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Your First Sourcing Trip: A Checklist

1 min read · Retail arbitrage basics

A simple checklist for a first in-store sourcing trip, from what to bring to what to walk past.

Before you leave

List the stores and the clearance items you already know about
Charge your phone
Set a spending limit

In the store

Start at clearance end caps and the back of each department
Check the shelf tag and the price at a scanner; they often differ
Look up the selling price and fees before the item goes in the cart
Check you are allowed to sell the brand

Walk past

Damaged boxes, unless you plan to sell as used
Items with no sales history
Anything where the profit depends on a perfect outcome

At home

Photograph receipts the same day
Record cost, store and date for every item

General information for resellers, not financial, tax or legal advice. Marketplace fees and policies change; check the current rules before you buy.

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