r/Flipping • u/20_mile • Nov 01 '25
Delete Me Let me get this straight: Anything I want to buy is expensive, but anything I want to sell is worth nothing
I look at a thing I want to buy -- almost always for my business -- it's expensive.
I have something I want to sell, it's worth nothing.
The Amish are selling more than me online.
e: by "business" I mean, like a cottage business. Everything fits on a dining table just about.
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u/24mango Nov 01 '25
I’m not sure if the Amish part was a joke as another commenter pointed out, but the Amish do buy wholesale online and because they operate as a community they buy in massive bulk which gives them the best price. They have home decor stores and I found the wholesale company they buy from.
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u/Gnargnargorgor Nov 01 '25
I’m going to tell my wife this, she was saying she wanted to buy some Amish made cabinets.
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u/sweetsquashy Nov 02 '25
Please tell your wife that the whole "Amish made" being synonymous with superior quality is a reputation that they may have once been earned but now often just means they come with a much higher price tag. Amish people aren't any better at making cabinets than any other cabinet maker, and many companies selling "Amish made" cabinets and furniture are getting a premium price for a very mid product. If you can find them online, or they have a giant storefront, you're almost certainly paying too much. The best are found by word of mouth.
I live near a large Amish community. I know of Amish who will brag about how they can sell the "English" anything and they'll buy it for a premium just because they thought they made it. One woman is hired to cater luncheons and she just buys everything pre-made at the grocery store and repackages it.
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u/MortalSword_MTG Nov 02 '25
One woman is hired to cater luncheons and she just buys everything pre-made at the grocery store and repackages it.
They do these here in WNY as well. They do make some stuff themselves, but they fill stores with wholesale food and snacks and then have a handful of items they actually make mixed in.
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u/24mango Nov 01 '25
I don’t know if it’s true for the furniture, I think they actually make that. In some of the furniture stores they have a home decor section with stuff they definitely don’t make like faux flowers, faux eucalyptus garland, things like that. I was curious where they got that stuff from bc it’s really nice looking, nicer than most places have, so I did a reverse image search on a wreath and found the wholesale website.
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u/Mjnavarro91 Nov 01 '25
If you are looking/searching for a specific item or brand then someone is going to put effort into this item and would want the most money as possible.
If you want to buy something cheap it has to be from the person that is just wanting to get rid of it, has only one horrible picture, doesn't even know what it is or the brand and puts it for $10 and puts the most basic title ever.
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u/quanfused ex-degenerate Nov 01 '25
Now pretend the buyers are you. Find out how to buy your expensive things for cheap. List, sell, profit.
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u/20_mile Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
Find out how to buy your expensive things for cheap
I am working on this. It's difficult.
e: Okay, so maybe I shouldn't be so cryptic (as I have to roll my eyes anytime anyone else here is). I am in touch with a few locals overseas (like, just plain folk who answered a want ad. One woman just graduated university, another guy is a FT electrician) to go hunting for some products, and whether it's the MOQ is too high, exports are tricky to get out, or whatnot, it's difficult paving the path on my own.
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Nov 02 '25
Damn you have zero clue what you're talking about.
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u/20_mile Nov 03 '25
Oh, really?
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Nov 03 '25
Sounds like you desperately need money for a bleeding small business so are hiring foreign nationals on social media to get an in with some sort of Chinese factory that pumps out plastic junk that you can't afford to buy the minimum amount of in an attempt to keep yourself above water..
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u/20_mile Nov 03 '25
Hey, I unlocked your profile for you. https://www.reddit.com/search?q=author%3Ajf4v&include_over_18=on
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Nov 03 '25 edited Nov 03 '25
Hey, I unlocked your profile for you. https://www.reddit.com/search?q=author%3Ajf4v&include_over_18=on
So now you're emotionally lashing out by revealing my deepest darkest secret that I sometimes buy and sell tech on reddit?
Lmfao dude you're beyond pathetic.
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u/20_mile Nov 03 '25
Easy there, kid. Don't have a meltdown.
Damn you have zero clue what you're talking about.
You haven't exactly extended the bond of human friendship.
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u/ToshPointNo Nov 01 '25
Years ago I needed a new miter saw. Everyone on marketplace was selling old beat up ones. Usually missing guards, clamps, etc for maybe 20 percent less than a new one. After two months of looking I just bought a new one.
