Where to buy products to sell on Amazon: 5 surprising places you didn’t know

If you’ve ever typed where to buy products to sell on Amazon into Google at 11 p.m., you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions new and growing sellers ask.

And for good reason. Your margins live or die at the sourcing stage.

Most guides will point you straight to Alibaba or big-name wholesalers. That’s fine. But there are other places—often overlooked—that can deliver better margins, less competition, or unique inventory you won’t find in every other seller’s storefront.

Let’s break down five smart (and sometimes surprising) places to source inventory, and how to validate each one before you spend a dollar.

1. Estate sales

Estate sales don’t look like a typical place where people buy products to sell on Amazon. But experienced sellers know they can be goldmines.

You’ll often find:

• Vintage toys and board games
• Out-of-print books
• Collectible figurines
• Mid-century decor
• Small electronics

The key is speed and data. You don’t have time to “think about it” while another reseller grabs the deal.

This is where tools matter. With ScoutX (part of Seller 365), you can check ROI, fees, competition, and restrictions directly on an Amazon product page in seconds. If you’re flipping books, ScoutIQ gives you real demand data, not just rank, so you know what actually sells.

Estate sales are ideal if you’re asking: Where can I buy products to sell on Amazon with a low upfront cost? Where do I buy products to sell on Amazon without committing to bulk inventory?

Just remember: inspect the condition carefully. Returns eat profit fast.

2. Liquidation sales

If your search looks more like where to buy bulk products to sell on Amazon, liquidation is worth exploring.

Retailers liquidate:

• Customer returns
• Shelf pulls
• Seasonal overstock
• Store-closure inventory

You can buy by the pallet or truckload, often well below retail. That margin buffer matters—especially with rising FBA fees.

Before you bid, run the numbers:

• What’s the true landed cost per unit?
• What’s the expected sell-through rate?
• Are there brand or category restrictions?

Tactical Arbitrage, also included in Seller 365, lets you compare pricing across 1,500+ stores and Amazon marketplaces to spot profitable spreads quickly. It also includes wholesale analysis tools so you can upload supplier lists and see what’s worth buying before wiring cash.

If you’re specifically searching for where to buy wholesale products to sell on Amazon, liquidation platforms often act as a bridge between retail arbitrage and direct wholesale accounts.

Just don’t skip due diligence. Factor in defect rates and prep time.

3. Thrift stores and garage sales

It sounds simple because it IS simple. And it works.

For sellers asking where to buy products to sell on Amazon without major capital, thrift stores and garage sales are often step one.

Look for:

• Brand-name apparel
• Vintage media
• Niche collectibles
• Hard-to-find textbooks
• Small appliances

Margins can be huge because your cost basis is tiny.

Speed is everything in retail arbitrage. Scoutify, part of Seller 365, lets you scan barcodes in-store and instantly see profit after fees, shipping, and restrictions. That means no guessing and no spreadsheet math in aisle seven.

If you’re wondering where you can buy products to sell on Amazon with minimal risk, this is it. Start small. Reinvest profits. Scale gradually.

4. Online auction sites

Online auctions like eBay or niche liquidation platforms can be smart sourcing channels if you approach them strategically.

They’re useful when you’re researching:

• Where to buy products to sell on Amazon FBA
• Bulk lots of discontinued or hard-to-find items
• Collector’s inventory

Look for underpriced bundles. Sometimes a seller doesn’t optimize their listing, and you can arbitrage the gap.

Before you bid, validate:

• Historical pricing
• Competition levels
• Storage fees (especially for oversized items)

Again, ScoutX can help you analyze ROI and fees instantly while browsing Amazon. If you’re sending products into FBA, InventoryLab streamlines listing, boxing, and shipment creation so you avoid costly prep errors.

5. Local manufacturers and craft fairs

If you want to know where to buy wholesale products to sell on Amazon, but you want less competition, go local.

Small manufacturers and craft producers often:

• Don’t sell on Amazon
• Don’t optimize listings
• Don’t understand pricing strategy

That’s an opportunity.

You can negotiate:

• Exclusive distribution
• Private label agreements
• Custom bundles

This approach works well for sellers who don’t like fighting for crowded listings.

When you bring a local brand to Amazon, the pricing strategy becomes critical. SmartRepricer (also in Seller 365) automates pricing based on market conditions and protects your margins while competing for the Buy Box.

Pair that with FeedbackWhiz Emails to automate compliant review requests and build listing credibility faster.

After all, unique products deserve strong positioning and disciplined execution.

What about dropshipping suppliers for Amazon?

Many sellers also search for dropshipping suppliers for Amazon.

Dropshipping can work, but it’s more complex than it looks. Amazon requires you to:

• Be the seller of record
• Remove third-party branding
• Handle returns properly

Margins are often thinner, and Buy Box competition can be aggressive.

If you’re testing dropship models, tight repricing and profit tracking are essential. SmartRepricer handles real-time pricing logic, while FeedbackWhiz Profits gives you true ASIN-level profitability across marketplaces.

If the numbers don’t work after fees and returns, walk away. There’s always another product.

Validate every sourcing decision with data

No matter where you source: estate sales, liquidation, wholesale, auctions, or local suppliers… The real edge comes from validation.

Ask yourself:

• Is demand consistent?
• Are there IP or restriction risks?
• What’s the realistic net margin after fees?
• How fast will inventory turn?

Fortunately, there are tools that can help speed up your process. Seller 365 is an all-in-one Amazon selling tool bundle that has sourcing, prep, repricing, review automation, monitoring, and profit tracking in one subscription. Instead of juggling disconnected tools, you get:

• Tactical Arbitrage for large-scale sourcing
• ScoutIQ and Scoutify for in-person arbitrage
• ScoutX for Amazon-side validation
• InventoryLab for FBA prep and accounting
• SmartRepricer for pricing control
• FeedbackWhiz tools for reviews and alerts
• Profit tracking across marketplaces

All under one roof.

That means faster decisions and fewer costly mistakes.

Final thoughts: The real answer to “where should I buy?”

The better question isn’t just where to buy products to sell on Amazon.

It’s: where can you buy profitably, consistently, and at scale?

For some sellers, that’s thrift stores. For others, it’s wholesale catalogs. For others, it’s local manufacturers or liquidation pallets.

The smartest sellers don’t rely on one source. They test, validate, and scale what works.

Find inventory others overlook. Verify it with data. Protect margin with smart pricing. Track profit like an accountant.

That’s how you turn sourcing from guesswork into strategy.