Curious what carriers/services people trust most for shipping oversized and fragile items internationally.
I run a small artwork business and ship large pieces pretty regularly within the U.S., but I’m starting to look more into international shipping and wanted to hear what’s worked best for others.
I love all things related to ecom, reselling, and business in general.
I’m younger, so i can’t really give much life advice. But I have done pretty well for my age and can afford to live comfortably in Southern California. I do think I can give solid modern business advice, especially when it comes to starting an online business, finding products people actually want, spotting demand and understanding value.
My main experience is in “luxury” art reselling. I can give general tips on this, or if someone is serious, I can walk you through the full process of how I built my business. You don’t need to be an expert, but basic computer skills and some experience selling online already will help a lot.
Most of what I know is based around U.S. markets and e-commerce, so that’s where I can provide the most value.
My help is completely free, do know that starting a business does typically requires upfront business costs like inventory, shipping, ads, etc.
Looking to help 2-3 people get started with whatever small business.
I have a 2012 Aston Martin V12 Vantage and I’ve been thinking about adding Apple CarPlay. I’ve watched a few YouTube videos and the install honestly looks pretty reasonable, but I wanted to ask people who have actually done it.
Main thing I’m wondering is whether it noticeably affects the audio quality.
For anyone who has done it, are there any other things I should look out for before buying a kit or taking it in?
Thought I’d ask here first.
I’ve always been into reselling.
Ever since I was a kid watching American Pickers, I was obsessed with the idea that something could be worth way more somewhere else.
I had some minor success, but my real break came about two years ago.
One of my close friends has wealthy parents who live in Newport Beach. His dad does luxury art reselling and also owns Airbnbs.
They invited my friend and me to an art museum with them. I had never been anywhere that fancy before. I felt completely out of place.
But that day ended up changing a lot for me. His dad and I had a great conversation about reselling and his dad started explaining how luxury art reselling actually works.
He broke down what to look for, why certain pieces hold value, why one-of-one artwork can create exclusivity, and why the barrier to entry keeps a lot of people out. It wasn’t just about finding something that looked cool. It was about understanding the market, and the gap between what something is listed for and what the right buyer may be willing to pay.
After that, I started studying it more on my own. I looked at artists, sold listings, marketplaces, eBay, and pieces that had already proven demand. A lot of the work was not exciting. It was research. But over time, I started getting better at spotting the price gaps and have had a ton of success.
The quote “your network is your net worth” sounds lame, but it genuinely applied to me. If I had not gone to that museum, listened, asked questions, and showed interest, I probably never would have been introduced to this side of reselling.
The best side hustle I’ve found is reselling valuable art with large profit gaps. Instead of trying to flip 30 small items to make $1,000, I focus on finding one strong piece that can make $700–$1,500+ in profit.
The strategy is pretty simple: Find artists whose work already sells for real money, buy pieces that are underpriced or poorly marketed, then relist them with better photos, better descriptions, and more visibility. Marketing is key.
I mainly research on eBay by using Sold Listings and filtering for art that has already sold for $2,000+. That way, I’m not guessing. I’m looking at real proof that buyers are already paying. That way there’s no big risk.
The biggest thing I look for is the price gap. For example, if an artist’s work has sold on eBay for $2,000 or more, but I can buy a similar piece directly from the artist website for around $800–$1,000, that’s where the opportunity is.
The best pieces usually have a few things in common: Large size
Modern or contemporary style
Pop culture, animals, mosaics, or statement wall art
One-of-one or limited pieces
Weak photos or poor marketing from the original seller
If you want examples, Lmk A lot of artists have great work, but they don’t know how to market it. Their photos are bad, their descriptions are weak, or they don’t list on the right platforms. That’s where a reseller can create value.
I usually relist on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy and OfferUp.
This is not free money, and I wouldn’t tell anyone to blindly buy random art but it definitely beats a 9-5. You need to research first, compare sold prices, check the artist, look at eBay listings, to make sure there’s actual demand. If you find a piece and want a second opinion, Lmk.
The best part is you can keep buying from artists that you've had success with. Sharing this strategy doesn’t really affect me because there are thousands of artists, styles, and markets out there.
If you have around $800+ to start, this is one of the most overlooked reselling methods I’ve found.
I have screenshots of real sold listings and examples of what I’d look for. Comment or message me and i can send you them or answer any questions.
This is what I do to afford living alone in Southern California and own multiple cars. I know a lot of people are looking for realistic side hustles that don’t involve dropshipping, fake gurus, selling courses, or posting content all day, so I figured I’d share what’s been working for me.
