The Complete Guide to Warehouse Equipment Liquidation

In the current market, there’s no shortage of reasons why you may want to liquidate warehouse equipment. You might need some quick cash, or maybe you’re selling the building. You might even be getting all new warehouse equipment. Whatever the reason, warehouse equipment liquidation is a hassle at best, and a nightmare at worst.

Unless, of course, you have some help. At East Coast Storage Equipment, it’s our business to help warehouses liquidate their equipment. We make the process as simple and hassle-free as possible. To help you, we have put together this handy guide. Below, you’ll find everything you need to keep in mind as you move forward with your warehouse equipment liquidation.

Warehouse Equipment You Can Liquidate

Before you do anything else, you need to know what kinds of warehouse equipment you can liquidate. A list of all of your sale-worthy warehouse equipment will start to give you a rough idea of what this liquidation may bring in for you.

The following are some of the main categories of warehouse equipment you may be able to sell:

Racking Liquidation

Warehouse racks are high-value items that last a long time and are often sold in used condition. That means this is the perfect place to start, although it’s important to keep in mind that many factors can affect the final value of a warehouse rack.

Most types of warehouse racking are fit to be sold:

  • Pallet racks
  • Cantilever racks
  • Carton flow racks
  • Drive-in racks
  • Pallet flow racks
  • Pushback racks
  • Pick modules

When you liquidate warehouse equipment, including all kinds of racking, it’s important to keep in mind that the value is going to depend heavily on the age and condition of the item. Still, racks are typically great sellers in warehouse liquidations.

Warehouse racks (pictured) are sturdy, long-lasting items that can sell well in warehouse liquidations.

Conveyor Liquidation

Depending on their age and condition, the conveyors in your warehouse or distribution center may hold a lot more value than you think. If the right kind of used conveyor comes up for sale, buyers are typically motivated to jump on it so they don’t have to go in for an expensive new conveyor. 

Gravity conveyors and power conveyors are both important items to include in your liquidation, with power conveyors tending to be much more valuable. 

You may be able to liquidate the following types of warehouse conveyors:

  • Roller conveyors
  • Skatewheel conveyors
  • Belt conveyors
  • Merge conveyors
  • Chute conveyors
  • Curve and bend conveyors
Roller conveyors like those pictured can provide a lot of value in your warehouse liquidation — especially if they are powered.

Mezzanine Liquidation

Buying a used mezzanine is like adding square footage to your warehouse — without all that expensive and disruptive construction. That’s a pretty great motivator for buyers who might want to get in on your warehouse equipment liquidation.

The following types of mezzanines may do well in a liquidation:

  • Free-standing mezzanines
  • Rack-supported mezzanines
  • Shelving-supported mezzanines
Mezzanines like the one above add floor space to any warehouse. Buyers with limited space may be highly interested in these items.

Warehouse Shelving Liquidation

Efficient warehouses are organized, and a big part of that organization comes down to big, sturdy warehouse shelving. In most cases, disposing of a warehouse shelf is like throwing money out the window. 

The following types of warehouse shelving may be valuable in a warehouse liquidation:

  • Backroom shelving
  • Bulk rack shelving
  • Rivet shelving
  • Steel shelving

Because these industrial shelves are also popular in residential garages and a variety of non-warehouse businesses, you may find that these items sell particularly quickly.

During your warehouse liquidation, shelving like this can get attention from owners of warehouses and distribution centers, as well as homeowners who need big, sturdy shelves for their garage or shed.

Carousel Liquidation

The floorspace an automated carousel saves in a warehouse is a big part of why carousels can be so valuable to owners of warehouses and distribution centers. Whether you have a horizontal carousel or vertical carousel, you don’t want to leave this item off of your liquidation list.

A horizontal carousel like the one pictured can be valuable to other warehouse owners because of the floor space it can save.

Other Warehouse Equipment You Can Sell

We have already covered most of the big, popular pieces of warehouse equipment, but there are plenty of other valuable items lying around your warehouse. Some of them may be worth selling:

  • Balers
  • Containers, bins and totes
  • Garment on hanger systems
  • Yard ramps
  • Access ramps
  • Stretch wrappers
  • Forklifts
  • Lift tables
  • Hand trucks
  • Pallet jacks
  • Rolling ladders
  • Workbenches
Don’t forget the smaller items in your warehouse liquidation. Items like stretch wrappers (pictured), ramps and rolling ladders often sell well in liquidations.

