I run a small online vintage shop and I swear finding good inventory is a nightmare. I spend hours scrolling through marketplaces, messaging sellers, and half the time they flake or the items are trashed. Selling is the easy part, people buy as soon as I list. But sourcing? It's like a full-time job with zero pay until something works out. How do you all manage?
Inventory
Sourcing inventory is harder than selling it
Try estate sales. Early birds get the worm but you gotta be there at 6am. Or just accept that sourcing is the job and and selling is the reward.
Have you tried building relationships with local thrift stores? Some will let you buy bulk before they hit the floor. Takes time but pays off.
I've tried thrift stores but they usually want retail prices for anything decent. Maybe I'm going to the wrong ones.
lol sourcing is the worst. I just gave up and started dropshipping. Less hassle.
Dropshipping has its own hell. But yeah, sourcing physical inventory is a grind. I've had decent luck with Facebook Marketplace but you have to be quick. Set up alerts, message instantly, and don't lowball too hard. Also, check consistently—good stuff goes fast
Maybe you're overthinking it. If selling is so easy, raise your prices to cover the sourcing time. Or hire a virtual assistant to do the scouting.
Hiring a VA sounds nice but my margins are thin. I'd need to sell a lot more to afford one.
Thats the catch-22. You need inventory to sell more, but you need sales to afford help. Maybe start with a part-time helper who works on commission?
Commission helpers are a pain to manage. Just saying.
What about liquidation pallets? You can get bulk lots for cheap. Might be hit or miss but at least you get volume.
Liquidation pallets are mostly garbage in my experience. Unless you enjoy sorting through 100 phone cases that don't fit any current model.
Yeah, I've heard mixed things about pallets. I think I need to focus on building a network of reliable suppliers. Maybe local auctions?
Auctions are good but easy to overpay. Set a max bid and stick to it. Also, check if they charge buyer's premium.
Honestly, the best source I've found is just telling everyone you know what you're looking for. Friends and family will sometimes give you stuff for free or cheap just to declutter.
Free stuff is usually free for a reason. But sometimes you get lucky.