Found Money is a weekly newsletter for people who want to earn extra income selling things they already own — or smart finds from estate sales and thrift stores. No upfront inventory required. Just practical sourcing observations, AI shortcuts, and platform tips. I work at eBay — I got into reselling while working on the managed payments migration because I wanted to understand the customer experience firsthand. I got hooked and never stopped. This newsletter is an independent project, not affiliated with eBay in any way.
While retail prices climb, buyers are looking for alternatives. Estate sales haven't gotten the memo — which is still the best news for anyone who knows where to look.
The Find
A recent Maxsold listing caught my eye: a pair of green vases listed as uranium glass. It took me back to how I first learned this category existed.
My first major inventory buy was four shelves of china at an estate sale. Mixed in were pieces I nearly passed on. My mom mentioned it offhand: shine a blacklight on certain green glass and it glows. That glow is the tell. You're looking at uranium glass, also called vaseline glass, a category from the 1930s that still moves.
The range is real. Some pieces flip for a modest return, others for significantly more. Comps matter here, don't overbid on vibes.
The practical move: search "uranium glass" or "vaseline glass" directly on estate sale platforms. Not every greenish glass qualifies, and you can't tell by eye. I carry a mini blacklight on sourcing runs specifically for this. Ten seconds under the light tells you whether you're holding a $3 decoration or a $50 flip.
The Prompt
I've been building what I'm calling a BOLO encyclopedia in NotebookLM.
The setup: I upload transcripts or links from reseller YouTube channels I trust, like TechNSports, and use NotebookLM to answer sourcing questions from those sources only. No internet noise, no generic AI guesses. Just the specific knowledge from sellers who actually work the categories I care about.
Ask it "what shoe brands are worth picking up?" and it answers from the videos you fed it. The difference between memorizing every flip video and having the notes available when you're standing in front of a shelf is significant.
If you want to see the full workflow live, I'm walking through it at an upcoming webinar: How to Build an eBay Reselling Side Hustle with AI in One Weekend.
One More Thing
If you donate to Savers or a similar thrift chain, ask at drop-off whether they give coupons. Many do, even for small donations, it's just not always advertised. The stuff you're clearing out of your house becomes a discount on your next sourcing run. Worth asking every time.
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