People are weird creatures. Collecting, crazes – what drives people to obsess over stuff? Take Hungry Jacks promo glassware. You know, those glasses that get handed out free with burger meals? When the first striped glasses came out in different colours a few years ago – during COVID times from memory – and sold out in store people went nuts to get their hands on them. I must’ve sold a dozen or more at prices of up to $50 a glass – all mine were sourced from unwitting op shops selling them for a little as $1 or $2.

Well these limited edition glasses are now back in 2025 – this time with cute animal designs. Check out Ebay where this week the butterfly glass is selling for up to $42 plus postage – that’s over $50 a glass. A full set of four is listed for $150. But the thing with crazes is timing. You’ve got to be quick and pounce when the market is hot. Those striped glasses? Fast forward a few years and you can’t give them away (and yes, I still have a dozen or so in stock). I predict that within just a couple of months the latest glasses will go back to being worth $1 or $2 or nothing.

Other easy quick sells of freebie stuff are the collectable cards or figures from Coles and Woollies – again timing is everything. Only a tiny window to flip these on Marketplace. And, people are weird. I’ve had people abuse me for selling these “because you got them for free”. Each to their own, but flipping things like this has taught my kids that an entrepreneurial approach – capitalising on or creating the latest craze – means they’ll never go hungry in life.