He turned a side hustle into a video game resale business that's brought in $4 million this year

Caleb Ashton, the founder of QuickFlips, has transformed a side hustle into a lucrative video game resale business, generating $4 million in revenue this year alone. The Kentucky-based entrepreneur launched QuickFlips in 2025, an online platform that allows users to sell video games, consoles, and Pokémon cards. QuickFlips has paid out over $5 million to customers since its inception in 2019.

Ashton's journey into the resale business began humbly in 2019 when he was living with his wife in a one-bedroom apartment. Faced with the need for an additional income source while his wife pursued law school, Ashton turned to YouTube for guidance on buying and reselling items. Initially, he focused on inexpensive items like textbooks, action figures, golf clubs, and sneakers, often purchasing them for $5 at yard sales.

The side hustle grew into a full-time endeavor after Ashton was fired from a friend's collectible coin business. He then discovered that physical video games could yield quick and reliable profits. In 2024, Ashton launched QuickFlips, an online resale platform that also features a buyback software system. Users enter the item's details to receive an instant offer price, after which the QuickFlips team inspects and ships the items, which are subsequently resold on Amazon, eBay, and TCGPlayer, or in Ashton's brick-and-mortar store.

The business now employs 33 people and has attracted over 661,000 subscribers across its social media channels, which generate ad revenue. Ashton's strategy emphasizes offering transparent payouts and swift sales, eliminating the need for buyers to visit the store for offers. He attributes the company's success to a focus on volume rather than maximizing profits from individual items.

Ashton notes that physical video games and consoles continue to hold value, particularly in the digital age where digital media and products are increasingly popular. Nostalgia and the desire for tangible items drive this trend, as highlighted by Sony's announcement of discontinuing PlayStation disc production in 2028, prompting collectors to seek physical alternatives. Ashton's YouTube channel, Phoenix Resale, showcases his business growth and entrepreneurial journey.