A popular side hustle advertised by TikTokers is “flipping” items from everyday stores. This typically involves going into Walmart or T.J. Maxx, buying low-priced items, and then reselling them through major marketplaces like Amazon.
Numerous users have gone viral over the years after sharing their methods for flipping products. One user claimed that they made $4k by reselling jars they purchased for $6 from HomeGoods. Another claimed that she resold items from Marshalls, earning her a hefty profit.
However, this method doesn’t always work out as planned. One TikTok user ended up having to return 14 pairs of shoes to Ross after her plan to resell them on Depop didn’t work out. Others have simply complained about the rise of resellers, with one TikToker calling out resellers who try to flip items from thrift stores.
Now, another user on TikTok has sparked discussion on the topic after claiming that he makes sizable income by reselling women’s clothes purchased at T.J. Maxx.
“We found these Under Armour shirts for $9.99. We have one, two, three, four, five, six of them,” explains TikTok user @weflipitall_ in a video with over 318,000 views. “They’re going for $37 on Amazon. … We’re gonna make $15 profit on each one of these. That’s $90 in my pocket sitting right here.”
At the end of the video, he advertises his courses for people getting into reselling on Amazon.
This idea may sound too good to be true—and according to some commenters, it is.
First, some criticized the TikToker for not acknowledging the associated costs, with one writing, “You still have to package and ship! Time to buy them and so on.”
Second, others noted that reselling isn’t as simple as buying and passing off to another party. The seller must hold the inventory until the item sells—if it does at all. “Yeah, but what do you do with them until you sell them… And there’s no guarantee,” detailed a commenter.
Finally, some said that the TikToker was setting unreasonable expectations for sale prices.
“I’ve done this. It is REALLY hard to find enough items to make any substantial amount of money,” declared a commenter.
“I’ve had under armour shirts listed and they never sell for that much,” added another.
@weflipitall_ Stack that cash! 💰 #tjmaxxfinds #tjmaxxfinds #amazonfba ♬ original sound – We Flip It All
Above all, many users simply questioned why one would purchase the item for the inflated price on Amazon when there were other, cheaper options.
“There’s an under armor outlet by me and I can get these all day long cheap,” said a commenter.
“But we all shop at TJ Max so I would never ever in my right mind pay that much for a simple under armour shirt like that on Amazon,” wrote a second.
The Daily Dot reached out to the TikToker via Instagram direct message.
