Can You Make Money Reselling Bin Store Finds?
Many people claim to make real income from bin store reselling. Is it actually viable? Here's an honest look at the income potential and how to make it work.
The Honest Answer: Yes, But It Takes Work
The internet is full of videos of people claiming to make $500, $1,000, or more per week flipping bin store finds. Some of these claims are exaggerated or cherry-picked. But the underlying premise is real: buying items at bin store prices and reselling them through online marketplaces does generate meaningful income for a significant number of people.
The gap between "possible" and "probable" depends entirely on your approach, your time investment, and your willingness to develop the skills that make reselling efficient.
The Math Behind Bin Store Reselling
The basic economics are straightforward. Bin stores sell items at dramatically below retail value. Resale platforms connect you with buyers who will pay at or near market value. The spread between what you pay and what you sell for is your gross margin.
Here's a simplified example:
Bin price: $6
Sold price on eBay: $40
eBay fee (13%): $5.20
Shipping cost: $6.00
Net profit per item: $22.80
Not every item generates this kind of return. Some sell for $15; some don't sell at all. But across a range of items bought strategically, margins of $10–$25 per item are achievable.
If you can buy and resell 10 items per week with an average net profit of $15, that's $150/week — $600/month — as a side income. Scale it up and the numbers grow accordingly.
What Makes a Successful Bin Store Reseller
Category Knowledge
You need to know what things are worth. This comes from research — spending time on eBay's sold listings, checking Amazon prices, following reseller communities. The more categories you understand, the more opportunities you spot.
Discipline in Buying
The easiest mistake is buying items that look interesting without verifying their sellability. Every item in your cart should pass a quick mental test: "Do I know what this is worth, and does the math work?" Buy only what you can justify.
Speed at the Store
On restock day, top-value items go fast. Resellers who consistently make the most money are the ones who can evaluate items quickly and decisively. This speed comes from experience and category familiarity — both of which develop over time.
Efficient Listing and Shipping
The back-office work — photographing, writing descriptions, listing, packing, and shipping — is where many aspiring resellers get bogged down. Developing efficient systems for this work is as important as finding great items. Batch your photography sessions. Create listing templates. Keep packing supplies organized.
Patience with Inventory
Some items sell the same day they're listed. Others sit for weeks. Patience is a virtue, but so is pricing items to actually sell. Holding items at inflated prices that never move is a dead end. Adjust prices if items sit too long.
Realistic Income Ranges
Here's a more grounded income breakdown based on time investment:
| Time Investment | Realistic Monthly Income |
|---|---|
| Casual (2–4 hrs/week) | $100–$300 |
| Part-time (10–15 hrs/week) | $400–$900 |
| Serious part-time (20–25 hrs/week) | $1,000–$2,500 |
| Full-time (40+ hrs/week) | $2,500–$6,000+ |
These ranges account for variation in skill level, category focus, and market conditions. Top-tier full-time resellers who have built efficient operations and focus on high-value categories can exceed these figures significantly.
The Hidden Costs to Track
Many aspiring resellers undercount their costs and overestimate their profits. Track all of these:
Platform fees: eBay (~13%), Amazon (15–45%), Poshmark (20%), Mercari (10%)
Shipping costs: Varies by weight, size, and destination
Packaging materials: Boxes, bubble wrap, poly mailers, tape
Bin store entry fees: Some stores charge a small admission fee on restock day
Your time: At a minimum, track hours so you understand your effective hourly rate
Storage space: If you're renting storage, this is a real cost
Mileage: Driving to the store is a deductible expense — track it
Starting Your Reselling Operation
Week 1: Research
Before spending a dollar, spend one week researching. Study eBay's sold listings for 10–15 categories. Visit a bin store to get a feel for pricing and inventory. Watch YouTube resellers talk through their hauls.
Week 2: Small Test
Visit on Day 3 of the cycle (lower prices, less pressure) and buy 5–10 items that clearly pass your value test. Take them home, photograph and list them. Track results.
Month 1–3: Build and Learn
Continue visiting regularly, refine your category focus, improve your listing process, and track your results honestly. Expect some losses early — consider them tuition. Adjust based on what's actually working.
Beyond Month 3: Scale or Optimize
By this point, you'll know whether this is something you want to scale or simply maintain as a modest side income. Either is a valid outcome.