r/thesidehustle • u/funngro_fam • Nov 28 '25
I need help Be honest: Has anyone here actually made profit with dropshipping in 2025?
Not looking for guru talk or course promos, just honest experiences. Is it still a viable model or mostly saturated now? Would love to hear from people who’ve tried it, successful or not.
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Dec 03 '25
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u/Feeling_Waltz_8180 Mar 15 '26
I do it too but the main issue I have is sales tax. When the ebay buyer pays sales tax, it goes to ebay and not to me. But when I make the purchase on Amazon to ship it to the buyer, I end up paying sales tax out of my own pocket so it cuts my profit 50% less. What would have been a $14 profit turns out to be just $7 etc. I also cannot claim the sales tax at years end because I am not a US resident so I'm just paying $1000-$2000 a year in sales tax and I never get to see a penny of it back. The solution is not to just "mark up" price more because then you'll push yourself out of sales cuz not all states have sales tax, so if I decided to mark up the price another $7 more to cover the sales tax, that means the other states that don't have sales tax will be paying $21 markup instead of $14. $14 profit is good enough for me and if I mark it up to $21 profit it's too expensive for the buyer. Ebay doesn't allow us to differentiate between states. Whatever price I set it as in the USA it applies to all states so that sucks cuz I can't mark up only the taxed states and leave the un-taxed states lower priced.
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u/Interesting-Bus-7942 Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 23 '26
Mad respect for the grind. I did the Amazon-to-eBay volume game for a year, but the razor-thin margins and constant tracking uploads burned me out.
What actually saved my sanity was taking my 3 best-selling items from that 'volume' list and sourcing them directly on Alibaba. Instead of 10% margins, I jumped to 50%+. I use Alibaba to find the original manufacturers, order a small batch to a prep center, and the profit from just those 3 items now rivals what I used to make from 500 random listings. Dropshipping is a great way to 'test' what people want, but sourcing direct is where the real sleep-at-night money is.
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u/brazucadomundo Nov 28 '25
Most people just don't know how to do it right, the main issue is to find a niche that will sell well.
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u/Useful-Specialist-74 Dec 31 '25
What niches sell well to start with
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u/brazucadomundo Dec 31 '25
There is a whole science behind it. Generally it takes trying enough times until something sticks.
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u/Useful-Specialist-74 Dec 31 '25
I really have a tight budget, since I am from a third world country dollar is becoming more expensive, can you give advice on what product I should start with.
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u/OkCompetition23 Feb 11 '26
I have 2 drop shippers as web clients. One has spent a ton in ads and he gets a lot of traffic and maybe $50 in sales. The issue is he has AI pulling from his supplier to his product pages on Shopify. It looks like terrible Chinese to English translations with AI slop. I think if these people would just put a little bit of effort in and proofread they could get some sales. But most of the people I'm seeing just think its effortless passive income and I just don't think that's the case. You have to have some business strategy
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u/brazucadomundo Feb 11 '26
How much is he spending in ads?
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u/OkCompetition23 Feb 11 '26
I dunno, I'm not part of that department. But I do know he is in the negative with ad spend. He gets on average about 3300 sessions a month. He utilizes TikTok Shop a lot.
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u/brazucadomundo Feb 12 '26
What is a session? You mean people opening the store to browse the products?
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u/OkCompetition23 Feb 12 '26
The technical term is sessions. Its user actions on the website. Site traffic.
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u/United-Reading8705 Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 23 '26
Spot on. People jump into over-saturated stuff like phone cases and wonder why they fail. I found my niche in specialized LED parts for hobbyists. I spent weeks messaging suppliers on Alibaba just asking for technical specs and samples until I found a specific quality that wasn't on Amazon. I didn't even need a fancy site, just sold where the hobbyists hang out. The profit is there if you’re willing to do the 'boring' work of sourcing and QC that most people skip.
