Flipping items is a way for retailers to make money. It involves sourcing products at lower prices and selling them at higher prices, usually several times your average profit.
The challenge is finding the best items to flip. Comprehensive research is required to identify up-and-coming trends, consumer demand, and lucrative markets.
This article features the best things to buy and sell for profit plus tips on how to find them. Note that prices for these products fluctuate often and may have changed since the time of publication.
We picked the best items to resell for profit based on the following criteria:
- Stable demand: We sought products with high demand to help ensure high sales volume. While we also factored in trends, we veered away from temporary trends or spikes and focused on items that have proven sales track records.
- High profit margins: We looked for products you can buy cheap and sell high—particularly those with up to 10 times the original purchase price.
- Size and weight: We looked for relatively light and small items to buy and sell to make your logistics and storage easier. This avoids cutting too much into your bottom line; you’ll be left with a greater profit after each sale.
- Everyday use: The best items to buy and resell are those that run out or wear down because consumers need to buy them regularly.
- Product availability: We looked for products that are easy to find in large quantities and can be restocked quickly and easily.
- Competition: We avoided choosing items with saturated markets.
We looked at trending products via Google Trends, perused the bestsellers on most marketplaces like Amazon, and compared them with what’s trending and popular in the wholesale marketplace Alibaba.
We came up with this recommended list of good products to buy and sell by calculating potential profit based on average wholesale prices on Alibaba and average retail prices on Amazon. Note that our potential profit calculation excludes logistics expenses such as shipping and storage.
1. Pain Relief Patch
- Average wholesale price: $0.07-$0.10
- Typical retail price: $15
- Potential profit: $14.93 (21,328.57%)
Pain relief patches top our list of good things to buy and sell for profit. This product checks off all our criteria—small, lightweight, stable demand, replenishable commodity, easily available, and extremely high profit margins.
As you can see below, pain relief patches in Alibaba are extremely cheap, although the minimum order quantity is quite high.
However, since the item is an everyday product and needs to be replenished from time to time, turnaround can be quick. Its search volume below indicates stable and high demand for the product, too.
Our pricing research shows that you can easily sell these items for more than 20,000 times your wholesale price, too!
2. Fashion Earrings
- Average wholesale price: $0.40-$1.25
- Typical retail price: $20
- Potential profit: $19.60 (4,900%)
Earrings are timeless accessories that consumers of all ages and genders can wear. And as more people transition to remote jobs and video-conferencing, earrings are one accessory that fashion-forward people can play with.
Many look for fashion earrings that are unusual and unique, whether in size, color, or shape. The more variety you have in your inventory, the more attention your store will receive. Like sunglasses, earrings are in demand year-round, and they’re small and lightweight, so they’re easy to package and ship inexpensively.
3. Detangler Hair Brush
- Average wholesale price: $0.37-$0.42
- Typical retail price: $18
- Potential profit: $17.63 (4,764.86%)
Detanglers, detangle brush, and the brand Tangle Teezer are some of the search keywords for this item. The product went viral on TikTok—capitalize on this by building a brand on a detangler brush.
4. Sunglasses
- Average wholesale price: $0.30-$0.55
- Typical retail price: $13
- Potential profit: $12.70 (4,233.33%)
Shoppers of all ages and gender identities wear sunglasses, which are in demand year-round, though more so in the summer months. Smart, fashion-conscious customers are always on the lookout for inexpensive but unique styles to make them stand out. Plus, sunglasses are relatively small and lightweight, making them easy to ship for online sales.
5. Lint Rollers
- Average wholesale price: $0.27-$0.35
- Typical retail price: $10
- Potential profit: $9.73 (3,603.70%)
As a commodity that needs to be replenished from time to time, lint rollers are another great option to sell for profit. Used for home cleaning, maintaining clothes, and even cleaning after pets, lint rollers have some of the highest profit margins on this list!
