Secondhand Is Becoming a Habit. Here’s How eBay Sellers Can Earn the Next Sale.
A buyer replacing a favorite pair of jeans has a different shopping problem from a collector chasing a rare jacket. They need the right size, an honest account of the wear, and a price that makes buying used worthwhile. Your listing has to answer those questions before they move on.
That everyday purchase is a useful way to think about eBay’s latest news. In its October 7, 2026 Recommerce Report, eBay says 47% of surveyed consumers buy secondhand at least monthly, compared with 35% in its 2025 report. Seventy percent say buying secondhand matters to their household budgets. The consumer survey covered 10,522 people across ten countries who had already participated in secondhand shopping; it isn’t a survey of all shoppers. Source: eBay’s report announcement.
For sellers, that suggests an opportunity: become the dependable place someone can find an item they need at a price they can justify.
It also raises a harder question. If more people are comfortable buying used, how do you make your particular item the sensible choice?
Start by making the purchase easier to evaluate—and make sure the sale is worth your work.
Source for a specific buying problem
“Secondhand is growing” is too broad to be a buying strategy. It cannot tell you whether the jacket in your cart will sell or spend six months on a shelf.
There is supporting evidence beyond eBay: ThredUp’s April 2026 report, with research from GlobalData, says the U.S. secondhand apparel market grew nearly four times as fast as the broader clothing market in 2025. That is evidence about apparel, not proof that every used category is booming. Source: ThredUp’s 2026 report announcement.
Translate that broad interest into a specific reason someone would search for your item:
| Buying problem | Inventory worth researching | What the listing needs to establish |
|---|---|---|
| Replace something that already fits | An exact jeans style and size | Style code, measured dimensions, alterations and wear |
| Keep an existing setup working | An original remote for a particular device | Model number, verified compatibility and tested functions |
| Replace one missing piece | A mug from an identifiable dinnerware pattern | Maker’s mark, pattern, dimensions and edge condition |
| Buy a useful upgrade within budget | A durable work jacket | Measurements, fabric, closures and condition at cuffs and seams |
These are research candidates, not a list of guaranteed sellers. Their appeal is that you can identify the buyer’s problem and gather evidence that the item solves it.
If you cannot identify the model, assess its condition or explain who needs it, a low sourcing price may still be too high.
Build a price range from genuinely comparable sales
Before buying, use eBay’s Product Research to investigate completed sales. It offers up to three years of data and shows actual sale prices, including accepted Best Offers. Source: eBay Product Research.
For an ordinary item, start with a recent window, such as 90 days. Widen it if sales are sparse; compare the same season in earlier years if seasonality matters. Old sales can add context, but they may reflect a different market.
Then inspect the matches. A working controller with its receiver is not equivalent to an untested controller without one. A jacket with the same brand name may be a different model, material or size. Remove those mismatches before deciding what a normal sale looks like.
Write down three numbers: a conservative selling price, a plausible middle price and the current competing delivered price. Include shipping when comparing buyer costs, and compare the same destination where possible.
If the purchase only works at the highest price you found, leave yourself more room or leave the item behind. A single exceptional sale is a weak foundation for a sourcing decision.
Decide your maximum buy price before you negotiate
A $35 sale can look attractive until you account for the work required to earn it.
Here is a hypothetical sourcing calculation for an item you expect to sell for $35 with shipping included. These are planning assumptions, not a quote for eBay fees or postage:
| Planned amount | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Sale proceeds, excluding tax collected by the marketplace | $35.00 |
| Selling and advertising fee allowance | −$6.00 |
| Shipping label | −$7.00 |
| Packaging | −$1.00 |
| Allowance for occasional return or damage costs | −$2.00 |
| Amount required for your time, overhead and profit | −$12.00 |
| Maximum sourcing price | $7.00 |
The arithmetic gives you a decision before the seller offers a “deal.” At $10, the item misses your target by $3. You need better evidence for a higher selling price, lower costs or a reason to accept a smaller return.
Replace the allowances with figures appropriate to your category and account. On eBay’s U.S. fee schedule, the final value fee generally includes shipping collected from the buyer and sales tax in its calculation base, subject to exceptions. Charging shipping separately does not generally take it outside that base. Source: eBay selling fees.
Time deserves its own check. Twenty minutes of cleaning, testing, photography and packing is a different commitment from ninety minutes. Track that difference for a few sales; it can change what you are willing to source again.
Make condition something the buyer can verify
“Great condition” leaves the buyer to decide what you mean. Useful details let them make a decision.
For a hypothetical used jacket, a stronger description would be:
Tagged medium; chest measures 22 inches across with the jacket laid flat. Zipper and both pocket snaps work. Light fading at the shoulders and a small worn area on the right cuff, shown close up. No holes found during inspection.
Use observations you have actually made. For electronics, identify the functions you tested and any you could not test. For clothing, photograph the label and provide measurements that matter for fit. For replacement pieces, show identifying marks and dimensions.
Build the photo set around the buyer’s remaining questions: What is it? What is included? Where is the wear? Will it fit my needs?
eBay’s selling practices policy requires accurate descriptions of defects and actual-item photos for used, refurbished or flawed goods. Those requirements are also a practical foundation for a clearer listing. Source: eBay selling practices policy.
The goal is to let someone judge the tradeoff. A visible scuff may be perfectly acceptable at the right price; uncertainty about whether the item works is a different problem.
Check the buyer’s alternative before cutting your price
Imagine a used item at $24 plus $8 shipping, while a comparable new item is available for $36 delivered. The buyer saves $4 before tax. Depending on the condition, included accessories and delivery estimate, that may be too small a saving to make sense.
This is an illustrative comparison, but it is a useful check for ordinary goods. The competitor may be a discounted new product, another used listing or a replacement model.
Before lowering your price, see whether your listing makes its advantages visible. A complete set, an original accessory or a specific discontinued version can matter. State those facts accurately. If your item has no meaningful advantage and the delivered price is too close to new, the sourcing economics may need to change.
That is why pricing begins before checkout at the thrift store.
Run a small test you can learn from
Pick ten items in a category you already understand. Use existing stock where possible, and give each item a simple record:
- Purchase cost, listing date and storage location.
- Conservative comparable sale price and packed shipping estimate.
- Tests, measurements, defects and included accessories.
- Actual sale proceeds, fees, postage and time spent when it sells.
Review the group after 30 days. Keep unsold items in the results: eight sales and two unsold items tell a different story from eight sales considered alone. A 30-day review is a checkpoint, not a universal deadline for every category.
Look for a repeated problem. Questions about sizing may point to missing measurements. Plenty of views without sales makes the delivered price, condition and competing listings worth examining. Low visibility warrants checking the title, category and item specifics. These are starting points for investigation, not certain diagnoses.
Choose one adjustment to evaluate next, and record when you made it. Changing price, photos and advertising simultaneously makes the result harder to interpret.
The strongest reason to buy more inventory is evidence from your own completed sales: items you can source repeatedly, describe confidently and sell with enough money left for your time.
For your next ten listings, make the buyer’s decision a little easier. Then let the actual costs and sales tell you which ten items to buy next.