Online collectables shop

Hobby collectors, fans looking for particular items, and people buying gifts for enthusiasts.

You sell items for more than you paid for them. Rarer or graded items can carry a higher margin, while common items rely on volume. Selling fees and postage costs reduce what you keep.

• Knowing a collecting niche well
• Spotting fair prices and fakes
• Photographing and describing items clearly
• Careful packing and posting

• Fake or reproduction items, which can lead to refunds and damage your reputation
• Consumer rules on distance selling and returns apply to online sales, so check the current requirements
• Check whether HMRC would treat your selling as trading and whether you need to register for Self Assessment
• Marketplace fees and postage costs can eat into thin margins
• Cash tied up in stock that may be slow to sell
• Check any permission needed to run a business from home, and insurance for stock

Startup costs are typically around £300 to £3,000, depending on how much stock you buy and how you set up your marketplace listings or web shop. Treat these as estimates and get prices for stock and packaging first.

Monthly revenue is typically around £300 to £3,000, depending on your niche, your stock and how often you list. Marketplace fees and postage costs can eat into thin margins, so check what is left after costs.

Check whether HMRC would treat your selling as trading and whether you need to register for Self Assessment. Also check the current consumer rules on distance selling and returns, and any permission needed to run a business from home.