How to Buy Liquidation Pallets
Your first liquidation pallet should be a purchase you can evaluate and process. Begin with a merchandise category you understand, a budget you can afford to tie up and a clear plan for selling the stock.
Start with Your Selling Channel
List the products your customers already buy. Check completed sales or your own sales history, then estimate the time needed to inspect and list each item. A lot can be inexpensive and still be unsuitable for your business.
Request the Lot Information
Ask for actual photographs, quantity details, the condition description and any available manifest. Confirm whether the stock is tested, untested, incomplete or otherwise graded. Ask whether the manifest describes the actual lot or is an estimate.
Calculate More Than the Purchase Price
Add transport, unloading, storage, replacement parts, cleaning and selling fees. Allow for units you cannot sell. For example, if a hypothetical order costs $1,200 in total and 60 units are ultimately sellable, its cost is $20 per sellable unit before any further selling expenses.
Confirm the Purchase and Delivery Terms
Read the terms supplied for the order. Obtain destination and shipping confirmation, and keep a copy of the listing and quote. Overseas buyers should clarify the included charges before paying.
Review the Result
Record actual sellable quantities, costs and revenue after receiving the order. Those figures give you a stronger basis for your next purchase than a headline retail value.