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Course 128 · Money course 19

Test a Reselling Idea with Real Costs

Explore secondhand selling through item screening, delivered prices, fees, labor and return scenarios.

Before you start

Use percentages and time conversions; no item purchase or selling account is required.

See everything you’ll need

Practice materials and a worked example · Free download. Download the starter pack

What you’ll leave with

A fictional resale feasibility file with an item screen, cost model, comparable sales, listing brief, return scenario and go-or-no-go decision.

Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.

Your project

Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.

Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.

  1. Get your materialsDownload practice filesStart with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.
  2. Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
  3. Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Optional course overview

Watch an introduction.

This overview from Edspira introduces ideas you’ll practice in the lessons.

Watch directly on YouTube
EdspiraHow to calculate Gross Profit (aka Gross Margin)YouTube
Course handbook

Know the route before you begin.

Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.

Who this is for

For learners ages 14+ and adults exploring practical money and business skills.

Prepare before lesson one
  • Use percentages and time conversions; no item purchase or selling account is required.
  • Use paper and a calculator, or a free spreadsheet/text editor. The written lessons contain all required records. Optional video and software setup are extra time.
Your final project

Finish with proof you can use.

A fictional resale feasibility file with an item screen, cost model, comparable sales, listing brief, return scenario and go-or-no-go decision.

Save a project record in My Proof
See project checklist and review criteria

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • A resale-item screen with exclusions and verification needs.
  • An item cost sheet including fees, shipping and time. A comparable-sale note with a justified test price.
  • An unpublished condition listing and package-measurement brief.
  • A return scenario showing contribution, loss and cash tied up.
  • A resale feasibility decision supported by the full cost and return model.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • Calculations reconcile to the supplied records, with units and dates labeled.
  • Assumptions and missing information are visible, including the changed scenario.
  • The recommendation follows the evidence and explains an important limitation.
  • The six lesson outputs form a usable handoff that another learner can check.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas

The rules behind the steps.

01

Screen first

Potential margin never overrides product restrictions.

02

Count all costs

Shipping, fees, time and returns change what remains.

03

Allow no-go

A sound rejection is a useful business decision.

What do these words mean?
Key words

Key terms worth knowing.

Delivered price
Total price including delivery in the comparison.
Contribution
Revenue less the specified costs.
Comparable sale
A completed transaction with similar item and delivery conditions.
Return loss
Costs not recovered when a sale is reversed.
Time allowance
A chosen value for the labor used in the exercise.
Your route

6 lessons.
One useful project.

Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.

  1. 1
    Up next

    Screen an item before pricing it

    A resale-item screen with exclusions and verification needs.

  2. 2
    30 min

    Calculate the true item contribution

    An item cost sheet including fees, shipping and time.

  3. 3
    30 min

    Compare completed-sale evidence

    A comparable-sale note with a justified test price.

  4. 4
    30 min

    Write an accurate listing and packing brief

    An unpublished condition listing and package-measurement brief.

  5. 5
    30 min

    Model the effect of returns

    A return scenario showing contribution, loss and cash tied up.

  6. 6
    30 min

    Decide whether the idea deserves a test

    A resale feasibility decision supported by the full cost and return model.

Use the tools

Tools to help you practice.

See all tools
ZIP · practice files

Test a Reselling Idea with Real Costs practice files

Start with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.

Text worksheet

Your course project worksheet

A downloadable text worksheet with each lesson’s working output, space for your answers, and the shared final-project checklist. Save your own copy.

Source transparency

Sources and further study.

Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.

CPSC Resale/Thrift Stores Information Center
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected reseller screening guidance and scope, including recalled or unsafe products.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

How to Prepare and Send a Package
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected package measurement, preparation and postage inputs; no current rate is copied.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

eBay Selling Fees
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected fee categories and bases. The exercise uses invented fees, not an eBay rate quote.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

Financial Accounting Index — Edspira gross profit example
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected the Calculating Gross Profit link to 4PvUFaeHdIg. YouTube oEmbed confirms the exact title and Edspira channel; used only as a merchandise-cost introduction.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

Ready when you are

Start with the first useful move.

You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.

Start lesson one