A Buyer’s Experience: Descriptions

Merchandise Conditions

Having spent hundreds of thousands on countless transactions on Liquidation.com over the past couple of years, it has become one of my routine go-to places for sourcing inventory. But how to be sure you are getting the best deal at the best possible price without being ripped off into fluffed listing that will lose money?

In this second installment of my experiences with Liquidation.com, having already covered the seller, will be to focus on the condition of merchandise. On Liquidation.com, auctions generally fall into 5 categories: New, Shelf-Pull, Returns, Refurbished, and Salvage.

NEW is self-explanatory, however there are very few sellers that actually have items in this condition. Ones that list in this condition generally are international sellers trying to wholesale their items. I highly suggest you don’t go with these sellers. For international wholesaling, there are much better sources out there.

SHELF-PULL are items that for one reason or another were never sold. The items itself are in unused condition but may contain damage such as a damaged retail box, seasonal items, expired items (such as toner and ink cartridges) or nothing wrong at all when they simply need the space. Excluding items that can expire/spoil, this is a really safe bet, however, prices for these lots tend to sell higher than others.

REFURBISHED are pretty much customer returns that have been checked and tested for functionality. Sony products, for example, are also usually graded from A-D depending on the conditions. A-B is always a safe bet, but for risk-takers who want a chance at a lower profit. Grade C also has good potentials, while grade D is usually for repair only as it exhibits major issues. Great for engineers or repairers to purchase!

RETURNS are often unchecked customer returns and can be in a variety of conditions. These items are sometimes marked with a blue round sticker on the box, depending on the seller. For these lots, I caution of ones containing expensive electronics. Not all customers are honest and will return something that is a completely different item than the one they actually purchased and goes unnoticed by the retailer when it goes into the liquidation industry. Return items compose the majority of items sold on Liquidation.com and generally have nothing wrong with them.

SALVAGE as it sounds, are generally items that have been completely written off by the retailer and are beyond repairable. They are sometimes marked with a pink round sticker on the box, depending on the seller. However, sellers such as from Sourced from Amazon Liquidations and Staples actually have things within the lot that are new and sealed. It really all depends on the lot.