Overstock, liquidation and line clearance auctions and sales can be a great way to pick up a ranging variety of items sometimes well below their full retail price.

Overstock auctions
Come about from suppliers and retailers who have in some cases over ordered a product line in anticipation of strong demand. This may come from a marketing department that anticipates strong sales to tie in with their campaigns thus informing the manufacturers and retailers to stock up.

Although when the marketing drive doesn’t hit the target retailers can be forced to wholesale overstocked items or send them on to an overstock outlet.

This is a win for consumers who can pick up bargains and discounts on a whole range of items which can be anything from jewelry to dvd’s. Sometimes the items are liquidated in bulk lots which is a great way to make a few extra dollars by reselling the items online or at car boot auctions and the like.

Otherwise products are offered as single items at heavily discounted prices to clear them out.

Liquidation Auctions
Informally, liquidation may be used to refer to any rapid conversion of an asset into cash. Liquidation auctions can be born from a supplier, manufacturer or wholesaler who simply has too much stock and is looking to clear there inventory. Other names used can be overstock, surplus and disposal. In other cases it can from a company or business who may have become insolvent and needs to realise the assets of the company in order that the creditors of the company can be paid off.

Scratch and Dent Sales
Quite a lot of brand new electrical goods and appliances, along with other merchandise, can come up at scratch and dent or seconds sales where the manufacturer or retailer will be looking to clear items that can have a variety of cosmetic or other damage that makes them unsuitable for retail or showroom sales.

In many cases the damage can be purely cosmetic such as scratches and scrapes although you should definitely check the item throughly and be very sure of what faults may have and if repair is required or you can live with the defect. It also pays to be clear on whether the item still retains any form of manufacturer warranty.

And like any purchase it pays to be right up to date on current retail cost of the item you are investigating and it’s for you to weigh up when any risk outweighs the savings. It also pays to be aware of the age of model series that is being sold, if the manufacturer is getting close to releasing an updated model you may find that item at a runout sale in perfect condition for similar cost.

There isn’t any limit to the types of products that end up as overstock lines or at liquidation sales - Tools, Business & Office, Computers & IT, Educational, Electronics, Furniture, Toys, Gifts, Health & Beauty products, Jewelery, Music CDs/DVDs, Musical Instruments, Perfume & Aftershave, Sports & Exercise Equipment, Supermarket lines, Travel Goods, Watches and much more.

Current Online Auctions

Chainsaw trimmer safety visor face shield non scratch Visit Auction

AU $13.06 (9 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 20:40:42 EST Bid now | Add to watch list

Bris Liquidation STOCK HUGE Modular below cost $4999RRP Visit Auction

AU $760.00 (27 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 21:37:18 EST Bid now | Add to watch list

72 PCS HUGGIES NAPPIES SIZE M 5-11KG BULK LOTS Visit Auction

AU $8.50 (10 Bids) End Date: Thursday Nov-20-2008 21:48:48 EST Bid now | Add to watch list

Bulk Lots 5 Hello Kitty 3D Watches Xmas Gift Visit Auction

AU $4.52 (5 Bids) End Date: Friday Nov-21-2008 14:34:02 EST Bid now | Add to watch list