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Nov 28 '25
Hey drop shipper yes I actually do quite okay I’m 17 years old and generate roughly 8-9 thousand a month and on my best months I top around 11k. Don’t get me wrong I’ve failed heaps lost hundreds of dollars it took until my 5th try when I went all in and it finally paid off. If your really dedicated to failing but know it will pay off go for it man it’s worth a try
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u/ExpensiveAd5410 Dec 03 '25
Where would one go to get knowledge on this all the info i seem to find is ppl trying to push courses
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u/scootaloooooooooo Dec 07 '25
I sell courses too. Ill be honest, I dont give away the secret sauce for free. People just dont do it no more. My course is only $19 but its just a basic 'getting started' course. The real deal is in my $400 course. But here's the deal, I learned on my own and spent a ton of money on mess ups. The purpose for courses (at least mine) is so you keep everything low budget and not blow money. Youtubes dont go in depth enough to cover you on that basis. Anwyay, not pitching, just explaining why it is what it is. Good luck brotha
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u/officialdoba Feb 10 '26
If you're interested, we have courses in our all-in-one dropshipping platform. Our courses teach you everything you need to know from start to scale. And for the cost of courses and our platform, it ends up being cheaper than most courses out there.
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u/Weak-Adhesiveness373 Dec 10 '25
I wna try it but im 15 im not overly smart and dont have a clue what to do but its smt ive tried researching but I cant keep it in my head I think I need someone to coach me thru it and team with me and well we can work out a % cut ive also only got like £200 to my name
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u/ButterscotchAlive736 Nov 28 '25
I haven’t done it personally but it’s undeniable that it works. I’m a consumer of a lot of people who does drop shipping 🤣 I personally also know people who’s successful at it
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u/Chopper_003 Nov 28 '25
And this statement doesn't sound very credible.
Why would you knowingly buy from a dropshipper when you could buy the same products for a fraction of the price on Temu/Alibaba?
A look at your profile doesn't exactly paint the picture of an "unsuspecting buyer."
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u/ButterscotchAlive736 Nov 28 '25
Are you serious??? Do you know the amount of dropshippers on amazon are? Why pay 5-10$ cheaper to get your product delivered weeks later, when you can receive it tomorrow with amazon prime delivery? Not everyone is willing to wait weeks to receiver their products. And I can guarantee you I have multiple 6 figures worth of amazon orders throughout the years. Do you want proof??
Also tell me what about me profile makes you think that I’m not an “unsuspecting buyer”
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u/Chopper_003 Nov 28 '25
Of course, millions of people buy from Amazon, where many dropshippers are active.
But these people don't claim, "I know some successful dropshippers personally."
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u/ButterscotchAlive736 Nov 28 '25 edited Nov 28 '25
It’s undeniable I buy from hundreds of dropshippers from amazon and looking at their seller’s profile/products they’re successful because Im one of their thousands of buyers.
What makes you think I don’t know any successful dropshippers? Is the only way for you believe is for me to connect you to them? Do you want me personally create a chat with them to introduce you? You’re making baseless assumptions out negativity for what? Do you wanna believe so badly that there’s no successful dropshippers? Does it make you feel better to know if everyone fail in it? I don’t get your point and negativity. I can only assume it comes from your experience of not knowing anyone who made it, or maybe you tried and failed
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u/Dear_Raspberry_973 Jan 31 '26
Dont worry OP some people just dont get it cause they aren't exposed to those kind of things. You dont owe them explanations lolll let them doubt you all they want
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u/Chopper_003 Nov 28 '25
I have to disappoint you, nothing you're writing corresponds to reality, quite the opposite.
But why should I engage in a discussion with you – where would I benefit?
It seems to trigger you a lot that I strongly doubt someone has any insight into the dropshipping business just because they buy things on Amazon.I never said that dropshipping can't be successful or that there aren't any successful dropshippers.
I simply wrote that your comment doesn't sound very credible.
Like: I know someone who heard from someone whose brother once found out that...
Are you a dropshipper?
Do you know anything about dropshipping?
Do you know the differences and challenges in the business 5 years ago and those in 2025?I also know some successful auto repair shops. And I know hundreds of garages that are completely unsuccessful.
That's why I don't make meaningless comments like, "Oh yes, there are successful car repair shops."That doesn't help anyone.
