# How to start reselling at 15: age rules, parents and safe first flips

Source: https://rushilo.com/blog/start-reselling-at-15
By om.assets, Rushilo. Updated 2026-11-03.

> To start reselling at 15, have a parent or guardian open or approve the seller account, since eBay requires members to be 18 and Depop asks under 18s to involve a parent who may need to verify ID. Start by selling things from your own home, then flip cheap thrift or yard sale finds, ship small items like games and clothes, and always bring an adult to local meetups.

You are 15, you have watched a few reseller videos, and you want to try it. Then you hit the sign up page and it asks for your date of birth, a bank account and sometimes an ID. That is where most teens get stuck.

The good news: reselling at 15 is completely doable. You just do it **with a parent in the loop**, start with stuff you already own, and keep everything small until you know what sells. This guide covers the age rules for each app, how the money actually reaches you, and a safe first plan.

## Can you legally resell at 15?

Yes. Buying something and selling it for more is legal at any age. The limits come from the apps, not the law about reselling itself. Most marketplaces want an adult to own the account because, as one r/Flipping commenter explained, people under 18 generally cannot sign binding contracts, and every sale is a small contract.

That means two honest routes:

1. **A parent owns or verifies the account** and you do the work: finding items, photos, listings, packing.
2. **You sell offline**: garage sales, selling to friends and family, or local cash sales with an adult present.

What you should not do is fake your age. A few old Reddit replies say "just lie, nobody checks." Others in the same thread point out that if you are found out, the account can be shut down with your money in it, and a buyer can back out of a sale. It is not worth losing your inventory and balance.

## Which apps let 15 year olds sell?

**Most apps require an adult on the account, so check each one's terms before you list.** Here is what the main platforms say as of November 2026.

| Platform | Teen rule | How a 15 year old uses it |
|---|---|---|
| eBay | Must be 18 to be a member | Parent's account, with permission |
| Depop | Under 18s asked to involve a parent; ID may be needed | Parent helps verify before payouts |
| Poshmark, Mercari | Check current terms; adult account is the safe default | Parent's account |
| Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp | Local sales, adult account recommended | Parent lists, you both meet the buyer |
| Garage sale, family, friends | No app rules | Sell directly, parent knows |

eBay's underage user policy is blunt: you must be at least 18 to be an eBay member. Depop's help center asks anyone under 18 to talk to a parent or guardian first, because ID may be required. That ID step is where many teens get stuck.

> **Watch out:** On r/Depop, one teen seller described making sales and then being unable to get paid because payouts needed verification. Sort out verification with your parent **before** your first listing, not after.

## How do you set up a parent account?

**Your parent opens the account (or verifies it), links their bank or a joint teen account, and you run the shop day to day.** It takes one evening.

1. Pick one platform to start. eBay works for almost anything; Depop suits clothes. Our guide to [starting on eBay as a beginner](/blog/start-reselling-ebay-beginners) walks through the setup screens.
2. Your parent creates the account in their name with their email, or verifies an account you both use.
3. Link a payout account. Some families use a joint checking account with the teen as co-owner, so the money lands somewhere you can see.
4. Agree on the rules in writing, even a note on your phone. Example:

```
Our shop deal
- I list, pack and ship. Mom/Dad approves anything over $50.
- Payouts go to the joint account. I get 100% of profit after fees.
- No local meetups without an adult. No address shared in messages.
- We check the money and the sales list together every Sunday.
```

Why this matters: the parent is legally responsible for that account, returns and disputes included. A clear deal stops fights about money later.

## What should you sell first?

**Sell things from your own house first.** It costs nothing, and you learn photos, pricing and shipping without risking cash. Ask before selling anything that is not clearly yours.

Good first items for a 15 year old:

- **Video games, DVDs, CDs.** An r/reselling user who started as a teen recommended these first because they fit in a bubble mailer and are easy to ship.
- **Clothes and shoes you outgrew**, especially recognised brands.
- **LEGO, trading cards, books, small electronics** like controllers and headphones.

After 10 to 20 sales from home, move to cheap sourcing: thrift stores, yard sales, the free section of local listings, and family friends clearing out garages. Our list of [the best things to resell from thrift stores](/blog/best-things-resell-thrift-stores) is a good shopping list, and [reselling with no money](/blog/start-reselling-with-no-money) covers growing from almost zero.

> **Tip:** Before buying anything, search it on eBay and filter by **Sold items**. The sold price is what people really pay. Listed prices are just hopes.

## How do you price a flip so it actually makes money?

**Work backwards from the sold price: subtract fees and shipping, then pay no more than about a third of what is left.** That leaves room for mistakes.

Worked example: a used game sells for $24 on eBay.

| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sold price | $24.00 |
| Platform fees (roughly 13% to 15% on eBay in most categories) | about $3.50 |
| Bubble mailer and label (if you charge buyer shipping, this nets out) | about $1.00 for the mailer |
| What you keep before the item cost | about $19.50 |
| Most you should pay at a thrift store | about $6 |

Depop in the US charges no selling fee, only 3.3% plus $0.45 processing, so clothes there keep more of the price. Our [Depop clothes guide](/blog/start-reselling-clothes-depop) has the full math.

Be realistic about speed. One r/reselling reply put it plainly: with $50 you might buy two items, wait a week or two for them to sell, and make $10. That is slow, and that is normal. **Growing $50 takes reinvesting, not one lucky flip.** Some commenters suggest saving money from a part time job first so you can buy in small batches.

## How do you ship safely and on time?

**Ship within one or two days of a sale, with tracking, using cheap mailers bought in bulk.** Late or missing orders are how teen shops get bad reviews.

