make about $90k reselling to have the same compensation as $70k at my W2.
I literally never jump on my phone to leave a comment but I had to give you props for such a realistic view on reselling. This is a breath of fresh air. I didn’t get a negative vibe either just the plain truth of the nuances of the business and the reality of reselling. I am fairly new and appreciate content like this versus the hyped up stuff. TY!
Thanks!
Sourcing and Thrifting is one thing - Actually selling is another. If you look at reseller's storage and garage and they have 5 years worth of inventory. He's right about a side hustle. When I go sourcing I see more elderly & college folks in the thrift stores. Very little GOOD inventory left! 😀
@@Chicago48 I find great items all the time. It's about having a mix and not solely relying on thrifting. You have to have good business sense and be able to spot opportunities. My reselling business is definitely growing each month since I've been focusing on it.
Part time pickers and Homeschooling Picker hooked up. Doubles your profit when you hook up with another picker….
Thank you for being so real. I’ve watched several of your videos tonight. Really enjoyed them. It is so easy to get wrapped up in all the hype. You bring in the common sense factor.
I personally have stopped watching many “big resellers”. I find that they are filming just for the sake of making a video. Some are buying dirty shoes, stained clothing or knick knacks with a chip in them. It’s getting ridiculous. Some are out buying crap just to make content for YT, so it gives an unrealistic view to those of us not in front of a camera.
You popped up in my feed and I’m glad you did. I’m off to hit the subscribe button.
I’m a thrifter NOT a reseller but I do know local resellers & you’re right about inventory, etc. Unfortunately some of the resellers I know have become hoarders! They go thrifting everyday like the videos show but then they don’t have the energy or time to list that stuff. Not everyone is going to get rich reselling. Be realistic & keep it real. ❤😊
That's a good way to go broke. LOL. I only source once a week and only allow myself to spend out of the previous weeks income. If I don't list I don't make sales. If I don't make sales. I can't go sourcing.
@@TravisInDallas the ones I know tried to do it as a “side hustle” so they have full or part time jobs to be able to source. They get the thrill of sourcing & then that’s it. 😕
That’s me all the time 😂😂😂😅
I’ve been selling for 20 years, sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s not as great. I am in a continuous process of learning. I specialize in vintage clothing. I have found many holy grail items. The thing I don’t like about some of the RUclipsrs is they don’t take out cost of goods or fees when saying how much they make on an item. I think that makes their sales totally unrealistic for newbies.
100% agree with your take. The full time clickbait content creators are obvious ✅
Yes so realistic! I’m retired and resell part time to supplement my pension, it’s enjoyable, low pressure, and not stressful because I don’t rely on reselling for income. The resellers on RUclips aren’t your regular resellers, thanks for pointing that out. Wishing you success .
I’m like you, I resell to supplement my pension, and I enjoy the thrifting. It satisfies my love to shop and earns me a little extra money.
I'm laughing because I knew you had to be brave to do this video and now I'm seeing reaction videos from resellers. I'm glad you did this video because it is so helpful and validates my feelings that this is not the same gig it used to be and wondering if it truly is viable. I'm paying 43% on fees and promotions, not including th ecost of goods. I don't know how anyone does it.
I subscribed just now. You sound ligit...I also joined so I could say I am one of those old folks you mentioned. For 42 years, I was a reseller at flea markets & 8 years on eBay. I just started listing again. At my age, I am not looking for millions, I just want to add to my social security. The economy has forced many retired people to look for some extra cash. Years ago, I'd spend up to 80 hours a week finding, cleaning, repairing, pricing, listing...and snooping, a term I use when I'm looking for "What's everyone else selling". It was an education. I tell people I know a lot about somethings & not a lot about any one thing. I really wish someone would make these kinds of videos aimed at us older people. We don't have the stamina we once had but don't count us out completely! Wishing you all the best in your business~
Thank you for saying what I’ve been thinking for a long time. A lot of these resellers glamorize it because it gets more views or they have something to sell you. This job is a ton of work. I wish they were more transparent about the actual labor and time involved.
