I made £20k in just three months by selling junk you throw away on eBay – here’s how you can do the same
A DAD has revealed how he made over £20,000 in just three months just by selling old junk on eBay.
George Ross, 31, from Essex earns around £35,000 a year from his business on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
And the dad-of-three has revealed how he made over half that total in 90 days after having a ‘hunch’ over an old piece of carpet.
Speaking in the recent video, George says: “I buy new and used items from auctions, boot sales, charity shops and sell them online for a profit.
“I have just hit a personal record on eBay. I have just hit £20,000 of sales in 90 days.”
on eBay
George revealed that he had sold several pairs of designer shoes as well as some electrical equipment he had picked up at a car boot sale.
But it was one particularly unusual item that had taken his profit sky high.
“It caught my eye and I just had that instinct that this was going to be worth good money,” he says in the video.
“It’s a roll of off-cut carpet but not just an off-cut carpet it is RAF branded carpet from the headquarters when they were redecorating.
George's selling tips
Flog your old junk
You shouldn’t rush into buying lots of stock from car boot sales and then try and flog it - otherwise you might not be able to sell it on and be left out of pocket, George said.
Instead, you should start by looking in your own home for stuff to sell on.
“Any DVDs, toys or trainers could be sold on ebay or Facebook Marketplace, for example," he said.
It means you don’t have to fork out cash on buying bits to sell on - which beginners might struggle to do if they lack experience.
How to spot a bargain
Don’t think that your old junk is useless - it could be a valuable or collectable item for someone else.
But if you’re finding it hard to sift through your tatt, George said to look out for a number of items that are usually always in demand.
“Look for big brand names such as Nike trainers and electronics like Bose,” he said.
“Things that aren’t made any more like video players, old mobile phones and consoles sell well - especially SAGA and Nintendo.
“Anything old and vintage could be sold on for a good price, such as old typewriters.”
Head to auctions and car boots
If you’ve stripped your house and you’re looking for fresh places to hunt for bargains to sell on, George said auctions and car boot sales can be “full of hidden treasures”.
His biggest bargains came from car boot sales.
“I picked up a Rupert the Bear charity box that would have been placed on a shop counter or inside a church, for £50 from a car boot sale in 2018.
“I went back home, put it on eBay and sold it for £750.”
He also picked up a box of collectable pens from an auction in 2019, and sold them all on individually - making a total of £1,600.
Sell bits around Christmas
George said that his “busiest” time of the year when he sells the most is around Christmas, when Brits are stocking up on presents for the festive season.
During this point, George said he can make up to £6,000 a month.
This is when you should think about putting your unwanted household items up for sale.
However, George has to keep on a tight budget when it comes to “slower” trading months - which are usually from January to March.
“This is when people don’t want to buy as much stuff,” he said. “During these months, I don’t buy as much stock from car boots or auctions so I can keep my spending down.”
“I paid the £20 as a hunch because it’s vintage, rare - the only place you’re going to get it is on eBay in my store.”
George was eventually able to secure £195 for the carpet.
“With postage that’s over £200 they’ve paid for a bit of old tatty carpet really,” he says.
The sale took his total income over the past three months up to £20,037 though he was eager to assure viewers he wasn’t gloating.
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“Don’t be disheartened by my total. I want to encourage people. I want to show you that it is possible,” he says.
“It is achievable if you work for it.”