Retail arbitrage is the practice of buying products at a low price from retail shops and reselling them at a higher price online. It's one of the most accessible ways to start selling on eBay.
How it works
- Find discounted products — charity shops, clearance sales, supermarket reductions, car boot sales
- Check the eBay price — see what the same product sells for on eBay
- Calculate your profit — account for eBay fees, postage, and packaging
- Buy and list — if it's profitable, buy it and list it on eBay
What makes a good product?
- High demand — products that sell frequently (check sold listings)
- Good margins — enough room between your buy price and the eBay price to cover fees and still profit
- Not too competitive — if 500 other sellers have the same item, prices get pushed down
- Easy to post — small, lightweight items are easier and cheaper to ship
Common categories for eBay arbitrage
- Books — especially textbooks, non-fiction, and rare editions
- Toys & Games — discontinued items, collectibles, LEGO
- Electronics — accessories, cables, small gadgets
- Health & Beauty — branded products, especially discontinued lines
- Clothing — branded items, vintage, and limited editions
Tips for beginners
- Start small — don't invest hundreds before you've made your first sale
- Track everything — keep a spreadsheet of what you buy, what you pay, and what you sell for
- Learn the fees — eBay fees eat into your profit more than you think
- Check before you buy — this is where tools like ScanJunki come in. Scan the barcode, see the price, know your profit
The ScanJunki advantage
Instead of manually searching eBay and guessing at fees, ScanJunki lets you type in a barcode and instantly see the average selling price, your profit after fees, and how competitive the listing is. It takes the guesswork out of sourcing.