Turn Your Thrift Store Hobby into a Career with These Tips


Turn Your Thrift Store Hobby into a Career

*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Ever thought of turning your thrift store hobby into a career? So, you are known for having mad skills at the thrift shop.  You can spot a deal like no other, right? Well my friends, it might be time for you to take your love of thrift stores to the next level and create an income from those frequent trips. Yes, I said create an income! You can turn your thrift store hobby into a career if you want to and who wouldn’t want to?

Are you ready?  Here you go! Turn your thrift store hobby into a career with these tips and get to making some money now.

Turn Your Thrift Store Hobby into a Career with These Tips
  • Use a good camera.  No this doesn’t mean you have to go out and spend a fortune on a new camera, but it’s important to take good photos of your items to sell.  This is true for all avenues of selling too, not just online. A good photo brings more visitors to your ad. Most newer smartphones have good cameras, so you can even use those.  Also, be sure and read up on tips and watch some how to videos to help you learn how to take better pictures.
thrift store hobby into cash


  • Know where to sell.  If you have books you would like to flip, your best best is to sell on eBay or Amazon.  If you have clothing, you might try Poshmark. If you have a dresser you want to flip, you should try Craigslist or OfferUp, even facebook groups or start your own facebook page. The item you are selling really does dictate where you should sell it, therefore you need to study up on what items sell best for each avenue.
thriftying to income
  • Find the best deals.  I’ve said it before and I will say it again.  Just because something is for sale at a thrift store, does not automatically mean that it is a good deal.  Make sure that you are familiar with what the item is worth before you decide to flip it.  
thrifing into cash
  • Avoid technology items.  I know a girl who found a great deal on iPhone cases.  She bought 50 iPhone 5 cases for $0.20 each thinking there was no way she could lose. She sold exactly 0 of them.  Yeah, she was only out $10, but she was also stuck with a huge box of phone cases that she couldn’t get rid of and had no use for.
  • Keep your phone handy during shopping trips.  Be sure to have your smartphone out and ready to use during your shopping trips.  It makes researching your items easier.
work from home selling online
  • Check for damage.  Before you buy it, make sure there are no hidden damages, like ripped seams in clothing or wobbly legs on furniture, etc.  Not only will these make it more difficult to sell, but you will also have some pretty unhappy customers if they do buy from you and don’t see the damage until after the fact.  This is how you get poor ratings on your sales profiles on apps and websites such as eBay and Amazon.
  • Clean it up.  Unless you found a brand new item with tags still on it, you need to take a good look at what you got and make sure it is cleaned up and looking its best.  This goes for clothing, furniture and just about anything else that you find during your treasure hunt. Check for any stains or color spots and clean them up.  If you are selling furniture be sure to polish it up before you post your ad.  Many stores are marking items with permanent markers these days, so brush up on your stain removing skills.  I find this product great on people but also clothing for stains, it’s a natural soap my daughter turned me on to!  
work from home selling stuff

Think it can’t be done? Think again!  I know of a LOT of people who make a living (support 4 or more people) selling items they find at thrift stores, yard sales, online sales, side walk finds and dump treasures!   This is a REAL thing friends.

You may want to check these out as well: 

Tips on how to sell on ebay?

Tips on how to sell on Amazon ?

Selling on Etsy?

thrift store hobby into cash

Did I tell you!  My daughter bought me a BRAND NEW winter coat valued at over $300 for only $15 at Savers !!  TRUTH!!  I should have told her to sell it but ya know these New England Winters makes that coat priceless to me!

Matt R

Hi, my name is Matt and I'm the founder of Barefoot Budgeting. This site is dedicated to one thing... helping you budget and save money.

Recent Posts