Passive income: NO

Earning passive income from thrifting alone is challenging. Most people actively source, list, and ship items, which requires ongoing effort. Automation or outsourcing can help, but it often involves significant upfront investment and management. Few achieve true passivity; most successful thrifters remain actively involved. Stories on Reddit and YouTube show that while some automate parts of the process, complete passivity is rare. Misleading expectations include the belief that thrifting can be entirely hands-off without substantial effort or investment. Realistically, it becomes passive for those who scale significantly and can afford to outsource effectively, but not for casual thrifters.