A 31-year-old in Nashville turned other people’s trash into roughly $140,000 in sales in one year, and he filmed how he did it.
Story Snapshot
- CNBC reports Carter Stevens brought in about $140,000 in total sales over 12 months.
- He salvaged goods around office parks and luxury condos, then sold on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
- A single haul of 190 Steelcase office chairs drove a major chunk of revenue.
- The video profile shows his process and day-to-day work in Nashville.
The headline result: $140,000 in a year of resale hustle
CNBC Make It reported that Carter Stevens generated roughly $140,000 in total sales from September 2025 to September 2026 by reselling discarded items he pulled from dumpsters in the Nashville area. The outlet said documents they reviewed supported the sales figure. The linked video profile shows Stevens at work, detailing his system for finding, sorting, and selling items across platforms, and it anchors the claim in on-the-ground footage rather than vague income talk.
The business ran on consistent routines. Stevens targeted dumpsters near office parks and luxury condominiums, where turnover and tenant moves often leave quality goods behind. He sorted on site, kept what could move fast, and listed items on eBay for nationwide buyers and on Facebook Marketplace for quick local pickups. That mix matters. eBay rewards detailed listings and shipping; Facebook Marketplace moves bulky items that do not ship well. Together, they increased sell-through speed and cash flow.
The chair haul that supercharged the numbers
One score stands out. CNBC reported that Stevens found 190 Steelcase office chairs. He sold most in a bulk deal on Facebook Marketplace for $17,000, then moved others piece by piece for another $10,600, turning a single haul into a major revenue spike. International Business Times UK also highlighted the chair cache and said he cleared about $17,000 in profit in roughly six weeks from that batch, underscoring how one find can swing a year’s results.
This surge pattern fits how platform reselling often works. Revenue stacks unevenly in a few outsized months, then returns to baseline as supply varies. Academic work on secondhand platform labor shows sellers blend channels and ride algorithm waves, which can produce bursts of sales followed by slower stretches. That is normal in microbusinesses built on irregular supply. The lesson is strategy, not luck: plan for spikes, build inventory buffers, and price to move stale stock fast.
What “sales” means for a solo operator
CNBC described the $140,000 as total sales, not take-home pay. That distinction matters. Any solo reseller faces fuel, storage, cleaning, parts, fees, taxes, occasional duds, and plenty of labor. The Internal Revenue Service’s research on gig and micro-entrepreneur income shows a wide gap between gross receipts and net income because of those costs and self-employment taxes. Smart operators track every fee and receipt, set aside tax money with each sale, and measure profit per hour, not just per item.
31-year-old dumpster diver brought in $140,000 in 12 months: I 'did much more than I thought was possible' – Carter Stevens started reselling discarded items from dumpsters around Nashville, Tennessee, in March 2024. Months earlier, he'd been living in his car. Via @CNBC:…
— 🌊💙 Viking Resistance 💙🌊 (@BlueCrewViking) November 7, 2026
Legality and property rules can shape daily choices. A national overview explained that while a Supreme Court precedent affects expectations of privacy in trash, many cities and private properties set rules that can lead to fines or trespass claims if you ignore them. Common sense wins here. Ask permission when you can, stick to open access and posted pickup areas, and avoid locked or fenced enclosures. Protect your reputation with clean gear, safe handling, and honest listings that state condition and repairs.
Why this story lands with today’s thrift economy
Stevens’s year maps onto a larger shift. Secondhand markets have gone digital and mainstream, with eBay and Facebook Marketplace turning local discard into national demand. Research on secondhand platform work shows that resellers act like small business owners, juggling sourcing, photos, copywriting, shipping, and customer service across multiple apps. That is not a hobby. It is a lean operation where speed, accuracy, and buyer trust are the edge.
Conservative values fit this model. He saw waste, worked hard, and built value without asking government for a grant or a handout. He kept products in use, reduced landfill load, and met buyer needs at lower prices. That is stewardship, thrift, and hustle rolled into one. The results, including that chair haul, came from effort and smart market reading, not a magic algorithm or a corporate job title.
How to apply the playbook at small scale
Start with a tight niche and simple rules—Hunt where turnover is high. Choose items with clear demand, easy to test, and simple to ship. Photograph fast in daylight. List with clear titles and honest flaws. Use eBay for national reach, Facebook Marketplace for bulky goods. Track every cost and time block. Reinvest gains into storage shelves, cleaning kits, and replacement parts. Keep a running list of repeat buyers. Ask property managers about set-out days and pickup zones to reduce friction.
CNBC’s account of $140,000 in total sales, backed by documents they reviewed and a first-person video, sets the floor for what a focused solo operator can do in one intense year. The ceiling depends on efficiency, legal awareness, and profit discipline. Wins come to the seller who shows up early, lists fast, and treats every sale like a promise kept.
Sources:
cnbc.com, ibtimes.co.uk, dl.acm.org, link.springer.com, usatoday.com, irs.gov
