The self-made mythos is as powerful as ever, despite societal upheaval testing its limits. Even mundane pastimes have been monetised as people cash in on massive audiences and leave no niche unexplored. Selling out is no longer a source of embarrassment, it’s just what makes the world go round.

As taxes go up in Japan, consumers are developing a new taste for the old. As a result, the flea market is jumping. But not as per tradition; now the concept has shrunk to fit your pocket. The second-hand marketplace app Mercari is attracting smartphone shoppers, could it overtake eBay?

Streetwear brand Supreme is a bundle of contradictions. It’s affordable yet exclusive; ultra-rare but surprisingly easy to buy; and is both a high fashion collaborator and foundation of subcultural style. How has this niche label kept its cool, even while attracting gaggles of teens to its stores?

From Etsy stores to YouTube channels, a generation of young people are starting up their own 'side hustle’ outside of the regular nine-to-five. What’s driving these predominantly Gen Y workers to trade their free time for toil, and what does this reveal of their changing values and lifestyles?

There are 165,000 yard sales each week in the US, attracting 690,000 bargain hunters. VarageSale has now brought these peer-to-peer marketplaces online, boasting the latest UX technology and local communities in 400 cities globally. Can it challenge the might of Craigslist and eBay?