15 Things You Can Buy on Amazon to Make Money

The holiday shopping season is here, but what if your Amazon purchases could actually make you money instead of just spending it?

These 15 products range from around $60 to several thousand dollars, and each one represents a real business opportunity.

They’re listed roughly from least expensive to most expensive, with income potential and marketing strategies included for each.

Table of Contents show

1. Headlight Restoration Kit

Your first money-making purchase clocks in at just $60, but it can turn into quick $50 to $100 jobs that only take a few minutes each.

The Cerakote Ceramic Headlight Restoration Kit easily removes oxidation from old and faded headlights. It comes in a professional 50-pack that you can turn into $1,000 or more before needing to reorder.

To land customers, find busy parking lots, shopping centers, and office parks, then leave flyers under wiper blades.

Play up the safety angle by emphasizing better visibility at night and making sure other cars can see them. Include before and after pictures and offer $50 one-time headlight restoration with mobile service.

Each job should only take a few minutes, so you could easily stack up 10 to 15 jobs on a Saturday.

2. Dent Repair Kit

Paintless dent removal tools cost around $70 but can bring in $75 to $200 per dent for smaller dings. Large dents or hail damage can range from $300 to $1,500 or more.

They open up similar marketing opportunities as headlight restoration, but you can take it one step further.

Strike up partnerships with office parks to advertise your service to tenants in advance.

Set up a system where you visit on a specific day to do paintless dent repair while people work, and let them scan a QR code or sign up on a list to reserve their time slot.

Also connect with car wash services, used car lots, and mobile detailers as potential strategic partners if they don’t already offer the service.

3. Solar Panel Cleaning Water Fed Pole and Brush

For $160, you can get a solar panel cleaning water fed pole and brush that extends to 36 feet, charging $100 to $350 for a residential system.

Door-to-door marketing works best for this service. Offer on-the-spot service and find data to support that solar panel cleaning makes systems more efficient, so the service pays for itself.

Set up a Google Business Profile, start collecting reviews, and upload pictures from every job you do.

4. Window Washing Kit

Amazon: TelesPro 30 Feet High Reach Window Squeegee

An $80 window washing kit with a 24-foot extension pole lets you reach second story windows without a ladder.

Jack Leimbach, a college student at Auburn who runs Tiger Window Cleaning, shared his approach to landing customers through door-to-door sales. He learned that breaking the ice is critical to success.

When dogs bark, he jokes “Are those the guard dogs? They’re so ferocious!” The homeowner laughs, and suddenly they’re much more receptive. He mentions working at a neighbor’s house down the street and offers a discount since his truck is already in the area.

He counts up all the windows in 30 seconds, multiplies by his rate, and gives them a price on the spot. When dropping the price, he explains it would normally be $300, but since they’re already there, they can waive the $100 transportation fee and do it for $200 right now.

Jack eventually invested in a water-fed pole system for a little over $2,000 that paid for itself right away and helped him earn $10,000 a month as a college student.

5. Aerator or Dethatcher

A $200 rolling lawn aerator helps keep lawns healthy by promoting better air circulation, water absorption, and nutrient penetration. The average yard brings in $100 to $200 per job.

There’s a story from the Side Hustle Nation community where an entrepreneur originally tried selling lawn mowing but kept getting “nos.”

But when the pitch changed to “When was the last time you had your grass aerated?” people would say never or at least five years, and that opened the door to make the sale.

The entrepreneur didn’t even buy the machine at first. They pre-booked a day’s worth of work, then went to rent one from Home Depot.

6. 3D Printer

A $200 3D printer opens up multiple revenue streams through digital files or physical prints.

Nikko Mendoza says selling physical prints is underrated, but it depends on what you sell. He knows people with specialized machines selling car parts, with one about to hit seven figures.

Sellers making flexible toys regularly pull in $2,000 on a weekend, selling them for $25 to $30 when materials only cost $3.

People sell at farmers markets, events, and Etsy. One woman made $30,000 in one month selling cookie cutters. Another made six figures with dollhouse miniatures.

