Secondhand shopping has moved far beyond thrift-store clothing, with buyers increasingly hunting for older versions of everyday and collectible products.
Watches
Pre-owned watches have become a major entry point for younger buyers. A 2024 survey found 80% of Gen Z buyers got their first luxury watch secondhand, with discontinued designs and lower prices helping drive the shift.
Digital Cameras
Old digital cameras are having a genuine resale moment. In eBay’s latest 30-day sales data, digital cameras generated $13.7 million in tracked sales, with more than 53,000 units sold—despite smartphones having largely replaced them for everyday photography.
Vinyl Records
Used vinyl isn’t just surviving; it is a substantial resale category. Recent eBay data tracked 187,000 vinyl sales worth nearly $7.9 million in a single 30-day period, with an average tracked selling price around $42.
Video Games
Older games are becoming hunting grounds for secondhand shoppers. Flippr analyzed more than 329,000 video-game scans in 2026 and found 24.4% had an estimated value of at least $25—roughly one in four.
Books
Used books remain one of the biggest secondhand categories. Flippr’s 2026 data covered more than 624,000 scanned books, finding an average estimated value of $16.19 per item.
Collectible Cards
Trading cards have become another huge resale market. eBay’s recent sales data recorded more than 300,000 individual trading-card sales in a 30-day window, generating about $7 million in tracked revenue.
Sources
- eBay — 2025 Recommerce Report (eBay Inc.)
- eBay — 2026 Watchlist Trend Report (eBay)
- eBay — Recent category sales data (Resellbot)
- Financial Times — Gen Z and the pre-owned watch market (Financial Times)
- Flippr — 2026 thrift-store scan data (useflippr.com)
