How do you start reselling online?

To learn how to start reselling, begin with unused items you already own. Choose a suitable marketplace, research sold listings, create clear listings, and track your costs as you build experience.

How much can you make reselling items online?

Reselling items online nets most casual sellers about $200 to $500 a month, growing toward $2,000 or more once you list consistently across a few hundred active items. Scaling further usually means sourcing new inventory on purpose, not just clearing out a closet.

Is reselling legal, and do you have to pay taxes on it?

Yes, reselling is legal, and any profit from it counts as taxable income you are required to report. Platforms only issue a 1099-K once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year, but the IRS expects income reported below that line, too.

Do you need a business license to resell items?

No, casual resellers do not need a business license for occasional sales out of a closet or garage. Your city or state may require a seller’s permit once reselling turns into a regular, ongoing business.

How is reselling different from flipping?

Reselling is different from flipping mainly in scope and repetition. Reselling means selling through a marketplace again and again, often out of items you already own, while flipping is a one-off hustle of buying a single underpriced item and turning it around fast for a profit.

How much does it cost to start reselling?

Most people start reselling for free, listing items they already own with nothing more than a phone camera and a marketplace app. If you’re learning how to start reselling and you want to source new inventory to resell, budget at least $50 to $100 for your first restock.

How To Start Reselling in 2026: Beginner’s Guide

eBay

Poshmark

, or

Mercari

. Compare sold listings to set competitive prices, take clear photos in natural light, and write accurate product descriptions. Track your costs before listing items, including marketplace fees, shipping, and packaging, to help protect your profit margins.

Find out how to start reselling online in this beginner’s guide, with details on fees, initial setup steps, and the best reselling platforms today.

Is Starting a Reselling Business Actually Realistic?

Yes, starting a reselling business is realistic as a part-time income. Most people who stick with it for a few months clear $200 to $500 a month after fees, and that scales to $2,000 or more once you keep 200 or more active listings running. It rarely replaces a full paycheck unless you treat sourcing inventory as a real job, not a way to clear out a closet.

When learning how to start reselling, keep in mind that revenue isn’t the same as the money you take home. Inventory costs, marketplace fees, shipping, packaging, and other expenses reduce your earnings. If you’re starting from zero, set realistic expectations and focus on building sales gradually rather than aiming for the highest possible revenue from the start.

Reselling scales with the time you put into sourcing and listing, not with luck. Reselling physical goods is also not the only version of this idea. If you would rather resell virtual items than physical ones, selling CS:GO skins for real money runs on the same logic, where you buy low and sell through a marketplace.

8 Legit Methods on How To Start Reselling

Here are eight real methods on how to start reselling for profit, ranked by how fast you can get a first sale and how much of it you actually keep.

eBay

[Broadest Marketplace for Nearly Anything]

eBay

nets most part-time sellers $360 to $445 a month in revenue on average, and that is before its fees come out. Its size, not its price, is the reason to start here: no other platform on this list reaches as many buyers across as many categories.

eBay

charges a 13.6% final value fee on most sales up to $7,500, plus a small per-order fee, according to

eBay

’s own seller fee schedule.

Sellers with 200 or more active listings and strong feedback report $2,000 to $5,000 a month, though that pace means treating

eBay

like a real store instead of an occasional cleanout.

How to start reselling on

eBay

? Getting a first listing live takes about 10 minutes once you have an account:

Photograph the item in good light from three or four angles.

Pick the closest category so buyers searching that category actually find it.

Set a price using

eBay

’s own “sold” listings for the same item as a guide.

Choose auction or fixed price, add a shipping option, and publish.

Sell Almost Anything

eBay

Our rating considers platform quality, usability, earning potential, and overall user experience.

Keep about 86% of a sale after eBay’s 13.6% final value fee, with no upfront cost to list.

Sell on eBay 2.