How to Liquidate Warehouse Equipment

With a general idea of the types of equipment you can liquidate, you have the information you need to start the warehouse equipment liquidation process. The process can be broken down into five basic steps, which we discuss below.

1. Make a Warehouse Equipment Liquidation Schedule

You will need to know the general timeline for your warehouse equipment liquidation to ensure everything is done on time. Remember — it’s a lot of work to liquidate warehouse equipment, and if you need to have everything out by a certain date or raise a certain amount of money in a specific time frame, you need to have a strict schedule.

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When you make your schedule, include deadlines for the following:

  • Your move-out date
  • The equipment dismantling date
  • The day you want to catalog and photograph each item
  • The deadline for determining the value of each item
  • When you want to have the items listed for sale
  • When you want to hold or participate in an auction (if applicable)
  • The deadline for disposing of equipment you can’t sell

2. Catalog, Inspect and Photograph Each Warehouse Item

A catalog of the warehouse items you plan to liquidate will be the official version of the rough list we made earlier. This needs to be an exact process, so be thorough. Allow yourself enough time to walk through the warehouse and write down each piece of equipment, inspect its condition and take photos of it from different angles.

Inspecting, cataloging and photographing every piece of equipment in your warehouse is an essential step in the liquidation process.

3. Value Each Piece of Warehouse Equipment

If you are taking the DIY approach to liquidating warehouse equipment, you may be tempted to guess the value of the items based on the original purchase price and their condition. While you technically can do this and may even be right on the mark for some of the items, mistakes can cost you sales or leave money on the table. Consider hiring a professional to appraise the items to get a more accurate valuation.

4. Sell Your Warehouse Equipment

In-person and online auctions, commercial equipment selling websites, local media listings, industry association websites — there are tons of ways to sell your warehouse equipment. However, not all of these methods are equally effective.

Generally, selling warehouse equipment online is going to give you wider access to demand. That’s a good thing when you want to get the best sale prices. While auctions — both in person and online — are a popular option, keep in mind that you aren’t always guaranteed a certain price for each piece of equipment. If the bidding is sluggish, you might come away with much less than you hoped for.

Also, keep in mind that you may need to arrange for transportation of the equipment you sell. If you are selling online, this may involve cross-country shipping. 

5. Dispose of Items That Can’t Be Sold

Of course, you won’t be able to sell every single item in your warehouse. For the items you can’t sell, you will need to figure out a way to dispose of them. If your first thought is to leave them at the dump, that’s understandable, but it’s not that simple.

Local, state and federal environmental rules will govern what you can and can’t put in the trash. For example, a lot of electronics release harmful metals and chemicals, so they have to be disposed of in an environmentally safe way.

The last thing you want is a big fine or citation when you’re just trying to get rid of your warehouse equipment and move forward, so be sure to do your research on how to dispose of warehouse equipment.

To empty your warehouse, you will need to sell what you can and dispose of what you can’t. But be sure you dispose of each piece of equipment in the right way.

East Coast Storage Equipment: Your Warehouse Liquidation Partner

If the warehouse equipment liquidation process sounds like a lot of work to you, that’s because it is a lot of work. A successful warehouse liquidation is a big achievement that requires a lot of planning, scheduling, knowledge and old-fashioned sweat to pull off. 

Why do it yourself when you don’t have to? If you partner with East Coast Storage Equipment to liquidate your warehouse equipment, you can avoid all that work. And to sweeten the pot, we have access to a nationwide industry network where we can get better prices for your warehouse equipment. Our team of warehouse professionals knows what your equipment is worth and how to get the best possible price for it. Want to talk to a warehouse liquidation expert? Give us a call. Dial 732-451-1808 or contact us online today.

Comments

Claire Masters
Reply
January 3, 2022

Interesting to know that the liquidation process in a warehouse includes valuing items based on their production price as well as the current condition it is in. When these warehouses sell these types of liquidated things, their prices might just be a lot cheaper than those in department stores. I love a good sale and I wonder if there are certain selling events like these happening in our area. https://mvliquidation.com/bargain-items

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