Flea Market Flipping: Make Money While Having Fun in 2023!

Have you heard of a little something called flea market flipping?

If that answer is yes, I bet you didn’t think it was feasible to turn this side hustle into a full time job!

If it’s a no, here’s what it is:

Flea market flipping is, quite honestly the epitome of that time old saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

If you want to learn more about flea market flipping, how to do it, where to start, and learn about a couple who made over $42K part-time and $133K full-time (have I piqued your interest?) by flipping things, then stick around.

Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.

Here is a FREE Flea Market Flipping WORKSHOP where you will learn how to turn your passion for visiting thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets into a profitable reselling business!

What Is Flea Market Flipping?

Flea market flipping is the art of finding items that no one else sees value in and selling them for a profit.

Turning someone’s trash into your treasure, if you will.

It’s a simple concept, spend as little as possible and sell at the highest price to earn money.

It doesn’t sound like a lucrative business at first glance but do not be deceived by that explanation.

Have you watched that show flea market flip on netflix?

Flea markets, yard sales, garage sales, all of these places are filled with diamonds ready to be mined.

The trick is, of course, finding them.

In the show, competitors are asked to find these unassuming items and then challenged to transform them into items that will be sold for a profit.

I mean, come on. There are people out there doing this for a living and there’s even a TV show about it?

Flea market flipping is a legitimate way to earn some money if you have the patience and imagination.

How Much Money Can You Make Flipping Items?

But how much can you realistically expect to make flea market flipping?

Well, how much you make is really up to you and determined by the item you have and what you’re willing to sell it for.

You have the potential to flipping products of $5 to $100 or even $1000 depending on what it is.

If you’re just starting out, it’s completely realistic to make an extra $300 to $1,500 a month with flea market flips.

You can earn more money as you learn and grow along the way.

What Are The Easiest Things To Flip?

Now you might have questions like what are the easiest items to flip and what are the best things to flip for profit.

I like DIY projects as much as the next person (mostly because they save me money and I’m always looking for ways to repurpose things before I even consider throwing it out) and some projects are easier than others.

For instance, you spot an old tire at a garage sale going for $1, you can easily reupholster that bad-boy and turn it into an ottoman or even a coffee table. Flipping items for profit isn’t too hard.

Picking out the hidden gems from a flipping flea marketplace is a skill that can be learned and so can the art of flipping.

But bear in mind that it doesn’t matter how cheap something is; if you can’t flip it and sell it for a profit then it’s better left at the garage sale.

Here are a few flea market flip ideas:

Old furniture = Spruce things up with a new coat of paint or upholstery.
Silverware = Polish it up and make it sparkle
Wood furniture = Repurpose or bring it back to life
Antiques = You never know how valuable these may be. Antique flipping is known to be very profitable.
Vintage electronics = If you know how to fix it, go ahead but in most cases you can make a pretty penny by selling them for part or as it is (working or not)
Vintage glass vases, bottles, and jars = paint over them or turn them into chique light fixtures
Animal horns = You can sell them as is for a great turn around or turn it into a display piece
Watches and clocks = These can be sold as is for parts or repurposed into home decor
Vintage toys = Flipping goods like vintage toys is an easy way to make bank.
Collectibles = Collectors are particularly interested in collectible like coins, stamps, sports memorabilia and more.
Books = Some rarely found books — special editions, vintage hard backs are sought out by many book lovers.

Best Money Makers At Flea Markets

The best flea market flips are the ones that make the most profit.

This one is a little tricky because there is no one “type” of item to look for.

According to the masterminds behind fleamarketflippers.com, people have found success in selling all sorts of different things but here are some things to look out for in items that often make a profit:

Large Items

Commercial kitchen equipment, kids items, exercise equipment, patio furniture, lawn equipment, etc. are the easiest things to flip for profit.

Those kinds of big ticket items coupled with freight shipping often sell for high prices and they go fast.

Oh P.s. Freight shipping is the process of transporting large goods by truck, train, ship or plane in bulk.

High-end Brands

As a flea market flipper, another trait to keep an eye out for is branding.

