Top 10 Flipping tips
Be selective
Don’t be afraid to leave empty handed! There have been several times when I’ve left a thrift store without purchasing anything. It’s perfectly okay to leave behind whatever you don’t love or have a use for. Check over what you’re interested in buying to make sure there aren’t hidden stains, tears, or cracks.
Design A New Logo
When was the last time you updated your logo? If it still uses the ‘Playlist’ font, sorry, but it’s time to update it to something more current! It’s free and easy to create your own logo using Canva. Or if you’d prefer to work with a professional, hire the awesome people at 99 Designs to design your perfect logo for you.
Know what you’re supporting
Many thrift shops support specific charities. If you have an organization you feel strongly about, check to see if they have any thrift stores or rummage sales. Even if you feel that some of their prices are higher than they should be, remember that it’s going to a good cause. Some thrift stores are privately owned and for profit. It’s just helpful to know the difference.
Books
Books are one of the best thrift store items to resell for a few reasons:
- they’re pretty easy to find
- you can ship them easily
- and they’re in demand You can sell books on sites like eBay and Craigslist and at garage sales. But, you should also consider selling them to book-focused sites, like BookScouter.com. Getting books in a set or collection is also a good idea because you can often sell them for a much higher price than what you paid for them at the thrift store. When you are buying books, make sure that you check what condition they’re in and inspect them for any rips, tears or missing pages. Unless it’s a highly collectible book, most people won’t pay for a book that’s in poor condition. Plus, many places that sell books won’t accept books if they have tears, so make sure you check thoroughly. A little wear and tear is okay, though.
Know the return policy
Just like any other store, thrift shops have return policies. Commonly, they accept returns within 7 days for store credit only. Check with your store to find out their specific policy. And make sure you like what you’re buying enough to not regret your purchase a few days later.
Shop off-season
When it comes to thrift shopping clothes or seasonal decor, off-season is your best bet. Check out the winter coats in July, and the Christmas decorations in February. The store may have more inventory, or lowered the price to clear it out.
Basic Website Pages
At the very least every blog should have an “About” page that eloquently describes you (or your blog), your background, your philosophy, and your mission. You should also have a “Contact” page for readers, advertisers, and contributors to reach out to you. Create easy-to-find categories for your blog post topics. You may want to add a store, a services page, forum, or product page, too. You also must-have pages for all 3 legal pages, which are:
- Privacy Page
- Terms & Condition Page
- Disclosure Page You can use this legal template bundle for all 3 pages. It was drafted by a lawyer and includes all of the information you need to legally protect your website. Including GDPR regulations!
Look for items to repurpose
Be creative when thrift shopping. Many items can be repurposed into something other than their original intention. Be sure to check out the framed art as well. While the actual art might be hideous, the frame itself could be really nice or valuable.
Textbooks
Another thrift store item that’s worth reselling is textbooks. These sell pretty well online. College textbooks are a good choice because students often look for books at cheaper prices – just make sure that you’re not buying an outdated edition because you might not be able to resell it. Textbooks can be sold on sites like eBay and Craigslist, but there are also other sites to sell textbooks on as well. Here are a few:
- Valore
- Textbooks.com
- TextbookRush
Befriend the employees
It’s always important to be kind, and the workers at thrift shops may receive less kindness than usual. In addition to spreading goodwill (no pun intended, hehe), befriending the thrift shop employees can work in your favor. You can ask them when the store restocks their inventory, as well as when they mark things down.