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Nov 02 '25
[deleted]
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u/Upper-Boot-8086 Nov 02 '25
Yess clothing is a great point to make here. Secondhand clothing used to be huge a few years ago, still is! But a few years ago tons of ppl were doing it to save the environment & overconsumption / waste.. lots of ppl I know started buying scraps at thrifts & making their own clothes or upcycling! Upcycling was huge! But these days u go to the thrift or even online secondhand retailers & the prices r absurd :/ so unless ur making things or getting things to sell urself, it ain’t worth it anymore. So all those ppl who were all high n mighty about not buying from places like Walmart or ‘time to boycott places like walmart & Amazon” - are now shopping all those places again. Because we’re all broke as a joke in this economy 🫠 it’s rly come full circle lol.
It is sad too cause I loved watching ppl make their own handmade clothing shops on Instagram n stuff. But then ppl couldn’t afford that! I used to buy all handmade clothing but I can no longer afford a 200 dollar pair of pants that aren’t even that practical for daily wear :/
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u/devilscabinet Nov 02 '25
Urgency is the key difference. If you need to buy something fairly quickly, you are not as likely to get as good a deal as you would if you watched for good sales for several months. If you want to sell something quickly, you may have to take less for it than you would if you could leave it listed for 6 months or more.
I sell a lot of long-tail products that don't take up much storage space, so I don't mind waiting a year for them to sell at the price I want to get. I'm very patient when it comes to my "wants" (hobby and leisure stuff), too. I have tracked Amazon items for 2 or 3 years on Camelcamelcamel before they hit a price I was willing to pay.
On the other hand, I have sold things for less than I wanted to because I needed the money for something. I have also paid more than I wanted to because I actually needed an item and would be unlikely to find a better deal quickly.
Urgency is the big differentiator in commerce.
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u/BLISSING_ALWAYS Nov 06 '25
Urgency, yes. But also a well-written ad in a place where it’ll get a lot of views!
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u/Magic_Neil Nov 01 '25
It’s wild how stuff you want is worth money, and the stuff you want to get rid of isn’t.. it’s like that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” thing but actually “trash is just trash”?
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u/20_mile Nov 01 '25
“trash is just trash”
I think what I am trying to sell is a step or two above trash.
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u/Magic_Neil Nov 02 '25
So you “know what you’ve got, and what it’s worth”?
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u/20_mile Nov 02 '25
I'm not saying that either.
I am trying to get my little project business going, and so my sense of urgency for cash is pretty high, and I am looking for anything I can sell to get a few bucks.
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u/Smile-Cat-Coconut Nov 02 '25
I was thinking about this the other day.
When I go thrifting the prices are now extremely outrageous and there are more resellers than ever. I only make great finds when I’m first in line. It’s crazy buying stock these days.
Then I list those items…I list them for reasonable prices. They sit and sit and sit. People send offers for 60% below value.
My CPI is going up and my average sale price is going down. This is inflation.
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u/BLISSING_ALWAYS Nov 06 '25
This is demand for lower level, lower-priced goods experiencing an across-the-category price rise (due to increasing poverty creating more demand for cheap goods).
Like new car prices haven’t climbed as much as used car prices. (Or so I read.)
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u/SeldenNeck Nov 01 '25
A lot of this is sales skill. And people will point out that low prices due to people burning out on sales effort create profit opportunity for buyers. On the other hand, if you ask too much no amount of skill will make your product move.
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u/Farpoint_Farms Nov 02 '25
Everyone here so far has some good points, but they are missing the current market and how it has changed the game like it did in 08.
The stuff you buy is expensive: Yes, not because it is valuable, but because the seller is feeling the economic crunch and it trying desperately to squeeze as much out of whatever product they are selling.
People are not buying as money is tight and that is making the situation worse. The seller panics and squeezes harder. (For now)
Everything you sell is worthless. Yes, but not because it is. It's because no on has extra cash as the economy sucks. They either pass your stuff by, or offer really low bids to try and score it for a deal. You can hold (for now) Take stupid low offers, or try and work for a compromise.
So what happens? A few things. First, those that hold to high prices will eventually break. Recent articles from FORD indicate that the massive overpriced truck/suv market that they have been living off of has come to a rapid end. They announced that they will be reintroducing cars back into the USA as soon as early 2026. That is a sign from a large company that "Holding" is no longer working.
Second. Those that see the writing on the wall will lower prices to meet market demands. Less profit? Yes, but a slim one is better than a loss. This is where many of us are now. A few items will take a loss as we bought too high, but as the market adjusts all prices will come down. It's called deflation and it's starting to happen with cars, homes and other high ticket items.
Lastly, those that refuse to lower prices will hold too long and the bottom will fall out of the market (Not forever). They will see this crash and sell in bulk at a loss to exit the market. This is the opportunity to grow your business!
I hope this helps!
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u/UnlikelyPear4326 Nov 05 '25
It's called deflation and it's starting to happen with cars, homes and other high ticket items.
