Thrift Store Flipping
The short answer: According to the BLS, employed online merchants, the employee occupation closest to thrift store flipping, earned a median $83,050 a year in May 2025; that is employee pay, not flipping income. The main catch with thrift store flipping is uneven income: Thrift Adventure PNW, who resells on Poshmark, eBay and Chairish, says the business goes through ebbs and flows and her income is so unpredictable. (BLS OEWS; Thrift Adventure PNW)
| Median pay of employed online merchants | $39.93/hr ($83,050/yr) BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employee pay, not side-hustle income |
|---|---|
| Projected job growth, online merchants | +3.9% BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |
| One creator's reported part-time earnings | $6,000/month Reported by Romer the Roamer, Oct 2026 |
| One creator's reported startup cost | $10–$20 Reported by Fields of Profit, Oct 2026 |
From 13 quotes by 6 creators and BLS data. A creator figure is one person's account.
Go deeper: every source on thrift store flipping
How much do thrift store flippers make?
For thrift store flipping, the BLS reports that employed online merchants earned a median $39.93 an hour in May 2025, with the 10th to 90th percentile spanning $47,880 to $150,010 a year. (BLS OEWS)
| Related occupation | Median pay | Middle 80% |
|---|---|---|
| Online Merchants | $39.93/hr ($83,050/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025 | $47,880–$150,010/yr |
Median annual pay of employed business operations specialists, all other: $83,050 nationally; highest and lowest states below (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Highest-paying states | Median | Lowest-paying states | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $108,160/yr | Louisiana | $63,220/yr |
| Maryland | $101,500/yr | Arkansas | $61,240/yr |
| Washington | $100,360/yr | Puerto Rico | $46,700/yr |
What do people doing thrift store flipping say?
“Today I'm joined with a healthcare administrator who's selling 6,000 per month and you've been doing this for years.”
“if you literally have no books at home, you are going to need 10 or 20 bucks to buy used books with”
“I'm paying I think my plan is $69.99 because of the number of items that I have, but of course they have lower plans if you don't have as many as much inventory.”
“make sure you're not selling big bulky awkward breakable items for 2030 bucks.”
“So, the fact is you're probably not scanning all the books. And also, even though thrift store prices are up, what about posting on Nextdoor app?”
What does it cost to start thrift store flipping?
For thrift store flipping with used books, Fields of Profit says someone with no books at home needs $10–$20 to buy inventory. (Fields of Profit)
- Source at Goodwill and local thrift stores, where Cayley Elaine pays mostly $4.99-$9.99. (Cayley Elaine)
- Check sold comps against the buy price, as Hustle at Home Mom does. (Hustle at Home Mom)
How long does a thrift store flipping trip take to pay?
In one thrift store flipping video, Thrift Adventure PNW estimated a few hundred dollars of profit from a single Goodwill and charity-sale trip lasting an hour-plus. (Thrift Adventure PNW)
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track says how long the first payout takes or how many hours it needs yet.
Who is thrift store flipping for?
Thrift store flipping can become full-time: a seller on Romer the Roamer's channel kept going after work and on weekends, then quit his job. (Romer the Roamer)
Is thrift store flipping worth it?
Pros
- Cayley Elaine pays by the pound at the Goodwill bins and averages about $2 per item. (Cayley Elaine)
- Ready Set Resell found a Cheers DVD set priced $6.99 that sells near $40. (Ready Set Resell)
Cons
- Romer says cherry picking is not going to make you rich, calling it a way to turn your capital at the beginning. (Romer the Roamer)
What are the risks of thrift store flipping?
In thrift store flipping, Thrift Adventure PNW warns against selling bulky, breakable items too cheap to cover packing time and materials. (Thrift Adventure PNW)
What are the alternatives to thrift store flipping?
- Live selling side hustle: Often covered together (13 shared videos).
- Online Marketplaces side hustle: Often covered together (81 shared videos).
- Second Hand Clothing2: Often covered together (65 shared videos).
- Liquidation Pallet Reselling side hustle: Often covered together (1 shared video).
- Fulfillment-by-Amazon Reselling as a side hustle: Often covered together (1 shared video).
- Used Book Reselling: Often covered together (1 shared video).
Sources and method
Quotes are verbatim and linked to the moment they were said. A figure from one report is not confirmed by a second source. BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation. Every quote, the pay in each state and the full source list are on the every source on thrift store flipping.
- Thrift Adventure PNW, YouTube, 8 Oct 2026.
- Romer the Roamer, YouTube, 26 Oct 2026.
- Cayley Elaine, YouTube, 30 Sep 2026.
- Fields of Profit, YouTube, 22 Oct 2026.
- Thrift Adventure PNW, YouTube, 16 Sep 2026.
- Mcthriftzie, YouTube, 21 Oct 2026.
- Cayley Elaine, YouTube, 5 Oct 2026.
- Hustle at Home Mom, YouTube, 21 Oct 2026.
- Thrift Adventure PNW, YouTube, 17 Oct 2026.
- Romer the Roamer, YouTube, 2 Nov 2026.
- Romer the Roamer, YouTube, 28 Oct 2026.
- Cayley Elaine, YouTube, 12 Oct 2026.
- Ready Set Resell, YouTube, 24 Oct 2026.
- Raiken Profit, YouTube, 29 Oct 2026.
- Thrift Adventure PNW, YouTube, 14 Oct 2026.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, 31.0.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35.
Other data behind this page (11)
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demand trend | growing | Accepted | BLS Employment Projections |
| Full-time or part-time | full time capable | Accepted | Romer the Roamer |
| Income volatility | high | Accepted | Thrift Adventure PNW |
| Nearest occupation | Business Operations Specialists, All Other | Accepted | O*NET 31.0 |
| Physical demand | high | Accepted | Romer the Roamer |
| Scalability | low | Accepted | Romer the Roamer |
| Schedule control | own schedule | Accepted | Hustle at Home Mom |
| Common pitfalls | Selling bulky, breakable items too cheap to cover packing time and materials | One report | Thrift Adventure PNW |
| Common pitfalls | Not scanning every book, and relying only on thrift stores for sourcing, listing items buyers are not looking for (no demand research) | One report | Raiken Profit |
| Equipment | steamer | One report | Mcthriftzie |
| Equipment | lighting kit | One report | Mcthriftzie |