💰 Thrift Flip Profit Calculator
See exactly what you keep on a reselling flip after the thrift price, cleaning and repair, marketplace fees, and shipping — with net profit, profit margin, and return on investment, and losses called out clearly.
💰 Flip profit
| Resale price | $40.00 |
|---|---|
| Platform fee (13%) | −$5.20 |
| Thrift purchase | −$5.00 |
| Cleaning / repair | −$3.00 |
| Shipping (you pay) | −$6.00 |
| Net profit | $20.80 |
Platform fees are typical headline rates and can vary by category, promotions, and payment processing — confirm the current fee for your marketplace before pricing.
Price a flip before you list it
The magic of a thrift flip lives in the gap between a few dollars at the till and what a piece is really worth cleaned, mended, and photographed well. But marketplace fees and shipping quietly eat that gap, and a sale that looks like a win can end up flat — or a loss — once every cost is counted. Running the numbers first tells you the minimum price that actually pays for your time.
Pair it with the Cost Per Wear Calculator when you decide to keep a find instead of flipping it, and the Thrift Savings Calculator to tally what a whole haul is worth.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How is the profit on a thrift flip calculated?
Net profit = resale price − (thrift purchase price + cleaning/repair/materials + platform fee + shipping you pay). The platform fee is the selling percentage applied to the resale price, so a $40 sale on eBay at 13% loses $5.20 to fees. If the buyer pays shipping, that cost is not charged to you. A negative result is a loss and is labeled as one.
What are the platform-fee presets based on?
They are typical headline selling fees: eBay around 13%, Poshmark a flat 20%, Depop and Mercari around 10%, and Etsy roughly 6.5%, plus a 0% option for a local/cash sale and a custom field. Real fees vary by category, seller level, promotions, and whether the platform bundles payment processing into the percentage — always confirm the current fee for your marketplace before pricing.
What is the difference between profit margin and ROI?
Profit margin is your net profit as a percentage of the sale price (how much of each dollar you keep). ROI (return on investment) is net profit as a percentage of the cash you put in — the purchase price plus cleaning and repair costs. Thrifting often shows a spectacular ROI because the cash outlay is tiny even when the dollar profit is modest.
Does the fee apply to shipping too?
This calculator applies the fee to the item's resale price only, to keep it simple and transparent. Some marketplaces charge their percentage on the item price plus buyer-paid shipping; if that matters for your platform, add the shipping into the resale price field to approximate it.
Are these results guaranteed?
No — they are estimates for planning. Actual take-home depends on the exact fee schedule, payment-processing charges, taxes, returns, and what an item finally sells for. Use it to compare flips and set prices, not as an accounting record.