Things like kitchen appliances, clothes, shoes, electronics, baby items, and so many other items do well online but couple that with a brand and you’re sure to turn a profit.

Unique Items

Unique items are the best things to flip.

Remember that couple I was talking about earlier?

The one that turned flea market flipping into a full-time job and made a six figure income doing it?

Rob, the husband has made hundreds and occasionally thousands of dollars on a $50 investment.

Here are a few crazy and unique items he has flipped:

A prosthetic leg – he found it at the bottom of a bin at the flea market. He paid $35 and sold it for $1,000 in less than 24 hours.
9-Foot Harley Davidson Sign – Picked up for $250 and sold for $7,500
Concrete Stamps – got these for FREE and sold for $850
Boiler – Bought for $100 and sold for $2,400

All of these items above are unique, rare, and hence are best items to flip for profit.

Non-working Items

Just because they don’t work, doesn’t mean they aren’t worth anything.

Rob says he has sold non-working and broken items time and time again without being sure if they work or not.

You may think that these items are dead weight but for a flipper these items can turn out to be a goldmine. These are easy things to flip for money.

All you have to do is hop on the internet, do a quick Google search and see if it’s a high dollar item.

More often than not, people buy these items for parts or in hopes of fixing it up themselves.

Where Can You Sell Your Flea Market Flip Items?

Do you have flea market flip unsold items or flea market flip items for sale but no clue where to sell your items?

You could sell you flipped items locally or you can utilise the wonders of the internet and sell your flea market flip items that don’t sell there.

You get more reach and you can advertise your item on more than one platform.

You can flea market flip online and sell stuff on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Craigslist, and you can even make money selling on Amazon.

Some other websites to consider if you want to sell your items online are:

So now, instead of worrying about how to flip antiques you can go on to any of these platforms and list your products there.

What Tools Do You Need To Start Flea Market Flipping?

Flea market flipping is a low cost business that doesn’t require a lot of tools if you’re interested in starting a flipping business.

However, here are a few things that will make your life a little easier:

A Smartphone

The most important tool that you’ll need is your smartphone.

You’ll use it to take pictures, post items on the sale platform of your choice and look up items on Google to see what they’re potentially worth or if there are similar items up for sale.

A Vehicle

Not a requirement, but this may be super helpful if you’re looking to transport your flea market flips.

It doesn’t need to be a massive pick up truck, as long as you can fit a good amount of stuff (sizeable or not) in the back seat of your car or truck, you’re all set.

An Imagination

Yes, you heard me right.

Your imagination is a powerful tool; this can set apart flippers tremendously.

If you can see potential in an item then there are more chances you can make a decent profit flipping it as it or even transforming the item.

Looking for ideas?

This article, “25 Totally Transformative Flea Market Flip Ideas,” is such an eye opener.

When you see the before photos, you’ll hardly believe the afters are the same pieces.

What Should I Watch Out/ Lookout For When Flipping Items?

With books like, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, coupled with her Netflix TV show, it’s no surprise that more and more people are decluttering their homes and donating items.

This is good news for flippers. It’s the best time to learn how to make money and flip items for a profit.

But what are some things you should look out for?

Answer= This will vary with different people.

Work With What You Know

A good starting point for best flipping items is to look for items you know and like.

The more knowledge you have on an item the better.

For instance, if you’re a parent then you’re more familiar with kids brands & items that are expensive and will be easy flips for money.

If you’re a sports fan, then start there. Look out for collectibles or items you know that will sell for a profit.

If you know a lot about antiques then, keep an eye out for those items and start your flipping business by flipping antiques.

Use Google

The general rule of thumb if you’re not sure how much to sell the item for is, Google it.

Do a quick search online and see what that item can possibly retail for.

This can give you an idea of the items value and make it an easy item to flip.

Keep in mind that condition can make a difference to the sale price, so look out for items that are similar in condition to the one you’ve found.

Use keywords like ‘gently used’ instead of old, etc.

Keep On Hunting

Like anything else, consistency is key with flea market flipping.

You’re not going to find $15,000 worth of flea market flip ideas at one flea market in an hour.

