The short answer
Should I list more items on eBay or source better items?
When I made this video in Aug 2023, I was testing 25 stronger items a day instead of 50 okay ones. The goal was $20+ average sale price and 50%+ sell-through. Recent sales included G.H. Bass boots at $21, a silver plate at $20, and a Gap coat at $20, all plus shipping.
- In Aug 2023, my store was listing about 50 items a day, or roughly 1,400 to 1,500 items a month.
- The new test was 25 stronger listings a day with a $20+ average sale price and 50%+ sell-through rate.
- My average sale price was about $23, with cost of goods around $1 to $1.50.
- The goal was to push average sale price over $30 by doubling or tripling cost of goods for better items.
- Plus-size tops, jackets, jeans, coats, cardigans, wool, cashmere, and knit sweaters were categories I wanted listed before Q4.
Chapters (8)
When I made this video on Aug 25, 2023, I was right in the middle of rethinking my clothing resale business. I had about 20 orders going out, but the bigger point was this: I was testing whether my store would be better off listing fewer items if those items were stronger.
At the time, I was listing about 50 items a day and buying a lot of low-cost inventory. That worked, but I was asking myself if I really wanted to scale by listing 100, 200, or 500 items a day, or if I could grow by sourcing better eBay items instead.
Should I list 50 okay items or 25 better eBay items?
My test was to cut my listing goal from 50 items a day to 25 stronger items a day. The bar I wanted to hit was a $20-and-up average sale price with a 50% or better sell-through rate.
At the time, my cost of goods usually ran about $1 to $2 per item. My average sale price for the year was around $23, and my goal was to push that over $30 by being willing to double or even triple what I paid for better inventory.
That sounds simple, but it changes the whole business. If I keep listing 50 lower-end items every day, I need more sourcing, more photos, more drafts, more storage, more help, and more time. If I cut that in half, I can spend more time being picky.
Here was the basic shift I was considering in Aug 2023:
| Strategy | Daily listing goal | Cost of goods | Target item quality | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity model | 50 items | About $1 to $2 | Okay clothing, lots of volume | Keep inventory flowing |
| Quality test | 25 items | Double or triple the old average | $20+ ASP and 50%+ sell-through | Raise ASP and reduce overhead |
I was not saying the 50-a-day model was bad. It had worked for me for about a year. But I also knew I did not want to build a business that required me to work 12-hour days just to keep the machine fed.
The other piece was where I live. I am not in a big metro area with endless thrift stores down the street. My next nearest thrift store can be 30 to 40 minutes away, so I have to think differently about what I bring home. If I am driving that far, I want the buy to be worth the time.
What sold on eBay in the last 24 hours?
The orders going out in this video were mostly bread-and-butter clothing sales, with a few non-clothing and Q4-style items mixed in. These prices were what I showed when the video went up in Aug 2023, not current market prices.
| Item | Price shown | Shipping shown | What I noticed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s Sonoma 2XL hoodie | $12 best offer | $8.95 | Lower-end hoodie sale |
| New with tags VIP women’s jeans | $14 best offer | Plus shipping | NWT helped, but still lower ASP |
| Men’s DKNY new with tags underwear | $10 best offer | Plus shipping | Small, easy-to-list item |
| Older clothing item, over one year old | $20 best offer | Plus shipping | Sold near original pricing after pausing markdowns |
| G.H. Bass men’s boots | $21 best offer | $14 | Good tread still left |
| Sejour 3X purple striped top | $12 best offer | Plus shipping | Plus-size top example |
| International Concepts 2XL blouse | $12 best offer | Not stated | Larger size, not quite plus size |
| Quiksilver new with tags men’s hat | $13.05 | $6.95 | I ship hats in a box |
| Maurice’s extra small tie-dye shirt | $14 | Plus shipping | Smaller size still sold |
| Banana Republic stained knit sweater | $6 | $8.95 | Stained item, ugly color, low sale |
| About A Girl women’s long sleeve shirt | $12 | Plus shipping | Basic clothing sale |
| Coors Light NFL sweatshirt | $15 | Plus shipping | Branded sweatshirt sale |
| Small silver plate from storage units | $20 | Plus shipping | Non-clothing item from storage buy |
| Panhandle Slim pearl snap western shirt | $15 best offer | Plus shipping | Could maybe have sold for more |
| Vintage L.L.Bean wool vest, missing size tag | $12 best offer | Plus shipping | Women’s small by measurement |
| Alfred Dunner women’s top | $13 | Plus shipping | Better in medium and larger sizes |
| Gap coat | $20 | Plus shipping | Jackets were starting to move |
Looking at that table is exactly why I was thinking about the change. A lot of these sales are fine. They make money because my cost of goods was low. But if I want to grow without just adding more and more work, I need more items that can sell for $20, $30, $40, or more.
