Online Consignment Seller From Home

Online buyers looking for second-hand brands, collectibles or home goods. Consignors are your suppliers and are paid from each sale.

You keep a commission on each sale, often higher on low-priced items, after platform fees and shipping costs. Higher-value items such as designer goods or electronics usually earn the most per listing.

• Photography and clear listing descriptions
• Researching resale values
• Packing and shipping
• Careful record keeping

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence, and whether your home insurance covers storing other people's items
• Marketplace fees and rules vary, so check how each platform treats consigned goods
• Check GST/HST registration and how provincial sales tax applies once sales grow
• Storage space, plus risk of damage, loss or disputes over items in transit
• Keep clear records of what each owner is owed, and protect their personal information
• Check rules on selling recalled or restricted items

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $200 to $2,000, depending on your photography setup, packing supplies and storage space. These are estimates only, so build your own budget around the platforms you choose and how many items you hold.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $300 to $2,500, depending on what you sell, the commission you keep and how many items you list. That figure is revenue, and the owners' share of each sale is paid out of it.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and whether your home insurance covers storing other people's items. Also check GST/HST registration, how each marketplace treats consigned goods, and the rules on recalled or restricted items.