In today’s experiment, we’re going to be taking on the challenge of purchasing $1,200 worth of Pokémon cards and flipping them on eBay to see what sort of return we can get on our investment. These hidden gems are something of a childhood memory for many of us. That’s what makes them perfect for the exploding market surrounding today’s home-niche sales. Pokémon cards are no longer a fad of the past; they’re a money-making deal. Learn how to make a resale profit by turning these collector’s items into a cash-making opportunity.
Know Your Market, Do Your Research
In any industry, the first thing you want to do is learn the angles of the market. With most categories, you’ll find a consistently changing field that experiences highs and lows. However, if you spend a little time exploring and learning about the product, you can use it to determine the best strategy for how to make a resale profit.
One of the strategies I’m using with our Pokémon challenge is utilizing my research time to:
- Learn about the hottest cards
- Find the best deals on cards
- Turn around and flip that purchase to make more money than I originally spent
This strategy helps you gain insight into what potential buyers are looking for and what items are profitable.
To start things off, I quickly turned towards my research to better learn about the current market for Pokémon cards. This included learning how to distinguish between rare and everyday cards. I also discovered the difference between shadow and shadowless cards. During this period, I learned that collectors and sellers of Pokémon cards, as well as many card retailers, often use a PSA grading system to help determine the worth of each card. It operates on a 1-10 scale. This helped me conclude that, rather than aiming for the best of the best, I would drop to a PSA 9 rating. Then I’d try to upcharge from there once I had my collection together. This decision left me hunting PSA 9 graded cards, base sets, and 1st edition shadowless cards.
How to Make a Resale Profit by Looking for Deals
Throughout the process of hunting down additional cards I could flip and get a return on, I utilized sorting capabilities on eBay’s platform to give my buying strategy an extra boost. I discovered that on the left-hand panel of the platform, I could do more than sort for the most recent posts. Using the website’s ‘sold’ filter, I was able to see which PSA 9 cards had recently sold and how much they sold for. This was helpful when it came time to hunt for the best deals. This also helped craft my strategy of sorting for the most recently posted cards and making a bid.
My basic endgame strategy for finding cards I could get a return investment on looked a little something like this:
- Research recently sold PSA 9 cards to determine the best price range for purchase.
- Filter my search to the most recently posted cards.
- Make a bid.
What I Learned About Finding Deals
During this time, I learned that most people who’d just listed wanted to get their card out and get it sold. This strategic focus helped me score the best deal, and I even found a pack of 6 PSA 9 graded, 1st edition cards that were shadowless for $260. Each of these cards was selling individually for $100 or more on average when I did my research.
Another lesson that humbled me throughout my shopping experience is that mistakes are learning points. We all make them, and we all learn from them. I got a little overly excited about a Machamp 1st edition, PSA 9 graded card and possibly overpaid for it when it popped up. What I thought was a really good deal at a low price for a high-quality card may have been overkill and could have put my ROI at risk. I thought the card was shadowless, but after looking at my purchase, I realized it was not.
How to Make a Resale Profit by Controlling the Perception
Once my newly purchased Pokémon cards arrived, it was time to get them back on the market to see if I could flip a return. One tip for listing your items for resale is to see what identical products have recently sold for. This can help you price items to make sure you’re not overcharging. It can also help ensure you don’t undercharge and lose out on profit.
One way you can control the perception of your cards is by taking high-quality photos. Place them in front of an LED light if you have one, and use a camera that can focus on the distinguishable features to help show off how well taken care of the product is. This is another great way to bring in serious buyers from the marketplace.
Testing the Waters of How to Make a Resale Profit
After doing my research, hunting for the best deals, and preparing for resale, it was time to test the waters with this challenge. The cards were placed back on eBay with the highest rate they’d recently sold for, and bids began rolling in. Each card was available for auction and had an instant purchase option at a set rate.
The same night I posted my listings, influencer and well-known Youtuber Logan Paul posted a video stating that he’d be buying a $200,000 box of Pokémon cards and unboxing it. This led to a surge in buyers scanning the market for the best deals. I decided to take my listings down for about a week to see if the market increased.
This threw an unexpected curve in the challenge. But it helped when it came to putting the cards back on the market and seeing a return. The 1st edition Machamp card I thought would potentially cost more than I’d get a return on sold for a little over what I’d paid. A buyer asked to bundle it with a second card. Between the two, I gained $400+ back on what I’d originally spent. That left six cards to see even more of a return on.
Shortly after shipping the sold cards out, I found another great deal on three additional cards and quickly flipped them for another profit. This addition put us over the edge to complete the challenge. It also left me with a few more cards to keep up on the market.
Learn More About This Business Model
Don’t stop at learning how to make a resale profit. If you’d like to learn more about our strategies, the business models we swear by, and how to make a return on investment through entrepreneurship, sign up for our free webinar today. We’ll teach you all of the things we’ve learned about ecommerce and how to make a successful business. For more in-depth details about my experiences selling different types of products, visit my YouTube channel.
