How to Start Reselling in the UK: A Beginner’s Guide

If you want to start reselling, start with a few items you already own, understand what they’re worth and learn the process of buying, listing and selling.

I resell video games, and my advice is to focus on something you know before branching out. These five steps will help you make a sensible start.

1. Choose something you know

Video games were a natural starting point for me because gaming was already part of my life. Something I enjoyed. I understood the products and wanted to learn more about their value.

Your starting point could be games, consoles, collectibles or accessories. Choose a category you’re interested in.

Ask yourself:

• Do I recognise the different versions or models?

• Can I spot damage or missing parts?

• Can I test the item where needed?

You don’t need to know everything straight away. Starting with a focused category makes it easier to build that knowledge and recognise worthwhile purchases.

2. Check what items actually sell for

Before buying stock, look at recent sold listings. An item listed for £40 isn’t necessarily worth £40, someone still needs to buy it. One platform for this information is eBay.

Compare several sales and check that the products match. With games, the platform, edition, condition and contents can all affect the price. A loose cartridge isn’t the same as a copy with its original box.

Look at:

• Recent selling prices, including postage.

• How frequently comparable items sell.

• Condition and included accessories.

• Current listings you would compete with.

Use a realistic selling price rather than the highest result you find.

Once you know which products you want and your buying limit, you can create more focused searches. That also makes marketplace alerts more useful: you know what you’re looking for when a listing arrives.

3. Start with a manageable budget

Choose an amount you can afford to have tied up in stock. Some items sell quickly; others take longer or need extra work before they’re ready to list.

Keep money aside for postage, packaging and unexpected problems. Spending your entire budget on stock leaves little room for a faulty item or a return.

You can practise by selling a few possessions you no longer want. This gives you experience with photos, descriptions, packing and dispatch before you start buying stock specifically to resell.

For your first purchases, choose a handful of items you can assess properly. A large bundle isn’t automatically better value, especially if you only recognise a few of its contents.

4. Work out your costs before buying

Buying something for £10 and selling it for £25 doesn’t mean you’ve made £15.

Here’s a simple example:

• Total received from the buyer: £25

• Purchase cost: £10

• Selling fees: £3

• Postage and packaging: £4

• Amount remaining: £8

These are illustrative figures, not a platform’s current fee rates. The £8 is before other business expenses, tax and the value of your time.

Include delivery or buyer charges paid when sourcing, too. For collections, factor in travel.

Work backwards from your expected selling price. If you expect £25, your selling costs are £7 and you want £8 left, your maximum buying price is £10.

Check out this simple video below explaining some points on how to resell.

5. List your items clearly and track the sale

Once you’ve checked and tested your stock, get it listed. Buying more is tempting, but unlisted items aren’t available for customers to purchase.

Take clear photos showing the item, everything included and any damage. Write a specific title with the product name and relevant model or platform.

In the description, explain:

• What’s included and what’s missing.

• Any scratches, marks, scuffs or faults.

• What you’ve tested.

Price against comparable items, taking condition and postage into account.

Record what you paid, the sale amount and all associated costs in a spreadsheet. Track unsold stock as well, so you can see where your money is tied up.

If you’re buying to resell, check your platform’s business-selling requirements and HMRC’s guidance on income from online platforms. Selling stock as a business involves different responsibilities from clearing out personal belongings.

Spend less time searching for your next purchase

Start with a category you understand, check sold prices and know your buying limit. Those habits give you a clearer idea of which listings deserve your attention.

The next challenge is finding them. Repeating the same searches throughout the day takes time, especially if you’re fitting reselling around a full-time job.

That’s why I built TG Monitors. It monitors CeX, Gumtree, and Facebook Marketplace. It sends matching alerts to your private Discord channel. This helps you spot opportunities without checking each platform all the time.

You still check the condition, calculate your costs and decide whether to buy. The bot helps with the searching while you stay in control of your purchases.

If you’re regularly searching for the same products, see how TG Monitors’ sourcing alerts work.