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Step 1
Go to a local flea market and cruise the aisles to see what items are selling and what the other vendors have for sale. If you see several vendors selling wind chimes, chances are they've all been to the same surplus distributor. Go to the flea market office to scan the bulletin board for cards and brochures of surplus distributors. Many distributors who sell to flea market vendors do not require a large minimum purchase. Some surplus distributors want you to buy a certain dollar amount or a certain number of lots to buy closeouts.
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Step 2
Surf the internet to find wholesaler's who sell in small lots. If you are just starting out in business, it's difficult to buy large lots or a truckload of closeouts. Check several sites by using search engines. Read the fine print at each site to learn their policy about shipping costs, availability of product and returns. Read the fine print about minimums they require you to buy, or if there is a monthly membership charge. Carefully check the internet auction sites; many claim to sell surplus lots to you wholesale, yet the general public can also buy those lots for the same price. Some auction sites allow the buyer to read feedback before buying closeout lots; the competition online also helps keep prices down.
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Step 3
Check major stores and retailers for their own liquidations, overruns, discontinued items and surplus lots. Go online to their website and type "closeouts" in their own search engine. If only retail products come up, click on the "contact us" button and ask about their surplus lots available in an email. Make sure they understand you are interested and ready to buy. This will help you receive an answer.
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Step 4
Call on local stores to ask about any closeouts or surplus lots they may have. Many local stores are eager to bargain with you because it saves them the hassle of contacting a liquidation agent. If the local store knows that you are willing and able to buy, they are much more likely to come to terms with you.
