As the title says, what are the best unbrandeds that can be sold, say, at a flea market?
How much margin are you aiming for? If you get a load of medium/higher quality sk68s style lights, you could buy them for a dollar and maybe sell them for 2-3? 100-200%. Aliexpress would be a good source for those. I had good sk68s before, they are OK if sourced right. Or do you believe people would buy lights like the unbranded Zoomies we see all over the web? Some Ultrafire also have no branding, a few C8 clones are also without markings.
Or are you planning on attending one of these upscale fleamarkets? I have seen those too, people were selling antiques, artisan products and Etsy style goods… I wouldn’t know which flashlight would sell there though
SK68s are one of my go-to options. I have several local flea markets I’m taking my 10-yo to (she’s learning to sell).
Any other lights…or for that matter, practical items?
Apologies for updating my post while you were replying to it! I added a few more ideas in my initial post.
Also: quality keychain lights often come without branding and would be great for people attending such events; but they come at a higher price point if the quality is right.
edit: outdoor products, keychain goodies, smaller toys, smaller camping/hiking/sports goods. all available via the known sources and they can have good margins. Bulk discount should be available. You guys should do a test run and see what sells best.
Cool… Like an old fashioned lemonaid stand, but for flashlights.
IMHO you should also consider headlamps and camping lanterns.
I think your biggest problem is going to be the minimum order quantity…. let others correct me though.
I think a c8 would do pretty well. There was this place that sold decent unbranded c8’s. I had one. Lemme see if I can remember the website.
stay away from 18650 lights .People aren’t ready to learn what a new battery is and then they suddenly realize they have to pay for a battery …what??a charger too?
way too much learning curve for them to get comfortable enough to buy even what we’d consider a starter light.
certain smaller lights will sell like the lumintop tools or blf 348’s,Sk68’s and 24 zoomies . I’d buy some two fish and make a few bike lights,maybe a couple cheapy headlamps . but overall it’s just not going to be worth your time . Flashlights aren’t ever impressive in the middle of the day and most people think of it as a tool not a toy . that’s no fun …
I’d avoid selling lights altogether there are much better places to put your money.
Why do they have to be unbranded?
Sofirn C8F is unbranded
I think Boaz has a valid point. Average Joe strolling across a fleamarket will have no idea what Lithium cells are or how all of this will work. But I haven’t really been to a fleamarket yet… so could be wrong?
Has anybody seen flashlights (new or old ones) for sale during these events?
There was a guy selling flashlights at the CA state fair a couple years ago. Similar kind of general population crowd I think, although flea market clientele can vary widely here in the states. The guy was selling all kinds of DX junk-lights from China, although they all had some kind of branding on them IIRC. Mostly 18650, as well as AAA, AA. I have no idea how many he was actually selling. His prices weren’t great, $10~100, although there might have been some room to haggle back and forth. He was asking ~$15-20 for a sk68 clone. The best lights he had were Ultrafire, so he truly was selling bottom of the barrel DX junk.
One things for sure, I did not see anyone actually buy anything. And I spent a fair amount of time at his booth playing around with them.
I too don t think the non-enthusiast, general population wants to spend $15-25 on a light that takes an 18650.
Occasionally I set up shop at a large flea market and sell knives. The knives attract a lot off attention and sell quite well if you merchandise them properly.
I think the SK68’s would do well because they’re cheap enough to sell at a low price and still make a profit, people at flea markets want good deals and usually will make offers on anything more expensive, a lot of times that’s the only way something like that gets sold, by accepting less that your marked price. $5-$6 “impulse buy” stuff usually sells better than $10-$20 items.
I agree with someone else who said it doesn’t matter if they’re branded, in fact I think branded would sell better than un-branded, people want to believe and trust in a brand name, it gives the impression of legitimacy and authenticity even if they never heard of the brand, as opposed to unbranded products that appear generic and something people may not trust. Unless of course you were going to somehow imprint / re-brand the item with your own label and try to build your own brand name.
The SK68’s have a good selling point because of the zoom function, it’s always good to have a special feature you can show people opposed to just a light. There are a lot of $5-$6 lights at Gearbest, Banggood and Aliexpress you could resell at a flea market for $10-$12. And some $8-$9 ones you could charge $15-$17 but I would invest in far less of those and more of the cheaper ones. $15-$17 might be a tough sell for a flashlight at a flea market, but $6 lights might sell like hotcakes. (your cost $3) Of course you wouldn’t need to sell as many of the higher price ones for the same profits, but those may not sell at all. As someone else pointed out you have to test the market to see what sells.
Or these zooming lights would be good, a larger light than SK68, they run on 18650 or 3xAAA I think these are unbranded but they do have the CREE logo which is good, cost would be $3.31 each if you’re willing to invest in 100pcs. I’d charge at least $8 ea. maybe even $9 or $10 so you’d have some leeway for the hagglers, but they’d sell better / faster at $8: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Wholesale-100pcs-lot-bike-light-front-handlebar-cycling-led-lights-flashlight-torch-bicycle-accessories/32791882323.html?spm=2114.11010108.06001.5.650c649bSz5nLd&scm=1007.13562.94583.0&scm-url=1007.13562.94583.0&pvid=787277c9-39cf-42ae-932c-3522ca886039
The sellers on Ali may also give you the half the quantity at around the same unit price if you ask, or it might only go up a few cents for a lesser qty. (or search around for another seller who offers a lower quantity around the same unit price)
Fidget Spinners were the big rage at the market last summer, everyone and their brother was selling them. I know they were doubling their cost, at least.
When I stayed in the Dallas/Fort Worth area many years ago I used to go to Trader’s Village, (I wasn’t a vendor) wow that’s a huge and awesome market!
i’d grab a few cheap ( under 5$ ) headlamps …
A few two fish or some kind of bicycle mount and add it to a few lights to sell as a bike light . i’d sell some tiny keychain type lights like the nitecore tubes or a Olight AAA clone like a gracee?? the single AA hugsby and the 2xAAA penlight hugsby which were available for 2$…I’d probably carry some form of an Atomic beam light to since they have already done so much advertising for you … this is the new version
https://www.gearbest.com/led-flashlights/pp_1690799.html
I remember seeing the original or a clone thereof for 3.69$
maybe even the lantern or an iggroo??fenix clone .
Never carry a BIG multiple 18650 beast of a light unless you have it hidden under the table because every moron will pick it up and ask how much and never buy anything else you’re really interested in selling .they will give you a glazed over look when you say 18650 . then ask if you have a streamlight or one of them shure fare lights .I wouldn’t give them too many choices or it will probably just confuse them .They’ll ask why is this light $20 and that one only $8 …Also make sure to always carry a gun .to either shoot them …or yourself .
…. oh look !!! …… a fidget spinner
I think the BLF 348 would be a great little light to resell. They’re cute, simple, and bright enough to be impressive. There is a movement on the 4th GBGB thread to get some more made, but nobody has stepped up to actually make it happen. There are several people, including myself, that have expressed interest in a 5th batch though. If you could/would make that happen, a lot of lights would already be sold there, and you could get several of them unmarked for sale at the flea market(s).
You might also consider setting up at gun/hunting type events. Now those guys will spend $ on a nice light. I’ve built several for my cousin, and each time he comes back stating he’s got half a dozen guys who would pay $100 for one. I’m not interested in that, because I don’t want to have to deal with warranties and such. I was just at a local gun store and stopped by their light counter…wow…big bucks for those. You could always have some of the big names like Surefire on your table so your customers can do a comparison.