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Any blank media that can be used for recording video or audio can be a fast seller on eBay. Millions of people still have old camcorders and other devices that they use to make home movies. In addition to this, a lot of blank media ends up going overseas to buyers in countries where more modern technologies have not caught on yet.
Do you remember the beanie baby craze of the late 1990s? Most of these old toys don’t have much value anymore, however, other stuffed animals from the 1980s and 1990s have increased in value over time. Obviously, make sure any stuffed animal you put up for sale is clean and odor-free.
Believe it or not, rotary phones can sell for big bucks on eBay. I am not sure why someone would buy one of these unless they were attempting to decorate a room in their home like an antique museum. Nonetheless, rotary phones, especially working ones, are hard to find.
There’s always a good to market to sell your car parts online. When a car breaks down, people often try to solve the problem as inexpensively as possible so they look to find cheap parts in online marketplaces. Car parts can be very expensive for the average consumer so they are willing to look around online to find a good deal. Years ago, I had an old Mazda that stopped running. Instead of investing thousands to fix it, I decided to part it out and sell the individual parts online. It took years to sell everything. But in the end, I made significantly more money than what I would have made by trading the car in for a new one or selling it to the junkyard. And once the car was down to the chassis, I called a local junkyard who came and removed it for free!
If you’re going to sell used car parts online, I highly recommend cleaning the parts well and taking many high-quality photos of them. Shipping costs can be high for heavy items, so be sure to consider that when creating your eBay listing. It’s always important to disclose the source of the part and the year, make, and model of the vehicle that it came from. Finally, if you do decide to part out a car like I once did, be sure to note in your listing that you are parting out a car.
People love puzzles, especially those that are hard to find. The good news is that puzzles are very easy to find at yard sales and thrift stores. The challenge with puzzles is making sure that all the pieces are there. You could solve the puzzle yourself or at least count them all to verify that the number of pieces is correct.
Among toys of all kinds, Lego is one of the most recognized and desired brands out there. Lego building blocks hold their value really well. If you have (or can find) old, unopened Lego sets, you stand to potentially make a lot of money. I once sold an old 10 piece Lego pirate set for almost $25. It probably only cost $3 when I got it decades ago. If you’re looking to buy or sell Lego toys, make sure that a set is not “contaminated” with any off-brand building toys. Mega Blocks or other brand bricks will not sell well (unless they are new, unopened sets).
There’s just something about old film cameras that makes them very desirable. Old film cameras, especially 35mms, are popular both with collectors and photographers. It’s interesting to know that even cameras from 20 years ago and can produce better quality images than many of the smartphones and digital cameras that we have today. In addition, nothing beats a good old vintage-style photograph or the surprise of seeing your pictures for the first time after they’ve been developed in the photo-lab. Always test the cameras if you can. However, broken cameras can still sell online depending on the brand.
Old TV remote controls that are brand specific (not the universal kind) may sell well online. I have sold a few dozen of Sony, Sharp, and Samsung TV remotes online for anywhere from $4 to $10. The interesting thing is that TV remotes can be easily found at thrift stores. However, stay away from off-brand remotes, universal remotes, remote controls without back covers, those with faded buttons, and those for really old (CRT style) TV sets.
When you get new prescription glasses, what do you do with the old ones? Sell them online of course! People looking to buy prescription glasses on eBay aren’t usually looking to find something to fix their vision. Instead, they are more interested in the frames. Frames, especially designer ones, can be very expensive. So people look on eBay to see if they can find some inexpensive, brand-name, frames.
One thing that kids are good at is breaking every crayon in the Crayola box. Instead of throwing them out, try listing the broken crayons on eBay. People buy broken crayons by the pound because they looking to use the wax for crafts and art projects. There’s a debate on whether or not the paper should be removed from the crayons. Check recent listing to see what is doing better.
Paper egg cartons are great for crafts and can be the perfect place to start growing plants indoors before they can be transferred to a larger pot or placed in the garden. In my experience, the one dozen sized cartons tend to sell better, however, the 18-count will sell as well. Just start saving up the cartons and place a new listing every time you reach at least 12 of them.
Much like egg cartons, the small cardboard tubes at the end of a toilet paper roll are in demand for craft and art projects. Save up the empty rolls and selling them in large lots to make some decent money.