That does not mean I stop buying all bread-and-butter clothing. It means I need a better filter.
Why did I stop running markdown sales?
I had paused my markdown sale for about a month, and I was seeing some older items sell closer to my original price. One item that had been listed for over a year sold for a $20 best offer plus shipping, even though it would have been marked down 50%, 60%, or 70% under my old sale system.
That was a big deal to me because I had been running markdowns for years. When you run constant markdowns, you get used to seeing old inventory discounted hard. Pausing the sale let me test whether some buyers would still pay up, especially if the item had the right buyer eventually.
I was not ready in the video to say, “Never run markdowns.” I wanted to calculate the results at the end of the month. But the early benefit was clear: some older items were selling without me racing to the bottom.
For your own store, the lesson is not to copy my exact sale settings. The lesson is to test. If you have had the same markdown system running for years, you may not actually know what would happen if you paused it for 30 days.
What sell-through rate should I use for clothing?
For the better-item test, I wanted items with at least a 50% sell-through rate. For beginner-friendly clothing, I was still big on women’s plus-size tops because even lower-tier brands could show strong sell-through in larger sizes.
In the video, I specifically talked about plus-size tops from brands like Old Navy, Coldwater Creek, J.Jill, Sejour, International Concepts, and Alfred Dunner. These are not always flashy brands, but size matters a lot. A basic top in a better size can outperform a cooler brand in a tougher size.
Here is how I was thinking about it at the time:
| Category or brand type | Size notes | Why I liked it in Aug 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s plus-size tops | 1X, 2X, 3X and above | Some lower-tier brands could show 50% to 100% sell-through |
| Alfred Dunner | Medium and above, stronger in plus sizes | I said larger sizes could show very high sell-through |
| Coldwater Creek | Larger women’s sizes | Beginner-friendly sell-through research category |
| J.Jill | Larger women’s sizes | Worth checking, especially tops |
| Old Navy | Plus sizes | Not fancy, but can move if the sell-through is there |
The catch is that you still have to check comps. I was not saying every plus-size top is automatic money. I was saying this is a good place for newer clothing sellers to start because demand can be stronger than people expect.
Is online arbitrage worth it for eBay clothing and shoes?
Online arbitrage and retail arbitrage can be worth testing, but they require more upfront capital than thrifted clothing. In this video, I had recently bought about 40 items through Kohl’s clearance, with cost of goods around $10 to $11 per item overall.
Some of the examples I showed were Naruto 3XL tank tops that cost about $2 to $3 each and Crocs that cost about $10 each. I expected the Crocs to sell between $30 and $40 plus shipping when I made the video.
The reason I wanted more new items in the store was simple: they are usually easier to list, easier to photograph, and more giftable going into Q4. People do buy used clothing as gifts sometimes, but new-with-tags and new-in-box items are easier for buyers to understand during the holiday season.
This was part of the same quality-over-quantity thought process. If I can buy a new pair of shoes or a clean new-with-tags item with a higher expected sale price, I may not need as many total listings to get the same sales volume.
Once you know an item clears your buy box, EasyFlip can help turn a few photos into a clean listing draft so you can spend more of your time sourcing and less time staring at item specifics.
How should I photograph clothing faster?
My flat-lay setup used a cotton blanket over a vertical board because the fabric gave the clothing enough friction to stay in place. I wanted photos to be quick, fast, and efficient without relying on a mannequin or a hanger for every item.
The question I answered in the video was what fabric I used over my board. Mine was just a cotton blanket with a little texture to it. I said felt, cotton, cotton blend, or even carpet could work because the point is grip.
The goal is not to build the prettiest photo setup in the world. The goal is to remove friction from the listing process. If the shirt stays on the board, you can shoot faster. If you are fighting the item every time, your listing goal gets harder.
