My reselling business means buying new or used items and then selling them on Ebay or Amazon for a profit.   Selling things you already own but don’t want anymore is a good start, but to make a living of out doing this you need to be regularly sourcing things for reselling.

My Top 3 places for sourcing are Car Boot Sales, Charity Shops and Auctions.

Car Boot Sales

Before I started reselling me and hubby would occasionally visit a local car boot sale.  It was always packed full of sellers with their tables piled high with stuff they no longer wanted.  We’d usually come home with a couple of books or a random plant pot.  Once we started visiting car boot sales as resellers they suddenly became magical places with treasures on almost every table!

Car boot sales are usually on a Sunday (although there are a few on Saturdays or weekdays).  Just Google car boot sales in your area and you’re bound to find some.  We prefer the ones that start early morning which means we get there for about 6am.  Some will let buyers in as they turn up, others will have a specific opening time (you’ll usually find there’s a queue at these ones).  There are also some car boot sales that will let buyers in half an hour before the official opening time if they pay £5 (could be more in some places).

If you’ve never been to a car boot sale before it can be a little scary at first.  You spot something you like the look of, pick it up, examine it and then you need to ask how much.  If they give you a price that’s too high don’t be afraid to barter.  If they won’t budge on price you need to decide if it’s worth what they’re asking.  Sometimes it will be, other times you’ll have to put it down and walk away.  Do some research on the Ebay and/or Amazon app on your phone.  Check if the item has sold before and at what price then you can decide if it’s worth buying for reselling.   Make sure you’re quick though or someone else may buy it before you get the chance.

Take plenty of bags with you and prepare to make a few trips back to your car with your purchases.  It’s also useful to have lots of change with you.

Car boot sales are usually held outdoors which means they’re mainly a spring/summer thing.  But you may find a few in your area that are held indoors and all year round.

Charity Shops

We were amazed at how many charity shops there were within a short drive of where we live.  There must be about 50.   If you’re not sure where your local charity shops are the Charity Retail Association has a handy little charity shop finder feature.  Just enter your postcode and see all the charity shops within a 5 mile radius.

It’s getting harder to pick up things in a charity shop for reselling at a decent profit.  You’ll find a lot of charities now have their own Ebay shops.  Prices are being pushed up as Managers become more aware of how much things sell for online.  Having said that we’re still managing to find stock we can sell.   Have a good rummage and don’t just concentrate on one section such as toys or clothes – take a look at the bric a brac shelves too, you never know what you might find.

Make sure to do your research using your apps.  Don’t make mistakes buying things that will make you little or no profit when reselling.  Although you can’t always rely on a good mobile signal so if you see something that takes your fancy and it’s relatively cheap, take a chance … it’s how you learn.

Auctions

You can buy almost anything at an auction house.  I’ve seen everything from boxes of blankets to motor bikes to commercial ovens.  Whether you’re a niche seller or a general seller there’s usually something for everyone.

Google auction houses in your local area.  Most of them have viewing days.  I usually browse the catalogue on their website first.  This lists every lot they have for sale and usually has one photo beside it.  If anything takes my fancy I make a note of the lot number and go along  for a better look.  Sometimes things look better in real life and sometimes they don’t!  I can also spot things on viewing days that didn’t really catch my eye in the catalogue.

You can leave bids with the auction house when you’re at the viewing day.  Some of them allow you to bid online on auction day.  Or you can attend the live auction (this is the most exciting).  Whichever way you do it, do as much research on the item as you can before you bid.   You can get carried away far too easily!  Have a maximum figure in mind and don’t bid more than that.

There are lots of places you can find stock for reselling but those three are my favourite ones.  Let me know in the comments which you prefer or if you’re new to reselling which ones you’re going to try.

If you want to save some money take a look at my post on DIY gadgets to save energy.