Rick Senko was unemployed, broke and raising his five-year-old son alone when a broken cellphone changed his life. In 2008, with few job opportunities available, he bought a replacement phone on Craigslist for $35 and listed it on eBay for $70. It sold the same day, giving him his first glimpse of the money-making potential of reselling.Nearly two decades later, the 41-year-old entrepreneur from South Florida has built a multimillion-dollar business selling pre-owned clothing. According to CNBC Make It, Senko generated $6.5 million in sales in 2024, turning his knack for finding bargains into a thriving wholesale operation.But his journey from an unemployed single father to a successful entrepreneur has involved years of relentless work, early mornings and personal sacrifices.
How a broken cellphone sparked a multimillion-dollar business
Senko grew up in South Florida with a single mother who worked as a waitress at Denny’s. He became a father at 18, and by 2008, he was struggling to find employment amid the economic downturn. With a young son to support and little money to spare, he began looking for alternative ways to earn a living.When his cellphone broke, he went on eBay to check the cost of a replacement. That led to an idea that would eventually shape his career: buying an item at a lower price and selling it for a profit.“I had the bright idea to go onto Craigslist, buy the phone for $35, list it on eBay for $70, and it sold the same day for $70,” Senko told CNBC Make It.“That was a light bulb moment, and I’ve been doing that ever since for almost 20 years. Rinse and repeat.”He initially focused on electronics before gradually moving into pre-owned clothing. What began as a way to make ends meet eventually became a full-fledged business built around identifying undervalued products and finding buyers willing to pay more for them.
From flea market bargains to high-end designer clothing
The Florida entrepreneur started flipping electronics on eBay in 2008 before moving into pre-owned clothing. (Photo: CNBC Make It)
Senko’s business relies on spotting valuable items where others might see unwanted goods. His search often begins at flea markets, where he arrives before sunrise to get first pick of the merchandise.During CNBC Make It’s visit, he demonstrated how seemingly ordinary finds can translate into substantial profits. A vintage Abercrombie & Fitch item purchased for $10, for instance, could sell for around $100 or more. He also showed two Burberry trench coats bought for $40 apiece, estimating that one could fetch $250 to $300 and the other around $200.The challenge lies in knowing what to buy, how much to pay and whether an item is authentic. Senko examines labels, logos and other identifying details to distinguish genuine products from counterfeits, a particularly important skill when dealing with sought-after brands.For him, the flea market is more than a place to shop. It is an ecosystem of small businesses, each with its own specialisation and customer base.“Everyone’s here looking for deals,” he said, describing the people who come to the market to source products for resale.He also believes that making a profit should not come at the expense of the people supplying the merchandise. Explaining why he sometimes pays more than the lowest possible price, he said, “We all gotta make some money.”He added that if sellers stopped earning enough to return to the market, his own business would suffer too.
How he became eBay’s leading seller of pre-owned men’s clothing
Senko sources second-hand fashion, including Burberry trench coats bought for $40 and estimated to sell for hundreds. (Photo: CNBC Make It)
Senko’s persistence helped him scale beyond individual transactions. He said he eventually became eBay’s number one seller in pre-owned men’s clothing, building a substantial online operation.Recalling the peak of his eBay business on April 14, 2021, he said the operation was generating around $2.5 million annually, with approximately 50,000 items listed in the store and 100,000 items sold each year.He attributes that growth to consistency rather than a single breakthrough.“I believe it was a lot of tenacity and I had a lot of consistency,” he said. “And every single day I woke up and I did my job to the best of my ability.”Over time, however, his business model evolved again. Rather than selling every item individually to consumers, he moved into wholesale, supplying other resellers who then process, list and sell the products themselves.
Inside his $6.5 million resale business
From an unemployed single father to a business owner generating $6.5 million in annual sales, Senko’s journey spans nearly two decades. (Photo: CNBC Make It)
By 2024, Senko’s business was generating $6.5 million in annual sales. His wholesale operation supplies other resellers with large volumes of pre-owned merchandise, including clothing, shoes, accessories and even video game collections.He said customers order directly from him, with the operation processing roughly 1,000 pieces a week for resale. The scale of the business reflects how far he has moved from buying and flipping a single cellphone.Senko also expects the business to grow further. Speaking to CNBC Make It, he said he anticipated considerably higher sales in 2025, although the interview excerpt does not provide a final figure for that year.The business also highlights the amount of usable merchandise that is discarded in the United States. Senko said he regularly comes across designer scarves, premium clothing and other branded items that might otherwise end up in the trash.“I think you understand very quickly the amount of waste that’s in the United States of America when people are discarding Hermes scarves,” he said.“Because if we didn’t get it, it would have been in the trash.”By finding new buyers for these products, his business gives pre-owned goods another chance at being used while creating an income stream for the resellers who purchase them.
‘I have never taken a day off in almost 20 years’
For all the impressive sales figures, Senko’s story is also one of relentless work. He said he has not taken a day off in nearly two decades, a commitment he connects directly to the opportunities that reselling has given him.“I have never taken a day off in almost 20 years. Never. How much? I get after it every single day,” he said.He explained that once someone understands how a small investment can multiply into a much larger amount, it becomes difficult to switch off from the pursuit.“When you unlock the power that this is, the ability to multiply money to take $5, put it onto eBay and sell something and get $25 back. How in the world can you rest? I don’t get it,” he said.His drive also comes from experiences within his family. Senko recalled that his grandfather stopped working and died two weeks later, an event that left a lasting impression on him.He suggested that the experience reinforced his instinct to keep moving forward rather than stop working.
The sacrifices behind his success
Senko is candid that building a business of this size has required far more than an ability to spot bargains. Reflecting on his journey, he said the transformation from being broke and unemployed to running a multimillion-dollar operation came with considerable demands on his time and personal life.“It also took a tremendous amount of work, a tremendous amount of commitment, and a tremendous amount of sacrifice to get from where I came from to now selling millions of dollars per year and living a very, very fortunate life,” he said.