Over the years, I have sold several thousand plastic bottle caps on eBay. I usually sell them in lots of 100, however, you can try 250 or even 500. Smaller lots don’t seem to sell as well (and you will have a smaller profit margin). That being said, I have also sold lots of 50 in the past. I can usually earn profits averaging around $2 for every 100 bottle caps sold. The market is also saturated with certain types of bottle caps (like Diet Coke or Dasani) so you may not make as much money on these. Be sure to wash and thoroughly dry the caps before packing them up and listing them for sale.
Almost everyone I know has a box of old cords lying around collecting dust. Some of those cords may actually still have some retail value depending on the size, type, and brand. USB cords, for example, will likely not sell unless you have a high-end cord that’s at least 12ft long. Good quality HDMI cords, heavy gauge extension cords, as well as cords for video game consoles, can sell well too. In addition, sometimes old cords like serial and parallel port cords can sell as well. It never hurts to go through that box of cords and to check previous eBay listings for what is selling online today.
If you have old mail-order catalogs lying around, they might just be worth some money. I have heard of people selling vintage Sears catalogs before, but they may be hard to find. Any catalog that is directed towards fashion or clothing may also sell well online. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I’ve had good luck selling bundles of 10 or more Victoria’s Secret and other similar catalogs on eBay. One of the cool things about this is that many catalogs can be acquired for free, which means you will have higher profit margins. Catalogs are also easy to ship.
Would you believe that someone would buy empty iPhone Boxes? Yes, it’s true! I once sold two empty iPhone 6S boxes for a profit of almost $5. I took a chance by listing it thinking that no one would buy it, however, I actually ended up with multiple bids. And yes, I clearly stated in the title and the description (as well as the photos) that the listing was for two empty boxes only. Although I haven’t tried this yet, I suspect that any box from other expensive or high-end electronics might actually sell well on eBay.
These days, plastic has a bad reputation and many people are looking for alternatives. This is one of the reasons that paper shopping bags are starting to make a comeback. In addition, sturdy paper bags are great for crafting or for the temporary storage of small items. Start asking for paper bags at your local grocery store (if they have them) and save them up. Once you have a good stack, you will have a decent chance of selling them online in lots of 25 or more. Be sure that the bags are sturdy, thick, and made from high-quality paper. If the paper bags are small, thin, or cheap, you likely won’t be able to sell them. Be sure to also list the bag’s dimensions clearly in your listing.
Gift bags are a highly convenient way to give gifts to people. However, the problem is that they are really expensive. Some gift bags at the local big box store can cost more than $10! Herein lies the opportunity to resell the gift backs that you and your family receive for a profit online. I’ve been collecting bags for years and can easily sell them at $1 to $2 apiece. You can try selling similar sized or themed bags as a lot as well.
Selling pine cones is easy, as people just can’t get enough of them for their home decor or art projects. When picking pine cones, be sure to avoid small ones (anything less than 2″ wide may be hard to sell) and make sure they are not crushed or broken. It’s also a good idea to clean them well with an air compressor before photographing and packing them up in a box.
Wine corks sell well online. People are looking for them to make artwork and decorate their homes. Sure, you can buy wine corks in bulk at some craft stores, however, these are not authentic, used corks. I’ve had mixed luck with these, so I recommend checking recent listings before listing your own.
Do you have old software installation discs just lying around? If so, you may be able to sell them online! It may be possible to sell discs for old printers and other devices as well. Make sure the disc is readable and that you have the serial key (if applicable) before you list them online.
Partially used, or even empty perfume bottles can sell very well on eBay. In my experience, I’ve sold about 15 of them, with the highest price reaching over $23 for a partially used bottle of Caesars Woman perfume. The best thing about this is that I received most of these bottles for free! In any case, shipping these can be a challenge. The USPS will ship them via ground methods only and the bottles need to be double- or even triple-sealed to prevent leakage. High-end perfume bottles are fragile and can break easily, so you’ll need lots of bubble wrap as well.
Just like empty perfume bottles, empty makeup containers can sell well online as well. However, make sure the container is completely empty and clean before you list it. Only high-end brands, like MAC, tend to sell well. People are looking to find containers to organize their stuff or they want to find something that they can transfer their cheaper makeup into.
