Guides

I'm going to keep this simple.

There are a million "how to make money online" videos out there. Most of them are either super vague or way too complicated.

This guide is for something very specific and very doable:

Go into a thrift store → Scan the movie shelf → Buy the good ones → List them on eBay → Ship them → Get Paid → Repeat.

You're basically looking for DVDs and Blu-rays that you can buy cheap locally and sell for a lot more on eBay.

You don't need a warehouse.

You don't need a ton of money.

You don't need to be "good at tech."

You just need:

• A phone
• An eBay account
• Some basic shipping supplies
• And a way to quickly check if something is actually worth buying (I'll explain that later)

We'll focus on DVDs and Blu-rays because:

• They're cheap at most thrift stores
• They're small and easy to store and ship
• There's a huge collector market for physical movies

It might feel like physical media is dead, but it's actually the opposite:

• People are getting tired of having 10 different streaming subscriptions
• Movies keep disappearing from platforms
• A lot of rare and out-of-print movies—especially older or niche ones—are only available on disc

Some of those out-of-print titles (think certain Hallmark movies, niche horror, foreign films, etc.) can go for $50, $100, even more if you can find them.

This guide will show you how to start finding those gems, even if you've never sold anything online before.

Step 1: Set up your eBay account (one-time thing)

If you already have an eBay account, skip to the next step.

Create an account

Go to eBay and sign up (a personal account is fine to start).

Add your name, address, and phone number.

Set up payments

eBay will walk you through connecting your bank account.

This is where your money goes when items sell.

Download the eBay app

Install the app on your phone and sign in.

This makes it easy to respond to messages, adjust prices, and see when things sell.

Don't overthink this. You can always come back later and tweak settings. The goal is just to get your account ready so you can actually list and get paid.

Step 2: Basic gear you'll need

You don't need a whole warehouse setup. For movies, it's super simple.

Must-have shipping supplies

For shipping DVDs and Blu-rays, you really only need:

• 6x9 (or similar) bubble mailers
• Packing tape

That's enough to safely ship your movies.

You can grab these at Walmart, Target, Dollar Tree, office stores, or online.

Under about $15 of supplies is more than enough to get started.

Nice to have

These aren't required, but they make life easier:

A printer

If you have a printer, you can buy and print your shipping labels directly through eBay and drop the packages in a mailbox or at the post office.

If you don't have a printer, eBay will give you a QR code you can take to a USPS location. They'll scan it and print the label for you there.

A DVD/Blu-ray player

You can usually find one at a thrift store for $10–$20.

This lets you actually test the discs you buy and even take a photo of the movie playing on a screen — which helps buyers feel confident it works.

That's really it. Phone, mailers, tape, and a way to test discs. You're good.

Step 3: Why DVDs and Blu-rays still sell (and what to look for)

So what actually sells?

There's a big market of collectors and movie lovers who still buy physical discs:

• They want to actually own the movie, not rent it from a subscription
• Some movies and made-for-TV films (including a lot of Hallmark-type movies) never hit streaming platforms
• A ton of movies go out of print, and once they're not being made anymore, the prices can climb fast

A few quick pointers:

Individual movies are great to start with.

Look for interesting, older, niche, or "not everywhere" titles.

Certain Hallmark movies, holiday movies, niche horror, anime movies, etc. can be surprisingly valuable.

TV series

TV seasons and complete series sets often sell for more overall,

But they can be more annoying because you usually want all the seasons or the full set to get the best price.

To keep things simple, start with individual movies. Once you get the hang of it, you can start going after series and box sets.

You don't have to guess which specific titles are good. That's where data (and tools like Flippr) come in.

Step 4: Go to a thrift store and hunt for movie shelves

Now for the fun part: sourcing.

Go where the movies are

• Goodwill
• Salvation Army
• Local charity shops
• Local used media or game stores

You can also watch for DVD/Blu-ray lots on Facebook Marketplace and then cherry-pick the winners from those piles later.

Head straight to the DVD/Blu-ray section

You're looking for shelves full of movies — ideally with simple price stickers like "DVDs $1.99 each" or "3 for $5".

