If you’re looking for a ‘buy cheap, sell high’ business opportunity then government surplus could be for you. You can source all kinds of goods from government surplus cheaply, then sell them off for a good profit on eBay, or sell at markets, car boot sales, through classified ads or even by mail order.
Where & How To Find, Buy And Profit From Government Surplus
Government surplus represents a great profit opportunity because the government isn’t too bothered how cheaply they sell it off for. Here are a few tips for getting started in government surplus:
What can you buy as government surplus?
Yes, some government surplus consists of ships and aircraft. But most of it is non-military stuff that has a perfectly valuable use in civvy street. Here are just some of the things you can get:
Audio visual equipment. Camping equipment. Catering equipment. Chemicals.
Clothing and textiles. Computer equipment. Construction equipment. Electrical appliances. Electronics. Food. Furniture. Hand tools. Health and fitness equipment.
Household/housekeeping. Janitorial supplies. Laboratory and scientific. Machinery.
Medical equipment and supplies. Musical instruments. Office furniture, supplies, equipment. Photographic equipment. Plant and machinery. Printing equipment. Raw materials. Safety equipment. Storage and racking. Vehicles – cars, vans, trucks, buses and spares. Workshop contents.
Where can you buy government surplus?
You need to know a little about how the system works. Most government departments don’t sell off stock directly. It’s handled through the official Disposal Services Authority (DSA). In turn, they have contracts with a range of civilian contractors who sell off the goods direct into the trade.
You might need to do a little detective work to find out where stock you’re interested in is put up for sale. More details of how the works DSA are here.
lists the actual names and addresses of many of these sources of government surplus too.
How is government surplus sold off ?
Depending on the types of goods and the contractor involved government surplus can be sold off in one of two ways. Firstly, it could be sold off by auction in the normal way. Anybody can make a bid. If you don’t want to visit the auction some contractors offer online auctions as well.
Secondly, government surplus could be sold off by tender. Basically you just decide what you’re willing to pay for the goods and submit your bid in the form of a letter by a certain date. (Take care when you bid this way though. If the seller accepts your bid you will usually be expected to go ahead and buy it!)
Government surplus often sells for incredibly low prices with low or no reserve. So whichever method is used it’s often worth making a lower-than-low bid. If no one else bids more you could bag yourself a fantastic bargain in stock or equipment which you can either keep for yourself or sell on for a profit.
For more expert secret sourcing techniques plus extensive listings of government surplus sources, wholesalers, import sources, manufacturers, auctions and many more sources of low cost stock for your business What Biz Opp recommends the.