I still remember the "Pallet of Pain" I bought in 2019. It was my first attempt at bulk sourcing. I had watched a dozen YouTube videos about people finding iPhones in Amazon return pallets, so I bid $600 on a "High End Electronics" lot from a sketchy liquidation site. When the freight truck dropped it in my driveway, I didn't find iPhones. I found twelve broken humidifiers, a box of tangled Christmas lights, and—I am not kidding—a used waffle maker with waffle batter still crusted in the grooves.
That $600 loss was my tuition fee. It taught me that in the world of bulk buying, the source is everything. If you buy from the wrong place, you are just paying to take out someone else’s trash. But if you find the right source, you stop being a "picker" and start being a business. In 2026, the best sources aren't just hidden warehouses; they are digital platforms that require data, speed, and a little bit of guts to navigate.
Where to Buy Things in Bulk to Resell Online (The Liquidation Game)
When people ask where to buy things in bulk to resell online, they usually mean liquidation—returns and overstock from big retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. This is high risk, high reward.
1. B-Stock Solutions This is the big leagues. B-Stock runs the official liquidation auction sites for retailers like Amazon, Home Depot, and Wayfair.
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The Pros: You are buying directly from the retailer, not a middleman who already picked out the good stuff.
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The Cons: You usually have to buy by the truckload or high-count pallet. The competition is fierce.
2. Liquidation.com A classic for a reason. They sell everything from shelf-pull cosmetics to consumer electronics.
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My Strategy: I filter for "Shelf Pulls" rather than "Customer Returns." Shelf pulls are items that just didn't sell in the store; they are usually brand new in the box. Returns are a gamble.
3. Bulq Bulq is great for beginners because they offer cases, not just pallets. You can buy a box of apparel for $200 instead of a pallet for $2,000.
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Honest Failure: I bought a "Uninspected Returns" case from Bulq once. It was mostly shattered ceramic pots. Now, I only buy "New" or "Like New" manifests.
Here's where it gets interesting... The manifest is your map. Never buy a "mystery box" if you want to run a serious business. You need to know exactly what UPCs are in that box so you can check the sell-through rate on eBay before you bid.
Where to Buy Things in Bulk to Resell Clothes (The "Rag Houses")
If you want to know where to buy things in bulk to resell clothes, stop going to the thrift store outlet bins. You are competing with fifty other people for scraps. Go to the distributors.
1. Helpsy Source They save clothing from landfills and bundle it for resellers. You can buy a box of "Men's Vintage Flannels" or "Women's Activewear."
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Why I love them: They are transparent about the condition. If you buy a "Grade A" box, you generally won't find stains.
2. Jomar Wholesale Jomar is a beast for big brands like Free People, Urban Outfitters, and Zara. They sell "jobber" lots—overstock from the brands themselves.
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The Margin: I once bought a Jomar box of Free People dresses for roughly $12 per unit. I sold them on Poshmark for $45–$60 each.
3. Goodwill Bluebox Yes, Goodwill sells bulk online. It’s hit or miss, but their jewelry jars (sold in bulk) can be absolute goldmines for precious metals if you have a testing kit.
Wholesale Items for Resale (New Inventory)
Liquidation is messy. If you want clean, repeatable inventory, you want wholesale items. This means buying new products from manufacturers to sell at retail price.
1. Faire Faire is the darling of 2026. It connects independent makers with retailers.
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Best For: Boutiques. If you want to sell soy candles, cute stationery, or handmade jewelry.
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The Perk: They offer "Net 60" terms, meaning you can buy the inventory now and pay for it 60 days later (after you've sold it).
2. Alibaba / AliExpress The gateway to China.
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Best For: Private Label. You buy 500 generic yoga mats, put your logo on them, and sell them on Amazon.
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Warning: Shipping times can be 30+ days. You have to plan your Christmas inventory in July.