6. Phone Cases
- Average wholesale price: $0.40-$1.50
- Typical retail price: $12
- Potential profit: $11.60 (2,900%)
Considering over 97% of Americans own a cell phone, there’s a big market for phone cases. In addition to people needing new cases if theirs break, many consumers like to frequently update their cases to reflect their personal style. Plus, as smartphones become more and more expensive, the need for protection rises.
On top of that, phone manufacturers are constantly releasing new models—each needing its own case. Given the popularity, there are many options for sourcing products, but it can be tough to break into the saturated market.
7. Colorful Fashion Dress Socks
- Average wholesale price: $1.20-$1.98
- Typical retail price: $27
- Potential profit: $25.80 (2,150%)
Dress socks are in higher demand as the world returns to normal social activities after the pandemic. Fun designs for dress socks show some personality underneath all the formality, so more variety in the designs will attract more customers. Just remember to hold to a standard in terms of quality so you get repeat shoppers and recommendations for your store.
8. Dog Harnesses
- Average wholesale price: $0.80-$7.09
- Typical retail price: $17
- Potential profit: $16.20 (2,025%)
The US commands the largest pet care industry in the world, reaching over $147 billion in 2023. Statista reports that around 66% of American households owned one or more pets in 2023, compared to the 56% rate in 1988.
It is obviously a good industry to sell in. Dog accessories, along with other pet care products, are in demand.
9. Board Games
- Average wholesale price: $0.99-$3.50
- Typical retail price: $20
- Potential profit: $19.01 (1,920%)
Board games became extremely popular during the pandemic and this trend has carried over today. Most board games are lightweight and can fit small packages, easily making it one of the good things to buy and sell online.
While established board games are always recommended products to carry, keep an eye out for any games that bubble under the trends and sell them while they’re popular with consumers. For example, solo board games and doodle games are popular related queries in Google Trends.
10. Trucker Hats
- Average wholesale price: $1.20-$5.80
- Typical retail price: $17
- Potential profit: $15.80 (1,316.67%)
Trucker hats, also known as snapbacks, were top placers in all our trend tools—a breakout in Google trends, a viral product on TikTok (28 million posts as of this writing), and the top seller in Alibaba during our research.
You can easily make your own private label with trucker hats, too. The four-digit potential profit margin is certainly encouraging!
11. Shapewear
- Average wholesale price: $1.95-$2.49
- Typical retail price: $20
- Potential profit: $18.05 (925.64%)
Shapewear is one of our identified trending products to sell this year. It is something plenty of women wear daily, like undergarments. And since it wears out over time, expect consumers to buy replacements constantly! With the huge potential for profit margins, shapewear is certainly one of the best items to buy and sell online.
12. Guasha & Jade Roller Facial Set
- Average wholesale price: $0.78-$1.58
- Typical retail price: $8
- Potential profit: $7.22 (925.64%)
Jade facial rollers and guashas are mainstays in the bestseller list of Amazon’s beauty and personal care categories. You can easily tap into niche markets with its skin soothing and aging prevention benefits. The beauty industry is a thriving market, skincare in particular is projected to generate up to $177 billion by 2025.
13. Silk Bonnets
- Average wholesale price: $1.29-$1.59
- Typical retail price: $12
- Potential profit: $10.71 (830.23%)
Silk bonnets have steadily risen in popularity over the past five years, and have lately become trendy because of TikTok (124 million posts as of this writing). It’s seen as a reliable way to keep hair healthy, less frizzy, and less tangled.
Here are some related search queries on Google Trends:
- Silk bonnet for curly hair
- Satin bonnet
- Black bonnet
- Best bonnets for sleeping
14. Car Phone Holder
- Average wholesale price: $1.33-$1.40
- Typical retail price: $12
- Potential profit: $10.67 (802.26%)
Smartphones are now an integral part of people’s everyday lives, and having a phone holder in the car is just another way to add convenience and safety while on the go.
These have been on the market for years, but you’ll find new designs with interesting features that your customers will love every day. Plus, as new phones continue to come out, phone accessories need to continuously adapt for compatibility.