I also mentioned that next time I might choose more of a gray background to help with white balance. The off-white background worked, but gray can be easier with certain items.
What should I list before Q4?
In late August 2023, I wanted jackets, jeans, coats, cardigans, wool, cashmere, knit sweaters, hats, socks, underwear, wallets, bags, cosmetic bags, and other giftable items listed before Q4. The reason was simple: search demand starts moving into colder-weather and holiday categories.
I had boxes of inventory from storage units and other buys that still needed to be listed. That included new-in-box underwear, Jockey items, hats, socks, wallets, bags, cosmetic bags, and a lot of smaller goods.
The silver plate sale was a good reminder too. It sold for $20 plus shipping, and it came from storage units. Not everything has to be clothing. If you have small hard goods sitting around, Q4 is a good time to stop ignoring them.
The Gap coat sale was another reminder. Jackets were starting to sell, and I said if you had them lying around your house, get them listed. Late summer is when you want those items up, not after the first cold snap has already passed.
If you want more of my weekly reseller notes when I’m testing changes like this, you can join the newsletter at /newsletter.
What was the real business risk?
The real risk was not that one eBay change would destroy my business overnight. The risk was building a store that only works if I keep doing more volume forever.
I had been selling on eBay for almost three years at that point, and I was seeing more errors and glitches than I had seen before. But I did not want to sit around and complain. I wanted to adjust the parts I could control: what I listed, how I sourced, what I paid, what sell-through I accepted, and how I ran promotions.
That is the bigger lesson from this video. Change is constant. You can change your model, test it, measure it, and change back if it does not work.
For me, the test was clear: bring in better items, possibly pay more for them, list fewer total pieces, and see if the store becomes healthier. If the numbers got worse, I could always go back to 50 listings a day.
The bottom line
If you are feeling stuck, do not just ask, “How do I list more?” Ask, “What would I need to buy so I do not have to list as much?”
When I made this video in Aug 2023, my answer was to test 25 better items a day instead of 50 okay items, aim for $20+ sale prices, and use 50%+ sell-through as the filter. This week, look at your last 20 sales, look at your oldest inventory, and decide what you want more of in your store.
Questions people ask
Should I list more items or better items on eBay?
When I made this video in Aug 2023, I was testing fewer but better listings. Instead of 50 okay items a day, I wanted to try 25 stronger items with a $20+ average sale price and 50%+ sell-through.
What average sale price should I aim for on eBay clothing?
In the video, my average sale price for the year was about $23. My goal was to get over $30 by paying more for better items instead of relying only on very low-cost inventory.
Are plus-size women’s tops worth selling on eBay?
Yes, they can be worth checking, especially for beginners. In Aug 2023, I was still buying plus-size tops because even lower-tier brands could show strong sell-through in larger sizes.
Is retail arbitrage better than thrifting for eBay?
Retail arbitrage can be useful, but it usually takes more upfront money. In this video, I had bought about 40 Kohl’s clearance items, including Crocs around $10 each that I expected to sell for $30 to $40 plus shipping at the time.
When should I list jackets and sweaters on eBay?
I was telling sellers to get jackets, coats, cardigans, wool, cashmere, and knit sweaters listed in late August. Those categories start seeing more search interest as buyers move toward fall and Q4.
Should I run markdown sales on old eBay inventory?
It depends on your store, but it is worth testing. In this video, I had paused markdowns for about a month and saw at least one older item sell for a $20 best offer instead of being discounted 50% to 70%.
Sources
Prices are eBay sold listings, and every fact below was checked on August 25, 2023.