I didn’t start making consistent money reselling until a few years in when I understood business and focused saving more than spending. Being a basic reseller goes a long way. And agree the big numbers people share are amazing, but for many who focus on sourcing locally don’t have the resources to pull thousands worth. It’s all about learning and applying.
Agree with everything you said! Been reselling part time since 2020. Things have changed so much in terms of inventory. Thrift store prices have skyrocketed and more people are reselling. You have to hustle for sure!
Nice video man. It’s tough to balance RUclips and reselling in a way that gets views and shows the boring parts.
We try to be as transparent as possible by acknowledging the advantage we have with a large following and by showing the mediocre days along with the good ones.
I do think it’s funny that these types of videos calling out RUclipsrs tend to get crazy good views. Watch out! You’ll be in someone else’s video a few years from now with them saying how your videos are unrealistic 😂
A well thought out comment, yet ADH Dave’s comment gets a like, heart, and reply 😂
@@TaylorExchange Valid, its good to humble mr tomato
@@ADHDaveFlips 😂 Much needed flex by Zac here.
Brutally honest and so happy that someone finally said it. I watch and listen to RUclips about reselling and so many make it look extremely easy. It’s very hard! The people jumping in head first are thinking it’s easy quick money when in reality it’s not so easy. Plus at the end of the year they need to claim it on their taxes. Not enough talk on RUclips about all that goes into reselling behind the scenes and how their gross income is not their net income. People need to consider retirement and saving for an emergency. I’m retired and so is my husband. I’m very thankful that I did go get a job with benefits and a retirement plan. Reselling for me is just a side hustle that keeps me busy and puts some extra money in my pockets. Thank you for your honesty.
I didn't get a negative vibe at all from this video. It's good to hear someone sharing honest observations and expectations. I'm part time and about 7 months into this new venture. Most of what I see is "record sales", "huge daily thrift hauls" on youtube. And great for them. But I can say in my area, there is very little upper tier quality inventory in thrift stores. All those who live in areas and find 50-300 quality items daily/weekly...they are very very fortunate.
You have to go to stores,yard sales,flea markets,estate sales,marketplace listings at opening. You are not the only reseller in the world. It's a job 80 percent of it is just showing up
If your area doesn't have what you're looking for then you need to change what you're selling and sourcing. You need to work with what you've got. If your thrift stores are bad or overpriced then go to other cities or go to garage sales, online arbitrage, retail arbitrage, flea markets. If you still can't find inventory then you need to switch what you're selling to what is abundant. If you're trying to sell clothes then maybe you should switch to electronics or media. Not everyone can do the same thing because it depends on where you live and what is abundant. I'm currently doing media because that's what's cheap and abundant where I live. You can't carbon copy someone else and expect success you need to do what is working for you.
@@user-rk7it2dw8t that's a fact! I'm in Florida. Would love to get some Patagonia. I have seen zero Patagonia so far but if I lived in California there's lots. So I work with what is here where I'm at. These people think it's 2001 eBay where you could sell a used hairpin for 100.00 all day long. It's not like that anymore. It takes work and research
I 100% agree with your views about reselling. I too live in NC and yes I do find items to sell but not like some resellers. Your location is a huge factor in the type/quality of items you can find. I used to watch RUclips resellers all the time , not so much anymore.
Worst part is being left with all the stuff that doesn't sell.
Have a yard sale - a real one where you are telling people 50 cent for this or that. Turning down no reasonable offer. Lot the rest up and post on Facebook to someone else that will sell it at a flea market or whatever. Build relationships with other local resellers.
Yeah, resellers call them death piles.
Yard sales are a great way to unload that stale inventory you get stuck with. I have been a full-time reseller for 7 years now and that is how I unload that unsold inventory every year. I do take a loss unloading it that way and not every piece gets bought but in the end, I get rid of most of it even if it is only a dollar there it goes.
Or donate it for a tax deduction.
You shouldn't buy things that don't sell.
Cold hard facts about reselling on eBay. 10 years in, I know you are speaking the truth.
