WHEN Ben Andrew signed up to eBay in 2014, he never could have imagined that just over a decade later he’d end up raking in almost £1,000 in less than a year from his side hustle.
The 30-year-old savvy seller, who works in tech, lives in north London with his partner, Léa Trichet, age 31.
2025 has been Ben’s most lucrative year yet[/caption]
The busy entrepreneur is able to do listings from the comfort of his sofa, and says they typically take just minutes each.
“It’s pretty standard for me to post items on eBay at the same time as I’m doing something else,” he said.
“This might be while I’m watching football or speaking to a family member on the phone. Posting stuff on eBay really isn’t very taxing.”
Over the years, Ben has sold all manner of items on the second-hand platform but more recently, he has become a pro in one particular area: technology.
Ben told The Sun: “Since joining eBay, I’ve sold toys, clothes, shoes and more.
“However, I’ve developed a real knack for selling gadgets on the site. I know how to get items to sell quickly – and at a good price.”
One of his biggest sales this year was his old iPhone.
“This handset was one that I got when I took out my contract with Three in 2023, and was worth about £800,” he said.
“I got a very decent £350 for this on eBay. A few months back, I also sold my old iPad.
“I paid around £600 for this when I bought it eight years ago – and then sold it on eBay for £225.”
In addition, Ben has found buyers for a multitude of other gizmos in the past nine months.
“I sold my running watch, a Garmin Forerunner, on eBay, for £85,” he said.
“This was a pretty good price given I paid £140 when I bought it new.
“Another recent sale was my old Sonos speaker which went for £50. This cost me around £200 when I bought it.
“I also shifted my old Xbox and a pile of games for £250.”
But it’s not only tech that has helped Ben reach a total of almost £1,000 from eBay sales so far in 2025 – or over £5,500 since he began 11 years ago.
“I was surprised – and pleased – to find a buyer for a pair of my old carbon-plated Asics trainers,” said Ben.
“I had taken really good care of them but didn’t expect them to get snapped up quite so quickly.”
These were the shoes he wore to run his first marathon in Rome in March this year.
Ben added: “If you’re looking to purchase brand new running trainers, you can expect a hefty price tag.
“As a result, lots of buyers go to eBay to get an ‘older’ pair as this can make them a lot more affordable.”
Ben sold his Asics for £75, having bought them new (from eBay), for £150.
“I used the proceeds to pay for a new pair of running shoes for the Berlin Marathon which I completed earlier this month [September 21],” he said.
In addition to this, Ben has sold a few of his old running shirts on eBay.
“These include ones from Under Armour, Nike and Hoka,” he said. “Each of these goes for around £15- £20.
“With so many people taking up marathons and other events, I find that running gear tends to sell quite quickly these days.”
The savvy seller has also done well from other items of clothing he no longer wears.
“After a wardrobe clear-out, I’ve sold T-shirts and formal shirts, jeans and jumpers for around £20 to £30 each – though some items can go for a lot more,” he said.
“Brands that I wear which get snapped up quickly include the likes of Folk, Engineered Garments, Universal Works, Percival, Beams+, as well as French clothing brand, Armor-Lux.”
While the entrepreneur’s total earnings can vary from year to year, 2025 has been his most lucrative yet.
“Typically, I earn between £250 and £500 from selling stuff on eBay,” said Ben.
“But this year, I’ve already made almost £1,000 – and there are still three months still to go.”
As the tech whizz loves having all the latest gear, he uses his eBay earnings to upgrade to the newest gadgets.
He said: “After selling my iPad, I bought an updated version shortly after. I did the same after selling my iPhone – I upgraded to an iPhone 16. I see it as a ‘one-out-one-in’ kind of system.”
Ben also used the proceeds from flogging his old running watch to buy a new one: a Forerunner 965.
“I’ve cracked the code for guilt-free gadget upgrades,” said the eBay aficionado.
“Pretty much every time a new device drops, I sell my current one on the platform. It’s my go-to strategy to stay up to date.”
Ben is not alone in doing this, according to eBay, which reports a number of recent spikes in sales.
Its figures show that, for example, between January and August this year, sales of pre-loved iPhone 14 devices were up by more than 40%. Sales of iPhone 12s and 13s also went up in that time.
For Ben, selling old gadgets to help fund the cost of new ones makes good financial sense.
“Knowing I’ve ‘earned’ the money helps me justify the cost,” he said. “Plus rather than having to go shopping on the high street, I just do smart swaps instead.”
Moreover, this eliminates the problem of old tech building up at home.
Ben added: “As I live in a flat in London which doesn’t have loads of room or places to store stuff, this is a real help.”
In the past, Ben has also made a pretty penny from selling Lego.
“Around eight years ago, I sold a lot of Star Wars items,” he said.
“These were ones that had been discontinued and included an Ultimate Collector Series (UCS) Death Star which I bought for £400 and sold for £650.”
He added: “At the time, I also sold a bunch of Millennium Falcon sets. These would have cost around £300 new. I got almost £400 for each of these.”
In total, the eBay aficionado sold around 15 Lego sets back in 2017.
Ben said: “I then used my earnings to help fund a three-month trip to the US aged 21. My travels included Boston, Washington, Chicago and the West Coast.”
He added: “The money I made on eBay covered almost all of the cost. It was so satisfying being able to pay for my trip in this way.”
Ben’s top tips to other thinking about selling tech on eBay
THERE are several things to keep in mind.
- List items – especially tech – with the box and accompanying paperwork, if you can. Keep the box in good condition.
“This helps me stand out as a ‘trustworthy’ seller,” said Ben.
“It gives buyers the reassurance of knowing they are buying from a real ‘human’ who cares about the things they are selling.”
- Think like a buyer
“I purchase a lot of clothes and other stuff from eBay, and know what a good seller looks like,” said Ben.
“For this reason, I make a point of looking after my tech – as well as clothes and shoes – so everything is still in good condition when I come to sell it.
“I like to the stuff I put on the platform is pretty much ‘as good as new.’”
- Be honest about any blemishes
Ben added: “If there are any ‘defects’ with an item I’m listing, such as a mark or a fault, I’m completely transparent about this. I want the seller to know exactly what they are getting.
“Plus, there’s less chance it’ll get returned.”
- Price items carefully
“Generally speaking, I use the eBay ‘search function’ mechanism to help me find similar listings and decide how much to charge,” said Ben.
“I tend to price at the ‘higher’ end, but as most of my items usually shift within the first 48 hours, I know that I’m pricing my stuff pretty sensibly.”
What you need to know as a seller
Since October last year, it has been free to sell across most categories on the platform.
As a private seller, you get 300 free listings per month. After that, it’s 35p per additional listing.
Just be aware that eBay recently warned of a major change to postage costs ahead of Christmas.
This includes small and medium parcels (Standard and Signed for, 2nd Class) – going up by 15p to 65p per item. Read more in our guide.
Don’t fall foul of the tax rules
Under a recent crackdown, platforms such as eBay must now share seller information with HM Revenue & Customs.
The aim is to ensure that individuals who boost their income with a side hustle take notice of their tax obligations.
It also gives the taxman more visibility of how much you are bringing in.
Sellers who get more than the ‘trading allowance’ of £1,000 in 12 months are required to declare those earnings, and pay income tax on them.
To do this, you will need to complete a self-assessment tax return.
Ben sold his his Asics shoes for £75, having bought them new for £150[/caption]
He also sold a Garmin watch on eBay[/caption]
Plus he’s made a made a profit by selling various Lego sets[/caption]
