Recent reports about second-hand sales booming are probably met with gleaming eyes from potential sellers looking for an extra buck in a cost-of-living crisis.
TradeMe’s circular economy report earlier this year estimated, on average, each person has 19 items to sell, with an estimated value of $1300 per person. It highlighted Gen Z and Millennials as the “real power players” who are turning this into a side hustle.
It’s also important to review what your responsibilities are under the law when you sell privately, including pricing, delivery and safety of goods.
Gently Loved’s curvy market is always popular with stallholders and the crowd, says organiser Donna Buchanan.
What if you could get a shopping buzz without blowing the budget? RNZ podcast Thrift meets three Christchurch friends doing just that.
Selling at markets
Gently Loved Markets organiser Donna Buchanan says markets offer built‑in advertising and an audience already interested in second-hand goods.
Unlike Facebook Marketplace, there’s no risk of being ghosted, she says, though some people still prefer the convenience of selling online. Markets can also reduce disputes over item condition because shoppers can inspect things themselves, she adds.
Gently Loved market organiser Donna Buchanan.
Supplied / Donna Buchanan
Appetite and demand
Buchanan says her curvy and kids’ preloved markets (which can include kids’ toys, books and maternity wear) draw the most interest. While she also runs a flea market, most sellers still bring clothing. Tech gadgets rarely appear, she says, potentially due to concerns about software safety and data wiping.
Suzanne Kendrick, who runs the Grey Lynn Car Boot Market and the Victoria Park ReUse market, sees “mountains of clothes”, especially fast fashion that young sellers overestimate the value of. She says there’s always a shortage of larger sizes and men’s clothing. She’d also love to see more bric-à-brac.
But demand can be unpredictable — some shoppers come looking for retro items that have cycled back into fashion. She recalls a shopper buying an old video camera for $5 that likely would’ve fetched more online as Y2K comes back in style.
Wool and hand‑knitted garments are increasingly popular with upcycled knitting resurging, she says. But she believes specialised or collectible items — like Crown Lynn — tend to sell better on curated platforms or TradeMe, where collectors are more likely to find them.
Gently Loved also has a flea market for bric-à-brac secondhand goods.
Supplied / Donna Buchanan
Pricing
Buchanan recommends pricing at roughly 30 percent of retail and checking second-hand sold prices online. Sellers can start high and discount in the final hour of a three‑to‑four‑hour market. Many stallholders offer bundles or multi‑buy discounts. She warns against letting sentimental value inflate prices – do your research beforehand.
Stallholder fees usually cover rent and advertising, Buchanan says. She asks sellers’ for some photos and blurbs of what they’re selling to be able to answer questions on what’s sold.
Just Kids, another curated market edition of Gently Loved, is also popular, organiser Donna Buchanan says.
Supplied / Donna Buchanan
Presentation
Buchanan encourages sellers to bring clean, odour‑free items displayed neatly with clear pricing. Swing tags or simple cardboard labels work well.
Selling online
Auckland jewellery maker Chantelle Gilbert resells op‑shop finds online. With two fast‑growing kids, she values secondhand clothing and prefers TradeMe over social media to avoid time‑wasters. She previously avoided TradeMe due to the casual seller fee, but that’s been removed and Ping fees enforced instead.
For her, selling online is often cheaper than running her $57 jewellery market stall, where profits can be unpredictable.
Beyond that, there are also curated platforms like Designer Wardrobe or The Beauty Exchange (for skincare, makeup, perfume and hair care), but they do take a commission.
Appetite and demand
Since starting in December, her sales have been “slow but steady”. Volume matters if you’re looking for a profit, she says.
Chantelle Gilbert sells op shop clothes online via Trade Me.
Supplied / Chantelle Gilbert
Much like the markets, quality brands sell well while fast fashion may not attract the same profit margin, she says. Buyers want near‑new items at clear discounts.
As retro tech has become popular, TradeMe reported searches for the Nintendo 3DS up 711 percent year‑on‑year, cassette tapes up 679 percent, and old Sony cameras selling for about $500 on average.
Pricing
Gilbert researches original retail and resale prices using Google and AI, then aims for a 30–40 percent markup on the op‑shop price. She tracks everything in a spreadsheet to spot trends. Some items exceed expectations — a $10 pair of Revit jeans sold for $150.
If an item doesn’t sell, she makes offers to watchers or previous bidders. She avoids low‑value items because courier costs (around $6) cut into profit. She doesn’t allow buyer pick‑ups for safety and convenience; couriers collect from her home. Paid listing boosts can help but must be weighed against expected returns and budget, Gilbert advises.
The average sale prices of old cameras by brand on Trade Me, and the top searched “nostalgia” items, as referenced in Trade Me’s April 2026 media release.
Supplied / Trade Me
Presentation
Gilbert steams or irons garments, fixes loose threads, checks fastenings, and photographs items hanging or on a mannequin with good lighting and label close‑ups. She removes backgrounds for a professional finish and ships items neatly folded in sealed bags to maintain strong feedback.
Garage sales
Be Organised founder Natalie Jane, who has written a guide on garage sales, says they require significant effort, and sometimes that can outweigh financial returns as shoppers look for bargains.
Be Organised founder Natalie Jane.
Supplied
The emotional challenge of letting go can also be harder than people anticipate, though it can be a good learning experience for children, Jane says.
She recommends clearing floors, grouping similar items on tables or rails, and blocking off areas not for sale. Clear pricing helps — individually price high-value items while grouping others into categories with a single price point (e.g. all baby clothes, books, or art at one set price).
Promotion can be done through community boards, newspapers, power poles, or online platforms like TradeMe community notices, Bargain Hunter, Neighbourly or local social media groups. Highlighting standout items in your ad helps draw people in.
Keep cash handy in a bum bag or clearly display bank details for transfers.
Can’t be bothered?
There is also the option of resorting to third-party places that offer to sell items on your behalf, with a commission going to them, or some brands buy their items back from customers.
