Flipping is simple in concept. Buy something for less than it is worth, sell it for more, pocket the difference. People have been doing it at garage sales and markets for decades.
What has changed is the tools. eBay gives you access to pricing data on millions of sold items. Facebook Marketplace puts you in front of local buyers instantly. And the May 2026 fee changes on eBay AU mean casual sellers now pay zero transaction fees on domestic sales.
The barrier to entry has never been lower. But the gap between flippers who make money and flippers who waste their weekends is consistently the same thing: process. Here is how to build one that works in Australia.
Step 1: Start With What You Know
The biggest mistake new flippers make is trying to flip everything. You walk into an op shop, see 10,000 items, and have no idea which ones are worth $5 and which are worth $150.
Start with a category you already know something about. If you play video games, start with retro gaming. If you are into sneakers, start with shoes. If you read a lot, start with books. Your existing knowledge is your competitive advantage.
You only need one or two categories to start generating consistent profit. Expand into new categories later, after you have the basics working.
Step 2: Learn Sold Prices Before You Buy
Before you spend a dollar, get comfortable with eBay's sold listings filter. This shows you what items actually sold for in the last 90 days, not what people are hoping to get.
On desktop, search for an item and tick "Sold Items" under the Show Only filter on the left sidebar. On mobile, search and tap Filter, then toggle Sold Items on.
Make this a habit. Check sold prices on your phone in the op shop before you buy. A 60-second check saves you from buying dead stock.
The rule of thumb: if you can buy an item for less than a third of its median sold price on eBay, it is probably worth flipping. Below a quarter is excellent. Below half is marginal once you account for fees and shipping.
Step 3: Source Consistently
Flipping is not a hobby you do once. It is a sourcing routine that compounds over time. Here are the main sourcing channels in Australia:
Op shops (Salvos, Vinnies, Red Cross, Lifeline, Savers). The most reliable source for consistent finds. Visit regularly, ideally on weekdays when shelves are freshly stocked and not picked over by weekend crowds. Get to know your local stores and what day they put new stock out.
Facebook Marketplace. The highest-volume source of underpriced items in Australia. Set up saved searches for your categories and check daily. Speed matters here because good deals get snapped up in minutes.
Gumtree. Less volume than Facebook Marketplace but sometimes less competition. Good for furniture, electronics, and tools. Sellers on Gumtree tend to be less savvy about pricing than eBay sellers.
Garage sales and deceased estate sales. Seasonal and inconsistent, but often the best margins. Deceased estate sales in particular can have high-value items priced to clear. Check community noticeboards and Facebook groups for listings.
Hard rubbish collections. Councils across Australian cities schedule hard rubbish pickup days. Furniture, electronics, and household items left on the kerb are free to take. Check your local council's schedule.
Retail clearance. End-of-line stock from retailers like Kmart, Big W, Target, and JB Hi-Fi. This works best for LEGO, electronics accessories, and seasonal items. Less common in Australia than in the US, but still viable.
Step 4: Pick Your Selling Platforms
Each platform suits different items:
eBay AU is the default for most flippers. Widest buyer audience, best sold data for pricing research, and since May 2026 casual sellers under $25,000 in annual sales pay zero transaction fees. The trade-off is that buyers pay a Buyer Protection Fee on your listings, which can make your items look slightly more expensive compared to Pro sellers.
Facebook Marketplace is ideal for local cash sales. Zero fees, instant transactions, and no shipping hassle. Best for furniture, bulky items, electronics, and anything you would rather sell face-to-face. Downsides: no-shows, lowballers, and buyers who message "Is this available?" and then vanish.
Gumtree is similar to Facebook Marketplace but with less traffic. Still useful for local sales, especially in smaller cities where FBMP is less active.
Depop targets younger buyers (18 to 30) looking for fashion, streetwear, and vintage clothing. If your flipping focus is apparel, Depop's audience is more likely to pay a premium for curated style than eBay's general audience.
Step 5: Price Based on Data
Never price based on what you think an item is worth or what you need to make. Price based on what the market pays.
Check the last 10 to 15 sold listings on eBay for your item, ignore the outliers at the top and bottom, and price within the cluster where most sales happened. If you want to sell fast, price at the lower end of that range. If you can afford to wait, price at the upper end.
Factor in your costs before deciding if a flip is worth listing. For eBay sales, account for shipping (mandatory eBay labels for non-Pro sellers), packaging materials, and any repair or cleaning costs. For local sales, account for your time and fuel.
Step 6: Track Everything
This is where most flippers fall apart. They sell 30 items in a month, have a vague sense that they "made money," but cannot tell you their actual profit after all costs.
For every flip, track: what you paid, what it sold for, platform fees (if any), shipping cost, other costs (packaging, cleaning, fuel, repairs), and the net profit.
Review your numbers monthly. Which categories had the best margins? Which items sold fastest? Where did you lose money? This data tells you what to buy more of and what to stop wasting time on.
A spreadsheet works when you are starting out. Once you are doing more than 10 flips per month, a dedicated tool is worth it.
Step 7: Manage Your Bankroll
Your bankroll (or treasury, as some call it) is the cash you have available to buy inventory. Managing it well is the difference between growing and stalling.
Rules that work: never spend more than 20 to 30% of your available bankroll on a single item. Keep a reserve for shipping costs and unexpected expenses. Reinvest profits rather than spending them immediately, at least until your bankroll reaches a level where flipping generates meaningful income.
Watch for slow-moving inventory. An item that cost you $50 and sits unsold for 8 weeks is not just a potential loss on that item. It is $50 that could have been deployed into 3 faster flips that each made $15 profit.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Buying without checking sold data. This is the number one profit killer. Check before you buy. Every time.
Ignoring shipping costs. A $15 shipping label on a $30 item changes your margin calculation entirely.
Overextending your bankroll. Buying a $200 item when your total bankroll is $300 means one slow flip locks up most of your capital.
Not tracking costs. Revenue is not profit. If you sold $2,000 worth of items this month but spent $1,400 on inventory, shipping, and supplies, your profit is $600, not $2,000.
Chasing every deal. Focus beats breadth. Two categories you know well will outperform ten categories you know nothing about.
Tax Basics for Australian Flippers
If you are regularly buying and selling for profit, the ATO considers this a business activity regardless of whether you think of it as a hobby.
ABN. Register for an Australian Business Number at abr.gov.au. It is free and takes 10 minutes. You will need one for eBay once you start selling at volume.
GST. You must register for GST once your annual turnover exceeds $75,000. Below that, it is optional. If you are doing this as a side hustle, you are unlikely to hit that threshold quickly.
Income tax. Your flipping profit is taxable income and needs to be declared in your tax return. Keep records of all purchases and sales. A simple spreadsheet or tracking tool that logs your buy and sell prices is sufficient for the ATO.
Deductions. You can claim legitimate business expenses: packaging materials, shipping costs, eBay fees, fuel for sourcing trips, and a portion of your phone and internet if you use them for selling. Keep receipts.
Talk to an accountant if you are unsure about your obligations. A one-off consultation costs $100 to $200 and can save you from a mess at tax time.
Getting Started This Week
If you have read this far and want to start, here is your first week:
Pick one category you know something about. Visit two or three op shops this weekend. Before buying anything, check eBay sold listings on your phone. Buy 3 to 5 items where you can see a clear margin after costs. List them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Track what you paid and what they sell for.
That is it. No special equipment, no big investment, no complex setup. Just buying low, selling higher, and tracking the numbers.
If you want a purpose-built tool for tracking flips and finding deals in Australia, Flipdex is in early access. Join the waitlist at flipdex.dev.