I just did a video on this. While I agree, I have to say Tech is a good egg. He is very transparent and offers a lot of free value and gives educational stuff. But people don’t wanna learn. lol My educational videos suck. Beginners just want the easy and fast lol so now I just focus on what is authentic to me. Education and literacy and upcycling. That said I think as a content creator I have an ethical responsibility to be HONEST about this. It’s a weird balance how do I make money on RUclips posting videos most people don’t click right away bc it’s work not entertainment.
Right! Tech has always been so honest and preached hard work.
I was worried it would be a an attack video, but it really is just encouragement to work harder and be more educated. Greetings from a fellow NC resident!
Popular resellers don’t just get all phenomenal items.
They highlight the good stuff for content.
Just go to their stores and check their actual sold items.
It’s important to do your due diligence like anything in life to gain the best perspective.
In my opinion I believe TechnSports is the most transparent and the most successful with respect to RUclips sellers.
It’s very true. Depending on where you live in the country it’s definitely easier to be a reseller no doubt. Some of reselling really is just luck (meeting the right people, living in the right area, etc..). Solid video
Had to unsub from Home Schooling Picker & Part Time Picker. Both used to be much more real with fairly good content. Now that they hooked up, it's the "Matt & Kayla" show with everyone fawning all over them....way too fake, contrived, and full of themselves now.
I agree. Matt was the best but now he's just yes maam. Sorry ma'am. Now what ma'am. All while being across the country without kids. Not to mention buys tons and tons of 10.00 items
They complain too much about the cost of the goods they’re getting. All while making tons of money from the views on the videos. Matt was notorious for lowballing people at yard sales. Yeah I get it, you want your cost of good as low as possible but be reasonable and fair. Its not their responsibility to give their stuff away to us. At least Tech doesn’t haggle the vendors at the flea markets.
@@SprucedandGussiedWhat turned me off was Kayla continually whining about people horning in on her deals at sales. Only to brag about "snagging" a lot of Monster High Dolls out from under the buyer ahead of her on FBMP by offering more $. That's bad business on both her part & the sellers.
@@rjo2269 only watched that one video of her that was huge, where she was bitching about the fact that the seller didn’t realize some of her vintage toys/ goods had been put out at the yard sale they were having and refused to sell them to her. The person having that yard sale had every right to do that. Never watched her channel again after that. But have seen her on Matt’s channel and it’s more of the same complaining. The entitlement is ridiculous.
Same.
Thanks for being real and honest in what to expect if you get into reselling.
You’re right on point with your video. I’m so tired of RUclipsrs telling us that we should only source items that can bring $50+, but then be sure to list at least 5-10 pieces a day! Maybe that works for them with their pallets and their high society thrift stores, but I’m in NJ in the middle of nowhere and I just don’t have access to that kind of merchandise. Luckily I only do this as a side hustle so I pick up what I can, but I don’t watch any of those “Come Thrift with Me” videos. They’re not relatable for your average Joe
Even if you do live in an area with good stuff the competition is insane. Since the pandemic it seems everyone is now a reseller so unless you can get to the racks when they come out first, or you've been doing this long enough to know what to look for that most will miss, you can forget about it. Yard sales are great, but the serious resellers are up before dawn going to them, hours before they open and they will get all the good stuff. I've never done that, I think it's dishonest but some don't care since it's a way to get the deals before everyone else. Another thing to consider is that the reseller platforms are flooded with the same inventory. That means the jacket you could get $50 for a few years ago because there were only two listed, you may have to accept that $20 offer because if you don't another one of the twelve listed will.
I have been reselling part-time on & off for fun for about 12 years. I buy at garage sales, estate sales and auctions. The one thing beginners won't get at first is that it is super fun and exciting to find some big scores, but listing and shipping becomes monotonous. You can very easily get over-run with the dreaded death pile. If you really want to make a living reselling, you better get used to cleaning / prepping items, researching, taking photos, writing descriptions, storing / organizing, packing and trips to the post office.
