Cheap Things to Sell for Profit: 25 Low-Cost Product Ideas
New sellers often aim to launch their businesses with a small investment, as they try to find cheap items to source. Selling more affordable products can potentially increase your profit margins by widening the gap between purchase and selling prices. However, not all low-cost products guarantee substantial returns.
In this article, we'll explore where to buy low-priced products and share ideas of the top 25 items like this.
Table of contents
Where to Buy Affordable Products to Sell
There are many ways to source affordable items you can sell on Amazon. Here are some of the most popular methods:
Wholesale suppliers: Buying in bulk comes with lower prices, enabling you to buy cheap and sell high. Search "wholesale suppliers near me" to save on shipping and find quality, locally-sourced products that ensure customer satisfaction.
Online marketplaces: Sourcing items online and from China in particular (from marketplaces like Alibaba) typically offers the best prices and widest selection of suppliers. Many even provide product customization options to help you stand out.
Flea markets and garage sales: Local flea markets and garage sales offer cheap products, but you also need to ensure that they meet Amazon's strict standards. Scaling your business may be challenging as well, due to the need to search for products constantly and a limited amount of good deals.
Liquidation sales: Platforms like Direct Liquidation and B-Stock offer overstock and slightly damaged goods at low prices. You can also buy return pallets directly from Amazon, but again you need to make sure the contents are resellable.
Facebook groups: Join niche-specific Facebook groups where newcomers often offer great deals on their products, and others share resources to buy and sell low-priced products.
In addition to buying cheap things to sell for profit, there are a few other ways to help you save on expenses:
Make and sell your own products: By creating your own products, you only need to invest in the materials used to make them.
Resell your own items: Selling personal stuff can be a cost-free way to start out, although this usually doesn't yield significant profits.
Dropshipping: With dropshipping, you don't pay a supplier until you make a sale. Subscription fees to import inventory from a supplier to your online store usually start as low as $30, making this an affordable way to resell multiple products.
Whichever method you choose, it's crucial that the products you sell are profitable. In the next section, we'll explore how to identify these kinds of products.
How to Identify Low-Cost Items with High Margins
When sourcing products at a low price, many people tend to buy impulsively without checking product demand or calculating all potential expenses. This can lead to unsold inventory, and wasted money, time, and effort. Therefore, it's crucial to verify both the product price and its profitability criteria before making a purchase. While each product and business model has its own parameters, there are several universal factors, including:
Competition: For reselling, you want to make sure that there aren’t many other sellers offering the same product, and that Amazon is not among them. For private labeling, avoid direct competition with big brands.
Weight: Opting for lightweight products helps sellers save on shipping costs and potential storage fees, if applicable.
Profit margin: Choose products with high-profit margin potential, ensuring that the selling price covers FBA fees and other expenses.
Demand: Ensuring over 200 sales/month guarantees consistent sales and profitability.
In order to assess the viability of your product ideas, conducting thorough product research is essential. To streamline this process and save time, consider using the AMZScout PRO Extension.
Check the Profitability of Your Ideas
You can determine your product’s potential for profits by following these seven simple steps:
1. Install the AMZScout PRO Extension. Start your free trial by entering your email address.
2. Search for a product. Enter a product or a niche name into the Amazon search field.
3. Open the PRO Extension. Click on the icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
4. Apply filters to narrow down your search. Click “Filters”, which is located in the left-hand corner of the built-in window. Consider applying the following filters:
Sellers: If you’re reselling, limit your range to 2-15 sellers on each listing, and exclude Amazon from the seller types.
Reviews: Limit this number to under 200 reviews to avoid tough competition with established brands when launching your own brand.
Rating: Start at 4.5 for reselling to ensure product quality. If you’re doing private label, aim for under 3.5 to help you find areas for improvement.
Price: Find items starting at $30 to ensure substantial revenue.
Estimated Sales: Minimum of 200 to ensure stable demand.
Once you set your filters, click “Apply”.
5. Review the data. Click Product Score for Reselling or Product Score for Private Labeling to display the best items for your business model first.
