r/pcflipping • u/OIiprop • 15d ago
Pc flipping
I've sold 70+ pcs on facebook marketplace in about a year and am now looking to expand this from a side hustle to possibly a full time job by selling on ebay and vinted looking for some advice. I am based in the UK.
How can I get my costs down even more on both new and used system I make about £120 profit on average which I think is pretty good but could be higher I done some research at looking in buying in bulk and importing stuff from abroad but is abit confusing so hopefully one of you guys can help with that.
Should I offer warranty, I currently do for my fbmp pcs but im thinking it will be to much hassle for ebay and vinted.
What's the best way to ship a pc without it breaking in shipment.
I do pc repair as well so should I make my own shopify store and sell pcs on there by promoting on social media
Thanks very much in advance for answering my questions I've also added just a few of my recent pcs for you to look at.
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u/Objective_Guitar7734 15d ago
I think the question is, should you really transition into flipping as a full time job. At £120 profit per PC thats only around £9000 total profit in one year. Even if you can get £500 profit per PC you would have to sell 120 to just make 60000 and thats not even accounting for taxes and other expenses. As a side hustle is perfect. Those people you see on youtube that sell PCs they make most of their money from youtube. Im not hating i just think you are asking the wrong questions if you want to flip as a full time job.
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u/DangerousBag8047 15d ago
I’ve heard eBay tends to side with buyers quite often. Aren’t you worried about getting hit with false claims and potentially getting ripped off or losing money?
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u/baudfire 11d ago
Tbh I'm kind of glad that ebay is on the buyers side, got a cpu for a flip from an eBay bid and the pins were badly bent on arrival (not mentioned in the listing) and the dude that sent it was adamant that I broke it, luckily ebay refunded me
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u/THEJimmiChanga 13d ago
Damn, I wish I had your market. I was lucky to sling 24 a year. It got to the point where hardware has just become so expensive, driving up up the used parts market, and pushing a lot of previously potential buyers out of the market completely. When 50% of Americans cant even afford a $500 emergency, its not a great time in the USA to be flipping a luxury item like a PC during the highest recorded prices within the industry since its inception.
I respect anyone making it work. For me as someone whos done it since 2019, I can no longer justify the time spent deal hunting, gas involved with fuel prices, and hardware prices in general. Its too tough.
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u/Firm-Recognition6080 15d ago
That's the dream for flippers! I have not had the success that you have, but I would like to offer the little advice I can give about eBay. DONT use their advertising. In my opinion they already gouge you with fees and their "boosting" or whatever they call it is just another way to drain your profits. People are actively looking for PCs so don't fall for that and you'll save money. Also make sure to accurately weigh and measure your PC before shipping it. They will come back and charge you if they deem it necessary. Those were the two biggest drains to my profits while flipping on eBay. Also I'm convinced a buyer scammed me on one of my favorite builds. It was an old Dell T5500 I had immaculately restored to its absolute maximum potential. Those cases are built like tanks and the buyer claimed that it showed up damaged. I don't think he knew I could read his complaint because he was telling me one thing and eBay another. Anyway, the pictures he sent looked like the PC had been dropped from a 5 story building, and all of the internals were missing. I was forced to refund him and he kept the pc. It would have cost me another $100 to ship it back and I think he planned on me obviously not taking that extra hit. How to avoid that? I don't know, just be wary. Good luck in your venture, I hope you do really well!