The realest reseller video yet. I think Tik tok has expedited the thinking of “anyone can do this.” Yes, you can, but it takes a LOT of time and effort.
For me the reason I appreciate the reseller RUclipsrs is to expand my knowledge. Your point on the difficulty of finding profitable inventory is true. The more categories you learn the more potential inventory.
This video was great. Lots of truth… but WHY did you then immediately launch into talking up your $250k annual sales without touching anything on how/where you sourced, or what your cost of goods was?! This is exactly what you just called them out for.
a youtube reseller being a youtube reseller? Who wouldve thought lol
This is so raw and honest. I didn’t get any negativity- sometimes reality is harsh- it is what it is. In Los Angeles- there’s so much trash- fast fashion crap no one wants- and like you said- it’s pretty wild what the contrast is compared to finds in Utah.
It’s also important to note many resellers on RUclips sell to their RUclips audience. Over the last 10 years or so I’ve seen resellers unload their inventory on new sellers--
The reality is this: anyone can do it and it does work. Now, the scale- that depends on many factors- it takes having a plan and working the plan over and over.
I ll watch anyone who can teach me what I don’t know so I think the law of averages really kicks in- without RUclips I would aimlessly be looking at eBay stores all day-
Figure out what you like to sell- and make sure it sells, if it sells, sell a lot of it.
Wow... great and truthful info! I'm glad to have seen this and thank you! This is the reality of reselling.... I'm subscribing and looking forward to more! Thanks again Zac!!
New sub here 😊 Appreciate your honesty. My hubby and I are originally from NJ, then lived in PA and now Florida. I've been selling on eBay for years on and off and hope to get to the "full time" status one day. We take care of my mother in law, so right now that is a priority, but I'm still plugging away at sourcing and listing. I don't think I'll ever want to give up the thrill of finding a treasure, then hearing that cha-ching when something sells, lol 😂 Looking forward to your content. I've learned so much on RUclips over the years!!!
I live in PA now - how would you compare the sourcing in Florida? I hear it’s great down there.
RUclipsr pickers also have developed a following of people who watch their videos and shop their eBay store. They know what their watchers like and resource more of those items. Starting out someone could find the same items but without that following item may not sell as fast without the awareness of their items.
You earnt a subscriber today! You are living my life. So down to earth.
Solid informative video. Earned yourself a sub for sure will be watching more in the future! Hard to find someone that is just truly honest and down to earth in reselling!
You are so right to bring this detailed view point because it's so regional thanks for this more new resellers should watch this video and cater their reselling to their region
Thank you!!!! I appreciate this - I've also noticed that the larger resellers tend to be clustered in certain areas which totally affects their inventory. It also affects the prices at the thrift stores. Keep the good info coming! Also - first time seeing your channel so curious about why you don't concentrate on selling sneakers anymore? I will search your channel to see if you discuss it. Thanks again!
Great points!
Location is key! You have to live in a “upscale area” to find plenty of products, or travel. To live in a decent area it’s expensive. But something big resellers fail to mention is you need to put in the work! Hours sourcing hour’s drafting/ photographing hours listing. Another point is that they get paid from RUclips sponsorship afflict links. To be able to make a great living. I question if some of them would actually be able to make a full living from just reselling no RUclips. I think a lot of new resellers are being deceiving into reselling it’s hard this is my 3rd year. I have had plenty of ups and down. I am doing it to keep from going back to a 9-5 because I have 3 small children. Another point is that no one ever speaks about how expensive it can be to grow your store and constantly reinvest & pay your bills. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great side hustle and could be great for someone full time but it is a lot of work that goes into it. I have my husband income to help my family that’s also how I was able to start. We don’t just depend on reselling.
Your video came up on my feed. Thank you! I greatly appreciate this video. I am here in Virginia, agreeing with everything you said. I used to watch those larger RUclipsrs, and am now honing in on the smaller content creators. Those seem to be in areas that are getting more realistic hauls, in my opinion. I, too, watch them for the brands and success through their eyes. Resellers like you and bamajaybird are now my go-to! Thank you!!