Michael Satterlee, a 17-year-old, was selling $20,000 a month worth of 3D-printed Croc charms.

7. Knife Sharpening Kit

Amazon: Edge Pro Apex 4 Professional Knife Sharpening Kit

The Edge Pro Apex knife sharpening system costs around $285 and was the item that inspired this whole episode. Even years after the original knife sharpening episode, people still click the affiliate link and order this sharpener.

Matt Rowell started with this system after seeing it used on Craigslist. A few years in, he’s grateful he chose it because it’s capable of consistently doing great work and is highly versatile.

As Matt points out, every house you pass has a bunch of knives in it. There’s no shortage of potential customers. He started by asking friends and family, then put up a Facebook page that brought in new customers.

Matt later built a drop box on his driveway with a sign on the side of the road, which became his number one marketing tool.

He also set up a farmer’s market booth for $25 a season. He settled on a flat $1 per inch of blade with a $5 minimum, earning between $30 to $60 per order with customers spending $20 on average.

Matt also serves business clients like restaurants, print shops, lawnmower repair shops, and farms. Business relationships are more likely to be recurring with higher value. He leaned into his Google Business Profile and collected over 100 positive reviews, way more than his closest competition.

8. Car Detailing Kit

Amazon: Chemical Guys 16-Piece Arsenal Builder Car Wash Kit

The Chemical Guys car wash kit costs around $170 and opens doors to mobile detailing, a low-overhead side hustle with quick breakeven.

Josh Belk from the mobile detailing episode noted that for most of his customers, it was their first time ever getting their car detailed. That signals a growing market where he wasn’t stealing business from competitors but tapping into expanding demand.

To start, you need a bucket (about $30), which has grit on the bottom to separate dirt from water. Josh started without a pressure washer, using little pump tanks, but eventually bought a pressure washer for $170.

It’s battery powered and mobile. Most customers let you use their water and electricity. Besides that, you need towels, brushes, a degreaser, spray wax, and tire shine.

The extractor ($120) is critical for interior work and adds huge value for stain removal, and a steamer helps with leather seats and sticky spills. Total startup costs were around $500 to $600, with much of it added after making initial money.

A full detail runs $200 to $350 depending on size and condition, and you could set up recurring 3, 6, or 12-month plans.

9. Pressure Washer

Amazon:
Westinghouse WPX3000 Gas Pressure Washer

The Westinghouse gas powered pressure washer costs around $300 and can help you make $3,000 or $4,000 in a month pretty easily.

Scott Anderson went for the leanest startup possible. He bought a used pressure washer for $100, plus hose and accessories, spending maybe $300 total.

He made a simple Facebook page and shared it with friends. A few days later, people he didn’t know started reaching out.

His first house brought in $200. He had no idea what he was doing and it took way longer than it should have, but he almost got all his money back on the first job.

Scott expanded with local Facebook ads targeting higher-income households but saw the most traction from yard signs that said in big bold font “we wash houses.”

It’s a somewhat seasonal business but offers satisfying work, quick ROI, and built-in virality. The before and after is really clear, and you can probably turn one job into two or three just by chatting with neighbors.

10. Cotton Candy Cart

Amazon: Olde Midway Cotton Candy Machine Cart

A $315 cotton candy machine opens up opportunities at farmers markets, events, swim meets, and private parties like weddings, reunions, and company picnics.

Brandi Hall in Louisville, Kentucky started her mobile cotton candy setup in 2023 and was pleasantly surprised by the reaction, which prompted her to even open a brick and mortar location.

Amazon also has a $5,000 ice cream e-bike complete with umbrella and 41-gallon cooler. There’s a guy in our neighborhood who does this with cute branding and old-timey costume, probably doing a nice seasonal business.

A woman in Baltimore did well on warm summer evenings and also got hired for weddings and private events.

11. Foam Party Cannon

Amazon: VEVOR Foam Machine Party Foam Cannon

A $365 foam party cannon can start you off in the foam party business.

