Sell Everything—or Certain Things?

Some second-hand resellers will sell anything they can make a profit on. Other resellers, however, prefer to specialize in particular types of merchandise—children’s clothing, for example, or antiques. Each approach necessitates a slightly different business model.

Selling all types of used merchandise makes it somewhat easier to find inventory to sell—you’re not as picky about what you buy. By not limiting your selection, you also get to play in a lot of different product categories and open yourself up to all manner of pleasant surprises. That said, there’s more work involved in researching, storing, packing, and shipping a wide variety of items, since you never buy or sell the same thing twice; every piece you handle has new and different requirements.