15. Swimwear
- Average wholesale price: $4.50-$5.50
- Typical retail price: $37
- Potential profit: $32.50 (722.22%)
Swimwear is a seasonal product, but when promoted early and marketing efforts are done right, you can easily rake in profits 10 times more than you target. According to Shopify, bathing suit sales grew by 98% in their Shopify stores. Within this category, baby and toddler swimwear sales increased by 227%.
16. Handheld Milk Frother
- Average wholesale price: $1.94-$2.54
- Typical retail price: $8
- Potential profit: $6.06 (312.37%)
The coffee industry expects at-home revenue to amount to $11 billion in 2024. At-home revenue refers to revenue generated in supermarkets and convenience stores—specialty products for coffee and things to make coffee with.
Making coffee at home is becoming more popular, especially with crafted caffeinated drinks. Handheld milk frothers are popular home gadgets that people are buying to help them prepare cafe-level coffee drinks at home.
17. Ear Wax Removal/Cleaner Kits
- Average wholesale price: $5.09-$6.49
- Typical retail price: $20
- Potential profit: $14.91 (292.93%)
Part of our research involved scouring social media for viral products and trends, since people are on social media all the time. You can find some really good stuff to buy and sell there, especially on TikTok. Take a look at how many posts are about ear cleaning below.
Sounds weird, right? But this product is popular—and what better way to ride on the popularity than to sell it?
18. Sleeping Mask
- Average wholesale price: $1.78-$2.07
- Typical retail price: $6
- Potential profit: $4.22 (237.08%)
Prioritizing well-being is now considered a necessity, reflecting on the boom of self-care products. Exploding Topics reports that 9 out of 10 Americans engage in some form of self-care (with Millennials leading the change), with a third increasing their activities recently.
It is no surprise that there are plenty of self-care products in our list of best products to buy and sell for profit. Sleeping masks, for example, are on Alibaba’s best sellers list at the time of our research.
19. Dried Flowers
- Average wholesale price: $3.30-$3.90
- Typical retail price: $11
- Potential profit: $7.70 (233.33%)
Included in Alibaba’s bestseller list and Shopify’s trending products to sell, natural dried flowers may not even be included in your idea list of things to buy and sell. However, note its popularity increase in Google Trends and its sales growth of 98% among Shopify stores in early 2024.
20. Baby Changing Mats
- Average wholesale price: $4.10-$4.30
- Typical retail price: $13
- Potential profit: $8.90 (217.07%)
The global baby products market size was estimated at $320.65 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% from 2024 to 2030. Shopify reported that baby changing mats had a 79% sales growth sales growth among Shopify stores in the first quarter of 2024. During the same period, bottle warmers, sterilizers, and crib conversion kits also increased in popularity.
21. Massage Gun
- Average wholesale price: $17-$21
- Typical retail price: $50
- Potential profit: $33 (194.12%)
Massage guns are at the top of Alibaba’s best items to buy and sell; it is one of the three best-selling products at the time of our research. Google Trends also show it as a breakout trend—meaning the search term grew more than 5,000% in the past five years.
22. Athleisure
- Average wholesale price: $4.50-$5.90
- Typical retail price: $13
- Potential profit: $8.50 (188.89%)
Apparel is always included in our list of great things to buy and sell online. If we are talking about high profits though, athleisure clothing is your best bet. Combining active (athletic) and lounge (leisure) wear, athleisure refers to clothes you usually wear to the gym and when you are out and about regularly.
Include athleisure in your list of stuff to buy and sell on your online store. These may include any of the following:
- Workout clothes
- Sweatpants
- Athleisure workwear
23. Neck & Shoulder Massager
- Average wholesale price: $11.80-$14.99
- Typical retail price: $34
- Potential profit: $22.20 (188.14%)
Self-care became mainstream at the height of the pandemic and carried over once things got back to normal. With work-at-home environments being the new norm, neck and shoulder massagers have exploded in popularity.
Just take a look at the trend below sourced from Google Trends:
We predict that this upward trend will continue as more and more people focus on their health and start buying self-care products.