Poshmark

Built Specifically for Fashion Resale

Active

Poshmark

sellers typically earn $500 to $2,000 a month once their closet has enough listings to get found, and the platform’s top “Ambassador” sellers report $3,000 to $8,000 a month. That upside comes from focus:

Poshmark

only really works for clothing, shoes, and accessories.

Poshmark

keeps a flat $2.95 on any sale under $15, and 20% on anything $15 or more, with no separate listing or payment-processing fee. That commission also covers a prepaid shipping label, so the seller’s real cost is only the item itself and any packaging.

How to start reselling on

Poshmark

? A first

Poshmark

listing takes a few minutes once your closet exists:

Create a “closet” profile with a clear photo and a short bio.

Photograph the item against a plain background in natural light.

Write the brand, size, and condition into the title, since

Poshmark

’s search leans on exact terms.

List a price, then use

Poshmark

’s “share” feature daily to stay visible in the feed.

Built for Fashion Resale

Poshmark

Our rating considers platform quality, usability, earning potential, and overall user experience.

20% commission at $15 and up, or a flat $2.95 below that, with a prepaid shipping label included.

Sell on Poshmark 3.

Mercari

Simplest App for Everyday Items

Mercari

charges the simplest fee on this list, a flat 10% of the item price plus any buyer-paid shipping, with nothing else deducted from what you keep. That makes it easiest to price an item and know exactly what lands in your account.

As of listings created after January 6, 2025,

Mercari

removed its separate payment-processing charge, so the 10% selling fee is the only cut sellers pay, per

Mercari

’s own Help Center.

Mercari

is also the platform to use
for kids’ and baby-item resale
specifically, since the niche’s old specialist,
Kidizen

, shut down on October 29, 2024.

How to start reselling on

Mercari

? Listing on

Mercari

is built to be quick from a phone:

Verify your phone number to unlock selling.

Take up to 12 photos, with the clearest one as the first photo since it becomes the thumbnail.

Fill in the category, condition, and a searchable title.

Set a price and publish;

Mercari

suggests a range based on similar sold listings.

Simplest App to List

Mercari

Our rating considers platform quality, usability, earning potential, and overall user experience.

One flat 10% selling fee, no separate processing charge, and nothing to pay just to list.

Sell on Mercari 4.

Facebook Marketplace

Free for Local, No-Shipping Sales

Facebook Marketplace

is the only platform here that can cost you nothing at all:

a local, cash-in-hand pickup sale carries zero seller fee. The trade-off is the reach, since a local sale only finds buyers close enough to meet up.

Shipped orders paid through Facebook’s own checkout carry a 10% fee with an $0.80 minimum, calculated on the item price plus shipping. For anyone reselling furniture, appliances, or anything else awkward to ship, the zero-fee local option is the real advantage this platform offers over every other entry on this list.

How to start reselling on

Facebook Marketplace

? A listing goes up in three steps:

Open Marketplace and choose “Item for sale.”

Add clear photos and a price, and choose local pickup or shipping.

Post it to your local area, then respond quickly to the first few messages, since speed drives Marketplace’s search ranking.

Free for Local Pickup

Facebook Marketplace

Our rating considers platform quality, usability, earning potential, and overall user experience.

How to start reselling? Local pickup costs nothing to sell; shipped orders pay a 10% fee with an $0.80 minimum.

List on Marketplace 5.

Depop

Near-Zero Fees for Vintage and Trend Fashion

Depop

charges US sellers 0% commission, so the only real cost is payment processing. That makes it one of the cheapest platforms here for fashion resale, and it skews toward a younger buyer base looking for vintage and trend pieces instead of everyday basics.

The payment-processing fee is 3.3% plus $0.45 per transaction.

It applies to the full order, including shipping, per

Depop

’s published fee schedule, so keep this in mind if you’re just learning how to start reselling.

Depop

also sells an optional “Boosted Listings” ad placement at 12% of the sale. It only charges that fee when a boosted listing actually leads to a sale, so skipping it costs nothing.

How to start reselling on

Depop

’s whole flow is built around a phone camera:

Shoot photos with personality; styled or worn shots outsell plain flat-lays on this platform.

