Cross-platform flip
The same product is listed at different prices on different marketplaces. Buy from the cheapest, sell on the most expensive.How it works
A sneaker is listed for 230. You buy on eBay, receive the item, ship it to StockX, and StockX pays you when authentication passes. After eBay buyer fees and StockX seller fees, you keep the difference. This works because each marketplace has different buyers, different fee structures, and different supply. A product can sit underpriced on Mercari for days while demand on StockX pushes the bid up.What to look for
- Spread after fees > $20. Turn on After fees on Discover to see realistic profit, not raw price gaps.
- Verified seller on the buy side. Expand the orderbook row to check trust badges — green shield (platform-authenticated) or amber check (top seller).
- Liquid product. Check the 7-day trade count. Products trading 10+ times per week sell fast. Below that, you might hold inventory longer than planned.
How to do it in SPRD
Open Discover → Flips view
This filters to products where the best ask on one platform is lower than the best bid on another, after fees. Every row is a potential flip.
Click a product to open the orderbook
Check which venue has the cheap ask (buy side) and which has the high bid (sell side). Expand rows to see individual listings, seller trust, and direct links.
Confirm fees with the fee toggle
Turn on After fees. The spread shown is what you actually keep. If it’s still $20+, the deal is real.
Buy through the listing link
Click the link on the ask row to go to the marketplace listing. Purchase the item. Log it in Portfolio.
Sniping
A listing appears significantly below the going market price. You buy it before anyone else does, then sell at normal market value.How it works
A LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS has been trading at 800 on StockX for the past month. Someone lists it on eBay for 750. After fees, you profit $200+. Unlike cross-platform flips, sniping doesn’t require a live bid on the sell side. You’re betting on the historical price holding up. The edge is speed — underpriced listings sell in minutes.What to look for
- Price 20%+ below the 30-day average. Small discounts aren’t worth the effort. Look for clear mispricings.
- Consistent trade history. Open the product’s chart in SPRD. If the price has been stable for weeks, a sudden low listing is a snipe opportunity, not a crashing market.
- Enough volume to sell quickly. A product with 5+ trades per week on StockX means your ask will fill within days, not weeks.
- Condition and authenticity. If the price seems too good, check photos and seller history carefully. Wrong size, damaged box, or counterfeit items are the main risks.
How to do it in SPRD
Track products on your watchlist
Star 20-50 products you know well. Focus on products where you already understand the normal price range — brands, models, and sizes you follow.
Set price alerts
On each watchlist item, set a Spread exceeds or Price below alert. When a new listing drops 20%+ below market, you get notified via Discord or push notification.
Check the orderbook immediately
When an alert fires, open the product in SPRD. Look at the chart for recent trade history, then expand the cheap listing to verify seller trust and condition.
Buy instantly
Click through to the marketplace and purchase. Underpriced listings sell fast — minutes, not hours. Keep your marketplace accounts pre-funded so you can act without delays.
Pre-sell
Sell the item first, then source it after. StockX and GOAT let you place an ask without having the item in hand. You only spend money after you’ve already made the sale.How it works
You see a sneaker listed at 350. You place an ask on StockX at 200 eBay listing, receive it (or have it forwarded directly to StockX), and ship. You’ve made a sale before spending a dollar.What to look for
- Multiple source listings. If only one listing exists at the low price and it sells out before your StockX ask fills, you have a problem. Look for products with 3+ active listings on the source platform.
- Reliable source sellers. Choose sellers with fast shipping and high ratings. You’re racing against a 2-day deadline.
- Stable pricing on the source. If the cheap listings are being posted regularly, the supply is steady. If it’s a one-time deal, the risk is higher.
How SPRD helps
SPRD shows you which products have asks on one venue well below bids on another — the same data as cross-platform flips. The difference is execution: instead of buying first, you sell first. Use Discover to find candidates, the orderbook to verify the source supply has depth, and Portfolio to track the position. Capital: Zero upfront — you buy only after selling. Speed: Depends on when your ask fills. Could be hours or days. Risk: Medium — the source listing could sell out or the price could rise before you buy.Market making
Place a bid below market, wait for someone to sell to you, then relist at a higher ask. You’re trading the bid-ask spread on a single platform.How it works
A sneaker on StockX has a highest bid of 230. That’s a 185, slightly above the current highest. A seller in a hurry accepts your bid. You immediately list an ask at $225, slightly below the current lowest. A buyer takes it. After fees on both sides, you keep the difference.What to look for
- Wide bid-ask spread (15%+ after fees). Narrow spreads don’t survive double fees.
- High volume. You need both sides to fill. Products trading 20+ times per week have enough liquidity for market making. Illiquid products can trap your capital.
- Stable price. Market making breaks down in trending markets. If the price is falling, your ask might never fill. Check the chart for stability.
How SPRD helps
SPRD shows bid-ask spreads across all venues on Discover. Sort by Spread $ and filter to a single venue to find market-making candidates. The orderbook shows order depth — multiple bids and asks at each level means the market is active enough to make this work. Capital: Full bid amount (escrowed when you bid). Speed: 1-3 weeks per round trip. Risk: Medium — the ask side may take time to fill. Price could drop while you hold.Market making works best for resellers who already have capital parked in a StockX or GOAT account. It’s lower effort than flipping but requires patience and discipline on pricing.
Presale
Sell before the product releases. Buy at retail on drop day. This strategy happens outside SPRD — it relies on eBay’s pre-sale listing feature and access to retail drops.How it works
A new Jordan release is announced for 400+. You list it on eBay as a “Pre-Sale” listing at 180 through SNKRS, a raffle, or in-store. You ship it to the buyer within eBay’s 30-day window. Profit: $170 minus eBay fees.What to look for
- Pre-release StockX bids 2x+ above retail. This signals strong demand. SPRD shows pre-release bid data when available — use it to estimate resale value.
- Confidence you can secure the item. Multiple raffle entries, local store relationships, or bot setups. If you can’t get the item, you must cancel the eBay order, which damages your seller account.
- Backup sources. If the primary drop fails, can you buy from StockX or a local consignment store at a price that still leaves profit?
SPRD doesn’t manage presale listings or track upcoming releases. Use StockX pre-release bids as a pricing signal, then execute on eBay directly.
Advanced techniques
These aren’t strategies on their own. They make the strategies above faster, cheaper, or more scalable.Cross-listing
List one item on every marketplace at once. StockX, GOAT, eBay, Mercari — whoever buys first wins. Use SPRD’s fee calculator to set prices that yield the same net proceeds on each venue. Fees differ across platforms, so the same item should be listed at different dollar amounts. When it sells on one platform, delist from all others. Cross-listing turns a single-venue ask into 4-5x the buyer exposure. Combine with any strategy where you’re holding inventory.Forwarding
Never touch the item. Route everything through a US warehouse. Set up a forwarding service like Planet Express. You get a warehouse address in Oregon (no sales tax). Buy on any US platform, ship to the warehouse, request photo inspection, then forward to your buyer or to StockX/GOAT. Forwarding pairs with every strategy, especially for international resellers. Factor in $10-20 per item when evaluating spreads.Oregon has no sales tax. Receiving items there saves 5-10% compared to most US states.
At a glance
| Strategy | Capital | Speed | Risk | SPRD support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-platform flip | Full cost | 3-7 days | Low | Built for this |
| Sniping | Full cost | Instant buy | Low | Built for this |
| Pre-sell | Zero | Varies | Medium | Pricing data |
| Market making | Full bid | 1-3 weeks | Medium | Spread data |
| Presale | Retail only | Drop day | High | Reference only |