24. Unbranded Watches
- Average wholesale price: $10
- Typical retail price: $28
- Potential profit: $18 (180%)
Like most fashion-forward trends, individuality dominates as a key factor for watch sales. People want to stand out and wear accessories that reflect their personality. Unbranded watches that come in different sizes, colors, and shapes are inexpensive and have the potential for a nice profit.
25. Wireless Phone Chargers
- Average wholesale price: $9.50-$11
- Typical retail price: $18
- Potential profit: $8.50 (89.47%)
Wireless phone chargers are popular because they provide more convenience and flexibility. New phone models are compatible with wireless charging, so expect these chargers to become more in demand. Not only are these wireless versions safer, but they also look so cool sitting on your desk.
Tips for Finding Trending Products to Buy & Sell for Profit
Finding wholesale suppliers for unique products to buy and resell can be a challenge. It’s more complicated than purchasing products as a consumer. So, we put together five helpful tips for finding the best things to buy and sell for profit to get you started.
If you want to start a retail business—or any business for that matter—focus on your interests.
As a business owner, this puts you in the best position to sell better than other sellers. So, tap into your passion, skills, and expertise and make use of resources that are already available to you.
Search for less-obvious product opportunities that customers don’t think they want or need until you introduce them. Start by going through your social media feeds and making a list of all the cool, interesting products you notice.
Once you have your list, start searching for these unique products in online stores that sell similar items wholesale. For example, you can go to Alibaba— it is the world’s largest business-to-business (B2B) marketplace of unique merchandise at wholesale prices. Browse and find products or suppliers that you like, and reach out to them via email or chat to get a quote.
At the end of the day, we are all consumers— this can help you brainstorm for potentially profitable products. Think of an annoyance you experience every day and ask yourself what solution would address this. Look also into reviews of popular everyday products and keep an eye on common complaints.
Start your search by focusing on products that improve a popular product’s features or an opportunity to improve a buying experience. Your goal is to present a solution to a problem that customers experience every day.
The key is not just to pick up on a trend but to recognize a trend early and turn it into a business opportunity. Answering customer demands while there is low supply and joining the market early will not only allow you to rake in sales but also establish yourself as a leader.
Here are some website suggestions where you can check for trending products:
- Amazon Best Sellers
- Trending on Kickstarter
- Pinterest Boards
- Trending on eBay
- Etsy Most Wanted
- Google Trends
Explore up-and-coming product trends then find private label products you can sell while you only have a few competitors.
Find out what your target customers want to know what they usually search for online—you can’t go wrong selling products that match high-volume search queries. Understanding keywords and organic traffic is an important factor when looking for the best things to buy and sell for profit.
These tools can help you find popular search terms related to products to buy and resell:
Online marketplaces also have their own search functions, which means lots of keyword data that you can use for your research. Keep an eye on the number of searches per month and overall competition for those searches.
If you want to start a product-based business, you need to source the right products. Finding a supplier that fits your business needs can be a lengthy process; however, your efforts will be worth all of the time spent.
These steps can help you source the best products with the best partner.
- Research your target market: Gather information about your consumer’s habits, needs, and preferences.
- Source products that align with your brand: Your products need to reflect your brand identity to create an effortless shopping experience.
- Determine your supplier’s shipping criteria: Consider how you want to receive the products. Suppliers deliver products in various ways, including manufacturing, wholesale, importing, or dropshipping.
- Complete quality testing: As you narrow your search, ask for samples from several suppliers and conduct quality testing of both the product and the vendor’s customer service.
- Build relationships with your supplier: Maintaining a professional and respectful relationship will assist in forming a long-term, positive working relationship.
Where to Find Things to Buy & Sell for Profit
There are lots of places you can source products to buy in bulk and sell online or in your store.
Alibaba
Alibaba is the leading platform for wholesale trade. Alibaba has a variety of wholesalers that cover nearly every product category imaginable.
The majority of Alibaba’s suppliers are located in China, so you are likely to find products at lower prices than you would from North American suppliers. However, shipping can take time, and verifying supplier reliability can be a challenge. To help with this, Alibaba allows suppliers to become “Verified,” meaning they passed the factory/warehouse assessment.
