Sourcing guide for reselling: when to visit Goodwill, what to check, and how to price stock before you buy.
Updated October 10, 2026
Before you start
Sourcing guide for reselling: when to visit Goodwill, what to check, and how to price stock before you buy.
Reselling starts with finding items below market value. Thrift stores, estate sales and yard sales offer cheap stock, but you need a plan to turn that stock into profit.
Good habits turn a $40 Saturday into $200 of sales, and a few checks keep dead stock out of your spare room.
Kit for this
The products this guide uses, with typical US prices.
Clear stackable 32 qt bins, 4 pack
Mark each bin with a shelf code and record the code against the listing. When an item sells, the code in the listing tells you which bin to open.
Typical price$30 to $55
See on Amazon
5-tier steel shelving, 72 in
Floor space runs out first, so build up instead. Number the shelves and give each item an address you can pick from.
Typical price$40 to $90
See on Amazon
Sortly
Suits you if you keep hundreds of items in bins and lose time hunting for the one that sold. Scan a QR label on a bin with your phone to see what is inside, then update counts as you go.
Typical priceCheck current pricing
Visit siteThe guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Thrift store flipping: know the rhythm
Chain thrift stores put out new racks daily, and many run color tag sales on set days. Ask staff when carts come out and visit at the same time each week.
Outlet or bins stores sell by the pound. Prices are lowest there, but you dig through a lot more to find a few winners.
Estate sale reselling: first day or last day
Day one has the full house and full prices. The last day often runs at half price or better, with the good pieces gone but plenty left for flipping.
Estate sale listing sites show photos a few days ahead. Look for brands, vintage clothing, cameras and collections, then plan your route the night before.
Yard sales and garage sales
Prices are the lowest of the three and haggling is normal. Bring small bills and a bag, and go early on Saturday.
Community sales, where a whole neighborhood sells on one weekend, put dozens of tables in walking distance.
Check sold prices before you pay
Search the item on eBay, filter by sold listings, and look at what it went for in the last few months. Ignore asking prices: only sold prices show what buyers paid.
Aim to pay a quarter or less of the sold price after fees and shipping. A $10 jacket that sells for $28 leaves almost nothing after the platform fee and a label.
Inspect on the spot
Check zippers, seams, armpits and stains on clothing. Test electronics if the store has an outlet, and look inside the battery compartment for corrosion.
Check the smell too: smoke and mildew are hard to remove and buyers notice them first.
Get stock listed, not stored
Clean, photograph and list within a week of buying. Stock that sits in bags gets forgotten and loses value.
Clear tubs on a shelf, each with a code you put in the listing, make finding a sold item a 30-second job.
Kit for this step
Checklist
Run through it before each one goes out.
- 1Learn your local thrift store's restock days
- 2Check estate sale listings for photos before the weekend
- 3Bring small bills to yard sales
- 4Look up eBay sold prices before buying
- 5Inspect seams, zippers and smell on every piece
- 6List new stock within a week
Setups
Complete kits for one kind of seller, costed and laid out.
Questions
Straight answers to what sellers ask about this.
Which sells better, thrift store or estate sale finds?
Estate sales turn up older pieces and whole collections. Thrift stores give a steady weekly flow. Use both.
How much should I pay for an item?
A common rule is a quarter or less of the recent sold price, so fees and shipping still leave a profit.
Do thrift stores charge sales tax?
Most do, and many do not accept resale certificates. Count the tax in your cost.
What sells well from thrift stores?
Brand clothing, vintage pieces, shoes, small electronics, kitchen brands and media. Check sold listings for your area of interest.
Is it legal to resell thrift store items?
Yes, reselling used goods you bought is legal. Avoid counterfeits and recalled items.
Where do I store everything?
Clear tubs on a shelving unit, each tub coded in your listing, keep a small room workable.