Best Items to Flip for Profit in 2026 (With Real Margins)

Last updated: February 2026

TL;DR

• The best flipping categories combine high demand, easy sourcing, and strong margins (50%+ ROI minimum)
• Sneakers, vintage clothing, and Lego consistently deliver the best returns for most resellers
• Your ideal category depends on your knowledge, local sourcing options, and preferred platform
• Don't spread yourself too thin — master 2-3 categories before expanding
• The resellers making real money know exactly what an item is worth before they buy it

Why Some Items Are Better Flips Than Others

Not every profitable item is a good flip. A $500 profit on something that takes 6 months to sell and requires $300 in capital ties up your cash flow. Meanwhile, a $20 profit on a $5 item that sells in 3 days? That's a money printing machine if you can find enough of them.

The best items to flip check these boxes:

Here are the 15 best categories for 2026, with real numbers.

1. Sneakers and Athletic Shoes

Average ROI: 100-400%

Best platform: eBay, Whatnot, StockX

Sourcing: Thrift stores, estate sales, Nike/Adidas outlets, retail drops

Sneakers remain the king of flipping. A pair of used Nike Dunks sourced for $8 at Goodwill can sell for $60-120 on eBay depending on colorway and condition. Deadstock hype releases can return 200%+ on day one.

What to look for: Nike Dunks, Air Jordan 1-13, New Balance 550/990 series, Asics Gel-Lyte, vintage Nike running shoes. Anything with a visible Nike swoosh from the 80s-90s is worth checking comps.

Pro tip: Learn to identify model numbers on the size tag inside the tongue. That 6-digit style code tells you exactly what you have, and you can look up sold comps in seconds.

2. Vintage Clothing

Average ROI: 200-1,000%+

Best platform: eBay, Whatnot, Depop, Grailed

Sourcing: Thrift stores, estate sales, Goodwill outlets, flea markets

Vintage clothing has some of the highest margins in reselling. A vintage 90s band tee found for $3 at a thrift store can sell for $40-200+. Vintage Harley-Davidson, single-stitch concert tees, vintage Nike/Adidas, and 80s/90s graphic tees are all hot.

What to look for:

• Single-stitch construction (pre-mid 90s)
• Brand tags: Fruit of the Loom, Hanes Beefy-T, Screen Stars (these date the shirt)
• Band tees, movie promo tees, sports championship tees
• Vintage college and university sweatshirts
• 90s windbreakers and track jackets

Average flip example: Vintage Metallica tee, bought for $4, sold for $75. That's an 1,775% ROI.

3. Electronics

Average ROI: 50-150%

Best platform: eBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace (local)

Sourcing: Thrift stores, estate sales, retail clearance, liquidation pallets

Electronics are high volume but require more knowledge. The sweet spot is items that are one or two generations old — still functional and in demand but heavily discounted.

Top flips in 2026:

• AirPods and wireless earbuds (returned/refurbished)
• Older-gen iPads and tablets
• Bluetooth speakers (JBL, Bose, Sonos)
• Networking equipment (Ubiquiti gear has cult following)
• Vintage audio equipment (receivers, turntables, speakers)
• Video doorbells and smart home devices on clearance

Watch out for: Dead batteries, missing chargers, iCloud-locked Apple devices, and items that are too old to have any resale value.

4. Lego

Average ROI: 100-500%

Best platform: eBay, BrickLink, Whatnot, Facebook Marketplace

Sourcing: Garage sales, thrift stores, retail clearance, estate sales

Lego is a reselling goldmine. Retired sets appreciate in value, sometimes dramatically. Even bulk Lego by the pound can be profitable if you sort out valuable pieces and minifigures.

Best Lego flips:

• Retired sets (sealed): Star Wars, Harry Potter, Creator Expert — these appreciate 10-30% per year after retirement
• Minifigures: Rare minifigs from collectible series or exclusive sets can sell for $10-50+ each
• Bulk lots: Buy by the pound at garage sales ($3-8/lb), sort for valuable pieces, resell sorted lots or individual finds

Example: A sealed Lego Ideas set bought on clearance for $35 that retires can sell for $80-150 within a year.