Not only that, but Alibaba also offers trade assurance for placed orders, ensuring that the ordered items are “produced to the quality you expect, paid for securely, and shipped on time.” Alibaba customer service representatives can help if that’s not the case. Learn more about Alibaba.
Trade Shows
Trade shows are large events where suppliers come together to showcase their products and retailers shop for goods to sell in their stores. For retailers, trade shows are a great way to see products in person, learn about the merchandise, and network with other business owners in their industry. Some trade shows even offer educational opportunities, like panel discussions and expert speakers.
Most trade shows target specific industries and require prior reservation to attend, so check out our guide to the Best Retail Trade Shows in 2024 (+ Calendar Download) to view your options and get planning.
DHgate
Like Alibaba, DHgate is one of the largest wholesale marketplaces with the majority of its suppliers based in China. You can find almost anything on DHgate, and order minimums are rare.
The marketplace, however, is known for counterfeit items, so we recommend exercising due diligence when placing an order—look for reviews and the number of orders, and message the sellers. Rest assured, though, DHgate will hold your payment in escrow until you click “Order Received” in your dashboard, giving you time to file a dispute. Visit DHgate.
Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace for independent artisans to list their products for people to shop. While Etsy is known primarily as a B2C marketplace, it is also a great place to find unique, artisan goods at wholesale prices. You can do this in a few ways:
- Visit Etsy’s Wholesale Market Page: Browse by product categories and see all the sellers with wholesale offerings.
- Search: You can search for wholesale goods by typing in “wholesale + product you are looking for.”
- Message sellers: You can also message sellers directly via Etsy’s in-site messaging platform. Here you can express interest in purchasing items for resale among non-wholesale sellers. Most sellers are excited to work with businesses that want to place large orders of their goods.
Where to Sell Things for Profit
As with product sourcing, there are lots of options when it comes to where you can sell your bulk resell items. View the top platforms for reselling items for profit and follow the links to learn more about getting started.
- Amazon
- Facebook Shops or Marketplace
- Etsy
- TikTok
- Ecommerce store
- Brick-and-mortar storefront
- eBay
- Bonanza
- Flea markets
- Farmer’s markets
- Pop-up shops
Sell on social! Social commerce has become mainstream, with TikTok leading the evolution in the US market, with $363 million in consumer spending two months after its launch in 2023. TikTok is the place for product discovery and selling. Open a TikTok Business account today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click through the questions below to get answers to some of your most frequently asked questions about things to buy and sell for profit.
You can make great money by flipping products to resell on marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy. Actual profits will depend on order volumes, but there is potential for your margins to be up to 10 times more than your wholesale purchase price.
The easiest products to resell are easy to store and ship, easy to source and restock, and in high demand but not part of a completely saturated market.
You can find products to resell on wholesale suppliers, trade shows, and online marketplaces like Alibaba.
You should sell products that are small and easy to store and ship, products that are easy to source and restock, and products that are in high demand, but their market is not completely saturated with vendors.
There are lots of products that are profitable and can yield margins or double or even triple their wholesale price. A few include:
- Pain relief patch
- Fashion earrings
- Detangler hair brush
- Sunglasses
- Lint rollers
- Phone cases
- Colorful fashion dress socks
- Dog harnesses
- Board games
- Trucker hats
- Shapewear
- Guasha & jade roller facial sets
- Silk bonnets
- Car phone holder
- Swimwear
- Handheld milk frother
- Earwax removal/cleaner kits
- Sleeping mask
- Dried flowers
- Baby changing mats
- Massage gun
- Athleisure
- Neck & shoulder massager
- Unbranded watches
- Wireless phone chargers
Bottom Line
While it’s always ideal to sell products that generate the most profit, it’s important to be mindful of product quality and promote a positive brand for your business. Use our list of ideas and tips for finding the best products to sell for profit to keep you ahead of the competition.
Ready to start buying and selling for profit online? Make sure you have an impressive online store that will keep customers coming back again and again. We recommend Shopify as our top-recommended ecommerce platform for small businesses.
