How to get so many products In. It Feels Like Cheating
Kenneth Stie
Jul 3, 2025
“As the Head of Growth at Reusely, I've seen firsthand the challenges and immense opportunities within the secondhand product market.” - Kenneth, Head of Growth
Here's the harsh truth no one talks about: Most resellers are stuck in the same brutal cycle.
Endlessly searching on Facebook Marketplace. Relying on unpredictable suppliers. Hoping the right inventory appears.
Sound familiar?
As the Head of Growth at Reusely, I've seen many resellers run into the same wall. They're burning money, missing opportunities, and staying small because they can't solve the one thing that matters most:
Predictable supply.
The problem that's killing your growth
Picture this:
You wake up. Check your inventory. Half empty again.
A customer wants exactly what you sold yesterday. You have to say no. Again.
Meanwhile, your competitors always seem fully stocked, ready to meet every customer request.
Here's why this happens:
Most resellers treat sourcing like a gamble. They hope the right products show up. They depend on suppliers who "might have something next week." They waste hours hunting through listings, competing with dozens of other buyers.
The result? According to recent research, unpredictable supply sources account for 30% of all challenges in secondhand markets, leaving businesses constantly adjusting inventory levels and dealing with stock shortages.
Without predictable sourcing, you end up relying on luck, not strategy.
What the smart ones do instead
The resellers who scale past six figures? They stopped playing that game years ago.
They don't chase supply. Supply comes to them.
Here's their secret:
They connect directly with the sources of used products.
Instead of fighting over scraps at the bottom of the funnel, they partner with:
Retailers who need to clear returns
E-commerce stores with damaged packaging
Webshops dealing with customer upgrades
These businesses already have customers with used products. They just need a smart way to capture them.
These businesses already have customers with used, new, or surplus products. They just need a better way to manage buybacks and trade-ins.
That's where the right trade-in software comes in.
The "Feels illegal" strategy (That's completely above board)
Picture this scenario:
A customer buys a new laptop on a retailer's website.
During checkout, they see: "Want to trade in your old laptop?"
They click yes. Ship it in. It gets shipped directly to you.
The entire process is automated:
Real-time pricing based on market data
Automated logistics and tracking
Quality assessment and grading
Direct routing to you
The numbers are ridiculous:
A mid-size webshop with 500,000 monthly visitors only needs a 0.5% trade-in rate to generate 2,500 devices per month.
At €100 average value, that's €250,000 in inventory flowing automatically.
Every month. Like clockwork.
No cold calling. No bidding wars. No supplier drama.
One client called it "almost illegal" because it felt too easy compared to traditional sourcing.
The software that makes this possible
This isn't a theory. We built the system.
Reusely's trade-in platform handles the entire flow:
For retailers: Simple widget integration, automated customer experience, instant valuations
For resellers: Consistent supply, pre-graded inventory, predictable volumes
The process:
Customer initiates trade-in during checkout
Automated pricing using live market data
Pre-paid shipping labels and tracking
Professional grading and condition reports
Direct routing to you
[B2B buyers consistently cite "slow responses" and "inconsistent pricing" as top vendor challenges. Our automated system eliminates both problems.]
Who this works for:
This strategy works in any niche with resale value:
Electronics: Phones, laptops, tablets, gaming devices
Appliances: Kitchen equipment, tools, small appliances
Fashion: Designer items, shoes, accessories
Sports: Golf equipment, bikes, outdoor gear
Books: Textbooks, collectibles, rare editions
The key? If it has a secondary market, it can be automated.
Why this strategy used to be locked up
Major retailers like Apple and Samsung have used trade-in programs for years.
The difference? Until now, only the largest players could access this level of automation.
Now, smaller resellers can access the same automated infrastructure without building it from scratch.
You don't need:
A 50-person development team
Millions in VC funding
Years of R&D
You just need the right partnerships and proven software.
Getting started: Your next steps
Ready to build your automated supply machine?
The process is simpler than most people think:
Partner with retailers in your niche who need trade-in solutions
Integrate trade-in software that handles pricing, logistics, and grading
Scale your network as volume grows
I've put together a proven outreach template that our most successful partners use to connect with retailers.
It includes:
Email scripts that get responses
Partnership proposal templates
ROI calculators for retailers
Implementation timeline
Interested? Download it here or contact me directly for the full toolkit.
The bottom line: Stop hoping products will show up. Start building systems that deliver them automatically.
Your competition is still playing the old game. You don't have to.
Kenneth Stie is Head of Growth at Reusely, where he helps resellers build automated supply chains through trade-in partnerships. Connect directly to discuss automating your sourcing strategy.