5. Trading Cards

Average ROI: 50-500%+ (highly variable)

Best platform: Whatnot, eBay, TCGPlayer

Sourcing: Garage sales, estate sales, bulk lots on Facebook Marketplace, retail

Trading cards — Pokémon, sports, Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic: The Gathering — continue to be massive in 2026. The key is knowing what you're looking at.

Where the money is:

• Pokémon: Vintage holos (Base Set, Jungle, Fossil), modern chase cards from new sets, sealed vintage packs
• Sports cards: Rookie cards of current stars, vintage cards in good condition, complete sets
• Magic: The Gathering: Reserved List cards, older format staples

Caution: This category has the widest variance. You can find a $500 card in a $20 lot, or you can buy a lot that's worth exactly what you paid. Knowledge is everything here.

6. Tools (Power and Hand Tools)

Average ROI: 100-300%

Best platform: eBay, Facebook Marketplace (local), Craigslist

Sourcing: Estate sales, garage sales, pawn shops, Habitat for Humanity ReStores

Tools are criminally underrated in the reselling community. Most resellers walk right past them because they don't know brands. That's your opportunity.

Brands that sell:

• Power tools: Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, Festool, Hilti
• Hand tools: Snap-on, Matco, Mac Tools, Knipex, Wera
• Vintage: Stanley hand planes, old Craftsman (USA-made), vintage drill presses

Example: A Milwaukee M18 impact driver found at an estate sale for $20 (no battery) sells for $80-100 on eBay. Snap-on wrenches found at garage sales for $5 each sell for $30-50.

Pro tip: Tool buyers don't care about cosmetic wear. A beat-up Snap-on ratchet that still works is worth good money. Test power tools before buying if possible.

7. Vintage Pyrex and Glassware

Average ROI: 200-1,000%+

Best platform: eBay, Etsy, Whatnot

Sourcing: Thrift stores, estate sales, garage sales

Pyrex has a massive collector community. Certain patterns — Butterprint, Lucky in Love, Pink Gooseberry — command serious money. And most thrift stores still price them at $2-5 per piece.

What to look for:

• Any Pyrex with colorful patterns (not plain clear glass)
• Rare patterns: Lucky in Love, Starburst, Turquoise Diamonds
• Complete sets with lids (lids add significant value)
• Vintage Fire-King, Corning Ware with rare patterns

Example: A Pyrex Butterprint casserole dish with lid, bought for $4 at Goodwill, sells for $40-60 on eBay.

8. Designer Bags and Accessories

Average ROI: 50-200%

Best platform: eBay (with authentication), Poshmark, The RealReal

Sourcing: Thrift stores, estate sales, consignment store clearance

This category has high margins but also high risk if you can't authenticate. Stick to brands you know or learn to authenticate.

Best brands to flip: Coach (vintage especially), Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Dooney & Bourke, Vera Bradley (specific patterns), and if you're lucky — Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel.

Important: eBay's Authenticity Guarantee program handles authentication for sales over $500 on luxury items, which builds buyer trust. Use it.

9. Video Games and Consoles

Average ROI: 100-400%

Best platform: eBay, Whatnot, Facebook Marketplace

Sourcing: Thrift stores, garage sales, pawn shops, Facebook Marketplace bundles

Retro gaming continues to be hot. Complete-in-box games from the N64, GameCube, and PS1/PS2 era hold strong value. But even recent-gen games can be flipped when bought right.

Top flips:

• GameCube games (Melee, Twilight Princess, Path of Radiance)
• N64 games (anything first-party Nintendo)
• Sealed or CIB retro games
• Limited edition consoles
• Handheld consoles (Game Boy variants, PSP)

Example: A GameCube with controllers and a few games bought for $30 at a garage sale. The console sells for $60-80, and if one of those games is Super Smash Bros. Melee, that's another $50-70.

10. Textbooks

Average ROI: 50-200%

Best platform: Amazon, eBay

Sourcing: Library sales, thrift stores, end-of-semester campus sales, estate sales

Textbooks are boring but profitable. The seasonality is strong — prices spike at the start of each semester (January and August).