What you're actually trying to find

At the store, your job is:

• Find movies that sell on eBay for at least 3–5x what you're paying,
• and/or will make you at least $5 profit after all costs.

Traditionally, people would:

• Scan the barcode of each movie with a scanner app, or
• Manually type the title into eBay,
• Tap on the "Sold" filter,
• Scroll through sold listings,
• Do the math in their head for every single DVD.

It works, but it's slow and pretty miserable for big shelves.

Step 5: Using Flippr to scan a whole shelf at once

Now here's the part that makes this way easier.

Instead of looking up one movie at a time, you can use Flippr:

Flippr is an app that lets you take a picture of a shelf of movies — DVDs, Blu-rays, even VHS.

It then matches those spines to real eBay sold data and shows you:

• What each movie tends to sell for
• A Flippr score
• Estimated profit for each item (after fees and shipping, based on your buy price)

How it works in practice

Download and open Flippr on your phone.

Stand in front of a shelf of movies and take a clear photo of the row of spines.

Flippr processes the photo and shows you:

• Each recognizable title
• Estimated value on eBay
• How much profit is left after fees and estimated shipping, once you tell it your buy cost

You're specifically scanning for items with at least $5 profit.

In Flippr, you can:

Tap on the cost box and enter what the thrift store is charging (for example, $2.00).

Flippr will then calculate your estimated profit after fees and shipping, so you're not just guessing.

A quick note on eBay fees (and why profit matters)

eBay needs to make money too. Between eBay's fees and payment processing, they usually take roughly around 15% of the selling price (it varies by category, but this is a good ballpark).

So if a movie sells for $10 on eBay, you don't keep $10.

Very roughly, it looks like:

• Sale price: $10
• eBay/processing fees (about 15%): ~$1.50
• Your shipping cost + mailer: a few dollars
• Your buy cost: whatever the thrift store charged

That's why you want a healthy margin, not just "it sells for more than I pay."

Flippr just does all that math for you:

• You enter your cost (say, $2 at Goodwill)
• It uses the typical shipping and fee assumptions
• It shows you what's left over as profit

Your job at the store is basically:

Take a shelf photo → Look for green / good profit numbers → Grab the movies with $5+ profit.

Step 6: Why I recommend Flippr (vs doing it by hand)

You can do all of this manually if you want:

• Look up each movie on eBay
• Filter to Sold listings
• Scroll through and see what it's actually selling for
• Check active listings to see your competition
• Roughly estimate if it's worth your time

That works fine for a small stack of DVDs.

The reason I recommend Flippr is:

• It compresses all of that into a few seconds by analyzing a whole shelf at once
• It shows you not just price, but also other helpful info that gives you a feel for:
• How often the movie sells
• Whether there's actually demand or it just sold once randomly
• It saves you a ton of time and lets you focus on deciding what to buy, not just looking everything up.

A couple of honest details:

Flippr is free to start.

You get 50 items each week on the free plan.

That's enough to scan a shelf, find your first winners, and get your feet wet.

If you want to go heavier into flipping:

• There's a 7-day free trial for the paid plans.
• Plans start at around $8/month.

If you're actively flipping, it's pretty realistic to make that back with a single good flip or just from the time saved not scanning barcodes all night.

Use whatever you're comfortable with. The big thing is:

Don't guess in the dark. Use real sold data so you're not just hoping something is valuable.

Step 7: Check condition before you buy

Condition matters a lot with movies.

Before you toss something in your cart:

Open the case

• Make sure the correct disc is inside. (You'd be surprised how often it's the wrong one.)
• Check that all discs are there for multi-disc movies.

Look at the disc

• Light scratches are usually fine.
• Deep gouges, cracks, or discs that look like they've been used as coasters — probably skip.

Check the case and artwork

Buyers don't need perfection, but they like:

• Intact artwork
• No water damage
• No completely shattered cases

Later, when you get home and you're prepping to list:

Pop the disc in your DVD/Blu-ray player.

Let it play a bit to make sure it actually works.

You can even take a photo of the movie playing on a monitor — that's a strong trust signal for buyers.

That's really it. Phone, mailers, tape, and a way to test discs. You're good.

