As we navigate the post-pandemic world more people have realized that a side hustle is a great thing to have. Of course with more awareness, things get oversaturated fairly quickly.
I once made major bank purchasing store return items from auctions and reselling them but then everyone jumped on the bandwagon. I pivoted to exclusively offering limited edition items to resell and it was a complete game changer.
Best Limited Edition Items To Resell
To assist you in beginning your reselling journey or if you’re just a nerd like me who reads about anything and everything, here are the best categories of limited edition items to flip.
1. Shoes
I’ve seen all the articles about teenagers making thousands from reselling limited edition Nike and Jordan sneakers. If you’re not a total sneaker head you may not know what’s a valuable Nike sneaker or not and could potentially overpay for something no one really wants.
But did you know that other popular shoe brands come up with limited editions all the time that people will gladly pay for. In 2021, the shoeware brand Vans collaborated with Metallica for a limited edition sneaker that quickly sold out and can now only be found for resell at the price of around $200.
Limited Edition Shoe Brands Great To Buy and Sell
I have routinely purchased brands such as the below and have flipped them for a tidy profit:
- Vans – Don’t miss out on the new Limited Edition ‘Stranger Things’ collaboration.
- Converse (specifically ‘Chuck Taylors’)
- Crocs
- DC Shoes
2. Regional Store Favorites
You may be wondering what this one means. I have a great personal example. I’m originally from New Orleans and there’s a specific brand of red beans that all native New Orleanians absolutely swear by. I now live on the West Coast and this brand is not sold here. So guess what – I now have to purchase that brand for resell (oftentimes more than double the retail price).
This works in any part of the country you’re located in. Look for top brands or even stores that can only be found in your region. Trader Joe’s is a huge win if there’s one in your area. There’s a Trader Joe’s brand body butter that retails for $5.99 that I consistently resell for nearly double that amount to those that aren’t located near a retail store.
3. End of Season Items
You may have to hold on to these items until the next season comes around but trust me it will be totally worth it. I was just at my local Target the other day (end of summer). There was a certain deluxe brand of inflatable pools on sale for $12. These pools retail at $45! I bought every single one on the shelf.
You can do the same thing with items after each major holiday such as Christmas, Halloween and 4th of July. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve made from reselling just wreaths purchased after Christmas.
4. Limited Edition Soda Flavors
Special soda flavors are a new favorite among millennials. For instance, Coca-Cola has a new limited edition collaboration soda with DJ Marshmello. This is a fun limited edition item to resell that you don’t have to worry about sitting in your house or garage for long.
Many of the major brands only offer some of the limited editions via a social media sweepstakes. For instance, Pepsi had a contest where only 2,000 users were selected to receive 12-ounce cans of Pepsi Maple Syrup flavored soda.
Sample Limited Edition Soda Flavors (that really exist)
- Pepsi
- Nitro (regular and vanilla)
- Cracker Jack
- Peeps
- Coca-Cola
- Dreamworld
- Starlight
- DJ Marshmello
- Sprite
- Winter spiced cranberry
- Tropical
- LeBron’s Mix
- Mountain Dew
- Flamin Hot
- Dill Pickle
- VooDEW
5. Limited Edition Swiss Army Knives
I didn’t even know Special Edition Swiss Army Knives existed until I was looking for a classic, traditional red version for my son one Christmas. It was then that I came across a few limited edition knives on victorinox.com that were less than $22.
I knew a great opportunity for resell profit when I saw one and sold each for $40. For this reason, I make sure to check their website every couple of months for limited editions. I especially check around holiday times because they’ve had Halloween and Christmas editions that went out of stock very quickly.
6. YETI Drinkware and Coolers
YETI is a brand that makes high-end coolers, drinkware and outdoor products. There are serious YETI collectors and those that clamor for limited edition YETI items – especially the tumblers. A 30 oz limited edition tumbler purchased for less than $40 can easily fetch at least $60 – $300 or more at resell.
7. Supreme Brand – Limited Edition Items
The Supreme clothing brand regularly introduces limited edition items that sell out fast. This brand is highly coveted in today’s generation especially their collaborative products. Their limited edition tees are usually around $55 but at resell can fetch at least $80 or more!
8. Rae Dunn Items
Magenta by Rae Dunn is a home accessory collection that I had no idea existed until a few years ago. I happened to be in a TJ Maxx store that was having a huge clearance sale as they were moving locations.
I ran across a large table full of ceramic ware that looked really stylish. I looked up some of the items on Ebay and to my surprise many were selling for 4 times the clearance price listed! Whenever I come across Magenta x Rae Dunn items in bargain stores I always grab them up because I know they make great limited edition items to resell.
9. Limited Edition Makeup Products
You don’t have to be a makeup expert to make money reselling limited edition makeup products. A great makeup collaboration is consistently popular and many major makeup brands take advantage of this strategy.
For instance, I’m constantly on the MAC cosmetics collections page on the lookout for limited edition collab items. The limited edition lipsticks retail for less than $25 and resell particularly well.
Where Can I Sell Limited Edition Items?
Now that you have an idea of what kinds of limited edition items to resell your next question is likely where to sell these products. Below are some great places to start – some you may have already heard about.
- Mercari – This is a fairly new free phone app for selling new or used items.
- eBay – A well-known online marketplace. I’ll had a lot of success selling collectibles on this site.
- Poshmark – I’ve used this online fashion marketplace to mainly sell clothing and purses. The commission rate of 20% for sales over $15 may seem a bit steep but it’s really a low price to pay for the exposure and free advertising this site brings to your items.
- OfferUp – I really like this online selling app for to sell items locally. As a matter of fact, all of the inflatable pools I found on clearance were sold through this app and I was able to avoid those ridiculous shipping costs.
Related Article: Most Wanted Antiques
My Final Thoughts
I highly recommend reselling limited edition items as a side hustle. It’s actually fun being on the look-out for highly coveted items that can make the buyer happy and generate a profit for you at the same time.