How to Sell Used Items on Amazon in 2024?
Why is selling used items on Amazon a great side hustle opportunity?
Amazon is a retail giant that holds 37.6% of the online retail market. It is a great marketplace and presents an excellent opportunity to get into e-commerce. Starting with selling used items on Amazon is a great opportunity with huge potential for various reasons.
We live in a circular economy, which makes it easier to access used goods at very affordable prices. Additionally, it makes selling used items on Amazon extremely convenient. The circular economy promotes the reuse and repurposing of products, reducing waste and extending the life cycle of goods.
Amazon’s platform facilitates this by providing a vast marketplace for both buyers and sellers of pre-owned items. Buyers can find gently used or refurbished products at discounted rates, while sellers can earn extra income by offloading items they no longer need. This mutually beneficial system not only saves consumers money but also contributes to sustainability efforts by keeping items in circulation for longer periods.
Hello, fellow resellers and wantrepreneurs! This is Omer Muhit aka bookupcycle, I have sold over $10M worth of books on Amazon in 2023. In this blog post, I will explain why selling used items on Amazon is a lucrative side hustle opportunity that can replace the job you don’t like and allow you to make a living.
What Amazon categories can you sell used items?
Amazon allows the sale of used items across many product categories. However, you need to carefully follow Amazon’s condition guidelines (I will explain later in this article) and requirements to ensure a successful and compliant used item business on the platform.
There are a wide range of categories on Amazon where you can sell used or pre-owned items.
Here are some of the most popular categories for selling used goods on Amazon:
Books:
Used books, textbooks, and other reading materials are among the most commonly sold used items on Amazon.
Electronics:
You can sell used electronics such as phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, and other gadgets on Amazon.
Video Games:
Pre-owned video games, gaming consoles, and accessories are in high demand on Amazon.
Movies and TV Shows:
Used DVDs, Blu-rays, and even VHS tapes can be sold on Amazon’s Movies & TV category.
Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories:
Gently used clothing, shoes, handbags, and other fashion items are popular in this category.
Home and Kitchen:
Used household items, furniture, appliances, and kitchen goods can be listed in this category.
Sports and Outdoors:
Pre-owned sports equipment, gear, and outdoor recreational items are sellable on Amazon.
Toys and Games:
Used toys, board games, and puzzles often find new homes through Amazon’s marketplace.
Music:
Used CDs, vinyl records, and other music media can be sold in the Music category.
Tools & Home Improvement:
Pre-owned tools, hardware, and home improvement supplies can be listed in this category.
It’s important to note that some categories have specific requirements or restrictions for selling used items, so it’s advisable to review Amazon’s policies before listing your products.
What Amazon categories can’t you sell used items?
Amazon prohibits the sale of used or pre-owned items in the following categories:
- Baby products (except for apparel)
- Beauty and personal care items
- Grocery and gourmet food items
- Health and personal care products
- Jewelry
- Shoes, handbags, and other leather goods
- Watches
Sellers must adhere to Amazon’s policies and list items in the appropriate condition for each of these restricted categories.
What is the most convenient category to start?
You may want to focus on certain categories or niches when scouting used items to sell on Amazon. It requires some time and effort to understand a niche, and as always, riches are in the niches.
In my view, the book category is the best for selling used items on Amazon for various reasons. Books do not have functionality issues or expiration dates, you can easily evaluate their condition, and they are widely available to acquire.
Understanding Amazon's Used Condition Guidelines
Selling used items on Amazon requires following their rules and policies. You cannot sell used products in just any condition. It is crucial to accurately describe the item’s condition to meet the customer’s expectations.
Amazon has guidelines for different used conditions when selling pre-owned items:
Like New or Open Box:
The product works perfectly. It has the original packaging which is in good shape, maybe with minor damage. All instructions are included.
Very Good:
The item has been well taken care of and used lightly. It still works great but may have small signs of wear like little scratches. Original packaging could be damaged or the item repackaged. Any missing accessories are clearly listed.
Good:
The product is in working condition but shows obvious signs of normal use. Packaging may be damaged or the item repackaged. It may have markings, scratches or dents. Some parts, accessories or instructions could be missing.
Acceptable:
While still functioning, the item is quite worn from heavy use. It’s repackaged or the original packaging is damaged. Expect noticeable scratches, dents, worn corners or markings. Parts, accessories and instructions are likely missing.
These condition guidelines help buyers understand the condition of used products before purchasing on Amazon.
Places that you can find used items to sell on Amazon
You can start looking for used items to flip them on Amazon by searching in your surroundings, your house, your parents’ garage, your friends’, mother-in-law’s, or your neighbors’ possessions – you name it. By doing so, it enables you to start selling on Amazon with no upfront capital required. Then, you can reinvest into more inventory as you sell the items.
Facebook, Craigslist, Nextdoor, Offerup
You can have great findings in these local marketplaces since most of the ad owners do not know about selling used items on Amazon or do not have the time or effort to look into it. If they did know about the potential of selling used items on Amazon, they would not list those items on these local marketplaces, right?
In addition to sourcing existing items, you can create ads in a product niche you are interested in buying. You can have people messaging you for you to pick up their items. Think of it as a pickup service that you provide to people. It has worked for me, and I have picked up a lot of profitable items for free. It was just my time plus some gas money for my car.
Liquidation Websites
Bstock Solutions, Bluelots, Bulq and other online marketplaces where you purchase used items to sell on Amazon.
