Do not price an entire stock lot from the best sample
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Do not multiply the value of the best visible item by the total stock count. If only a small selection has been inspected, the unseen portion remains uncertain. Build scenarios that show how much that uncertainty matters to the bid.
Begin by distinguishing the evidence from the assumption. The partial stock inspection guide helps record which items were opened, selected or tested. A convenient sample from the front of a pallet is not automatically representative of everything behind it.
A worked example with an uncertain remainder
Consider a fictional lot of 100 units. Twenty have been individually assessed and are considered potentially saleable, subject to the required checks. Eighty have not been assessed. The twenty visible units tell you something about those twenty; they do not establish the condition of the remaining eighty.
For this example only, assume each unit ultimately cleared for resale produces £20 after its individual selling and dispatch costs. Hold or rejected units produce no resale contribution. Allow £300 for collection, £200 for initial processing and £5 for handling each rejected unit. None of these figures is a market estimate.
| Scenario for the 80 unseen units | Total units producing a contribution | Contribution at £20 each | Rejected-unit handling | Contribution left after £500 common costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 usable; 20 rejected | 80 | £1,600 | £100 | £1,000 |
| 40 usable; 40 rejected | 60 | £1,200 | £200 | £500 |
| 20 usable; 60 rejected | 40 | £800 | £300 | £0 |
The last column is the amount left before the purchase invoice, any additional testing, overhead and the return your business requires. It is not a recommended bid or forecast profit.
At a £600 total purchase invoice, these scenarios leave £400, minus £100 and minus £600 respectively, before those further costs. The example makes one thing clear: the result depends heavily on the unseen units.
Change the assumptions before trusting the answer
Replace every example figure with evidence or a labelled allowance for your lot. Test at least these questions:
- What if fewer units can be sold than expected?
- What if the contribution per saleable unit is lower?
- What if assessment takes more time or requires an outside provider?
- What if unsaleable units cost more to handle?
- What if stock remains in storage longer than planned?
Do not count money from a product until you have a reasonable basis for considering its sale. GOV.UK's product safety guidance is relevant when your business plans onward supply. The worksheet cannot resolve missing identity, a safety concern or an applicable restriction.
Use the uncertainty to ask a better question
If the purchase only works under the strongest scenario, request more useful evidence before bidding. That might mean an itemised manifest, access to inspect a wider part of the lot or a clearer account of the checks already performed. More photographs of the same best item will not answer the question.
The stock job lot buying guide connects inspection scope with space, processing and safety checks. Use the total auction purchase cost guide to convert an affordable invoice amount into a bid limit using the real sale terms.
For a UK Auction Group lot, send UK Auction Group the specific unseen portion or quantity question you need clarified. If the evidence cannot be obtained, retain that uncertainty in the decision. Do not silently replace it with the best visible example.
Sources
This guide gives general information. Equipment-specific, legal, tax and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser or competent specialist. The guides do not promise sale prices, fees or results.