Your first liquidation pallet: a 10-point checklist

Your first pallet sets the tone for your margins. Start small, pick a category you already understand, and treat the first lot as tuition as much as inventory.

Before you buy

• Choose a category you can price quickly — you should know roughly what each item resells for.
• Read the full manifest. Sort by extended MSRP and look at the top five lines: they carry most of the value.
• Match the condition grade to your channel. Customer returns suit bin stores and refurbishers; new overstock suits online marketplaces.
• Check customer reviews and whether the lot has photos or testing notes.
• Price in freight. At $175 per pallet, a $400 lot really costs $575.

When it arrives

• Inspect before you sign the delivery receipt.
• Photograph the pallet before you unwrap it.
• Sort into sell-now, test, and parts piles on day one.
• Track the actual resale of every unit for your first three pallets.
• Compare real recovery against the manifest value — that's your personal benchmark.