The big reselling channels make more money making videos about reselling than they do reselling, not to mention their paid groups and courses. Some are honest about that, but not all. I'm in Iowa, and if I were a clothing reseller, there is no way I would make it as we just don't have great brands here.
Love how youve always kept it 💯! I consider you one of the OGs of the reselling community and I’m still subbed to you after all these years . I’ve unsubscribed to almost everyone else .
@@SprucedandGussied Awe, thank you so much!!!!
It’s so refreshing to hear your honesty! Reselling and thrifting is hard work! It takes tons of time. Time to learn what works, what sells, etc. but I Love it. I watch many on RUclips and look at it as my “free” college education, even though my time is worth something. If you pour into your business and knowledge it will pay off. Thanks again for an honest review.
This is a great vid Zac!
Thank you!
Been doing this since ebay started. Definitely harder than it used to be
Thank you SO MUCH for being real. I appreciate your honesty.
I’ve worked hard all my life & now am reaping the rewards. Reselling is my hobby. Always enjoyed garage sales & resale stores. Just started reselling three months ago. Will never be “ big time” but do appreciate all the videos that help me figure out the biz. I saw a video where a person found a pepper mill & showed how much it was worth. I found the exact item for $2 & flipped for a great profit. Never would have known about this item had I not been “ studying” these Videos . It was, in fact, my very first sale. Thanks to all that came before me ! Happy hunting ( & finding) to you all.
I've been retired for years and started my eBay store to sell my husband and my stuff. I've learned two things in this endeavor. Ebay needs to be fed--casual listing doesn't work. We like to travel so after six months, I put my new little store on extended vacation and it took two weeks to get it going again. Second, it is fun to find something outside my closets that makes a profit. (Let's face it, my stuff isn't that great) It can almost be addictive, which can be a problem in that I not only have my personal stuff but also what you all call a "death pile" (somewhat disturbing to an almost 80-year-old;) I appreciate your honest approach--Set aside money for the future. Be disciplined. And, stay educated.
How much did you get for your husband?
@@rjunk12349 Good one! Hope she got a good price for him!
I thought that, too...@rjunk12349
@@rjunk12349I think she’s on to something 😀
😂😂😂😂😂@@rjunk12349
Thank you Zac for making this video & putting it out there like you did few weeks ago. I found & you on here through another reseller who made a response video of this & i follow you now & loves your content. This is very important & informative to new resellers to know the the reality & truth of what other resellers are not telling us. I will learn a lot from you as well from now on. Btw, you look very simular to my father when he was your age. I'm also a white latin with a latin last name. 😊
You are very honest and telling the truth. I always check the sell thru ratio but I never find items with very high STR.
Great video! Totally agree with your points on sourcing. It's VERY location dependent. The NE is very dry for sourcing compared to other places I've worked. Lots of kr very established competition woth comtacts and locales.
Also worth mentioning that a lot of top YT resellers are able to leverage their streaming, partnerships, and ads into their business for sourcing income.
Just subbed dude. Really appreciate the honesty and I didn't think it was negative at all.
So a lot of good points. The thing is this…
There are a handful or 2 of good sellers on RUclips who have a good area or they have done the work and got connections to supply their business and actually make good money.
Many many more are lying or are just small sellers who are hoping RUclips pops off so they can make the “RUclips” money. What they fail to realize is, it’s not that easy. It’s hard work to make RUclips content and to get paid on RUclips.
Most never make $1,000 a month. A good bit make a couple grand and even fewer go over $4,000 a month which would be full time basically. They hope lying and click baiting will get the views to fake it till they make it.
A few have actually pulled it off getting people to believe they are big deal sellers and they were jokes but the lies got them big RUclips money and now it Doesn’t matter
If someone is a legit seller they can prove it. It’s not hard to see.
Are they claiming $10,000 days selling but getting evicted and repoed 😂
Are they claiming to be a big deal but their life prior to RUclips was a joke on old Facebook posts living in the dumps and now all of a sudden they are in Mexico?
