How to Find Items to Resell on eBay: Complete Guide - Last updated 2026

eBay remains one of the UK's largest marketplaces for buying and selling items. Finding profitable items to resell requires knowing where to look for deals and understanding how to maximise margins in the current eBay landscape. This guide covers proven strategies for finding items that sell well on eBay and navigating the 2025 fee structure.

Understanding eBay Reselling

eBay is a massive online marketplace where individuals and businesses buy and sell virtually anything. Successful reselling on eBay requires:

• Finding items at low prices
• Understanding what sells well
• Maximising profit margins
• Listing items effectively
• Understanding eBay's fee structure

eBay UK Fee Structure (2025)

Personal Seller Accounts

As of October 2024, eBay UK eliminated final value fees for personal sellers across nearly all categories (excluding vehicles). This means:

• No final value fees: Personal sellers don't pay a percentage of the sale price
• 300 free listings per month: After this, each additional listing costs £0.35
• No PayPal fees: eBay uses managed payments, so there are no PayPal processing fees
• International sales: A 3% fee applies to sales outside the UK
• eBay manages shipping labels: You can purchase and print shipping labels directly through eBay

Important: Buyers pay a Buyer Protection fee (not sellers), which covers secure transactions and customer support. This doesn't affect your profit margins.

Business Seller Accounts

Business sellers still pay final value fees based on category and sale price. If you're operating as a business, check eBay's current business seller fee structure.

Finding Profitable Items

The Key Strategy: Find Deep Discounts

The core strategy is finding items priced very low (40-99% off) to secure easy margins. When you buy items at significant discounts, you can resell them on eBay at market prices while maintaining healthy profit margins.

What to Look For

Items that work well for eBay reselling:

• Designer clothing: Brands that hold value
• Perfume and aftershave: Popular and easy to ship
• Toys: Especially collectable or branded items
• Household items: Vacuums, coffee machines, etc.
• Electronics: Tech items from reputable stores and brands
• Accessories: Bags, jewellery, watches
• Shoes: Branded footwear from reputable stores and brands

Important: We only recommend purchasing new or factory-refurbished items from reputable stores and brands. This ensures quality, reduces returns, and maintains your seller reputation.

Utilising Discount Codes and Sales

Discount Codes

Using discount codes is essential for finding profitable items:

• Peachy Pings Discord: We have a student discount code generator command built into our Discord server which covers hundreds of stores
• Where to find codes: Retailer websites, email newsletters, deal sites
• Stack codes: Combine multiple discounts when possible
• Sign up for newsletters: Get exclusive codes
• Check deal aggregators: Find the best current codes

Sales Periods

Timing your purchases during sales maximises profit:

• End of season sales: Clearance items at huge discounts
• Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Massive discounts
• January sales: Post-Christmas clearances
• Flash sales: Limited-time deep discounts
• Closing down sales: Often 70-90% off

Cashback

Cashback adds to your profit margin:

• Sign up for cashback sites: Get money back on purchases
• Stack with discounts: Use cashback on top of sale prices
• Track your earnings: Monitor cashback payments
• Factor into margins: Include cashback in profit calculations

Why Thrift Shops Aren't Ideal

Thrift shops tend to be popular for starter sellers, but that's not a good path to go down as it's competitive:

• High competition: Many resellers focus on thrift shops
• Time-consuming: Requires physical visits and searching
• Inconsistent stock: Hard to find reliable inventory
• Lower margins: Prices are often already marked up
• Condition issues: Items may need cleaning or repair

The Best Strategy: Peachy Pings Deals

Utilising the deals section inside Peachy Pings and combining that with the Pinger app/web dashboard is the best way to find items to sell, as we often find incredible deals across hundreds of UK retailers.

What Peachy Pings Finds

We regularly discover incredible deals such as:

• 90% off perfume/aftershave: Designer fragrances at massive discounts
• Deeply discounted toys: Popular brands at clearance prices
• Designer clothing: High-end brands at 70-90% off
• Household items: Vacuums, coffee machines, kitchen appliances at huge discounts
• Electronics: Tech items at clearance prices
• Accessories: Bags, jewellery, watches at significant discounts

How It Works

1. Deals Section: Browse curated deals from hundreds of UK retailers
2. Pinger Alerts: Get instant notifications when new deals are found
3. Web Dashboard: Monitor deals from your computer
4. Filter by Category: Find deals in categories you want to resell
5. Track Prices: See historical pricing to understand margins

Advantages

• Save time: We find the deals, you just act on them
• Better margins: We find the deepest discounts
• Wide coverage: Hundreds of retailers monitored
• Instant alerts: Never miss a great deal
• Organised: All deals in one place

Calculating Profit Margins

Basic Calculation

Profit = Selling Price - (Purchase Price + Listing Fees + Shipping + Packaging)

For personal sellers, this simplifies significantly:

• Purchase price: What you paid for the item
• Listing fees: £0 for first 300 listings per month, then £0.35 per listing
• Shipping: Cost of postage (often covered by buyer)
• Packaging: Cost of boxes, bubble wrap, etc.

