While many well-known products can be profitable, there are some unexpected things that sell surprisingly well on eBay without much competition. These unconventional best-sellers range from rare collectibles to daily essentials like smartphone cables.
If you want to scale your eBay business, look for such items by recognizing what others might find valuable, even if it seems mundane at first glance.
To help you get started, we’ve rounded up 12 surprisingly profitable items that can turn into steady sales on eBay.
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1. Vintage McDonald’s Toys
Nostalgia is a powerful sales driver. McDonald’s Happy Meal toys from the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s are highly collectible with people paying exorbitant amounts for them on eBay, these days.
- Toys like Teenie Beanie Babies and Furby are highly popular and have sold for $700-900+ on eBay.
- McDonald’s Pokémon cards and buckets like the Ghost bucket and McGoblin witch bucket are often listed online for $50-200.
- Vintage Disney, Pokémon, Hello Kitty, and movie-themed toys are some of the most sought-after themed-toys in this category.
2. Wireless Chargers
With wireless technology now standard in most Apple and Samsung phones, wireless chargers have become a must-have accessory for many.
- Wireless chargers on eBay have a sell-through rate of 9,597%, with 90% of listings successfully selling at an average sale price of $12.23.
- Buying in bulk from suppliers can boost profit margins. Chinese suppliers typically charge $3-8 per charger, leaving room for decent profits.
- Newer models with fast charging features can fetch higher prices.
3. Vintage Kitchenware
Vintage kitchenware is a surprisingly profitable category on eBay due to its rarity and collector demand. These items, particularly from brands like CorningWare and Pyrex, are highly collectible with rare designs sold for up to tens of thousands of dollars!
- Recently, a Pyrex Snowflake Gaiety Casserole dish was sold for around $110 on eBay.
- While getting your hands on quality vintage brands might be difficult, non-branded kitchenware with vintage designs is still collectible. You can easily find vintage plates being sold for $50-200 on eBay.
- If you have vintage cookware in good condition, it can be a goldmine as well. Items like cast iron skillets and copper pans command high prices.
4. Bicycle Parts
Cycling parts sell surprisingly well on eBay due to the platform’s affordability and trusted reputation. Enthusiasts frequently repair or customize their bikes, creating a consistent demand for individual parts.
- Used or refurbished components such as Shimano gears, vintage handlebars, and carbon fibre frames often sell very fast.
- Selling parts individually yields more profit than selling a whole bicycle.
- Bicycle accessories, including lights, bells, and saddlebags, are small but profitable. For example, if you source from AliExpress, you can get soft handlebars for around $3-4, and then resell them on eBay for $6-10.
- You can also purchase items on eBay with unappealing photos and then list them properly at a higher price.
5. Vintage Clothing
Retro fashion never fades, and authentic vintage clothing is highly sought after these days.
- Vintage Levi’s jeans, 90s band t-shirts, and designer pieces from the 80s and 90s are highly desirable today thanks to the revival of old fashion trends.
- Go thrift shopping to find gems that you can resell for higher value. It is important to be aware of both modern and vintage brands when going through thrift stores.
- Items with unique prints, labels, or limited editions fetch premium prices.
6. Car Parts and Accessories
Car parts and accessories are popular on eBay due to their low cost and a convenient purchasing process. Furthermore, enthusiasts and mechanics constantly seek parts and accessories for maintenance, repairs, and upgrades.
- Every second, three auto parts or accessories are sold on eBay, making it one of the fastest-moving niches on the platform.
- Items like used headlights, grilles, rims, and side mirrors often sell well. You can also list performance parts such as exhaust systems and air filters to attract buyers.
- Even small accessories like gear shift knobs, key fobs, and floor mats are in demand.
- While it is difficult to source them, vintage and discontinued parts for classic cars fetch premium prices.
7. Watches
eBay is a leading marketplace for wristwatches, with one sold every five seconds. While both vintage and modern watches are profitable, luxury watches make up the majority of eBay’s watch sales.
- Top brands like Rolex, Breitling, and Tag Heuer, as well as more affordable ones like Casio and Seiko, are consistently sold on eBay.
- The most expensive watch ever sold on eBay was the Patek Philippe Grand Complications, fetching an impressive $535,499.99.
- Smartwatches such as Apple Watches and Garmin fitness trackers also perform well.
8. Sunglasses
Sunglasses are a top-selling fashion accessory, with brands like Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Gucci leading the market. While surprising for many, sunglasses sell very well on eBay, providing greater exposure to sellers than other marketplaces.
- In 2023, over 50,000 sunglasses were sold on eBay each month, with an average sale price of $50.
- Besides brands, vintage and limited-edition models often fetch high prices.
- Polarized and blue-light-blocking glasses are also in high demand, with buyers often seeking replacement lenses and frames.
9. Fitness Equipment
The COVID-19 pandemic kicked off the at-home fitness trend, and it has been alive ever since. From weight training to yoga, equipment for all types of training sells well on eBay.
- Dumbbells, resistance bands, yoga mats, and even used treadmills sell fast.
- With the industry expected to grow to $30.61 billion by 2034 and eBay being a popular platform for fitness equipment, the demand and profitability of home gym products can be expected to increase dramatically in the coming few years.
- Just like most other niches, fitness products too sell best when branded.
10. Baby Products
Today’s rapidly changing trends have made baby essentials and fashion a thriving category on eBay.
- Popular items include strollers, baby monitors, diaper bags, and bottle warmers.
- Baby product sales on eBay reach thousands of dollars weekly, driven by high demand for essentials.
- Different regions have different popular baby products. For example, in the US, the most popular baby products are toys and safety equipment, whereas in Australia, it’s car seats, nappies, and décor. Clothing and feeding tools are most popular globally.
11. Pet Supplies
In 2023, Americans spent $23.023 billion on pets’ supplies, showing how booming of a market the pet industry is for ecommerce.
- Tens of thousands of pet-related items are sold each month on eBay, with categories like pet beds, grooming tools, and automatic feeders being top sellers.
- Brands like Kong, Furminator, and PetSafe are in high demand and usually bring large profits.
- Consider going for specialty items, such as orthopedic pet beds and interactive toys, to attract premium buyers.
12. Smartphone Cables
All smartphone accessories are profitable on eBay due to convenience, quality, and cost. However, cables in particular achieve the highest sales despite being easily accessible everywhere.
- According to recent data, cables have a sell-through rate of 38,680%, with over 2.1 million listings and 96% of successful listings on eBay.
- The average sale price of a cable on eBay is $6.55. This is quite profitable considering that you can easily source them for around $0.5-2 in bulk.
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