3. SaleHoo A directory of vetted suppliers. If you are terrified of getting scammed on Alibaba, SaleHoo is worth the subscription because they verify that the suppliers are real.
Using Closo Sourcing to Spot the Winners
The biggest mistake is buying what you like, not what the market wants. You might love knitting supplies, but if the market is saturated, you will lose money. I use Closo Sourcing tools to validate my bulk buys before I pull the trigger.
How Closo helps me predict demand across categories 6 weeks ahead: Last November, I was looking at a bulk lot of "Weighted Blankets." They seemed like a good deal. But I checked Closo Demand Signals. The data showed a 40% drop in search interest for weighted blankets compared to the previous year, but a 200% spike in "Heated Throw Blankets."
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The Pivot: I skipped the weighted blankets and found a supplier for heated throws instead.
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The Result: I sold out in two weeks. The weighted blankets would have sat in my garage until spring.
Where Can I Buy Things in Bulk to Resell Locally?
Shipping pallets costs hundreds of dollars. Sometimes the answer to where can i buy things in bulk to resell is "down the street."
1. Local Auction Houses (AuctionZip) Go to AuctionZip.com and type in your zip code. You will find local estate auctions.
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The Secret: Look for "Business Liquidations." I once went to a closing office supply store auction and bought 500 reams of premium printer paper for $50. I sold them to local law firms for a massive profit.
2. Facebook Marketplace "Wholesale" Groups Search for "Pallet Flippers [Your City]." There are people who buy truckloads and break them down. You can go to their warehouse and pick a pallet visually.
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Advantage: You can see if the boxes are crushed before you pay.
3. Estate Sales (The Last Day) Go to an estate sale in the last hour of the last day. Ask the organizer: "What will you take for everything left in the garage?" They usually just want it gone.
Honest Failure: The Storage Unit Trap
In 2021, I bought so much bulk inventory that I filled my garage, my living room, and eventually rented a storage unit.
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The Math: I was paying $150/month for the unit.
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The Reality: The inventory in that unit was low-margin clothing that took forever to sell.
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The Loss: I paid $1,800 in storage fees to protect about $2,000 worth of inventory. After fees and time, I broke even.
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Lesson: Do not buy bulk if you don't have a processing system. If you can't list it within 2 weeks, don't buy it.
The Logistics of Buying Bulk: Do You Need a Dock?
Many huge liquidation sites require a "Loading Dock" or a forklift for delivery. If you work out of a residential garage, this is a problem.
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The Fix: Look for "Liftgate Service" at checkout.
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What it is: The truck driver uses a hydraulic lift to lower the pallet to the ground so you can drag it into your driveway with a pallet jack. It usually costs an extra $50–$100, but it is mandatory if you don't have a warehouse.
People always ask me...
Do I need a business license to buy in bulk?
For the good sites, yes. Platforms like B-Stock and many wholesalers on Faire require a "Resale Certificate" (or Sales Tax ID). This proves you are a business and allows you to buy the goods tax-free. You can get this from your state government website; it’s usually free or very cheap to register.
How much money do I need to start buying bulk?
You can start with "cases" for as little as $150–$200 on sites like Bulq or via local Facebook groups. However, to buy a full "truckload" (24+ pallets) directly from Amazon or Walmart, you typically need $10,000 to $30,000 in capital. Start small with individual cases to test the quality before scaling up.
Conclusion
Knowing where to buy things in bulk to resell is the difference between a hobby and a career. Stop hunting for single items at the thrift store and start hunting for suppliers. Whether you choose the grit of liquidation pallets or the polish of wholesale boutiques, the goal is the same: Lower your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) so you can survive the inevitable market dips.
But remember, buying is only half the battle. You have to sell it. Once that pallet lands in your driveway, you need to get it listed fast. I use Closo to analyze the demand, price the items competitively, and cross-list them to every major marketplace instantly.
Start cross-listing with Closo today—because a garage full of inventory is a liability, but a sold listing is an asset.