Step 8: Buy the good ones, leave the rest

Once you've scanned a shelf and checked condition:

Put back:

• Low profit movies
• Super beat-up discs
• Movies that technically sell, but only for a couple bucks after fees

Buy:

• Movies with at least $5 profit
• Interesting or rare titles with good sold data
• Out-of-print or niche stuff that consistently sells high

Your first run might look like:

• 4–6 good DVDs from one thrift store
• Maybe $10–$20 total spend

That's perfect. You're learning the process and building a feel for what works.

Step 9: List your movies on eBay

Now it's time to turn your little stack of movies into actual listings.

1. Test and prep

Put the disc in your DVD/Blu-ray player and let it run for a bit.

Make sure it plays without issues.

This is also where you can grab a quick photo of the movie playing on your TV or monitor.

Then:

• Wipe down the case
• Remove any gross stickers if you can do it without destroying the art
• Make it look clean and presentable

2. Take simple, honest photos

You don't need studio lighting. Just:

• Use a well-lit area (near a window is great)
• Use a simple background (table, neutral surface, etc.)

Take:

• Front of the case
• Back of the case
• Disc(s) laid out
• Bonus: a shot of the movie playing on a screen

Buyers care more about clarity and honesty than fancy photography.

3. Write your title

Use a clear title that includes:

• The movie name
• Format (DVD or Blu-ray)
• Anything special (Special Edition, Out of Print, etc.)

Example:

"A Rare Hallmark Christmas Movie (DVD, 2004, Out of Print)"

You can copy and lightly tweak good titles from existing sold listings too.

4. Fill in item specifics

Fill in what the case tells you:

• Format: DVD or Blu-ray
• Region, if shown
• Genre (Horror, Romance, Comedy, etc.)
• Rating (G, PG, PG-13, R, etc.)
• Language/subtitles (if listed)

Don't stress if you don't know every detail. Just be accurate with what you do know.

5. Describe the condition honestly

Pick the condition that matches reality:

• Like New – basically perfect
• Very Good – light wear, disc plays fine
• Good – visible wear, but still solid and playable
• Acceptable – heavily worn, but plays

In the description, you might say something like:

"Disc has a few light surface scratches but plays without issues. Case has minor shelf wear. Comes from a smoke-free home."

6. Set your price

To keep it simple when you're starting:

Look at what Flippr suggests as a price based on recent sold data,

Either use that number or price a few dollars cheaper if you want a faster sale.

So if Flippr says it typically sells around $14.99, you might:

• List it at $14.99, or
• List at $12.99 to be the better deal and get things moving.

For most bread-and-butter movies, Buy It Now (fixed price) is the easiest route.

Step 10: Ship your DVDs when they sell

When that first "You've made a sale!" notification hits, enjoy it. Then ship the thing.

Buy the label through eBay

On the order page, choose to purchase a shipping label.

eBay will walk you through the weight and service (usually Media Mail or First Class for DVDs).

If you have a printer:

• Print the label at home
• Stick it on your bubble mailer with packing tape
• Drop it in your mailbox or at the post office

If you don't have a printer:

• eBay can give you a QR code
• Take the package and the QR code on your phone to a USPS location
• They'll scan it and print/attach the label for you

Pack the DVD securely

• Put the movie in the bubble mailer
• Make sure there's enough padding that the case won't crack in transit

eBay will automatically update the tracking for the buyer once the label is created, so you don't have to manually mark it as shipped.

Step 11: Get Paid and Repeat

Once the movie is delivered and everything clears, eBay sends the money to your bank account.

From there, the game is:

Go back to the thrift store (or find new ones)

Scan more shelves

Pick movies with $5+ profit

List them

Ship them

Get Paid

Repeat

As you do this more, a few things will happen:

• You'll start recognizing good titles on sight
• You'll get faster at scanning, deciding, and listing
• You'll build a small inventory that throws off random $10–$30 sales

You're not trying to win the lottery. You're learning a simple, repeatable process:

Find undervalued movies → Use data to verify they're good → List them honestly → Ship them well → Get paid.

Do that enough times, and those little flips can start covering real-life bills, or fund bigger flips later.