Strategy: Buy textbooks year-round at library sales for $1-3 each. Scan them with the Amazon Seller app to check current selling prices. Anything selling for $15+ is worth listing. Some niche textbooks (medical, law, engineering) sell for $50-150.

Pro tip: International editions are NOT the same as US editions and often can't be resold on Amazon. Check the ISBN.

11. Small Appliances

Average ROI: 100-300%

Best platform: eBay, Facebook Marketplace

Sourcing: Thrift stores, estate sales, retail clearance

Specific small appliances have dedicated followings. These aren't glamorous flips but they're consistent.

Best sellers: Vitamix blenders, KitchenAid mixers (especially in popular colors), Breville espresso machines, Nespresso machines, Dyson vacuums and fans, Instant Pots, air fryers from premium brands.

Example: A Vitamix 5200 found at a thrift store for $15 sells for $150-200 on eBay. Test it before you buy — make sure the motor runs and the blades spin freely.

12. Coins and Currency

Average ROI: 50-500%

Best platform: eBay, Whatnot, coin shows

Sourcing: Estate sales, garage sales, coin rolls from banks, pawn shops

Coins are a knowledge-heavy category but incredibly rewarding once you learn. The barrier to entry keeps competition low.

Where to start: Learn to identify silver coins (pre-1965 US quarters, dimes, half dollars). Silver content alone makes them worth well above face value. From there, learn key dates and mint marks.

Easy wins: Pre-1965 US silver coins bought at spot silver price and sold individually to collectors for a premium. Morgan silver dollars are almost always profitable if bought right.

13. Jewelry

Average ROI: 100-1,000%+

Best platform: eBay, Whatnot, Etsy (vintage)

Sourcing: Thrift stores, estate sales, garage sales, Goodwill outlets

Most thrift stores don't test their jewelry, which means gold and silver pieces get priced at $2-5 alongside costume jewelry. If you learn to test metals (a cheap magnet and an acid test kit cost under $20), you can find real gold and silver regularly.

What to look for:

• Stamps: 10K, 14K, 18K, 925 (sterling silver), 950 (platinum)
• Weight matters — heavier pieces have more metal value
• Signed/designer pieces (Tiffany, David Yurman, vintage Monet, Napier)
• Vintage pieces with unique designs sell beyond just metal value

Example: A 14K gold bracelet bought for $3 at a thrift store weighed 8 grams. Gold value alone: $250+.

14. Sports Memorabilia

Average ROI: 100-500%

Best platform: eBay, Whatnot, sports-specific forums

Sourcing: Estate sales, garage sales, thrift stores, storage units

Sports memorabilia is huge — jerseys, signed items, programs, ticket stubs, bobbleheads, vintage pennants. The market is driven by nostalgia and team loyalty.

Best flips: Vintage team jerseys (especially for championship teams), signed items with COA, vintage programs from significant games, game-used equipment.

Caution: Authentication matters here. Items without COAs (certificate of authenticity) sell for significantly less. Don't pay premium prices for "signed" items at garage sales unless you can verify.

15. Vinyl Records

Average ROI: 100-500%

Best platform: eBay, Discogs, Whatnot

Sourcing: Thrift stores, estate sales, garage sales, library sales

Vinyl continues to boom. Most thrift stores price records at $0.50-$2 each, and many have records worth $20-100+ mixed in.

What to look for:

• Original pressings of classic albums (look for specific label variations)
• Jazz, blues, and classic rock tend to hold the most value
• Condition is everything — check for scratches, warping, and ring wear on the cover
• Colored vinyl, limited editions, and picture discs
• Look up records on Discogs before buying — the app is free

Example: An original pressing of a Miles Davis album found for $1 at a thrift store sold for $80 on eBay. A VG+ copy of Fleetwood Mac "Rumours" (original pressing) goes for $30-40.

Which Platform Sells Each Category Best?

How to Pick Your Category

Don't try to flip everything on this list. Pick 2-3 categories based on:

The most successful resellers I know are specialists, not generalists. They know their category so well they can spot a $100 item from across a thrift store in seconds. That speed and knowledge comes from focus. pricing guide

SnapList identifies any item from a photo and shows you exactly what it sells for — across every platform, with real sold data. No more guessing at the thrift store. Try it free and know your profit before you buy.