I’ve had mixed luck with old cell phones. These are normally purchased only for their parts. You can also try selling a large lot of phones as well. If you can’t sell them on eBay, you can always donate them to any number of organizations who attempt to put phones in the hands of veterans, foster kids, etc.
Nothing is worse than going to play a game of Monopoly only to find out that the coveted car game piece has been stolen! Kids (and I suppose parents too) are always losing board game pieces. In some cases, you can make some decent profit just selling game pieces as a standalone item. Try hunting thrift stores to look for board games in order to get inventory for your eBay listing. If you can find a game that is missing pieces itself, you may be able to purchase it for an extremely low price. In any case, metal and wood game pieces will sell better than plastic ones. In addition, the older the version of the game is, the more likely it will sell as well.
If you have a bunch of to/from gift tags lying around, you may be able to sell them online for a profit. People are looking for high-quality tags/stickers such as the foil ones or vintage-style tags. You probably won’t be able to design your own and print them out for sale, but you can certainly try.
I’ve never tried this myself, but I have heard of people who have made money doing this. They use a guitar pick punch to make the picks out of old credit cards and gift cards. I’ll usually see these items listed in lots of 100 or more. I’m not sure who would buy 100 credit card guitar picks, but apparently there is a market for it.
Just like bottle caps, you can save and eventually sell the tabs that come off of aluminum cans. People are looking to buy these in bulk for art projects, fundraisers, or to decorate their wall with. I haven’t personally sold any soda tabs yet. However, when I get to 100 I will create my first listing.
Vintage mason jars tend to sell well on eBay. One reason for this is that they are usually constructed out of high-quality, heat-treated glass and were actually designed for canning food. Many modern mason jars are not heat treated and are mass-produced for decorative purposes. Old mason jars also come in many unique styles and are perfect both for people seeking home decor as well as actual canning equipment.
In this day and age with advanced computer graphics and in-depth video games, you wouldn’t believe the interest there is in vintage handheld electronic games. Other than a person trying to re-live their childhood, I am not sure why people would buy these old games. However, they do seem to sell well if they are in good, working condition.
If you can find vintage photos and postcards, you might have a gold mine on your hands. People are searching for authentic vintage photos to complete a collection, decorate their home, or use for a project. You can try “making” your vintage cards with photoshop and commercial grade printing. However, I have not had too much luck with this. But if your great-grandmother had a shoebox of photos under her bed, you may be able to sell some of those on eBay for a pretty penny if you can part with them.
Can you see a theme developing now? Vintage magazines can make you a great profit however not all magazines are created equal. My recommendation is to look for magazines on obscure or specialty topics. These seem to sell better online. If you pick a popular magazine such as Time or National Geographic, you probably won’t be able to sell them since so many people already have them.
What? Yes, empty boxes will sell on eBay, depending on what the boxes are for.
In general, higher-end product and brand boxes sell well.
A specific example could be American Girl Doll Boxes. These boxes sell for good money because the dolls are frequently archived, and people who purchase used dolls like to give their children the “new doll” experience by putting it in a genuine American Girl Doll box.
If you buy a brand-new doll (approximately $125) you can earn back some of the money you spent by selling the box.
Other good sellers: iPhone boxes and boxes from luxury brands such as Chanel, Hermes and Tiffany & Co.
Nowadays, you can find most instruction manuals online. However, vintage manuals or even just older manuals may not be.
These can often be sold for some money.
If you no longer even have that item the manual corresponds to, why not make some money off it?
People sell huge baggies of My Coke Rewards caps and codes. If your family members are big soda drinkers, but you don’t want to use the codes, why not sell them on eBay?
This is an instance where you could potentially offer free shipping. Or skip it altogether and manually type the codes into a message to the buyer after completing the transaction.
You can frequently find bundles of box tops on eBay. Some schools offer competitions and prizes to classes that collect the most, so parents are looking for cheap ways to get these codes.
If you find yourself just throwing them out, stop. Maybe you’d be more tempted to clip them if you could earn some cash.
Especially for in-demand idols like The Beatles or Bruce Springsteen, vinyl records are a great item to watch out for and sell on eBay. (It’s best to make sure it is in working condition before selling.)
Old textbooks often fetch a high price; if you are a student, it’s better to sell them right after waiting many years (like I did), as the price tends to lower as new editions are published. However, if you can find vintage textbooks from decades past those might also command high prices!