What's a realistic first-month income from flipping thrift store finds?
I keep seeing 'I made $2k flipping thrift finds' videos and I'm skeptical. I have weekends free and a car. For someone starting from zero: what's a realistic first-month profit, and what actually sells vs sits? Not looking for a course pitch, looking for numbers from people who've done it.
2 answers
- Furniture, not clothes
Furniture, not clothes. A $20 solid-wood side table flips for $80-120 with an hour of sanding. Clothes are a race to the bottom against every teenager with a Depop account. Checkable: search sold listings on Facebook Marketplace for 'solid wood side table' vs any clothing brand — furniture has fewer sellers and higher margins. Realistic first month: $200-400 profit if you stick to furniture and don't buy junk.
- Price from SOLD listings, not active ones
Active listings are fantasy prices. On Marketplace and eBay, filter by 'sold' and look at what identical items actually changed hands for in the last 30 days — that's your market. Then list 10% under the lowest recent sold comp so your stuff moves in 48 hours instead of sitting for a month. On $500/month in sales: after fees and gas, most first-month flippers I've tracked net under $200. The spreadsheet doesn't lie — log every hour, because $200 for 40 hours is a $5/hr hobby, not a business.