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Ask HN: Those making $500/month on side projects in 2021 – Show and tell

782 points by folli · 1730 days ago · 841 comments on HN

Article summary

The article asks individuals who make $500/month from side projects to share their experiences. One commenter shares their method of buying items from thrift stores and reselling them online for a profit. This method involves researching items on eBay and purchasing those that can be resold for at least $20 more than the thrift store price. The commenter has been able to make a significant profit from this method, with a net profit of around $13,000.

Main themes

  • side projects
  • thrift store reselling
  • online arbitrage
  • shipping and logistics
  • tax implications
  • ethics of reselling
  • alternative methods for finding cheap items
  • means testing for thrift store shoppers
  • affiliate marketing
  • software creation and sales

What commenters say

  • Buying items from thrift stores and reselling them online can be a profitable side project.
  • Some people view this practice as taking advantage of those who rely on thrift stores for affordable goods.
  • Others argue that thrift stores could sell these items themselves and use the revenue for charitable causes.
  • The practice of reselling thrift store items online is a form of arbitrage that can be seen as either opportunistic or exploitative.
  • The use of commercial rates for shipping can significantly reduce costs for those reselling items online.
  • Some commenters have found success with other side projects, such as creating and selling software or running affiliate websites.
  • The tax implications of making money from side projects can be complex and may require additional reporting.
  • The ethics of buying up quality items from thrift stores and reselling them online is a topic of debate.
  • Alternative methods for finding cheap or free items to resell, such as searching for free items on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, are also discussed.
  • The idea of means testing for thrift store shoppers is proposed as a potential solution to the issue of reselling items online for profit.