What surplus inventory actually recovers
If you manage returns or liquidation, the hardest question is whether the price you got was fair. Below is what public marketplace data says lots actually clear for — by category, condition, and lot size — so you have a baseline before your next negotiation. All figures are % of retail value recovered, compiled from published auction and marketplace reports (sources and method at the bottom) — not our own sales. We'll publish MarketYard's own clearing prices as lots settle here.
Median recovery by category
Liquidation-auction data, national. Medians — well-manifested lots in good condition routinely beat these; unmanifested lots run below.
Overall median across categories: ~9% of retail value. Click any category for its recovery range by grade and lot size.
What moves the number
| Factor | Typical effect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Manifest quality | Unmanifested lots clear ~10–20¢ on the retail dollar; manifested customer returns 5–20%; clean overstock/shelf-pulls command multiples of returns pricing | Buyers price blind risk into every bid. A typed manifest is the single cheapest way to raise recovery. |
| Lot size | Lots over $10,000 retail see medians collapse (to ~1% in some categories; appliances hold ~14%) | Bulk discount + resale risk concentrates in one buyer. Splitting a truckload into pallets often nets more in total. |
| Sales channel | Competitive/transparent auction formats report 30–80% higher recovery than single-broker deals | One phone-call buyer has no reason to bid up. Competition is the price discovery. |
| Condition grading | Verified condition (photos, grade, test status) consistently outperforms "as-is" listings within the same category | Same blind-risk logic as manifests — evidence converts risk discount into price. |
How to use this
- Benchmark your last deal. Take what a broker paid you, divide by the lot's retail value, and compare against the category median above. Under the median with a decent manifest? You're leaving money on the table.
- Manifest before you sell. The data is unambiguous: visibility is worth more than timing. Even a phone-photo manifest with counts and condition moves you up the range.
- Split large lots when you can. The over-$10k cliff is the most underappreciated number here.
Want the number for your specific lot?
Photograph it — our AI returns a typed manifest and a recovery estimate for your exact lot in about a minute, free and no signup. List it on the yard when you're ready: surplus lots clear through competitive offers with funds held until delivery, and founding sellers pay 0% commission.
Sources & method
Compiled July 2026 from public data: the Amplio Q3 2023 Liquidation Auction Report (category/lot-size medians from liquidation-auction data); B-Stock recovery insights (channel-format effects); and published reseller pricing guides for pallet-tier cents-on-the-dollar ranges. National marketplace data, not regional; medians hide wide spreads — treat these as orientation, not quotes. We'll replace these with live regional clearing prices as MarketYard transacts.