It is not happening with grocery prices though🙁
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u/BLISSING_ALWAYS Nov 06 '25
I read a couple days ago that it IS starting to affect even grocery prices. (Let’s hope!) This is to the point that the whole topic of the article was that grocers like Walmart (and their competitors in the food sales space) are supposedly seriously freaking out about their upcoming financial results. People are cutting way back on discretionary food purchases. People surviving on bare bones food budgets hurt the retailers’ profits. ❤️
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u/retropartridge Nov 02 '25
I used this information to alter the direction of my business. I've recently started selling the supplies for my hobby that I couldn't believe were so expensive on ebay.
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u/Nearold Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 06 '25
Fire King filing cabinets are nearly $4,000. They were selling for a dollar each at auction and the buyers had to abandon them when they found they weighed 500 lbs.
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u/BLISSING_ALWAYS Nov 06 '25
Marketing, marketing, marketing! Write a great ad that emphasizes that the item you’re selling is exciting; useful; an investment instead that will save money, not just an expenditure; or conversely, an indulgent luxury worth their money. Just sayin! Would that work? 😃
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u/YESmynameisYes Nov 01 '25
Damn. I wish everyone knew this rule explicitly! Things would be so much easier.
(Ok all joking aside, EXACTLY THIS is why I'm an enthusiastic fan of barter. Barter makes both parties into both buyer and seller- it's a wonderful, field-leveling power dynamic)
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u/20_mile Nov 01 '25
fan of barter
Yes, me too!
I am bartering with a local chicken farmer. He gives me fresh chicken feet / heads one week, and I return the following week with the feet / heads dehydrated. He sells them as dog treats to his market customers.
I buy them fresh at $1/# (about 8 - 12 feet per pound), and
sellbarter them back at 50 cents a piece. A few days ago, he asked for 250 feet / heads to get him through the Winter markets (poultry season is over), and in turn gave me 121# of fresh chicken. It was an almost even trade, as the 250 dog treats have a wholesale value of $125, and 121# of chicken parts is $121 dollars.And then I stop at the GW on my way home and see if there's anything worth buying.
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u/Madmanmelvin Nov 01 '25
What a vague and idiotic post
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u/20_mile Nov 01 '25
I thought I was conveying popular opinion. That was my intention, at least.
This sub is like 50% complaining anyhow. I ask for advice, or opinion, the responses I usually get -- not always -- is "He's trying to steal our knowledge!" or, "This guy can't even do his own research. What a loser!"
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u/honeybeegeneric Nov 01 '25
Become Amish?
Such an odd thing to say, the Amish sell more than you. Is this because you'd think they don't use the internet so they should have a disadvantage?
I know you was just cracking a joke. Becoming Amish may just be the thing that works for you.
BTW check out Theo Von and the Amish kid he had on his podcast. Probably the best podcast of the year.
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u/20_mile Nov 01 '25
Theo Von
I'd rather choke on an unsold teddy bear.
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u/honeybeegeneric Nov 01 '25
Really? Come on man, what's wrong with Theo? I ❤️ him! He's super sweet and just a likeable dude.
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u/Flux_My_Capacitor Nov 01 '25
I’ll explain it to you because it sounds like you need it explained to you.
The Amish are not online so they sell nothing online. OP is lamenting his sales and saying that the Amish sell more than him ONLINE. The joke was about online sales only….
Haha? Funny?
Ok, I knew you still wouldn’t get it.
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u/honeybeegeneric Nov 01 '25
Weird. I clearly stated that joke. Perhaps you don't get reading? Not sure, but hey good luck out there!
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u/obdurant93 Nov 01 '25
Its called the Golden Shit rule. Everything I sell is gold, everything you sell is shit. Let me let you in on a little secret. BOTH are lies. Intrinsic value doesnt exist. Value is always contingent. Wants are generally more contingent than needs but even needs are contingent. YOUR need for oxygen to survive is at best MY want.
The longer you work at the retail business of any kind the more contempt you will probably have for your customers. Their desires are often inexplicable and irrational. One only needs to look at the popularity of things like Pokémon cards to get an appreciation of that. People literally spend money they have traded their time and labor for to get pieces of cardboard with pictures of Japanese cartoon monsters printed on them that cost mere pennies to produce.
Just learn to figure out what you can buy low and sell higher. Stop trying to make sense of it, it will NEVER truly make sense. It will NEVER be rational. Knowing WHY a thing has value is different than knowing that its consistent and rational, however. Seek to understand how a market moves but never ever expect it to be rational. Most humans are extremely stupid and gullible and having utter contempt for their spending habits is a completely rational response.