You’re going to have to consistently visit local thrift stores, flea markets and scour the web for best profit items flea market.

To know where flea markets are, you can type ‘Flea market near me’ on Google, and the search results will show you the flea markets nearest to you.

If you’re just starting out, know that it does take some time to get the hang of spotting best selling flea market items and deciding how to flip the item, figuring out online marketplace platforms like eBay and dealing with things like shipping.

But in my opinion, it’s totally worth it when you’re making turnarounds.

Flea Market Flipping: How To Get Started:

If you’re interested in making flea market flipping a side hustle or full-time job but you’re not sure where to start?

Or maybe you have unsold flea market flip items and you’re looking for some guidance?

While anyone can start flipping items and reselling them online, why not learn the tricks of the trade from someone who has over 20 years of experience in this area?

This will give you a massive advantage and help you beat that learning curve.

You’ll save precious time and avoid the time-consuming trial and error approach, plus you get to make some decent money faster.

You may be wondering how or where on earth you can learn all of this. Surely, there isn’t a course or a guide to flea market flipping?

Think again, hombre.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned a couple that had transformed their favorite past time of flea market flipping from a means to get extra holiday money to a full time job.

Well, guess what? They wanted to share their success with the world and have created Flippers University where they teach flipping items for beginners.

Flippers University

Flippers University was created by Rob & Melissa, the couple I was talking about earlier.

They used to use their earnings from flipping as their “fun money” for things such as vacations, the holiday seasons, birthdays, and unexpected bills (not fun per se but necessary).

Rob & Melissa took their flipping side hustle from $42K part-time job to $133K full-time job and they haven’t looked back since.

When they started treating their favorite past-time of flipping like a real business, they took it to a part-time gig earning $42K (roughly spending 5-15 hours a week).

Then they transitioned into doing it full time and earning as much as $133K (20 to 30 hours a week) that following year.

They decided to create Flippers University in 2015 and include various courses to help people who needed help to get started making money flipping as a side hustle.

“Turn your passion for treasure hunting at thrift stores, yard sales, & flea markets into a profitable reselling business in as little as 14 days!”

Those promising words are displayed on their website.

Their course takes you through everything from:

setting up your eBay and PayPal accounts, to
teaching you how to find items of resale value,
choosing which platform to sell your items on (Facebook Marketplace, Offer Up, Craigslist, Amazon, and eBay, to name a few), to
packaging and shipping both small and large items, AND
how to keep track of your business records too

The course consists of 6 modules and 28-course units and can be done in 14 days.

For the price of $497, you can sign up for their course today.

Alternatively, you could opt for the Pro Flipper PLUS Package for Beginners and Intermediates (and it includes information about freight shipping) for the price $897.

If you’re not keen on shelling out money for the Pro package plus but you’re looking for a more one-on-one approach, you also have the option of paying for a 20 min strategy call with Rob personally for $97.

On the one-on-one call with Rob, he will help you with a personalized road map to get you up and running with your flea market flipping business.

And if you’ve tried their course but realized flipping flea market is not for you, Rob & Melissa offer a 30-Day refund guarantee for the full amount.

You will also be entitled to these bonuses when you enroll in their course:

Lifetime Access To Flipper University
FREE Access To Members Only Coaching Group
Sourcing Guide: Where to find items to flip
Buyer’s Guide: Our top 100 Items To Flip
Ultimate Tax Guide
Shipping 101 Library
Shoe Flipping Workshop
Flipper U Cliffs Notes
Item Listing Worksheet
Inventory, Income & Expense Spreadsheets
Quick Start Guide To eBay
Flipper Success Checklist
Art of Shipping e-book
5 Ways To Find FREE Items To Sell
Furniture Shipping Workshop (Pro PLUS only)

Granted, I know not everyone can afford courses like this but that doesn’t mean you can’t join their flipping revolution and learn from them.

Rob & Melissa offer a FREE WORKSHOP where you will learn how to “Turn your passion for visiting thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets into a profitable reselling business.”

In this 75 minute free workshop, they will teach you:

The Five Signs

Learn the five signs of flipping and reselling items that could be a perfect fit for you.