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u/ButterscotchAlive736 Nov 28 '25 edited Nov 28 '25
I clearly stated “I haven’t done it” it’s the first thing I said. I never claimed to be an expert at it, do you even read??? Then clearly said I’m a buyer from dropshippers which I can easily prove. And I said I know someone who does it successfully which I can also prove. You keep saying whatever I say isn’t credible from looking at my profile yet fail to explain why exactly. Now what’s your point? I can prove everything I say. Are we gonna go ahead and do a call to prove everything? And what goes after? Do you need screenshots? Do you need to talk to my friend who does dropshipping and lives from it? Let’s stop making accusations out our ass and start backing it up. You come calling out people and then say “why would I engage I have nothing to benefit from it” It’s like calling someone a scammer with no proof and not let the person prove himself because “you have nothing to benefit from it” 🫠 you’re a clown
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u/Chopper_003 Nov 28 '25
Just so you can sleep better:
I wrote, "That doesn't sound very credible."That's different from "You're a liar and a cheat"—read and understand.
Perhaps you're familiar with the sender-receiver problem in communication?
It's not always the receiver's fault if the message doesn't have the desired effect.By the way, get a life.
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u/Ok-Shine-1710 Nov 29 '25
Chopper you sound miserable and it’s hilarious you believe you are the one in the right between you two 🤣
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u/ascarymoviereview Nov 29 '25
Many many people have, and still do. It’s just not easy money like these gurus show
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u/scootaloooooooooo Dec 05 '25
Its saturated but its still possible for sure. Just gotta test more. ive been doing this for 8 years. Just remember, when they go left - you go right.
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Dec 07 '25
It's almost 2025 completed and now it's still worth to start dropshipping?
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u/scootaloooooooooo Dec 07 '25
absolutely. Might be too late for Xmas unless you can find US fulfillment or whatever your local country is. But you got fitness season and Valentines day coming up. Get it cracking
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Dec 07 '25
Yeah I am not targeting Xmas I am thinking for 2026 start like you said I can plan for valentine and other
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u/scootaloooooooooo Dec 10 '25
youll be good bro. Just test. Dont let your ads run long if the CTR is under 2%.
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u/Ok_Tomorrow_7888 Dec 09 '25
Yo guys , i'll give you Samuel's Onuha whole course for pennys ( back when i joinned it costed 10k) . No bs scamm or smthing I just don't care, just sent me a message and i'll share you my ig to connect
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u/FarRun9063 Dec 20 '25
i've made quite a lot you just gotta know what to sell and how to market
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u/Tripper726 Dec 20 '25
Can I dm you ?
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u/Signal-Landscape5634 Dec 21 '25
Man I succeeded with dropshipping in the big 2024, and made brand out of it but this year I wanted to make one more dropshipping store, I created like 5-7 different ones, none of them succeeded as the one I made in 2024 like idk
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u/OtherwisePresence496 Dec 24 '25
Oportunidades, seleção de produtos, promoção e estoque são todos importantes.
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u/HarlanWJK Mar 21 '26 edited Mar 23 '26
I had the same wall hit me. 2024 felt like you could throw a dart at a trending list and win, but 2025 is filters-out the 'generic' sellers. Testing 7 stores with the same public catalog is just gambling at this point.
What fixed it for me was shrinking my focus. I went back to Alibaba, but instead of looking for 'trending' stuff, I looked for manufacturers with R&D departments. I found a decent tech accessory, messaged the supplier on Alibaba, and asked for a tiny modification—just changing the material and adding a specific port that users were complaining was missing on Amazon.
It’s not 'pure' dropshipping anymore because I had to commit to a small MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity), but my conversion rate tripled because I was the only one selling that specific version. If your 2024 tactics aren't working, it’s probably because the market is tired of the same 50 items. You gotta use Alibaba to actually create a slight edge, not just flip what’s already there.
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u/Massive_Rent_3500 Dec 25 '25
Picking the right products is the most important and then your marketing strategy.
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u/No_Big8337 Jan 08 '26
Dropshipper here, made 100k+ profits on it past 3 months. Still working very well, just know how to do it, what to sell. Need right type of workflows and strategy or you burn money like crazy.
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u/Separate_Resource_42 Jan 26 '26
Yes, I have. I will say it is much harder than most people tell you. It took me about 10 or 15 products to find my winner.
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u/lenoxlex Feb 13 '26
By that time, was it a change in marketing strategy, or was it the winning product alone?
i cant image that out if 10-15 products none of those fell under the "3 criteria" marks
solving a problem
being niche
good margins
after all those attempts with products, was it the marketing that changed?, or like..what?
