15 Ways to Product Source Inventory When You're Flat Broke

Posted by Big Brand Wholesale.com on 11th Jun 2020

Search Craigslist for “Store Closing”, “Liquidation” and “Going Out of Business”. TIP: When you go to closing sales, you will have to spend money so make sure you have cash in hand BUT you can always try to haggle!!!
Search google for “Store Closing (todays date) in (your state)” and “Going out of business sale (todays date) in (your state)”
A seriously awesome way to find great stuff may feel beneath you but I swear, you can find some AMAZING stuff by driving around wealthier neighborhoods on garbage day or at dusk the evening before trash day because most people bring their trash out the evening before! The things they throw away are totally unbelievable… plus its totally FREE and eco-friendly! Even in middle-end neighborhoods you can score some really good things. Lower end neighborhoods are usually a bust, but you never know.
Ask local storage units what they do with their unpaid tenant belongings. We have a storage unit by us that just throws it all out!
Short-term rental motels/apartments (1-3 month rentals) also throw out peoples stuff all the time. It goes right to the curb! I drive past one every day and have scored some BEAUTIFUL photo frames as well as a super nice end table. Theres always stuff outfront of the one that I pass, I just rarely have time to stop and look.
Flea Markets
You can go to a small business, such as a boutique, and ask if they have any merchandise that isn't selling well that they could sell you really cheap. Simply explain you are starting a business and really need the help. If you find a nice, family-owned shop they will liekly be more than happy to hook you up
Garage Sales
Community Sales - check Craigslist or your local paper!
“Dumpster Diving” is indeed a way to score inventory, but also really gross, dangerous and you can get in a lot of trouble. I’m not a fan, but if you desperately need inventory, here ya go
What I am a fan of is bartering. Do you have a skill? Maybe you are licensed in a field or maybe you are an expert at something. Find a business to trade with: you will do their taxes in exchange for inventory or you will trim all of their bushes and rake in exchange for merchandise. Everyone has some form of skill to barter and the worst thing that can happen is the business says “no”, which is totally ok! Bartering is a win-win for all parties involved!
Thrift Stores
This should go without saying, but go through your house, the messy garage and the basement. We all have stuff we *should* be selling but just don't feel like it!
Ask your friends and family. I know plenty of people who are always happy to offload their messy-garage stuff if you just ask. If you put the word out today, you may end up with an absolute ton of free inventory in a week.
And finally, our site has a section called "Grab Bags" where you can score small quantity Lots for as low as $24.99! In this category it is not uncommon to find listings that are 75-90% off retail, which makes our Grab Bags category an even better deal than looking for Store Closings or driving to yard sales.