This is the question I get asked more than anything else. How much money can you actually make doing this? I'm going to be as honest as I can without giving away every detail of my business finances.
The Short Answer
You can make a full-time living from reselling Amazon returns. I've turned over more than £2.5 million and sold over 100,000 items. But that didn't happen overnight and turnover is not profit.
What Does a Typical Pallet Look Like?
Let's say you buy a mixed Amazon return pallet for £300. On average, here's what you might get: - 60-70% of items sell for a total of £500-800 - 15-20% of items need work but sell for another £100-200 - 10-20% are unsellable (damaged, missing parts, not worth listing)
So from a £300 pallet, you might gross £600-1,000 in sales. After eBay fees (around 13%), postage costs and packaging, your net profit might be £150-400 per pallet.
That's a Single Pallet
When I started, I was doing one or two pallets a week from my garage. The profit was maybe £300-600 a week. Decent side income but not life-changing.
Today we process dozens of pallets every week from our 6,000 sq ft warehouse. The margins stay roughly the same on a per-pallet basis but the volume is what makes the difference.
What Eats Into Your Profit?
- Fees. eBay takes around 13%. PayPal or managed payments take their cut too. If you sell on Amazon, their fees are even higher.
- Postage. Royal Mail, Evri, DPD. Shipping costs add up fast. Heavier items cost more to send.
- Returns. Some buyers return items. That's part of the game. You need to factor this in.
- Overheads. Once you scale up, you're paying rent, business rates, insurance, electricity and wages.
- Time. Sorting, grading, photographing, listing, packing and posting takes hours. Your time has value.
Is It Worth Starting in 2026?
Absolutely. The demand for affordable goods is higher than ever. People are looking for deals and that's exactly what reselling provides. The barrier to entry is low. You can start with a single pallet in your spare room.
What I'd tell anyone starting out is to keep your expectations realistic for the first few months. You won't make thousands overnight. But if you stick with it, learn what sells and reinvest your profits, this can absolutely become a full-time business.
I'm living proof of that. Four years ago I was a plumber. Now I run a warehouse with a team, a forklift and more stock than I can count.