It’s not hard to figure out
Very interesting, i guess i never thought about it because even the biggest reseller channels don’t have millions of subs.
I like to talk about a lot of the same stuff now I’ve started making videos, because I’ve been doing this for 18 years. I genuinely want to help people learn about it, but the hype gets out of control. There are also just so many variants to be considered.
A lot of good points. I did laugh slightly, in a nice way, when you said “back in the day” referencing like 3-4 years.
My back in the day was no smartphone, no comps, uploading all photos from a digital camera and no RUclips resellers.
So much has changed.
Thanks, Zac, for sharing. Good info. I am 71 and still work full-time in a high-tech field. I plan to continue to work until I'm 75 - building up my 401K and retirement. I'm also a retired US Navy officer. But I have a lot of bills (like most folks). I was worried about what I would do once I retired. I started watching thrifting videos 5 years ago and have educated myself about thrifting and have been told that I have a good eye. My problem is that I buy but don't post - so I have a hoarding situation right now. Ugh. But that will change shortly. I plan to sell on Marketplace, NextDoor and Craigslist where I don't have to mail anything. I watch The Niche Lady and have learned so much from her. She talks about pros and cons, and she teaches as she shops. She even owned a thrift store for a year, but that failed due to many reasons. I look forward to watching your channel as I'm sure I will learn a lot of great info.
Bro big facts. I'm a part time reseller in Colorado and it's definitely challenging to find good inventory
Great video. It's getting harder and harder to find good clothing. The competition for men's clothing inventory is getting outrageous. You speak facts. I had to laugh about your pandemic sneaker empire, I had free inventory for 5 months until the local Offer Up shut me down. Keep em coming!!
I have been a full-time reseller for 7 years now, I have to travel to get a lot of my inventory since I live in rural area of Montana with only 3 thrift stores and 3 months of yard sale season. I have seen my ROI drop over the past two years, cost of inventory is more expensive and with the flood of most inventory listed on eBay we can't command the price we used to get. Also, with the rise of other platforms like Whatnot and Mercari -no fees and live selling on IG & YT making the competition even more real. I thought for sure after covid that a lot of the newer resellers would drop off but that hasn't been the case. Using YT to funnel customers to your eBay store is helpful in some ways, and I wish I had jumped on the YT train 5 years ago when a lot of the RUclipsrs you mentioned got started, I might be where they are now and have recently started my channel, so it is slow growing.
THANK YOU! Truth all the way through this video!! Subscribed!
Great honest review. What part of NC are you in? I'm a PT reseller in Charlotte.
I agree with all you said. It's tough here at times. Some of the YT resellers seem to be in such great areas for inventory.
Hey, what's so hard to say, their viewers are buying their inventory?
I don't live in a major metropolitan area or anywhere near a major sea port, shipping hub, etc. Inventory is everywhere. Sourcing is the easy part. You may not be able to find it all at Goodwill or flea markets, but those aren't the only places to find things. Every reselling youtuber I can think of has developed relationships in their area with businesses, private individuals, etc. to find what they need. Ultimately, sourcing is the easy part. I have more inventory than I can process and I'm constantly in a speed race against my death pile.
That's right
I am a lazy reseller. went to a couple sales last weekend paid $140 for $2000 worth of books, toys, bats, shoes, and video games. Found that in 5 hours. Sourcing is easy.
Thanks for being realistic. Been doing this for a year and still struggling and finding my way !!
Let’s put it this way, if you can do a million dollar sales, i dont see why some of the RUclipsrs will be so focused on selling courses. If they are selling courses, its obvious where most of the people were made: from the courses and not the selling
So happy you popped up in my feed. Great video. I’m semi retired and resell part time. I’m in NC Winston Salem area and it’s hard to find holy grails. Love to see so many other NC people in comments. Looking forward to more videos.
FYI I’ll be the 75 yr old at the thrift. lol
Thanks for your input, you have lots of knowledge for only doing reselling for only 4. I have been selling selling stuff for all my life and have been on eBay for close to 20 years. I also started a picking youtube channel a year ago because its not hard to take videos while your picking as an another part of my business. Most of my life I have been doing this as a side hustle. Last year I worked hard to make this a full-time business or mostly full-time.
