First thing almost every seller asks us: what are my closeouts actually worth? The honest answer is there's no magic number. Closeout value adds up from a handful of concrete things, and once you see them, you can guess your offer pretty closely. You can even nudge it up before you ask.
What Drives Closeout Value
Our offer reflects what we can realistically resell your goods for, minus the cost and risk of moving them. Six things do most of the heavy lifting. Category, brand, condition, quantity, seasonality, and how clean your manifest is. Nail those and the number climbs. Skip them and you're leaving cash on the floor.
Closeout value isn't what you paid. It's what the next buyer can safely resell, minus the work and risk standing between them and that sale.
Category and Brand
Category sets the ceiling. Consumer electronics and brand-name appliances hold up well because demand runs deep and steady. Furniture and home goods recover fine when the styles are still current. General merchandise swings all over the place depending on how recognizable and useful the stuff is.
Brand then moves you up or down inside that ceiling. A known national brand comes with built-in demand, so it resells faster and higher. Private-label or no-name gear takes longer to move, and that pulls the offer down. Got goods across several categories? Our industries overview shows how we handle different product types.
Condition and Quantity
Condition is the lever you control most, and you control it by reporting straight. We price to whatever condition you disclose. A truthful manifest gets a firmer offer than an optimistic one that falls apart the second we inspect it.
- New / retail-ready: unopened, sellable as-is, top of the range.
- Shelf-pulls: new, but with handling wear or dated packaging.
- Customer returns: mixed function, might need testing or a refurb.
- Salvage / damaged: parts, repair, or scrap value only.
Quantity matters because scale drops our per-unit handling cost. A tight truckload of one SKU beats a scattered handful of odds and ends, and it usually earns a better percentage. Inspecting a hundred identical cartons is quick. Sorting a hundred different items is not, and that labor gets priced into your offer. More on lot structure in pallets versus truckloads. Dealing mostly with returns? Our guide on selling customer returns and shelf-pulls digs in further.
Tested versus untested returns show it plainly. A returns lot where each unit got checked and graded resells with a lot less risk, so it earns a higher percentage than the same lot sold blind. Document what you know about a lot and you almost always lift the number.
Seasonality and Manifest Quality
Timing swings an offer more than people expect. Sell seasonal product in-season, patio furniture in spring or heaters in fall, and it beats the same goods offered after the window shuts. If your stock is seasonal, moving early protects it.
Manifest quality is the quiet multiplier. A clean, detailed manifest lets us price with confidence instead of padding the offer to cover what we can't see. Vague or missing data gets you a lower, more careful number. Every time.
Typical Recovery Ranges
Every lot is its own thing, but the ranges below are what sellers commonly pull back as a share of original wholesale cost. Treat them as a planning guide, not a promise.
| Condition | Typical Recovery (of wholesale) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New, branded, retail-ready | 35% to 50% | Highest in large cohesive lots |
| Shelf-pulls | 25% to 40% | Cosmetic wear, otherwise functional |
| Customer returns (mixed) | 15% to 30% | Depends on tested versus untested |
| Salvage or damaged | 5% to 15% | Parts, repair, or scrap value |
These shift with category and brand as well. A branded electronics truckload can sit at the top of its band while an off-brand version lands lower. To see how classification changes your play, read overstock vs. surplus vs. obsolete inventory.
Getting an Accurate Offer
The road to a firm number is short when you show up prepared. We give a straight read up front and return offers in days, not weeks. Then we buy the lot outright and handle pickup and logistics nationwide.
- Put together a manifest with descriptions or SKUs, quantities, wholesale cost, and condition.
- Add clear photos of your typical pallets or cartons.
- Send it over and get a fast, no-obligation read.
Buyers and resellers can also see what we currently move on the available inventory page, and sellers can dig in more on our for sellers page.
Curious what your lot's worth? Send us your list or reach our team for a fast, honest offer.
Frequently asked questions
What is closeout value based on?
It's based on what we can realistically resell your goods for on the secondary market, minus handling and risk. The main drivers are category, brand, condition, quantity, seasonality, and how clean your manifest is.
What percentage of cost do closeouts typically recover?
New branded retail-ready goods often pull 35% to 50% of wholesale. Shelf-pulls run 25% to 40%, mixed returns 15% to 30%, and salvage 5% to 15%. Category and brand shift those ranges.
How can I increase my closeout offer?
Hand over a clean, detailed manifest. Keep branded goods in the original box, group items into tight lots, sell seasonal product in-season, and report condition straight so we can price with confidence.
How fast can I get an offer?
We usually return a straight read within a few days of getting your manifest and photos. Then we buy it outright and handle pickup and logistics from hubs in PA, CA, and FL.