Sharing this strategy doesn’t really affect me because there are thousands of artists, styles, and markets out there. The opportunity is not some tiny secret that disappears once people hear about it. The real work is in doing the research, spotting the price gaps, and being willing to put money into the right pieces. The barrier to entry is usually around $800 for your first piece. For the type of art I usually buy, net profit is typically around $700–$1,500 per flip, depending on the piece, the artist, and how well it’s marketed.
The basic idea is simple: Find artists whose work already sells for good money, buy pieces that are underpriced or poorly marketed, then relist them with better photos, better descriptions, and more visibility. Most of my research is done on eBay, and the filters are the most important part.
When searching, I always turn on Sold Listings because I only want to look at pieces that have already sold. That way, I’m not guessing whether the art has demand. I can see actual proof that buyers are already paying for it. I also filter for pieces that sold for $2,000+. I usually search for things like: -Wall art -Original paintings -Mosaics -Large pop culture pieces -Big animal prints -Modern/contemporary art I haven’t personally done sculptures, so I can’t speak on those. Once I find an artist whose work sells well on eBay, I look them up online and go to their official website. What I’m looking for is a price gap between what the artist is charging directly and what similar pieces are selling for on eBay or other marketplaces.
The best pieces usually fit this profile: Large size Direct/wholesale cost around $800–$1,500 Modern or contemporary style One-of-a-kind or very limited Already proven to sell for $2,000+ online One big tip: look for artists who are bad at marketing.
A lot of artists have amazing work, but their photos are weak, their social media is barely active, or their listings don’t do the art justice. If their pieces are still selling for good money despite poor marketing, that’s usually a good sign. The opportunity is in the gap. For example, if I can buy a piece for around $1,000 and similar pieces from that artist have already sold for $2,000+, I’ll buy it, take better photos, write a better listing, and relist it.
I usually list on: eBay Facebook Marketplace OfferUp
Not required, but some people also build Shopify stores or reseller Instagram pages to get more eyes on their pieces. I personally don’t have much experience with websites or Instagram pages yet, so I can’t give a full breakdown on that side. But with AI tools now, setting up a basic Shopify store or Instagram page is probably a lot easier than people think.
This is one of the more overlooked reselling methods. It’s not free money, and you still have to do the research and take the risk. But compared to a lot of other reselling categories, the margins are actually really good. When I list across multiple platforms, pieces can sell pretty fast, sometimes in under a week.
The main thing is this: Don’t just buy random art because it looks nice. Buy art where you can already see proof that similar pieces are selling for real money. Find the gap first, then buy. If you’re looking for a side hustle with higher margins, this is one I’d seriously start researching.
Go to the artist’s website and compare their direct prices to what similar pieces are selling for online. If you find a big enough gap, that’s where the opportunity is. You don’t need a following, a Shopify store, or some complicated setup to start. Just learn the market, find one underpriced piece with proven demand, take better photos, write a better listing, and relist it where buyers already are. The best part is you can keep buying from artists that you've had success with. Research first. Buy slow. Don’t gamble on random art. But if you’re looking to start a real side hustle and have around $800 to work with, this is definitely something worth looking into. I’ve already put multiple friends onto this method, so if you’re serious about trying it, reach out and I can show you examples of artists I’d look at, what types of pieces usually sell well, and how to spot the price gaps before buying.
This is what I do to afford living alone in Southern California and own multiple cars. I know a lot of people are looking for realistic side hustles that don’t involve dropshipping, fake gurus, selling courses, or posting content all day, so I figured I’d share what’s been working for me.
Sharing this strategy doesn’t really affect me because there are thousands of artists, styles, and markets out there. The opportunity is not some tiny secret that disappears once people hear about it. The real work is in doing the research, spotting the price gaps, and being willing to put money into the right pieces. The barrier to entry is usually around $800 for your first piece. For the type of art I usually buy, net profit is typically around $700–$1,500 per flip, depending on the piece, the artist, and how well it’s marketed.
The basic idea is simple: Find artists whose work already sells for good money, buy pieces that are underpriced or poorly marketed, then relist them with better photos, better descriptions, and more visibility. Most of my research is done on eBay, and the filters are the most important part.
When searching, I always turn on Sold Listings because I only want to look at pieces that have already sold. That way, I’m not guessing whether the art has demand. I can see actual proof that buyers are already paying for it. I also filter for pieces that sold for $2,000+. I usually search for things like: -Wall art -Original paintings -Mosaics -Large pop culture pieces -Big animal prints -Modern/contemporary art I haven’t personally done sculptures, so I can’t speak on those.
Once I find an artist whose work sells well on eBay, I look them up online and go to their official website. What I’m looking for is a price gap between what the artist is charging directly and what similar pieces are selling for on eBay or other marketplaces.
