Meet Mike “Reezy” Rezendes—aka “The OG of Arbitrage”. A powerhouse in the YouTube Amazon EDU space and an originator in the Amazon arbitrage game, he shows what’s possible through grit and a bit of tech magic. Today, he’s living the dream, mastering the art of turning everyday finds into profit. But it didn’t start with a golden ticket; it started with resilience, risk, and a relentless drive to succeed…
From Bookshelves to Breakthroughs
Reezy’s story is as real as it gets. Growing up wasn’t easy— relying on food stamps, he moved frequently between foster care, group homes, and juvenile hall. He was even homeless at times, living in hotels or vehicles. People labeled him as a “bad kid” and he faced his share of struggles. But at 16, life took a sharp turn: he had a kid himself, got married, and dropped out of high school in 10th grade to raise his family.
When he started his flipping journey in 2004, (back before YouTube guides or apps were mainstream) Reezy began with reselling books. He expanded to CDs, DVDs, and eventually—Nikes! “The first batch of Nikes I bought were yellow and brown…not exactly trendy,” he laughs. Those got offloaded on eBay at a loss, but every misstep was a lesson learned that brought success one step closer.
SellerAmp: Reezy’s Secret Weapon
Starting out in arbitrage, Reezy faced one major challenge: no reliable data. Only a few limited tools existed back then. No charts on his phone, no Keepa app and no variation checker, estimated sales counts or BuyBox share metrics. He had to rely on a remote desktop and a tablet to access Google Chrome extension tools while sourcing products in stores—talk about a chore!
Then one day, a friend introduced him to SellerAmp, and it instantly changed everything.. “SellerAmp has variation data? This is amazing!” he remembers thinking. Finally, there was a tool built by a Seller, for Sellers. It transformed his whole approach to arbitrage.
SellerAmp gave Reezy exactly what he needed – data. Real-time tracking, sales trends, restriction alerts, a profit calculator and so much more. It took the guesswork out of sourcing his products. Reezy was able to track sales trends, pinpoint the best time to buy and sell which reduced his risks while boosting his profits. SellerAmp also shows when an item is restricted for resale and now, with Google Sheets integration, he collaborates with his team, tracks wins, and accesses product history with just a click!
His Key Advice? Put The Work in!
Reezy believes success is all about showing up and putting in the work. He says: “When I first started, I was only making enough to pay for our groceries, maybe around $500. Because I trusted the process and did the work, that $500 turned into $3,000-$5,000 a month within 2-3 months. I knew it was working, so all I had to do was put the work in. If you don’t put the work in, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work out.” And to anyone just getting started, an extra tip from Reezy: “Scan 1,000 items. Don’t stop at 10 or even 100—keep going!”
Building Community and Giving Back
Fast forward to today and Reezy’s main role is mentoring and educating people on arbitrage. He’s passionate about sharing his knowledge with others through his YouTube channel as well as talks at events in the US, the UK and Canada too! Inspiring newcomers and pros alike; he connects with others, shares his knowledge, and lifts people up. Today, thanks to that same belief and his own hard work; Reezy has accomplished great things. Two of his proudest were his 21st wedding anniversary at the Eiffel Tower and buying a beautiful $875K home in California last year.
To sum up – Reezy shows just how much is possible with hard work and the right tools. So whether you’re scanning your first product or scaling up, take a cue from Reezy: keep hustling, stay connected, and if you’re not using SellerAmp, “you’re slippin’!”
