Here’s the latest in our side hustle case study series, where real people share how they make extra money in their spare time!
This week, I’m thrilled to bring you an interview with Emma Drew from Make Money Without A Job. Emma is an expert in making money online, and today she’s sharing her experience with one of her many side hustles: reselling on eBay.
How to Make Money Reselling on eBay with Emma Drew
Tell us a bit about yourself and your side hustle.
I’m Emma Drew, and I live in Cambridgeshire with my husband and our three cats. Over three years ago, I was fortunate enough to leave my full-time job to run my blog full-time. However, I wanted to diversify my income, so I decided to try reselling. I love finding bargains, so reselling felt like a perfect fit for me.
Reselling involves buying items, usually from charity shops, auctions, car boot sales, or Facebook Marketplace, and then selling them on eBay (or other platforms) for a profit. In the U.S., this is often called flipping.
How long have you been an eBay reseller? How did you get into it?
I’ve been dabbling in reselling for years, always with an eye for bargains and flipping them. As a teenager, I was the first person on eBay selling jewelry-making kits. I sourced the items myself from high street shops, put them together as kits, and sold them. My cost was £5, and at the height of their popularity, I was selling them for £49.99! I’ve been seriously reselling since January 2017.
What does the work actually involve? What does a typical day look like for you?
Reselling on eBay is just a side hustle for me—my main focus is my blog. I’m lucky because my husband handles the photographs and listings, so I get to focus on sourcing items (my favorite part) and packaging them up (my second favorite part).
There’s no typical work session with reselling. Sometimes you’ll find loads of items in a charity shop, and other times you’ll find nothing. Some items need cleaning and repairing, while others are ready to sell as-is. It’s a fantastic side hustle for anyone who likes variety.
How much can you make reselling on eBay?
Your earnings from reselling are directly related to the time and effort you put into it. You can buy as many items as you want, but if you don’t list them, they won’t make you any money. For us, reselling on eBay is just a small side hustle—we don’t do it full-time, and our earnings reflect that.
Are there any start-up costs or ongoing expenses with this side hustle?
The great thing about reselling is that you can start with very little money. Usually, £10 is enough to buy some stock. You can save on packaging by recycling what you receive in the post or buying it cheaply from places like Poundland. Other ongoing costs include mileage for sourcing and posting items, as well as eBay and PayPal fees.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get started?
Don’t aim for perfection—just buy something and list it. Make sure to accurately charge for postage, as this can catch people out. List your items as ‘buy it now’ with a price you’re happy to accept, rather than risking a low sale price with auctions.
Any recommended websites or resources?
There are many resellers sharing their journeys online for free. Watch as many YouTube videos as you can and join as many Facebook groups as possible. I also like bidkit (https://www.bidkit.com/) to help find collection-only job lots nearby.
Where can we find you?
Blog: https://makemoneywithoutajob.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/emmadrewinfo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmadrewinfo
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/emmadrewinfo
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyWdVTS3OIccMT1XtpVp_g
Thank you, Emma!
Anyone else tempted to give eBay reselling a try?
You can find more posts in the side hustle case studies series here.
I’m currently looking for more contributions to this series! If you have a unique side hustle you’d like to share, please contact me and let me know what it is!