Add hashtags that buyers actually search, not just a generic description.

Publish, then refresh older listings periodically to keep them visible in the feed.

0% US Selling Fee

Depop

Our rating considers platform quality, usability, earning potential, and overall user experience.

No selling commission for US sellers, just a 3.3% plus $0.45 processing fee per sale.

Sell on Depop 6.

StockX

Authenticated Resale for Sneakers and Streetwear

StockX

pays out only after its own authentication team checks the item, which is exactly why it
commands higher resale prices

than an unverified listing on a general marketplace. That trust costs more: this is the highest combined fee on this list at the entry level.

StockX

’s seller fee starts at 9% for a new Level 1 seller and steps down toward 7% at Level 5, plus a flat 3% payment-processing fee on every sale, effective from

StockX

’s March 2026 seller-program update. Every item must be brand new, unworn, and shipped with its original packaging, or authentication rejects it outright.

How to start reselling on

StockX

? Selling on

StockX

skips the usual listing photos entirely:

Search for the exact product and size in

StockX

’s catalog.

Set an “Ask” at the price you want, or accept the current highest “Bid.”

Ship the item to

StockX

’s verification center once it sells, using their prepaid label.

Get paid once authentication confirms the item matches the listing.

Authenticated Resale

StockX

Our rating considers platform quality, usability, earning potential, and overall user experience.

Seller fees run 9% down to 7% by level, plus a flat 3% processing fee on every sale.

Sell on StockX 7.

ThredUp

Mail-It-In Consignment for a Full Close

ThredUp

is the one genuinely hands-off entry on this list. You pack a bag and mail it in, and

ThredUp

photographs, lists, and ships every sale itself. The payout in exchange is the lowest floor here, though it climbs sharply for designer brands.

ThredUp

pays sellers on a sliding scale that runs from roughly 3% up to 80% of the sale price, weighted toward higher-end brands, and charges a $15 Clean Out Kit fee against your first payout. A batch of fast-fashion basics will land near the bottom of that range, while name-brand denim or designer pieces land much closer to the top.

How to start reselling on

ThredUp

? There is no listing work at all on your end:

Order a Clean Out Kit, which arrives as a prepaid mailing bag.

Fill it with clothes, shoes, or accessories in sellable condition.

Drop it at any mail carrier; no printing or packaging beyond the bag itself.

Track payouts in your account as

ThredUp

lists and sells each item over time.

Mail It In, Hands Off

ThredUp

Our rating considers platform quality, usability, earning potential, and overall user experience.

Payouts run 3% to 80% of the sale price by brand tier, minus a $15 Clean Out Kit fee.

Order a Kit 8.

Amazon

Built-In Traffic for Scaling Into a Real Store

Amazon

puts a reselling operation in front of the largest built-in buyer base on this list, which is the whole reason to accept its more complex fees. It suits someone ready to treat reselling as inventory-driven retail, but don’t expect to earn $1,000 a week from it right away.

If you’re learning how to start reselling,

Amazon

’s referral fee runs 5% to 45%, depending on category, though most categories sit at 15%, according to

Amazon

’s own seller pricing page.

Clothing is tiered lower to start, at 5% on the first $15 of an item’s price and higher above that. An Individual plan costs $0.99 per item sold with no monthly fee, while a Professional plan runs at $39.99 a month and pays off once you are listing in real volume.

How to start reselling on

Amazon

? Setting up an

Amazon

seller account takes longer than the others, since it is built for ongoing business:

Match your item to an existing listing, or create a new one if none exists.

Set your price after subtracting the category’s referral fee.

Ship the order yourself, or opt into Fulfillment by Amazon for

Amazon

to store and ship it.

Built-In Buyer Traffic

Amazon

Our rating considers platform quality, usability, earning potential, and overall user experience.

Referral fees run 5% to 45% by category, most around 15%, plus a $39.99 monthly Professional plan.