Read the full video transcript
all right so we got about 20 orders going out today but before we get into packing and pooling I just want to share with you guys some of the big changes I'm making in my business one of the biggest changes that I'm making in my clothing resale business right now is looking to get better items put in my store so my cost of goods ranges between one dollar and two dollars and I'm looking to double that or even triple that by bringing better items into my store and you might be wondering Bo what does this even mean why are you even telling me this well I'm listing about 50 items a day and I've been kind of re-analyzing my business to looking at it from a 30 000 foot view top down view whether if that's something I want to keep going at keep you know listing 50 items a day or maybe cutting that
amount in half and raising my cost of goods but bringing in better selling items so I really made the decision that yes I do need to figure this out whether I want to keep listing 50 oh okay items a day or start really nailing down 25 Rock Solid items a day meaning 20 and above average sale price and as well as like a 50 percent sell through rate and above so we'll take a look at some of the sales that I got going out today but I just wanted to fill you guys in as far as some of the changes that I'm going to be considering making in my business going forward but I think it's going to be for the better this men's Sonoma 2XL hoodie so for a best offer of twelve dollars plus 8.95 ship this new with tags VIP women's jeans sold for 14 best offer plus shipping in this men's
DKNY newwood tags underwear sold on a best offer of ten dollars plus shipping so I've been rolling around the idea of figuring out how I want to be able to grow my business and over the last few months I've had some time to reflect on how I'm going to go about doing that and I really wanted to figure am I going to be do I see myself listing a hundred items a day 200 items a day 500 items a day and I can tell you right off the bat by doing 50 a day for the last year or so I'm not really looking to do any more than that and now I'm kind of re-looking at my business and going well what if I cut that listing goal in half and possibly do 25 really really good items a day and really cut down on a lot of the overhead with the listers me going
Outsourcing and whatnot so I really had some time to reflect on that and I'm going to be trying it out just to see how it goes I can always go back to doing 50 a day but I'm going to be really trying to implement really bringing in better items into my store I think that we should all be trying to do that right and especially if you live in more of a rural area like I do I don't live in the big Metro City my next nearest thrift store is about 30 40 minutes away so this is something that's going to be I think beneficial for my business in the long run and you guys are going to see the journey behind it just to see how everything is effective what's going on the types of items I'm picking up if you're new to the channel I pick up 50 items um well I pick
it I list 50 items a day but that means I'm listing about 1400 to 1500 items every month and I'm buying wholesale which is great but not all those items are a plus items so by cutting that in half I could focus more on quality rather than quantity and possibly raising my average sale price for the year my average sale price is at twenty three dollars my cost of goods is about a dollar a dollar fifty so hopefully I can get over that thirty dollar average sale price Mark by doubling my cost of goods so that's going to be the goal let's get back into what's sold so you guys know I haven't been running my markdown sale for the last month or so and that's the first time I've done that in several years and I'm finding actually some good benefits the benefits being that are older items this is over a year old
are now selling for best or not for best offer but for the original price that I had it so this would have been marked down 50 60 70 percent sold on a best offer of twenty dollars plus shipping so I'm going to continue to do that and calculate the results at the end of the month to see if that's something I want to continue doing I wanted to get into some viewer comments that came on the channel over the last few days and I want to bring up hey fro or hey fro cells great YouTube channel by the way check them out he says I'm just watching this after a week and Josh you said eBay is the Matrix which is exactly how I feel about them they produce nothing nothing is real and suck for Sellers and suck sellers dry so he's talking about the podcast I did last week with Josh Galt you
could check it out right here where we go really deep diving into some of the theories that we may have about why eBay is really being kind of in a funk lately I've been selling on eBay for almost three years now and this is the first time where I've seen errors at an all-time high I've seen a lot of glitches on eBay you know the most I've ever seen and you'll probably hear it from other Sellers as well but you know I'm not going to be complaining about it I'm not going to be doing nothing about it I'm going to be making some adjustments in my business and I'm sure many of you resellers have as well or you're wondering what to do that's why I'm making these changes I'm changing um you know my strategy I'm changing how I'm listing my items I'm changing the types of items that I'm putting in my store
so I think it's really important to understand that there's two things that are inevitable in life that is time and change so change is constant and I think that if we keep our businesses the same at the same standard at the same metric it's really going to be hard for us to adjust when things happen to us so this is why it's important that we develop a plan to develop a strategy and initiate the change that we want to see in our business the best thing about change is that you can always change back you know that's nothing you know nothing is ever permanent nothing ever stays the same you know um you know unless you jump off a three-story building you know that's a different story but as far as business you really need to be Innovative you got to think in new ways about old problems and the problem for me is that