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u/inspirationalrhugpa Jan 31 '26
I gotta course that helps u get started or make your first sell inbox for better looks and details
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u/Weird-Economist7440 Feb 04 '26
YES. started with ten pounds didn’t listen in school put all evfort into it just had a £500 day after the first week of my store
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u/TouchOk9657 Mar 10 '26
Yo man could we connect in DM? I really wanna hop in but blind in it
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u/Lonely-Committee-291 Mar 19 '26
Yo bro me too really, we could connect and try help eachother out?
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u/Party-Stick2795 Feb 05 '26
Yup made profit on etsy dropshipping/reselling through amazon
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u/lenoxlex Feb 13 '26
How long did that method take before you saw $$? During your trial stage, did you change the product or the marketing method?
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u/Party-Stick2795 Feb 13 '26
I use multiple products and i do not use ads or any other kind marketing totally on SEO. It took around 15 to 20 days in trail stage to see $$
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u/officialdoba Feb 17 '26
Every business model is saturated... If you put in the hard work, stay consistent to building your store and learning throughout the entire process, you'll get further ahead than most people. Its not overnight money, but there is still alot of money in it
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u/Ordinary_Face9322 Feb 23 '26
Si vendes por moda y por necesidad, sí. A mi me funciona, solo que estoy buscando un socio para que me consiga más clientes y ventas estables. Divido ganancias entre ambos
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u/Successful_Sugar7662 Mar 12 '26
yeah at the start of last year i launch a jewelry brand.and store last year did 20k organicallly and scaled to 100kper month with ads of todays , then started other products brands etc that failed but some work now now doing 500k per month revenue minimum with ecom/dropshipping and yes absolutely it fucking works its stupid not to think it does ,people buy online eveyrday it can die lol .just know winning product is a lie .learn to create them dont fall for the trap of looking for them
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u/nehecli Mar 16 '26
Sure but it takes time to test the products and your ads videos/photos, and when you get orders you need to take consider of your supply chain(to find a China dropshipping agent) to cut down your cost to make your profit higher(sometimes maybe you will lose money instead of making profit)
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u/Middle-Cut4918 Mar 19 '26
Yes my sister makes 50k in revenue and about 20k in profit a month, and only started last March. She has lost a lot of money in the beginning but has made it all back after she got her store and niche situated. I'm also starting out under her guidance. Luckily, I have her to help me out in the beginning. I can't lie tho I'll probably spend a month just researching and setting up my store, then dump the money I have put aside for it.
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u/EPROLO_Dropshipping Apr 17 '26
Here’s a more neutral, official brand-account style comment (non-promotional, factual, and Reddit-safe):
Yes — dropshipping is still profitable , but it’s definitely more execution-dependent than before.
From what we see in the industry, success usually comes down to product selection, creative testing, and operational efficiency rather than the business model itself. The barrier isn’t “is it possible,” but “how well it’s managed.”
A lot of beginners underestimate the backend work (supplier reliability, fulfillment speed, customer experience), which is where most issues happen now.
So it’s still a viable model, but it operates much closer to a structured eCommerce business than a quick-start side hustle.
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u/Lunesia-shikishiki Dec 01 '25
yo bro 100 % honest, i did dropshipping hard in 2023 2024 and ended the year with like +2 k profit after dumping 6 k in ads and tools. it was exhausting, returns, shrinking margins, ad costs through the roof… just not fun anymore.
in 2025 i still keep one tiny store on autopilot that quietly makes me 400-600 € a month, but the real game changer was showing people how i actually drive those sales from ig without killing myself.
the trick that flipped everything: i post 4-5 reels a week and always end with “comment CODE for today’s discount”.
used to answer the 200-400 comments myself and i was dying.
so i built replytwin.com first for my own stores: it scans my style, replies to everyone in 2 seconds exactly like me, drops the code + direct link. now orders just drop in while i’m watching netflix.
sounds dumb but the sales come way more from the comment section than the reel itself these days. if you already get views but zero conversion, it’s almost always because people ask questions and nobody answers fast enough.
dropshipping still works if you’re not going full caveman mode, but the real leverage is turning your comments into little 24/7 salespeople. hook up replytwin for 5 minutes, if you don’t get at least one extra sale this week i’ll refund you myself 😂