1. Buy bubble mailers and poly mailers in bulk, online or from a dollar store.
2. Weigh items on a kitchen scale before listing so your shipping charge is right.
3. Print the label from the app (your parent's account pays for it from the sale).
4. Drop it at the post office or schedule a pickup, and keep the receipt.

A buyer on r/Depop said they once bought from an underage seller who did not know how to ship and never sent the order. Do not be that seller. Practice packing one item before you list anything.

## How do you stay safe with local sales?

**Never meet a buyer alone, never at home, and never share your address in messages.** Local apps are great for big items, but the rules are not optional at 15.

- Bring a parent or guardian to every meetup.
- Meet in daylight at a busy public place. Many police stations have marked safe exchange spots.
- Take cash or a payment your parent's app confirms before you hand anything over.
- Check fake bills on anything over $20, and ignore buyers who want to "send a code" or pay by unusual methods. Those are common scams.
- Keep chats inside the app so there is a record.

## What about money and taxes?

**Keep a simple sales log from day one and let your parent see it.** Age does not exempt anyone from tax.

The IRS says self employment tax applies once your net earnings from a side business reach $400 in a year. Payment apps and marketplaces send a Form 1099-K when payments exceed $20,000 in more than 200 transactions, per the IRS, but income below that can still be reportable. Selling your old things for less than you paid usually is not profit. Flipping thrift finds is.

Your log only needs five columns: item, what you paid, sold price, fees and shipping, profit. A free spreadsheet works. If profit starts adding up, your parent may want a quick chat with a tax preparer. If you want an app for this, see [apps resellers use to track profit](/blog/best-apps-resellers-track-inventory-profit).

## What mistakes do teen resellers make?

These come up again and again in r/Depop, r/Flipping and r/reselling threads:

- **Lying about age to open an account.** It can get the account closed with money stuck in it.
- **Selling before payouts are verified.** Then the money sits there while you wait for a parent and an ID.
- **Buying stock without checking sold prices.** The fastest way to lose your $50.
- **Slow or sloppy shipping.** It costs you reviews and sometimes refunds.
- **Going to meetups alone.** Never.
- **Expecting fast money.** Real reports from teens are $5 to $15 profit per small item. It grows only if you keep reinvesting.

Reselling is also not for everyone. If you hate packing boxes or replying to messages, try something else. If you like hunting for deals and seeing a sale ping, it is one of the best ways to learn real business skills at 15.

## Where to go from here

1. Talk to your parent and agree the shop deal above.
2. Set up one account together and finish ID and payout verification first.
3. List 10 items from home this week, priced from sold listings.
4. Ship each sale within two days and log the profit.
5. Reinvest that profit into a few cheap thrift or yard sale finds.

If you want the full step by step, the [Reselling pack](/reselling) has 24 lessons across 6 modules on sourcing, sold-price research, listing, shipping and profit tracking, with checklists you can work through with a parent, for $19. All 16 Money Printer packs are $39.

## Frequently asked questions

### At what age can you start reselling?

You can start reselling at any age if a parent runs or approves the account, but most platforms set their own limits. eBay requires members to be 18, and Depop allows teens if a parent or guardian is involved and may need to verify ID. Selling your own things to family friends or at a garage sale has no app age limit at all.

### Can a 15 year old sell on eBay?

Not on their own account. eBay says you must be at least 18 to be a member, so a 15 year old sells through a parent's account with permission. The parent owns the account, links their bank for payouts and is responsible for every sale, so agree in advance how the teen gets their share of the money.

### Can I sell on Depop if I'm under 18?

Yes, Depop lets younger users sell, but it asks them to talk to a parent or guardian first because ID verification may be required before payouts. Sellers on r/Depop report getting stuck at the payout step, so set up verification with your parent before you list anything, not after your first sale lands.

### What can a 15 year old sell to make money?

Start with things already in your house: video games, clothes you outgrew, sneakers, books, LEGO and old electronics, with your parent's okay. These are light and cheap to ship. After that, flip low cost finds from thrift stores and yard sales, checking sold listings first so you only buy items you know resell for more.

### Do teens have to pay taxes on reselling?

Possibly. The IRS says self employment tax applies once net earnings reach $400 in a year, and age does not change that. Selling your own used stuff for less than you paid is usually not a profit. Payment apps send a Form 1099-K above $20,000 and 200 transactions, but income below that can still be taxable, so a parent should keep records.

### What is the best way to learn reselling as a teen?

The Rushilo Reselling pack is the best structured way to learn it for $19: 24 lessons in 6 modules covering sourcing, sold-price research, listing, shipping and tracking profit, plus checklists you can work through with a parent. Pair it with selling 10 items from home so every lesson gets used straight away.

## Sources

- [eBay underage user policy](https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/identity-policies/underage-user-policy?id=4233)
- [Depop: How old do I have to be to use Depop?](https://depophelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360001773088-How-old-do-I-have-to-be-to-use-Depop)
- [IRS: Understanding your Form 1099-K](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/understanding-your-form-1099-k)
- [r/Depop: Help for selling while underage](https://www.reddit.com/r/Depop/comments/1c0wny0/help_for_selling_while_underage/)
- [r/Flipping: Is there a way for me to use eBay under 18?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Flipping/comments/2ae22a/is_there_a_way_for_me_to_use_ebay_under_18/)
- [r/reselling: How to start reselling as a teen?](https://www.reddit.com/r/reselling/comments/rwdg0t/how_to_start_reselling_as_a_teen/)