I really want to grow this business without breaking my back you know without doing 12 hour work days and really trying to more focus on sourcing and and I had another comment that said yeah you know getting higher priced items in your store is easier said than done for sure it's like yeah I mean we're pointing in the direction to all the thirty dollar average sale price items and above that may have been a real thing five years ago but now with the explosion of social media and more reselling Niche channels those items are harder to find so that's why we got to think in new ways about old problems figuring out how we can get better product in our stores so great comment hey fro appreciate you but yeah I know that you know that resonates with a lot of other people out there and a lot of other resellers and you know you
know the things that I'm doing in my business to kind of make those changes and we'll see what happens had these men's boots just sell on a best offer they're by the brand uh GH Bass so some pretty good tread still left on those boots so these sold best offer of 21 plus 14 shipping figuring out what types of pants can be a common problem for beginner resellers like are these Chino pans are these khakis are these jeans it can be a little bit of a tricky situation if you're just getting started with selling clothing on eBay especially with all those item specifics out there you're like what do I need these for what do they even mean which is why I developed this Ultimate Guide to eBay item specifics for clothing in this 130 page book you will find every single item specific to clothing defined with a photo here in this book I
developed it because when I first started selling clothing on eBay I had a hard time searching Google searching all these websites to really find the definition to all these sleeve types flared sleeve Dolmen sleeve balloon sleeve chino pants packing pants what is the difference so why I made that book was to be able to help you guys have a bunch of information aggregated in a book so when you're doing your listings you have the information right there it's got a directory index in here sorted by alphabetical order so you can really just go down the line really make the listing process a lot easier and I really want to shout out the people that have supported the book this far you know over 200 copies sold in about seven eight weeks really greatly appreciate it thank you and what I would say is if you guys do enjoy it or if you don't enjoy it
leave an Amazon review so I can get that feedback and implement it in my next book so I really want to learn from you guys how do you feel about it and it's just really some good feedback that I want to apply for future book releases so thank you all right so another women's plus size top just sold this is by the brand sujour a 3X purple long sleeve striped top took a best offer of 12 plus shipping so I'm all about picking up plus size tops if you're new to the channel but if you've heard me a while you're like Bo I know you pick up plus size tops well the reason why I do is because if you check the celtier rate on some of those lower end Brands lower tier brands on plus size tops you'll find the sell-through rate is really strong fifty percent a hundred percent salary rate on those
so if you can find any women's plus size tops even Old Navy uh Coldwater Creek J Jill they have a super strong Southern rate and I would encourage you guys if you're a beginner to start there with the high sell-through rate items and this is another women's larger size not quite classified as a plus-sized top but it's International Concepts 2XL long sleeve blouse sold on my best offer of twelve dollars one of the other things I've been doing recently is a lot more online Arbitrage and Retail Arbitrage I've been trying to bring in more shoes more crops things like that just to really help bring my cell through rate up and average sale price so I recently just did a video about the Kohl's clearance and I was able to get some pretty good deals I bought about 40 items in total through online and in the retail store you know cost of goods was
about 10 11 per item you know things like these Naruto 3XL tank tops got these for like two three dollars a pop online Arbitrage got these Crocs right here also for like ten dollars a pop they should sell between Thirty and forty dollars plus shipping so while online in Retail Arbitrage can be you know more upfront Capital to get started you are buying items that are brand new and most of the times those items are easy to list easy to photograph and as well as it's going to be more desirable when it comes quarter four you rarely see people buying used clothing items for for people to a gift but they still do but at the same time I wanted to bring in more newer items into my store so I'm going to keep doing that and we'll let you know how that goes another question that came on YouTube over the last few days
from as long 78 what fabric do I use over my vertical flat lay board so what I will show you here is this is just a high-tech cotton blanket that's all it is it kind of has these little ripples here but the nice part about this is that you can have something that you can throw up there well not exactly like that but it will stay for the most part you know if you have anything cotton even cotton blend with a little polyester the whole goal is to get the item to stick to the board without you really using a hanger or too much it's pretty hard to do with one hand but that's the whole goal when I'm taking my photos I want to do it quick fast and efficient as possible I don't want to use a mannequin I don't even want to use these hangers so by using something with a little