Sell on Amazon

Comparing the Methods on How To Start Reselling

The table below lines up what each platform actually takes and how much sourcing, listing, and shipping work it demands, so you can match the platform to what you are actually reselling rather than picking the biggest name.

Typical Seller Fee Best For Effort Level

eBay

13.6% + per-order fee Nearly any category Active

Poshmark

20% ($2.95 flat under $15)

Clothing and accessories
Active

Mercari

10% flat
Everyday household items
Active

Facebook Marketplace

0% local, 10% shipped
Local, no-fee sales
Active

Depop

0% + payment processing
Vintage and trend fashion
Active

StockX

9% down to 7% + 3%
Sneakers and streetwear
Active

ThredUp

3% to 80% sliding scale
Bulk closet cleanouts
Passive

Amazon

5% to 45%, most 15%
Scaling into a real store
Active

How We Chose the Best Platforms for Beginners

Every platform on this list had to meet one bar: it is a real, currently operating marketplace with a published fee schedule, open to an ordinary reseller without an application process. Every fee and payout figure above comes from that platform’s own help center, seller page, or a recent seller-program announcement, as of this writing.

That bar is also why Kidizen is not on this list. It shut down on October 29, 2024, and

Mercari

has become the practical replacement for kids’ and baby-item resale.

The same standard applies outside of clothing and general goods. If collectibles are more your niche than clothes or electronics, trading card games run on their own resale ecosystem worth a separate look.

Can Reward Apps Add to Your Reselling Income?

The best game reward apps will not replace what reselling pays, but stacking one on top of your resale income adds a small, steady top-up for very little extra effort. You will need to be at least 18 to sign up and cash out on most reward apps, including the top picks below:

App Best For Entry Cost Snakzy Extra earnings from mobile games Free Swagbucks Surveys, shopping, games, and offers Free Freecash Games, offers, and surveys between other gigs Free For casual gaming, Snakzy is the best option, with its variety of offers making it accessible for beginners looking to earn extra money while learning how to start reselling.

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Mistakes To Avoid When You Start Reselling

Reselling often fails because someone runs the numbers wrong and does not notice until months later. A handful of specific mistakes show up again and again across reseller forums and platform help centers.

Pricing an item without subtracting the fee first:

Listing a $20 find at $20 on

eBay

and forgetting the 13.6% final value fee plus a $0.40 order fee means the sale nets under $17 before packaging or shipping supplies.

Treating a platform’s dispute process as neutral:

A recurring theme in seller reviews for

Poshmark

Mercari

, and

ThredUp

alike is a dispute resolved in the buyer’s favor, even when the seller has proof of shipping and condition.

Skipping authentication on designer goods or sneakers:

The FTC’s INFORM Consumers Act now requires marketplaces to verify high-volume sellers and give buyers a way to flag counterfeit listings, a protection that an unauthenticated general marketplace does not automatically extend to a seller in a dispute.

Assuming resale income is invisible to the IRS:

Under 2026 rules, third-party platforms must issue a Form 1099-K once a seller crosses $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year, but the IRS is explicit that income below that line is still reportable.

Buying inventory before confirming it actually resells:

Wholesale liquidation pallets and bulk thrift buys can leave a reseller holding stock nobody wants, which is the single fastest way reselling turns into a loss instead of income.

None of this makes reselling a bad way to earn. It just means treating the fees, the dispute process, and the tax paperwork as part of the job. Always do your homework, whether you’re reselling on a regular marketplace or a digital marketplace like DMarket.

Final Verdict on How To Start Reselling

When learning how to start reselling, choose a marketplace that fits your products.

eBay

offers a broad range of categories, while

Poshmark

focuses on fashion and

Mercari

supports a variety of secondhand goods. Compare fees, shipping options, and buyer reach before deciding where to list your items.

Start small and build consistency by listing items you already own, tracking expenses, and improving your listings based on what sells. You can use a reward app like Snakzy for extra money, but keep your focus on building your reselling business. The best platform if you’re exploring how to start reselling is one that suits your products, budget, and selling routine.

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