Very transparent video (coming from a part time reseller and an unsuccessful RUclipsr lol).
Very true!
Only select people in certain areas find better inventory on the regular and have good connections for bulk inventory.
Those are the lucky ones and on top of that they make good money off consistent youtube content.
It definitely isn't reality for most people across the country in their areas.
This also explained why I’m able to sell certain items to other parts of the country. I live in Allentown, PA, and we have so many thrift stores, flea market and garage/yard sales that it is easy to find the things people are looking for.
I really liked this video. It reminded me how important location is for finding good inventory. Not to get upset when I don’t find what other people are finding. I had to unsubscribe from some resellers because their content was too over-the-top. I prefer smaller channels; they just feel more real and genuine to me.
I too unsubscribed from a few that he showed. It’s become a ‘gate keeper’ game for their good regular stuff + the YT channel has mostly become ‘for entertainment purposes only’ and cha ching for them… ‘only’.
The farmers of southern MN don't wear really nice clothes so nothing good here for reselling. I can barely clothe myself let alone find gems to sell. You're right, not all areas are equal.
Such a good video. Thanks for being down to earth and telling it like it is. You’re also super smart about mentioning putting money away for retirement. The world is going to come crashing down on everybody who is trying to make a quick book but doesn’t realize that they need to put money away and invested for their future.I’m a very successful reseller now as my quote career” but have a very nice nest egg from my first career for retirement.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I live in San Francisco. Tons of competition here, not many thrifts/sales and everything is expensive as fuck. Happy to hear you mention Utah, cause that is one of the spots I was thinking of moving too. But it looks like even there housing/everything is getting pretty expensive.
Great video! Appreciate your transparency!
I'm in NC as well and I feel ya on finding all the grails they find lol. I shake my head on every video
Me too! I live in MN and I don't find all these wonderful item. Idk how people do it lol
Yeah I had to stop watching as well, especially how they find Lulu lemon and Pategonia for $3. Just most of the things they find and say they only pay 3 bucks is no way in my area
Same! I'm in Charlotte and the bins here are awful. Thrift stores are OK but most of them cherry pick now. I've been branching out to smaller local thrifts and traveling a little further.
I live near an affluent area of South Florida (north of Technsports) and I vey rarely find any of the high sell-thru rate clothing and stuff these other people find. It's usually junk or long-tail stuff.
Thank you, I like your realistic take on reselling. I have been doing it for several months as a side hustle. I am graviting to resellers that are more realistic. The area you live in is extremely important. My area isn't bad.Very important to remember not all of us live in Portland.!
I'm doing the one-time niche seller of my comics (once they're gone, that's it). I usually get like 1-2 sales a week. It took a year of understanding these resellers that I'm not gonna make what they make with just my books and I've accepted that. Like you said, it's great entertainment with a smidgeon of tips and advice...like this one. Great vid, sir!
I do like Technsports. He has at one point worked up to 12 hour days as a seller. He actually does some wholesale work and he coaches clients. I also follow a seller out of Ohio who is willing to drive up to 3 hours to source. She is also my coach. I love her advice. She has helped me make more money than if I had done it on my own. I am not full time but I like that I can make a part time gig out of this. It’s very enjoyable and I hit the sales with the retirees and there are some tough boomers out there. Don’t be fooled!😂 They like to make a few bucks too.
Just subscribed from Australia, very accurate description of reselling nowadays. Have been selling on eBay since 2004, way easier back then. It is only the last 4 or 5 years that I have turned offers on, can’t even remember if that was an option when I started. People just bought stuff for the listed price, go figure 🤣 There was also no promoted listings which is a money grabbing con. So the reality today is if you don’t promote or send out offers, sales will be slow unless your selling discounted gold bars.
Realistic video. Just subscribed. The best resellers are not on RUclips. Thanks for the honesty.
Yes, the best resellers are not on RUclips.
