What's worth a look today? One upcoming drop and two that already moved. The big one is the iPhone Duo pre-order on Friday, October 16. The Pokémon x Beats Pill speaker sold out on Thursday morning and turned out stronger than our team expected. And a giant Godzilla popcorn bucket is live now, with a few caveats. Everything below is our team's read from the private lowkey flips channel, plus what we could confirm on the retailer pages.
iPhone Duo pre-orders (Friday, Oct 16, 8 AM ET)
Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo open Friday morning at 8 AM Eastern on Apple's site. When we checked the product page on October 15, unlocked pricing started at $1,999, with higher prices for other configurations.
Our team's view is that Apple pre-orders like this are usually a credit card churner's game: the profit, if any, comes from where you cash the phones out, not from a quick eBay flip. They noted that the iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders turned out to have a bit more to make than usual, and expect the Duo to be similar. That is the team's expectation, not a promise.
What our team told members to do before Friday:
- Research your cash-out first. Bulk buyers pay different amounts, and offers vary by model and storage size, so decide which configuration you want before the drop.
- eBay is an option but slower. It's harder to move several units quickly there.
- Don't expect a sellout. These usually don't sell out; instead the delivery date keeps getting pushed back as more orders come in. Shipping is expected to start around October 23, and that's when the team plans to start adding local-area alerts.
Return policy (verified): Apple's help page says you can return or exchange a product within 14 days of the date you receive it, in its original condition with all included items. We did not verify Apple's cancellation terms for pre-orders, so check those before you order. At $1,999 and up, a single mistake is expensive, so only go in with a plan.
Team take: Hold off unless you already know your exit. This is a cash-out play, not a quick flip.
Pokémon x Beats Pill (sold out Oct 15)
The Beats Pill Pokémon Special Edition dropped Thursday at 11 AM Eastern at Apple and Target. Apple lists it at $149.99, the same as a regular Beats Pill. Before the drop, our team's expectation was low: they thought plenty of units were made and called the design a bit boring.
It sold out on both sites within about 15 minutes. Later in the day the team looked at eBay sold listings and said the speakers were doing decently, better than they expected. We did not pull our own eBay numbers for this post, so we won't quote a resale price.
Team take: A good reminder that "low expectations" drops can still move. The team added it to the restock watch list and said they still need to set up monitoring for Apple's site. If you missed it, it's worth waiting for a restock rather than paying a premium.
Godzilla Minus Zero giant popcorn bucket
One of our staff flagged this one "mostly for visibility." It's the 85 oz Godzilla Minus Zero popcorn bucket, about 1.6 feet tall (22 x 16 x 20 inches per the listing). The seller's page lists it at $99.99, and the product page says orders ship after Wednesday, October 21. The staff member saw eBay listings around $180, with roughly $30 shipping on a bucket this size, which eats a lot of that spread. They suggested selling local if you flip one.
Policy (verified): The product page states that all sales are final. That means no returns, so this is not a low-risk buy. Our team wasn't pushing it.
Team take: Pass unless you can sell locally. Listing prices on eBay are asking prices, not sales, and we did not confirm sold data.
Also noted: Home Depot sweater drop
A Home Depot sweater event listed at $29.99 for 11 AM ET. Our team said the odds of a small run and a waste of time were high, since it barely sells on eBay and part of the value is a gift card and tools that people sell separately. We're skipping it.
How FNF members hear about these
Friends & Family members get these in the private lowkey flips Discord channel: pings, direct links, and our team's honest take, including when the answer is "pass." You can browse past posts in the lowkey flips category, and yesterday's roundup is here.
FNF is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple, Beats, Target, The Home Depot, Only In Theatres, Toho, or any other brand mentioned. All trademarks belong to their owners. Prices and availability change quickly; this is not financial advice and results are never guaranteed.