Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed my piece on building a golf outfit for less than $100 at Ross.
Not only is Ross (and other similar discount stores) a great place to buy golf gear for yourself, it’s also a fantastic resource to help you earn a little extra cash.
Here’s what I mean.
While a lot of the merchandise at Ross can be “trashy” and not worth a second look, if you’re patient you can find some hidden gems that are not only valuable but super easy to flip for a profit.
I’ve spent years buying and flipping (mostly golf) shoes and apparel from Ross, As someone without a lot of discretionary income, this has provided me with a secondary way to make money and, in turn, buy new shoes, new golf clubs, etc. (This method is definitely spouse-approved.)
If you know what you’re looking for it’s relatively risk-free. And, with Ross’s generous return window of 30 days, you can always send the item back if it’s not garnering any interest on various resale markets.
Reselling gear has become rather mainstream as of late. This, along with the explosion of social media personalities that do this for a living, has made it more difficult to find resell-worthy stuff before the scalpers get it.
That said, with a little practice and a lot of patience, you should be able to find a system that works for you and pull in a little extra income.
Tips and Tricks for Flipping Golf Gear at Ross
I’ve learned a lot over the past four years or so. I’ve learned a lot of what works but, more importantly, what doesn’t work.
While buying and flipping golf apparel, accessories and shoes at Ross is a relatively low-scale operation, it still stings to get burnt and lose $20 or $30. My goal is to ensure that doesn’t happen to you.
Even still, it can (and more than likely will) happen once or twice. Keep in mind that my advice here is not a replacement for your own judgment nor the advice of your financial advisor. I’m just sharing my own personal experiences in the hopes that you can find a fun (and lucrative) hobby.
Tip #1: Golf Shoes Are Cash Cows
The majority of my successful Ross flips have been golf shoes. Why? They’re so darn cheap.
Ross generally lists all golf shoes (regardless of style, color and size) in the $25-$35 price range. With a lot of pairs, this means you’re looking at nearly and instant 2x or 3x profit.
Take, for example, the Air Max 1 G. This two-year old golf shoe was just $30 at Ross when I scooped up a few pairs to sell. Within weeks, I was able to sell them on Mercari for around $60 each. After fees, this netted me about $20-25 per pair. Heck, if I’d held on to them instead of selling them quickly, I’d be looking at over $100 per pair, based on recent eBay sales.
The profit seems fairly small, sure, but it can add up over time.
Most every golf shoe I’ve found at Ross, I’ve been able to flip for nearly double what I paid. The only case I can remember of breaking even was a pair of the NIKE Air Zoom Victory Tour 2 shoes. These were in a small size (8.5M) so they just weren’t fast movers at all.
This brings me to another point: Size matters.
Tip #2: Size Matters
When talking size, I’m mostly referring to shoes. The size of a shoe matters nearly as much (if not more) than the price.
For example, the size 13+ section is always chock-full of great golf shoes, Jordan and NIKE galore. The same can be said about the tiny sizes (5-7M). That said, there’s a reason you’ll often see limited or rare styles in this section: they don’t sell.
If NIKE couldn’t get rid of them on their own site, there’s no reason to think they’ll sell for you on eBay.
Stick with average sizes, meaning 9-12 in men’s shoes and 6-9 in women’s. Outside of this, you’re taking a bigger risk incurring the cost of the shoes with a lesser chance of actually flipping for a profit.
Hint: Check the large youth sizes, too. A 6Y equates to a 7.5W. Just make sure you list the shoe as both to capture both audiences.
Tip #3: Apparel is Tricky
In general, I tend to focus more on golf shoes instead of golf apparel. In my experience, Ross is great for buying golf apparel for personal use. It is, however, much trickier to make money on golf apparel for your own gain.
The one caveat here (and this applies to most every category) is limited stuff. If an apparel item you find at Ross is sold out everywhere online, there’s a better chance you can make a couple of bucks.
Tip #4: Restocks
When does Ross put out new stock? There’s not really one great answer. And the internet isn’t very convinced one way or another. The consensus seems to be, though, that they don’t put out new stock on weekends.
In my experience, shopping on weekdays is generally more fruitful than weekends. Fewer people to deal with, less picked through. If you’ve got the time to get to Ross right when they open, this will up your chances of finding a hidden gem.
Even still, I’ve made plenty of Ross runs after work on a Friday (don’t tell my boss) and come away with great gear.
Tip #5: Listing Matters
How (and where) you list your Ross finds matters. Here are a few of the sites I use the most when reselling gear, in order of my preference.
- eBay. The Holy Grail of the secondhand market.
- Mercari. Great for shoes and clothing; not so great for clubs and accessories.
- Facebook Marketplace. Solid choice if you want cash (and live in a well-populated area).
- Poshmark. Great for clothes but haven’t had as much luck with shoes.
Each of these online platforms are extremely user-friendly. That said, I do have a few tips to help you create a listing that people will want to click.
- Ensure your listing is accurate. Finding out the real style name, actual colors and correct size is key to creating an accurate listing.
- Asses the condition. Most Ross shoe finds should be listed as “New without box” or some similar condition (the language can vary from platform to platform).
- Take good photos. Make sure your lighting is good and that the item can be seen from all angles. The more photos, the better as this allows the potential buyer to know exactly what condition the item is in.
- Determine shipping. Most often, I make the buyer pay for shipping (helps with profit margins). That said, offering free or discounted shipping may entice someone to pull the trigger on your listing.
Tip #5: The Price is Right
Perhaps the most crucial bit of flipping gear is the pricing. You must nail this aspect to ensure your item sells and you turn a profit. The balance is often hard to find. Price too high and you’ll be left with an overstock of goods with no potential buyers. Price too low and you’re leaving “meat on the bones.”
Because I’m well versed in this whole reselling thing, I rely only on my intuition to price items and determine what will move quickly. That said, there are a few things you should do with any item you intend to sell.
The first thing I would do is go to eBay and find recently sold listings of the same item you’re looking to sell. This will give you an idea of what buyers are willing to pay for something. In most cases, if there’s a little wiggle room on the profit margins, I’ll try and undercut what other people are selling by $5 or $10. This way, I’m still making money, the product moves more quickly and the buyer is getting a great deal.
I know there are applications to scan barcodes and figure out similar information but I haven’t used any so I don’t want to lead you astray.
In any case, go with your gut. Often there aren’t many “sold” listings to base your pricing off of. Here you have a chance to set the market.
Have Fun
The thrill of the chase is perhaps the best part of flipping golf gear.
The highs of finding that hidden gem are well worth the few hours spent at the store. And, hopefully, with a little work (and perhaps some luck), you can turn this little side hustle into a new set of irons or that Cameron putter you’re dreaming of.