bit of friction I would suggest using either a felt fabric or something that's cotton that has a little bit of rigidness to it that's the word okay some people even use like carpet so that can work as well I think next time I'd want to pick something with more of a grayer background to be able to help with that white balance but even using something off-white like this works great I've been buying a lot more hats recently especially with all these sales coming up this is just a quick silver new tags men's hat that sold for let's see I think it was yeah 1305 plus 6.95 shipping I ship all my hats in a cardboard box so they don't get damaged this is actually a Maurice's extra small tie-dye shirt that sold for 14 plus shipping surprising this is a stained knit sweater by the brand Banana Republic pretty ugly color I have to say
but teig is our own this sold for six dollars plus 8.95 shipping this is a women's long sleeve shirt by the brand about a girl size large sold for twelve dollars plus shipping this is a men's Coors Light NFL sweatshirt sold for fifteen dollars plus shipping this silver little plate found in the storage units actually sold for twenty dollars plus shipping so a lot of these little knickknacks like this have still yet to be listed that's something that I'm working on right now to get these items listed for quarter four so if you see here you know I have tons this is all underwear you know things like jockey new in box this is 2006 or 2008 underwear I have tons of hats these are the largest U-Haul boxes full of socks underwear wallets bags cosmetic bags I'm just like all right whatever now it's time to get listing them also have boxes of bags
that need to get listed I have these boxes brand new with tags underwear bags underwear wallets whatever and that's just something I'm going through taking my time obviously but now I'm going to get all that stuff listed and you know with the intention of hopefully it sells by quarter four all right so we had this Panhandle slim men's size 18 Pearl snap western shirt sold for best offer 15 plus shipping probably could have gotten a little more for it but that's okay some of the money all the time right so one of the best things about being part of a mentorship and growing with other like-minded individuals is that we're all learning from each other we're learning what's working and what's not working which is why Marcus Dixon and I have combined to offer a reseller community mentorship and it's not our mentorship it's all of our mentorships it's everyone it's it's a community it's
a community of 54 other people growing their stores implementing similar tips and strategies that Marcus and I are using that helped us do about 320 dollars in sales on eBay last year so you can check it out link down below or you can scan this QR code here and right now we're offering a seven day free trial you can just try it out see if you like it it is it does have zoom calls it has Discord and that's not for everyone that's okay which is why we're offering seven days free just to see if you like it I want to go into what is included in that we're offering nine hours a week of Zoom coaching Marcus does the morning call I do the evening call so if you can't make one or the other then we have availability for you so also a reseller spreadsheet we have two varieties one to track cost
of goods and one to track more of your expenses and whatnot also our bolo brand list and item specifics guide and pretty much lifelong store reviews we hop into your store on a weekly basis we check in on how you're doing your titles how you're doing your photos see how your sales are doing and holding you accountable to the suggestions that others are making and that we're making so you can start growing your business this Market in general the second hand mark kit is supposed to Triple by 2027 according to thredup so I want to really equip people to really if they want to quit their nine to five job if they want to go just do part-time they can but there's such an amazing opportunity right now to be a reseller whether you're reselling on eBay depop Poshmark we have people in the group that are selling on multiple platforms the goal is to
really just help you guys avoid some of the mistakes that Marcus and I made and others in the group to help you get on your right track growing your business so we'd love to see you there we had this wool vest made by LL Bean it was vintage is missing the size tag it is actually a women's size small sold and best offer of twelve dollars plus shipping and we have this women's Alfred Dunner top sold for 13 plus shipping Alfred dinner is a decent brand if you're picking up medium and above and as you get in a larger size like plus size 2x 3x the Seltzer rates are like 100 200 300 percent so don't be hating on old Alfred Dunner God bless you Alfred dinner all right I got my assistant here with me assistant little Jaden and he's holding a really nice Gap coat this Gap coat sold for twenty dollars plus
shipping great job do you have anything to say good job all right so obviously a lot of jackets are starting to sell now and if you have them lying around your house get them listed because the search volume in those categories jeans jackets coats Cardigans wool cashmere knit sweaters get them listed because you're going to start seeing an update uptick in sales in those categories so we'll see how these major changes affect my business but I know going on faith that change is necessary and I do believe that this change is going to be beneficial we'll keep you update and we'll keep you on track if you guys are wanting to know what types of brands that I'm on the lookout for a daily and weekly basis you could check out link down below where it is my free ebook of my top 50 bolo Brands included in that with celtzer rates and definitions I
do that for the next time you guys go Outsourcing maybe you can find some of those items as well I hope you all have a blessed rest of the day and take care