6. Check the product’s performance. Under the product you're interested in, click Product History to review the sales data to ensure a steady trend without sudden drops, as this indicates consistent demand and sales.
7. Calculate your profit. Under the item, click Profit Calculator to see if deducting the product and shipping costs from the profit exceeds 20%. If not, the item may not be profitable and therefore not worth your time and effort.
AMZScout also provides an opportunity to find suppliers directly through Alibaba without leaving the extension. With AMZScout, you can easily verify whether your product ideas will meet customer demand, generate a profit, and find suppliers.
25 Low-Cost Products to Flip
There are many items you can purchase at a low price and resell for a profit. Using the AMZScout toolkit, we have identified trending low-cost items to sell that can generate income. Here are 25 booming product ideas for your Amazon business:
Please note that this information is accurate and current as of the time this article was written, and conditions may change over time.
Colorful Pacifier and Holder Bundles (The average purchase price range is between $0.20-$2.00 on Alibaba)
iPhone Cases (The average purchase price range is between $0.25-$3.00 on Alibaba)
Insulated Tumbler (The average purchase price range is between $3.00-$8.00 on Alibaba)
![Insulated Tumblers]( "Insulated Tumblers")
![image]()
Summer Crocs Shoes (The average purchase price range is between $2.00-$7.00 on Alibaba)
Water Shoes (The average purchase price range is between $1.50-$3.50 on Alibaba)
Mosquito Repellent Bracelets (The average purchase price range is between $0.17-$1.00 on Alibaba)
Portable Fan (The average purchase price range is between $2.00-$5.00 on Alibaba)
![Portable Fans]( "Portable Fans")
![image]()
Kids Lunch Box (The average purchase price range is between $1.50-$4.00 on Alibaba)
Bird Bath Fountain (The average purchase price range is between $3.50-$5.00 on Alibaba)
Dog Dental Treats (The average purchase price range is between $0.50-$2.50 on Alibaba)
Cooling Sports Towel (The average purchase price range is between $0.25-$2.00 on Alibaba)
Swim Goggles (The average purchase price range is between $1.50-$3.50 on Alibaba)
Magnetic Screen Door (The average purchase price range is between $0.50-$2.00 on Alibaba)
LED Outdoor String Lights (The average purchase price range is between $2.00-$8.00 on Alibaba)
![LED Outdoor String Lights]( "LED Outdoor String Lights")
![image]()
Splash Pad (The average purchase price range is between $1.20-$4.00 on Alibaba)
Tanning Pool (The average purchase price range is between $5.00-$10.00 on Alibaba)
Earmuffs for Babies (The average purchase price range is between $2.50-$5.00 on Alibaba)
No-Show Socks for Men (The average purchase price range is between $0.50-$1.00 on Alibaba)
Foot Bracelet (The average purchase price range is between $1 .00-$3.00 on Alibaba)
Thermometer for BBQ (The average purchase price range is between $3.50-$5.50 on Alibaba)
Essential Oil Diffuser (The average purchase price range is between $4.00-$6.00 on Alibaba)
Reusable Party Straws (The average purchase price range is between $0.15-$3.00 on Alibaba)
![Reusable Party Straws]( "Reusable Party Straws")
![image]()
Travel Bottle Set (The average purchase price range is between $1.50-$3.00 on Alibaba)
Waterproof Phone Pouch (The average purchase price range is between $0.50-$1.50 on Alibaba)
Bug Bite Itch Relief Stickers (The average purchase price range is between $0.10-$1.00 on Alibaba)
These examples combine essential features for products that are in high demand among customers, affordable to source, and lightweight which minimizes shipping costs. With effective marketing strategies or by launching your own brand with personalized options, these items can be resold at competitive prices, offering high margins to sellers.
Conclusion
Balancing low purchase prices with high quality is key for reselling products at competitive prices in your online store. In order to ensure high sales volume, it’s important to offer trending and in-demand products. Use AMZScout’s tools to help you identify promising items that will maximize your investment and boost revenue.
