The most expensive mistake in this trade is buying a load because it was cheap and working out where to sell it afterwards. Reverse the order and most bad buys disappear.
Channel first, load second
A pallet of 1,200 low-value general-merchandise items is an excellent buy for a bin store and a terrible one for somebody listing individually on eBay. A pallet of 40 branded, working, searchable items is the reverse.
Neither pallet is better. They suit different businesses, and the listing price tells you nothing about which one you are.
What moves where
| Load characteristic | Best channel | Worst channel |
|---|---|---|
| High count, low unit value | Bin store, flea market, live selling | Individual online listing |
| Branded, working, searchable | eBay, Mercari, Poshmark | Bin store, you leave money on the table |
| Bulky or heavy | Local sale, Facebook Marketplace | Anything requiring shipping |
| Apparel, mixed sizes | Flea market, bin store, live selling | Individual listing below about $15 |
| Sealed new overstock | Amazon if ungated, eBay otherwise | Bin store |
| Novelty and collectables | Live selling shows | Static listing, it needs the performance |
What each channel actually takes
Marketplace fees land between roughly 10 and 20 percent depending on the platform and the category, before shipping. A bin store has no percentage fee but carries rent, staff and hours instead.
On a $3 item a 13 percent fee is 39 cents, which sounds trivial until you realise it is also most of your margin on liquidation-cost goods. This is why unit value, not just unit count, decides the channel.
Pick two, not five
New resellers routinely try to run four channels at once and end up doing none of them well. Pick the one that suits the loads you can buy consistently, add a second for the overflow, and ignore the rest until the first two are saturated.
The overflow channel matters more than people expect. It is where the tail of every load goes, and having somewhere to dump it quickly is what keeps your floor clear for the next skid.
Filter by what you sell
Loads are organised by retailer, by category and by type.