Garage Sales, Estate Sales
Garage sales, estate sales are excellent sources to find used items to sell on Amazon. Garagesalefinder helps locate nearby garage sales, while Estatesales is useful for finding estate sales in your area to source inventory for selling used items on Amazon.
Book Fairs, Library Sales
Booksalefinder is an excellent resource for locating book fairs and library sales in your local area, providing opportunities to source used books that you can potentially sell on Amazon for a profit.
Thrift Stores
Thrift stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers, and other local chains present great opportunities to find affordable used inventory that you can acquire and sell as used items on Amazon. These stores are excellent sources for sourcing inexpensive yet sellable pre-owned products to list on Amazon.
How do you determine if it is profitable to sell used items on Amazon?
It is very important to get paid more than what you have paid for when selling used items on Amazon. You need to carefully check the competitive price at which you intend to sell and see Amazon’s fees on this item for each Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) method. Otherwise, you may think you are making money, but you may end up losing money after subtracting all the fees associated with reselling a specific used item on Amazon.
There are many first-time Amazon sellers who lose money because they don’t know their true profits. The FBA fee calculator (for Desktop) or Amazon Seller App (for Mobile) is a great tool from Amazon to check their fees.
How do you determine if there is enough demand to sell used items on Amazon?
You cannot guesstimate the value of an item without looking them up, not until you gain some experience selling used items on Amazon in this niche or encounter the same items that you have previously sold. The metric you should be looking at is called “BSR”, meaning “Best Sellers Rank”. BSR shows exactly how frequently that specific item is selling on Amazon.
As the “rank” keyword is pretty self-explanatory, the lower the “BSR”, the better the performance in terms of sales, meaning more units sold in a certain time. For example, a BSR of 2,000,000 could mean there were no sales on this listing within the last 6 months, whereas a BSR of 1,000 could have hundreds of sales in a day. However, keep in mind that the same BSR value could mean different sales velocity in different categories on Amazon.
Pricing Used Items on Amazon Competitively
First, to sell used items on Amazon profitably, assess the current market value of the used item. Research prices of similar products in the same or comparable condition, considering factors like age, brand, and demand. This will help you set a competitive price that customers are willing to pay. Additionally, factor in the cost of acquiring the used item to ensure a reasonable profit margin.
Utilize tools and data to analyze price, which is the default option for customers. Aim to price your used item competitively within this range while maintaining a healthy profit. Monitor your pricing strategy, adjust based on customer feedback, sales performance, and market changes. Remain agile and experiment with different price points to find the balance between profitability and customer demand.
How to scale up your reselling on Amazon endeavor
Let’s say you have sold a few used items on Amazon, understood and enjoyed the cycle. Congratulations, you are a reseller now. It is time to rinse and repeat to keep receiving the cash that you need to grow your income.
Even though you may encounter many items with 500% return on investment (ROI), you should also factor in the time you spend sourcing. You can even find better tools that can make your scouting process super fast and efficient when you sell used items on Amazon.
For example, if you are reselling in the book category, the Bookzy Mobile app is a great tool with a database mode, so you are not dependent on internet speed. Furthermore, you can set up triggers, so your phone vibrates or makes a cash sound when you come across a profitable and high-demand book. Tools like “Bookzy Mobile” can help you expedite the process of growing your business and scaling to a size where you can make a full-time income.
Providing Excellent Customer Service
When selling used items on Amazon, providing excellent customer service is crucial. This includes setting clear expectations and communicating transparently with buyers about the condition and details of the used items. Accurately describing any flaws or wear-and-tear upfront helps manage customer expectations.
Additionally, handling returns and addressing customer concerns effectively is essential. Respond promptly to inquiries, process returns smoothly, and resolve any issues professionally to maintain a positive reputation and encourage repeat business. Failing to provide decent customer service can hurt your seller metrics on Amazon, which can negatively impact your ability to sell and grow your business in the future when selling used items on Amazon.
What other marketplaces can you sell used items on?
Even though Amazon is number one in terms of the number of shoppers among all the online marketplaces, you can still make money by selling used items on other platforms as well when you sell used items.. EBay, AbeBooks, Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, and Poshmark are popular ones that some resellers prefer.
It may help you sell your used items faster if you list them on some other marketplaces in addition to Amazon. Then, you can deactivate the listing on other platforms once you get the sale on Amazon for that specific used item.
Bookselling Tools
Bookz Pro offers a variety of software products for Amazon sellers, including an analytics dashboard, listing software, repricer, mobile application for scouting books, and inventory manager. Get a demo today, and we will help you streamline operations and increase revenue.
All in One Software
for Book Sellers
Scout Better – List Faster – Reprice Smarter
Over 30% Business Growth
Achieved by Our Clients
Conclusion
In conclusion, selling used items on Amazon presents an incredible opportunity to tap into the growing circular economy while generating income. Amazon’s massive customer base and user-friendly platform make it convenient to list and sell pre-owned goods across a wide range of categories. By embracing resale of used products, Amazon sellers promote sustainability by extending the life cycle of items and reducing waste. With the right strategies for sourcing inventory, setting competitive prices, and providing excellent customer service, entrepreneurs can build profitable businesses by meeting the demand for affordable, gently used products. As the circular economy continues to gain momentum, selling used items on Amazon offers a pathway to success while contributing to a more eco-friendly future.
In addition, we have created a free eBook called “Amazon Book Reselling Blueprint” that you can download. If you are a bookseller on Amazon, you may find our all-in-one software for book sellers helpful.
Amazon Book Reselling Blueprint
Read now, explore our full guide. Your revolution starts here. Subscribe to get the blueprint!