I have subscribed as I want to stick around to hear more honest content just as you have shared
Today. Great vid. Thank You
It's true thrift stores vary greatly from area to area, but there are many other sources of inventory. What it really comes down to is that many people dont have the work ethic or business acumen. It's not for everyone, it's "easy" but not everyone can so it at a high level.
I live in rural Wisconsin in a town of 800 people, in one of the lowest income counties in the state. There is no bins by me, and my local thrifts are nothing like what I see many other resellers are like, and garage sales are miles apart from each other, and generally lackluster. You're absolutely right about how where you live plays a large role in your success, espescially if you're a one off seller.
Great video! Thanks forthe info!!!😊
Numbers show there are fewer active resellers on ebay since the boom in 2020 when everything was selling. Everyone had that stimulus cash. It was easy to be a reseller then. Any sports cards, trading cards, ANYTHING Pokemon went nuts. Now with the downturn, it's really going to separate good pickers from others. Can't always look for the same things either. Appreciate the perspective. Good stuff.
Also these RUclipsrs spend a fortune on inventory, so much stuff they have to store it in a warehouse, garage,shed and their homes. Most have thousands and thousands of items listed just to get daily sales to actually survive off. Also tons of dead inventory not selling, which means money tied up in inventory. Most have supportive job working partners in which they can rely on when sales are down. Most dedicate every waking moment in some sort of reselling activity whether it be sourcing, listing cleaning, organizing, customer service, price comping, promoting,networking,packaging or shipping. It doesn't end, these activities are sometimes done while in bed or waiting at a doctor's appointment or picking up a child from daycare. So keep all this in mind.
Great list of reselling jobs. Accounting needs to be done as well. So many don’t talk about the accounting part of reselling.
Wrong
I appreciate your honesty. I started reselling a couple of months ago. The area I live in doesn't have a lot of great stuff at the thrift stores. I'm plodding along. But I didn't start doing this because I felt like I could make it a full time job. I just wanted to sell enough per month to make part of my car payment which was an unexpected but unavoidable purchase. So far so good. And if that's all that ever comes of reselling for me then I'm happy. If my little side hustle grows that's great but I will be keeping my full-time job.
This is my first time watching one of your videos and I appreciate your honesty and perspective. Two months into this, and I already figured out that I’m not going to make a gazillion dollars selling on eBay and a lot of that has to do with where I live…Chicago suburbs. There are just not good clothes in the GW, and the estate sale prices here are retail. One Thing I’ve learned to do is dicker over price at The sales. Done it 3 times in the past week. I’m constantly evolving my POV, and building a social media following. I’m also looking at upcycling items and doing art projects with thrifted items. My husband and I are 67 and like most Generation Jonesers, we’re were not set up well for retirement. But I know we can do this. I just need to follow my heart about what interests me, and what I have expertise in. Thanks so much for validating my feelings about area. I keep telling my husband we need to move!
At first I was thinking this was a click bait video where the title just gets you in, but nope, as someone who is looking to start to just earn some side income, the mentions and information in this video were what I was looking for. Not sure how I came across your channel, but glad I did. I have hats I would like to sell, that I believe I could get some decent cash for, along with records, mens tshirts etc. Going into it I figured I wouldn't be making bank as I see others do, and for my area, I doubt I can find things like others do. Just wanted to comment and share my, long with others I assume, frustrations about the people online showing their ridiculous finds and sells. Cheers and Thanks.
Oh and this was very helpful and not negative at all thanks
hearing it straight up is realistic, appreciate it.
CRAZY what they get in Utah, for pennies!
👀 i see that some of these RUclipsrs are in their feelings about your honest comments 😂
That's exactly how I felt watching these videos. The area I live in is blue collard workers just trying to survive. It's more than a hustle when you have a full time job and learning how to resell
I’m in NC as well, for me Goodwill is bad for hard goods but I typically find good clothing that I can sell for between $20-50. The few rummage sales we have pop up are the best though.
Agreed, the hard goods are usually crap here. Clothing is OK.