Tim Carstensen found daycares, summer camps, park districts, libraries, and elementary schools within 35 to 40 miles and sent postcards to about 700 of them through Vistaprint.

His professional grade cannon cost about $2,500. He also has barriers to keep foam from blowing back, a branded tent, and equipment like hoses, electrical cords, and speakers. For most smaller events, it’s just one cannon.

Tim got a few bookings before doing any foam parties, bought a second setup, and kept rolling. The early-season marketing let him invest with confidence since he was already collecting deposits. From there, it was about delivering great experiences and letting word of mouth spread.

12. Photo Booth

A portable photo booth can recoup your costs in just a few events.

Cat Bloch did a competitive analysis in Ottawa and found tons of photo booths ranging around $300 to $400 for three hours.

She thought that was too cheap to make real money and saw a need for a high-quality booth people could use as a branding tool.

Cat then reached out to business networking groups with event planners and offered one a free photo booth to prove herself.

They sourced luxurious sequined backdrops and handmade customized props with a Cricut machine.

The lineup was never-ending. Strategic partnerships with caterers, photographers, videographers, DJs, and florists work well for mutual referrals.

13. Mobility Scooter

This mobility scooter is Amazon’s best-seller in the category. It supports up to 265 pounds, has flat-free eight-inch tires, a maximum speed of 3.7 mph, and a driving distance up to 12.4 miles per charge.

Lenny Tim went with a higher-end scooter but found it used for about $500 on Facebook Marketplace. Brand new ones are about $1,500. He gets his money back within one to three rentals at $250 a week plus $75 delivery.

The interesting thing Lenny did is he didn’t buy that first scooter until he had a critical mass of inbound inquiries.

Back in 2019, he just built a website to test demand. He didn’t buy any equipment, just built a nice site to see if people were calling or making requests.

He tried to get a domain that would match search well (Le Mobilities), did basic backend SEO, put up good pictures and info, and opened a Google My Business page. When several requests came, he bought the equipment.

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14. Party Inflatables

Amazon: HeroKiddo Castle Commercial Grade Bounce House

This inflatable bounce house had the best ratings among commercial-grade inflatables on Amazon. Inflated, it’s 13 by 13 feet, big enough for three to four kids bouncing at once.

Corey Jeffreys wanted to invest in real estate but found inflatables had much lower startup costs and stronger ROI. He wasn’t worried about competition, just about making his money back.

His first customer was his aunt, who insisted on paying even though it was family. She had neighbors there, word of mouth picked up, and it grew from there with Craigslist and Facebook ads.

Corey started at $120 for a half-day session and slowly increased prices each year to $145.

Depending on where you go, they range from $120 to $200. After a few rentals, the equipment is paid off and everything else is profit.

The important thing to consider is insurance, which can be pretty expensive. It’s actually what led Tim Carstensen to the foam party business instead. Be sure to do your due diligence before investing $1,000 or more.

15. Vending Machine

Vending machines on Amazon range from $2,000 to over $6,000, but you probably shouldn’t buy one there since you won’t have the same financing options as going to the manufacturer.

The challenge is finding a high-traffic location. Mike Hoffmann from Vendingpreneurs targets places like senior centers and apartment complexes.

Walk in and ask for the general manager or property manager. Ask if they want to provide modern amenities, then qualify the location by asking about foot traffic.

A 200-unit complex with 400 residents is a potential $1,500 to $2,000 monthly goldmine.

Mike targets 100 units minimum or 100-plus employees. Many locations have outdated machines or providers who don’t restock properly.

Mike can monitor all his machines from his phone and see sales in real time. 80% of sales are now with cards, not cash, so locations with old machines that only take cash are missing out.

If you want to learn more about the vending prospects in your specific area, you can book a call at sidehustlenation.com/vendingcall.

Honorable Mentions

A few other items worth considering:

Mobile dog grooming supplies including clippers, table, and tub
Pet waste removal tools for scooping services
Label maker for organizing services
Portable generator for event power or emergency backup services
Tile and grout steam cleaner
Truck bed liner spray kit costing $300 to $400 upfront, charging $400 or more per job

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