Freedom and Security

How flipping can be your ticket to lifestyle freedom and financial security

Insider Secrets

They will let you in on three insider secrets that will help you grow your flipping profits and so much more.

It’s completely free and all you have to do is press the “Save My Seat” button and sign up with your name and email.

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How To Get On Flea Market Flip?

Are you an avid fan of the HGTV show Flea Market Flip? Do you want to get cast on the show and try flipping?

Casting agents usually reach out to bloggers/people who are active in the DIY niche, near the filming location.

After completing the documentation, the producers will take you through 2 interviews. The team will contact you, if you’re selected to be a part of the show.

You can also keep an eye on be on HGTV for casting. They regularly update which shows are in production and you can apply on the site once newer episodes of Flea Market Flip are on the way!

Being a fan, you MUST be curious about who gets the money for items sold on flea market flip and flea market flip items that don t sell.

Repurposed products on the show, when flipped, sell for fairly high prices. The production company keeps the money gained from the flipped products for future projects of Flea Market Flip.

On flea market flip what happens to unsold items? The unsold items are either donated to charities, non-profit organizations or are kept by the company for future episodes.

FAQs On Flea Market Flipping

Is Flea Market A Good Investment?

Wondering whether a flea market is a good investment? Investing in a flea market can turn out to be quite profitable.

You just need to find the right items to flip in a flea market and know where to sell them for maximum returns.

Why Do People Like Flea Markets?

Why do people like flea markets? Flea markets are excellent places to get a valuable item at bargain prices.

People who have an eye for antiques can buy them at low rates, and flip them for much higher prices.

Is Flipping Items Easy?

Wondering whether flipping items is easy? It is easy, you just need to have a strategy to flip it to get best returns.

You can find products of high value at flea markets and buy them at reasonable prices, repair them if needed, and sell them at higher rates.

How Do You Become Successful At Flea Market Flipping?

Wondering about how you can become successful at flea market flipping? Successful flippers recognise the actual worth of the items being sold at a lesser price.

They buy and then sell these products for a higher price, making profits from it. Antique pieces and furniture are among the most undervalued items which are profitable.

What Electronics Are Good To Flip?

Wondering what electronics are good to flip? The best flea market flips are vintage items like boomboxes, Apple Macintosh, Walkmans, VCRs, rotary telephones, phonographs, and analog televisions.

These are classified as collectibles and are quite valuable because collectors have no problem paying high prices for them.

What Is Amazon Flipping?

What is Amazon flipping? Buying a product at a lower price and selling it on Amazon at a higher price is what Amazon flipping is all about.

You can purchase the products from flea markets, local retailers or small markets which sell them for lower prices.

Is Flipping Items Legal?

Is flipping items legal? Yes, it’s legal to resell or flip a product as long as you follow the terms set up by the online marketplace.

You can be prohibited from selling counterfeit or certain other products which are considered illegal by the platform.

How Much Do Item Flippers Make?

How much do item flippers make? Beginner flippers can earn $200 per month which can go up to $2500 – $3000 too if they follow the correct strategies.

Their earnings depend on the time spent in searching for profitable items, the products they find and the amount they sell it for.

What Machines Are Best To Flip?

What machines are best to flip?

The ideal machines to flip include gym equipment like weights, bikes, and treadmills as well as sports machines like ATVs and dirt bikes because you can buy them at low rates in garage sales/flea markets.

Buyers are willing to pay considerable amounts for them which makes them best for flipping.

Is There Good Money In Flipping Furniture?

Wondering if there is good money in flipping furniture? Flipping furniture can be extremely lucrative due to the huge demand for high-quality furniture goods.

If you know how to refinish and flip furniture, you can sell it for much greater prices, making it an excellent side hustle.

Conclusion

Flea market flipping is looking pretty good if you ask me.

What other job could make you that much profit and turn around with little investment?

And with the Marie Kondo movement making it’s round, what better time to start than now?

Has Rob & Melissa’s story convinced you to jump on the flea market flipping bandwagon and venture into a potential side hustle or dare I say, career?

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