Buying auctioned restaurant equipment and reselling it locally

How it works

Step by step

1. 1Sign up for Rasmus, Grafe, K-BID and one local restaurant liquidator. Track their weekly auction feeds.
2. 2Learn to identify 10 workhorse brands: True refrigeration, Vulcan/Wolf ranges, Hobart mixers, Manitowoc ice machines, Rational combi ovens. These sell fast; off-brand doesn't.
3. 3Rent a 1,500-2,500 sqft warehouse with a loading dock. Budget $1,200-2,000/mo.
4. 4Buy a used box truck with a lift gate ($15-25k) or partner with a local trucker at $75/pickup for the first 90 days.
5. 5Set hard bid limits at 25% of average sold-listing prices. Auction fever kills margins.
6. 6Inspect in person when possible: compressor age on refrigeration, burner condition on ranges, motor amperage on mixers. Pass on anything that needs a compressor rebuild.
7. 7Clean and test every unit in your warehouse. Take voltage/temp readings and record them in the listing — buyers pay a premium for documented working gear.
8. 8Photograph on a neutral background with a size reference. List on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and one industry board like WebstaurantStore's used section.
9. 9Offer $150 flat local delivery within 30 miles. This closes deals faster than a 10% discount.
10. 10Track cost + hours per unit. Kill categories where you're clearing under $40/hr after everything.

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