Why Selling Old Toys and Clothes Is The Best Side Hustle for College Kids

Why This Works? Scarcity and Nostalgia Are Your Best Friends

Every year, parents nationwide clear out attics, garages, and basements, discarding childhood relics without a second thought. Many of these items are long out of production, and their finite numbers have dwindled each year parents decide to reclaim their messy house. This has created scarcity in the market and ignited high demand for the out-of-production relics that were, as it turned out, hidden in the attic, garage, and basement.

You may or may not remember Beyblades, a toy from the early 2000s that is best described as Japanese spinning tops of warfare. These Beyblades were a fleeting craze in the US that became eclipsed by Pokémon and flashier toys. When I found my old Beyblades, they were disregarded as ghosts of a forgotten time, destined to occupy a Goodwill shelf. Fortunately, I researched what these old toys were worth and discovered that, at minimum, I could easily net $85 per toy! One of them was still sitting in the original packaging and returned a cool $250 in profit. That’s when I learned that in the world of reselling, scarcity is only next to packaging. Even minute items like owner’s manual were worth $5-$10 to hardcore collectors because they were associated with the original packaging.  Needless to say, a potential of $250 hourly rate was well worth the effort.

Nostalgia isn’t just an emotion; it’s an economic force. Sports cards, retro video games, old band merch —even your out-of-style clothes —hold surprising value to adults with disposable income that desperately want a piece of their childhood back. That stuffed animal you ignored for years? Someone might pay a premium for it just to feel like a kid again, especially in a post-COVID world. Quarantine sparked a wave of new collectors seeking comfort in the cozy relics of their past. Markets Insider reported that retro video games appreciated by 33% during lockdown, and that spike in pricing remains. There’s never been a sharper moment to dig through your “junk” and cash in.

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The Psychology of a Sale: Learning Strategy, Negotiation, and Pricing.

Selling online can feel like a breeze—list an item, kick back, and watch the cash flow in. But with a few savvy tricks, you could boost your returns by over 20% per sale.

Pricing psychology and negotiation are the dynamic duo that can help your listings earn more while sharpening valuable business skills for your career. Responding to buyers thoughtfully is the best way to boost your sales. But did you know that the season is a significant  influence on how much people are willing to spend? For instance, summer, tends to be the “slow season” for online sales. The winter conversely being when sales numbers are highest.

One strategy I’ve enjoyed success with is deciding on a price and then posting a listing at a slightly higher number. This leaves room for buyers to feel like they are scoring a deal when you accept a “lowballed” offer that was within your target zone. Additionally, online marketplaces allow sellers to set a minimum offer price to avoid uncompetitive offers.

Robert Cialdini’s book Influence outlines powerful persuasion techniques that can elevate your sales game. Take scarcity, for example—when buyers believe an item is rare, they’re more likely to act fast. Sellers often use this to their advantage by emphasizing limited availability, like “Only 1 left!” in product listings.

Reciprocity is another game-changer. From selling my old belongings, I have  benefited from asking buyers about their favorite NFL team and including a sports card of that team with a friendly note. Since these are cards I’ve had since childhood, it doesn’t cost me extra—but the impact is huge. This small gesture has led to 50% more positive reviews and, on several occasions, repeat customers. Many buyers who received a freebie came back to purchase more, proving that a little thoughtfulness goes a long way in fostering loyalty (and clearing out your old stuff).

Then there’s social proof—one of the most powerful influences on buyer behavior. People trust sellers with positive reviews, and platforms, like eBay, reward good reputations by boosting listings with strong feedback. This is one of the biggest perks of selling online: the ability to build a lasting digital reputation. Sites like eBay, Depop, and Poshmark prioritize highly rated sellers, meaning a few successful transactions early on can make a big difference down the line. Each positive sale is an investment in your account’s credibility. If you decide to sell more in the future, your listings will have greater visibility and move faster. Plus, the process of marketing, pricing, and shipping products sharpens skills that are valuable well beyond reselling. Speaking of shipping…

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Shipping 101: How Not to Screw It Up

Mailing items seems straightforward until you realize how many pitfalls await. Boxes cost money, shipping rates fluctuate wildly, and if you don’t pack fragile items properly, you might end up refunding an unhappy buyer. Here are some pro tips:

• Reuse packaging – Your Amazon habit finally pays off. Save those boxes and bubble mailers. Shoe boxes, granola bar boxes—basically any sturdy cardboard—can be repurposed for shipping, cutting costs and increasing your profit. Just ensure your packaging complies with service rules: no hazardous material warnings, no used food containers that might leak, and no boxes too damaged to survive transit. UPS sells shoe-box sized packages in sets of 25 for $1.18 per box. You can save on the margins by just repurposing an old shoe-box, and those savings will really add up over time.
• Weigh before you list – Guessing the weight can lead to overpaying on postage.
• Print labels online – Buying labels through eBay or other platforms often includes USPS discounts, making it cheaper than paying at the counter. For bulk shipping, services like PirateShip.com offer even steeper discounts on USPS and UPS rates, saving you serious cash over time, especially for heavier or larger items.
• Know your shipping deadlines – Media Mail is cheap but slow. Priority Mail is faster but pricier. Don’t promise two-day shipping unless you’re prepared to foot the bill.

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The Tax Situation: How to Keep More of Your Money

If you earn over $600 on platforms like eBay, they’ll send you a 1099 form, signaling the IRS expects taxes. But don’t panic—you can deduct expenses to lower your taxable income. These include:

• Shipping costs
• The original cost of the items (if you bought them yourself)
• Packaging materials
• Platform selling fees

By tracking expenses diligently, you can significantly reduce your tax bill. One strategy that worked for me was selling old, broken phones and laptops. A water-damaged 2019 MacBook, totally unusable, still fetched $170 in sales—far less than I paid, but way more than expected. It decluttered my office and trimmed my taxes. By keeping receipts and logging expenses your side hustle transforms into a small business in the IRS’s eyes, unlocking additional financial perks.

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Final Thoughts

Selling old toys and clothes online isn’t just a quick cash grab—it’s a crash course in business, negotiation, branding, and financial acumen. You’re turning childhood nostalgia into profit, all while dodging time-sucking traditional jobs. Plus, it feels good to clear out clutter. So, before your parents haul your old stuff to Goodwill, take another look. That box of junk might just be your next paycheck.

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