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The landscape for resellers changes every year
2023 has been a landmark year for video games, vinyl records, and collectibles
Joining RC Elite is the best way to keep up with new flips
The weather is cooling off and the rain is here. There’s no doubt about it, summer’s over and this year is almost over. Where does the time go? Today, we’re going to be going through the flips of 2023. From the big ones to the humble moneymakers, let’s look at what was worth reselling this year. Even though it’s almost October, there’s still plenty more to flip before the year is over.
Every year we see changes in the scene for resellers. If you don’t adapt and keep relying on last years methods, you’ll get left behind.
During the pandemic, bots were the big thing. If you weren’t botting, you were losing money. This was a weird time (for obvious reasons), but there was also a lot of money circulating at the time. Consoles were released but constantly sold out, and it seemed like hyped releases were dropping every day, but always online.
Obviously, bots are still around, but they are not nearly as effective as they were previously. Companies and sites have adapted, anti-botting has gotten more effective, and botting itself has grown more expensive. The cost-to-profit ratio has shifted dramatically, and we’ve seen a dramatic fall in value for bots on the aftermarket.
In 2023, successful resellers are staying on their toes and going after unconventional flips. Everyone knows that shoes and designer clothes can flip, but what about the stuff everyone else is missing? There’s a world of products out there that flip, but many resellers are not taking advantage of them.
CDs, vinyl records, Starbucks tumblers, and even scented trash bags; 2023 has been a wild year for resellers, and it’s not over yet. Let’s get into it.
We’re gonna break this down into a few broad categories. These aren’t anything crazy, but they’ve been consistent sources of income for the resellers clever enough to go after them.
One thing many of these items have in common is their ease to purchase. They’re not like other hyped items that sell out in a nanosecond, and many of them comparatively easy to buy. If you’re sick of missing out on drops, add these items to your list.
First, games. If you’re not a gamer you might know just how big of a year this has been for video games. The pandemic dramatically slowed game development through 2020 and 2021, and we’ve been seeing the releases of highly anticipated titles come one after another in 2023.
And where there’s video games, there’s video game collector’s editions. Resellers have made bag after bag this year by flipping games, and there are still more yet to release. Here are some highlights:
But it’s not just games that have resold. This has also been a big year for music releases, both new albums and old. On vinyl, Katy Perry’s three-album box set was enormously popular with resellers, while OutKast made resellers hundreds with a repressing of their 1998 record “Aquemini“.
Vinyl not your thing? Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo got our attention earlier this year with limited edition CD releases. Their fans were willing to pay up to $50 for the right discs, and resellers were very happy to sell to them.
These CDs retailed for $10
Even books have been reselling. We recently published a guide on everything you need to know to resell books, and 2023 has proven that reading is still quite a popular pastime. Signed releases from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rebecca Yarros, and even Tenacious D have sold at a premium this year.
This also been a great year for watch drops, and not only the expensive ones. Swatch has been on a hot streak through 2023, with their Mission to Moonshine drop in April and the recent Blancpain collection blowing up on the aftermarket.
Even high-end manufacturers sometimes produce affordable options. We covered Maximilian Büsser’s M.A.D.1 RED that came out earlier this year as a raffle. The winners were able to buy an extremely hyped wristwatch for $3,100. Yes, not cheap, but these resold for $10,000 within 24 hours of the raffle closing.
While most people think of watches as huge investments that take months or years to pay off, 2023 has prove that there are plenty of opportunities to flip a watch quickly and (relatively) cheaply. Want to learn more? Check out our guide to reselling watches!
Any reseller worth their salt knows that there’s plenty of money to be made off the mundane. Sure, hyped releases are great, but it’s nice to be able to make reliable money off of easier flips. These kinds of opportunities come up all the time, and all you need is to your wallet ready.
Typically social media will be your best friend for these. Some product will go viral on TikTok, and we’ll see it sell out and resell in a matter of hours.
Take this line of seasonal fabric birds from Target. These are $5, widely available in stores and online, and are just a little bit of decoration to put on a shelf. Well, there’s also a sizable community of collectors that absolutely love them. When they produce a special run of birds for a holiday or season, they will frequently go viral online.
@mannymwah I think I have a problem… my fabric bird collection has gotten so large 😭😭 maybe I should take a break #targetbirds #fabricbirds #collection #dragqueenbird @target
When that happens, they sell out, and they sell out fast. What do the collectors do then? Wait patiently? Try to knit their own? Of course not, they buy them from a reseller for $50. This has happened on two occasions this year, first in May and again ahead of Halloween. When these birds hit Target, it’s an instant payday for folks in the know.
In fact, simple flips like these are extremely common. All it takes is a little hype and a few viral TikToks to turn an ordinary product into something extraordinary. Limited edition Starbucks tumblers are a popular choice, with many going for $50 or more at a time.
And yes, we are getting to the trash bags we mentioned before. Hefty announced earlier this year that they would be bringing back their Pumpkin Spice scented trash bags for fall. The result? Stores were sold out everywhere, and resellers were listing 20-packs for $50 on eBay. Weird, but we’ll take it.
Ok, these examples are all well and good, but what about right now? How can you make a profit by flipping items today?
Well, we’ll give you a hint. Holidays. Both Halloween and Christmas are huge seasons for resellers. Reselling decorations alone can be a way to score loads of profit from minimal effort. Don’t believe it? Last year, 12 foot decorative skeletons were a hit with decorators, and resellers were able to flip them for up to $700 at a time.
When Tractor Supply Co. starting stocking their Halloween decorations in August, resellers were quick to buy up the supply. Many of these would sell for double what they retailed for even well ahead of Halloween.
As the holidays draw near, supplies will continue to dwindle while prices rise. The only way to not make any profit this season is by not even trying.
So with all these profitable items reselling, how do you find the next item to flip? Maybe it seems easy, but there are tons of products being sold. Is it possible to find everything on your own?
Well, maybe, but who wants to go it alone! The best way to find hot items to resell is to join a reseller’s network like RC Elite. Every item we’ve talked about so far was posted for members to take advantage of, and there are plenty more items to flip just around the corner.
If you’re sick of missing out but don’t know how to tell what’s worth reselling, we’ve got your back. Join the RC Elite waitlist to get insider access on the biggest flips of this year and the next. The holidays are just around the corner, and a little extra money is always nice.
In the meantime, subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on new items and the latest tips. While the juiciest info is reserved for RC Elite members, we try to keep our newsletter readers informed with the latest flips.
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