The best pieces usually fit this profile: Large size Direct/wholesale cost around $800–$1,500 Modern or contemporary style One-of-a-kind or very limited Already proven to sell for $2,000+ online One big tip: look for artists who are bad at marketing.
A lot of artists have amazing work, but their photos are weak, their social media is barely active, or their listings don’t do the art justice. If their pieces are still selling for good money despite poor marketing, that’s usually a good sign. The opportunity is in the gap. For example, if I can buy a piece for around $1,000 and similar pieces from that artist have already sold for $2,000+, I’ll buy it, take better photos, write a better listing, and relist it.
I usually list on: eBay Facebook Marketplace OfferUp
Not required, but some people also build Shopify stores or reseller Instagram pages to get more eyes on their pieces. I personally don’t have much experience with websites or Instagram pages yet, so I can’t give a full breakdown on that side. But with AI tools now, setting up a basic Shopify store or Instagram page is probably a lot easier than people think. This is one of the more overlooked reselling methods. It’s not free money, and you still have to do the research and take the risk. But compared to a lot of other reselling categories, the margins are actually really good. When I list across multiple platforms, pieces can sell pretty fast, sometimes in under a week.
The main thing is this: Don’t just buy random art because it looks nice. Buy art where you can already see proof that similar pieces are selling for real money. Find the gap first, then buy. If you’re looking for a side hustle with higher margins, this is one I’d seriously start researching.
Go to the artist’s website and compare their direct prices to what similar pieces are selling for online. If you find a big enough gap, that’s where the opportunity is. You don’t need a following, a Shopify store, or some complicated setup to start. Just learn the market, find one underpriced piece with proven demand, take better photos, write a better listing, and relist it where buyers already are. The best part is you can keep buying from artists that you've had success with. Research first. Buy slow. Don’t gamble on random art.
But if you’re looking to start a real side hustle and have around $800 to work with, this is definitely something worth looking into. I’ve already put multiple friends onto this method, so if you’re serious about trying it, reach out and I can show you examples of artists I’d look at, what types of pieces usually sell well, and how to spot the price gaps before buying.
All three of these actually work. I’ll explain each one in detail. The first two are what I’m doing right now. The third is what I used to do. It has the easiest barrier to entry but is the weakest of the three.
When you buy a piece, take high-quality photos and market it properly. List it on eBay at double what you paid (buy for $1k → list for $2k). Also post it on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. This step is not required but a lot of people in this space also build Shopify sites or dedicated reseller Instagram pages to get more eyes on the items. I don't have any experience with building websites or instagram pages so I can't give too much information. But even without website experience, I know AI can help you set one up quickly. This is one of the easiest reselling methods in the US right now. Minimum barrier to entry is about $800 for your first piece. I also recommend spending a little to promote your listings on eBay/FB/OfferUp. Optional Shopify is ~$30/month.
Trading Real-World Event Markets on Kalshi First off, stay far away from any sports markets. They are far too unpredictable. Also look at news pages that specializes in kalshi markets, some are free and some cost money. Instead of sports, I focus on politics, elections, economics, geopolitics, and major world events. It can feel weird trading things like “Will the Strait of Hormuz reopen?” or nuclear deal outcomes, but these markets exist either way and people are making serious money on them. I use specialized Kalshi news sources (some free, some paid). The best ones aren’t mainstream like Fox or CNN — more like Eventshifts News and similar services that focus specifically on prediction markets. These platforms are usually members only and track real world events and turn them into time-sensitive market opportunities. My strategy has been focusing on timing. It's best to get in on the market as soon as new info is released. Within 2 hours of new alerts has worked best for me. I've made it onto the Kalshi leaderboard page multiple times now. Barrier to entry is around $300 ($200 to start trading + $100 for good research/tools).
Furniture Reselling This is the most basic side hustle of the three and you won’t get rich, but it’s very accessible. Scroll FB Marketplace and OfferUp for couches, pool tables, cabinets, etc. Make lower offers — a lot of people give big items away for free just to get rid of them. You’ll need a truck or large vehicle to pick stuff up. Clean the items, take good photos, and relist on eBay, FB Marketplace, and OfferUp with free delivery. Lowest barrier to entry (basically just a truck), but also the lowest profit potential. Works best in bigger cities or suburbs. Not sure how well it would do in rural areas like Nebraska.
If anyone wants more info, I’m happy to help out. Comment “Interested” and I'll DM you or you can DM me. I can send you specific eBay listings I’ve found, the artists I currently resell, or examples from my Kalshi page (I’ve made the leaderboards a few times now). I can also answer any questions about reselling in general.