Understanding ROI and Volume

As your reselling business grows, you shouldn't put your nose up at 10-20% ROI. This kind of reselling is all about volume rather than high profit margins. When you're moving many items, smaller margins on each sale add up to significant overall profits. Focus on finding items with consistent 10-20% margins that you can sell in volume rather than waiting for rare 50%+ margin opportunities.

Example Calculation (Personal Seller)

• Purchase price: £10 (bought at 80% off original £50)
• eBay selling price: £40
• Listing fee: £0 (within 300 free listings)
• Shipping cost: £4 (covered by buyer)
• Packaging: £1
• Profit: £40 - £10 - £1 = £29

With no final value fees for personal sellers, your margins are significantly better than before.

Best Practices for eBay Reselling

1. Research What Sells

• Check completed listings on eBay
• See what prices items actually sell for
• Understand which brands are popular
• Identify trending items
• Use eBay's sold listings feature

2. Buy at the Right Price

• Aim for 40-99% discounts
• Factor in all costs (purchase, listing fees, shipping, packaging)
• Ensure healthy profit margins
• Don't buy items you can't profit from

3. List Effectively

• Take good photos (eBay allows multiple photos)
• Write detailed descriptions
• Use relevant keywords
• Price competitively
• Offer free shipping when possible
• Use eBay's shipping label service for convenience

4. Use Peachy Pings

• Monitor deals section regularly
• Set up Pinger alerts for categories you resell
• Act quickly on great deals
• Track your purchases

5. Tax Compliance

Important: Remember to declare your earnings to HMRC or your relevant tax authority. Keep accurate records of all purchases and sales for tax purposes. If you're selling regularly, you may need to register as self-employed or for VAT depending on your turnover.

What Items Sell Best on eBay

High-Demand Categories

• Designer clothing: Different types of apparel such as t-shirts, sweaters, dresses, skirts and more
• Perfume and aftershave: Always popular
• Branded accessories: Handbags, wallets, belts
• Shoes: Popular brands from reputable stores
• Toys: Collectable or branded items
• Household items: Quality brands that hold value
• Electronics: Tech items from reputable stores and brands

What to Avoid

• Damaged items: Unless clearly stated and priced accordingly
• Outdated technology: Items that won't appeal to current buyers
• Very common items: Unless at exceptional prices
• Heavy/bulky items: High shipping costs reduce margins
• Prohibited items: Check eBay's restricted items list

Building Your eBay Business

Start Small

• Begin with a few test items
• Learn what sells in your niche
• Build your seller rating
• Understand the platform
• Learn eBay's policies
• Stay within the 300 free listings per month initially

Scale Up

• Use Peachy Pings to find consistent inventory
• Build relationships with repeat buyers
• Expand into new categories
• Increase listing volume
• Consider eBay Store subscription if you exceed 300 listings regularly
• Keep detailed records for tax purposes

Track Your Business

• Monitor profit margins
• Track best-selling categories
• Analyse what works
• Adjust your strategy
• Keep records for tax purposes
• Use eBay's seller tools to track performance

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Buying at full price: Always wait for discounts
2. Not factoring in all costs: Calculate listing fees, shipping, and packaging
3. Poor photos: Invest in good product photography
4. Ignoring trends: Stay aware of what's selling
5. Not using deals: Miss opportunities for better margins
6. Buying damaged items: Unless you can repair them profitably
7. Poor customer service: Maintain high seller standards
8. Not keeping tax records: Always maintain accurate records for HMRC

Conclusion

Finding profitable items to resell on eBay requires finding deep discounts (40-99% off) and understanding what sells well. With eBay UK's elimination of final value fees for personal sellers, margins are now significantly better. While thrift shops are popular, they're competitive and time-consuming. The best strategy is utilising Peachy Pings' deals section combined with the Pinger app/web dashboard.

We regularly find incredible deals across hundreds of UK retailers - from 90% off perfume to deeply discounted designer clothing and household items. By monitoring our deals and acting quickly, you can build a profitable eBay reselling business with consistent inventory and healthy margins.

Remember: Combine discount codes, sales periods, and cashback with Peachy Pings deals for maximum profit. Focus on items with 40-99% discounts, and don't turn your nose up at 10-20% ROI margins when selling in volume. Always declare your earnings to HMRC or your relevant tax authority.

Ready to find profitable items for eBay? Sign up for Peachy Pings and start discovering incredible deals across hundreds of UK retailers.