No "best" item exists universally—it changes daily. Use Bazaar Flips sorted by Volume ⇩ for beginners (pick top 3 items with 10k+ units/day + 3–8% margin). Use Spread ⇩ for intermediate (find 5–10% margins with stable volume). Avoid items with <1k daily volume or >20% spreads (likely manipulation). Best items = high volume + stable price + moderate margin.
The ideal flip scorecard
Rate each candidate on these criteria:
Criterion
Ideal for Beginners
Ideal for Intermediate
Ideal for Advanced
Daily Volume
20k+ units
5k–15k units
1k–5k units
Margin %
2–5%
5–12%
15–50%
Volatility (24h swing)
<3%
<5%
<10%
Buy wall depth
>20% daily volume
>10% daily volume
>5% daily volume
Sell wall depth
>20% daily volume
>10% daily volume
>5% daily volume
Price history
Flat for 30 days
Stable for 14 days
Any trend, understand why
Checklist: Is this item worth flipping?
☐ Volume check: At least 3k units/day? If <1k, skip (can't exit position).
☐ Spread check: 3–15% spread? (Use net after fees). If <2%, skip (fees eat profit). If >20%, suspect manipulation.
☐ Volatility check: Check Top Movers. Has price moved >10% in 24h? If yes, understand why (event? update? manipulation?).
☐ Wall depth check: Are buy AND sell walls deep? If one is thin (<5% daily volume), prices are unstable.
☐ Trend check: Pull item's price history (click on Item Search). Is it trending up, down, or flat? Understand before committing.
☐ Competition check: Is this on every flipper's radar? (If yes, margins are likely compressed → skip). Use Bazaar Flips to see if item was top-flip yesterday and today.
Items that jumped 15%+ in 24h might have more runway or be crashing. Understand the catalyst:
Mayor change → predictable, play it
New update → opportunity, front-run
Random pump → likely correction coming, wait
Technique 3: Check craft flips for material arbitrage
Use Craft Flips. If Craft X shows 15% margin, work backwards: which materials are underpriced? Flip those materials pre-craft-flip surge.
Items to AVOID
❌ <1k daily volume
Too illiquid. Orders won't fill. Capital gets stuck.
❌ >20% spread with <2k volume
Red flag for manipulation. One whale controls price. Will crash when they leave.
❌ Items in Top Movers with >30% 24h swing
Too volatile. Likely event-driven (double XP, new boss). Wait for stabilization.
❌ Items you don't understand
"This Enchanted Book shows 20% margin!" But you don't know if it's valuable or toxic. Skip. Master 3–5 items before expanding.
FAQ: Item selection
Should I flip the highest-margin item or highest-volume item?
Highest-volume at first. Volume beats margin for beginners (faster compounding). Once you have 10M+, margins matter more.
How do I know if an item's margin is temporary?
Check 30-day price history. If margin was 2% for 29 days, then 8% today = temporary spike (arbitrage window). If margin was 8% for 30 days = sustainable margin.
Can I flip niche items nobody knows about?
Not recommended for beginners. Orders won't fill. But if you have 20M+ and understand the niche, yes (e.g., specific pet gear, dungeon items).
Tools to find best items
Bazaar Flips — primary tool, sort by Volume or Spread
Craft Flips — find profitable crafts (materials are secondary opportunities)