Furniture

Furniture lots include office furniture, patio and outdoor pieces, and living room items. Much of it is flat-pack and still boxed, from retailer overstock and online returns. The manifest lists each piece, its quantity and retail value.

Flat-pack returns are often missing hardware or a panel, and boxes can be damaged in transit. Open and check each box against its parts list before you sell it, and keep a stock of common screws and cam locks for repairs. Assembled or outdoor pieces should be checked for scratches, dents and missing cushions. Furniture is bulky and heavy, so a pallet may hold only a few items; check the weight and dimensions on the lot page and make sure you can receive it.

Discount stores and flea-market vendors do well with boxed furniture because it's easy to display and carry out. Online resellers often sell locally for pickup to avoid shipping large items. Price by piece, allowing for the ones that need parts.