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Has anyone taken the chance on selling used restaurant equipment consistently (not just the occasional item)? Restaurant liquidation auctions are abundant and some stuff sells for dirt cheap, and comps on ‘Sold’ eBay listings are amazing.
A part of me gets dazzled by the low COGS and high return, but I also fear the negatives perhaps associated with selling such things.
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I hear what you are saying. I see those restaurant liquidation auctions almost every week. I’ve heard that the restaurant business is one of the most difficult businesses to start, so advertisements for a “nearly new” restaurant liquidation is not that unusual. I also see schools and colleges getting rid of older or unneeded equipment on govdeals.com.
I don’t have any personal experience in this area, but I can just throw out a few thoughts I have on what I’ve seen.
One of the issues is the size of the equipment. It would be like selling furniture. You would need to know the ins and outs of different moving methods and companies, how to set up on pallets, etc.
I think most equipment would be relatively easy to test. Does a refrigerated or heating unit get to the right temperature, that sort of thing. However, nonworking equipment is probably difficult to fix. It’s less likely to be a repair you would find in a YouTube video, and it might require special tools. Some of the equipment might require a special electrical outlet. I saw one of those coffee Bunn machines with some kind of three pronged connector. It probably requires 220V.
Unless you limit yourself to only the smaller items that are non-electrical or easy to test, it is probably going to be a difficult business to figure out. HOWEVER, if you can set yourself up for it, I think it could be hugely profitable. I have no personal experience on this; it’s just a feeling looking at the same sort of things that you are also probably looking at.
Perhaps it might be something you take a look at over time and make a decision based on what you learn. Maybe go to a few of those auctions just to observe.
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Right, all of your points have crossed my mind. I previously worked as a courier and briefly had my own freight business, so I have knowledge as far as moving/shipping larger items.
I suppose I also wonder how many people are actually looking for, let’s say…a commercial grade espresso machine on eBay? There are so many established businesses out there that sell used equipment on a large scale, so is there any room for a little, single man operation? Conversely, I see a lot of these same larger operations selling via Craigslist or maybe a dinky web page, so perhaps they do not utilize the power of eBay or other ecommerce platforms.
I don’t know. I also fear sometimes wanting to try a category and then getting in too deep…only to realize, “ugh, I hate selling …”. I have the unfortunate mindset of always wanting to go all-in.
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I know the local used appliance stores in my area all deliver. It’s the service that keeps their items moving.
The delivery options and logistics would probably be just as important as the price and marketing in this situation. If you could come up with a unique solution for that, you may be able to create a nice niche for yourself.
Good Luck.
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Every time I buy that stuff it weighs 4x what I thought. Can be great margins though.
What I most dislike about these items is the combination of weight & volume which means they have to sit on the floor of my storage rather than on a shelf. So they eat a whole ~4 sq ft or whatever and I have to step round them. Seems trivial but matters once the shed starts filling up.
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