More than ever, people from all walks of life are starting to look into being their own bosses. If you’re starting a new business, there are a lot of opportunities in the electronics industry. At Trade-In Tech, we talk a lot about the many types of electronics on the market.
With that in mind, we thought now would be a great time to show you how to make money reselling tablets. Before you can start selling tablets and making lots of money, you’ll probably need to learn a few things. That’s what we’re here for!
By the end of this post, you’ll be ready to start finding, buying, and reselling tablets online!
Why Would I Want to Resell Tablets?
If you’re thinking about entering the world of reselling electronics, you have lots of options regarding what you can sell. Considering that, you might be wondering what makes buying and selling tablets so beneficial. To help you out, here’s a closer look at the main benefits of reselling tablets online.
They’re Incredibly Popular
Whether you’re launching an electronics business or currently trying to grow this type of company, there’s no point in buying devices you have a hard time selling. You can potentially avoid this stressful problem by choosing to purchase and resell tablets.
Much like smartphones, tablets are some of the most popular electronic devices on the market. Originally, tablets were quite expensive when they first came out. Fortunately, the prices of tablets are now far cheaper than they used to be.
Plenty of Add-Ons and Other Accessories Available
Certain products, including tablets, smartphones, and video game consoles typically pair with many add-on products and accessories. You might be asking, “what do tablet accessories have to do with making money?”
Since there are so many popular accessories available for tablets, you can use this to your advantage. If your store has accessories for tablets, you might persuade your customers to add a few more items to their carts.
Some of the most popular tablet accessories are cases, screen protectors, and charging cables. But, it’s also wise to keep an eye out for new tablet accessories. You never know when something new could be accessories that your customers would love to have.
What Do I Need to Get Started?
Before you can start buying and selling tablets online, you’ll need to take care of a few things. Fortunately, we’re here to remove the confusion out of starting a business in the electronics industry.
Funding
Before you can begin a business, you’ll need a way to fund it. If you’re fortunate enough, you might have everything you need to start buying tablets out of your own pocket. However, that’s not always the case.
If you don’t have a lot of funding for your new business, you can always try to obtain a business loan. Keep in mind that we’re about electronics and aren’t financial advisors! So, we can’t get too in-depth about business loans and what to do.
If you don’t have enough capital to start your business, getting a business loan could be your best option. With that said, there is more than one type of business loan. Here’s a quick look at common types of business loans.
Small Business Administration Loan (SBA Loan)
This type of loan is granted by the government to small businesses that meet certain criteria. The SBA loan features a broad range of money that qualified companies can receive, with figures ranging from several thousand to several million dollars! What’s also beneficial about this loan is that it also has broad terms.
One of the main drawbacks of the SBA loan is that it can take quite a while before you receive your money. Even after getting approved, be prepared to wait a few months or more before you receive your funding. Because of that, this option won’t be the best one for a business owner who needs money fast.
A Business Credit Card
If the SBA loan isn’t for you, it’s possible to get the funding you need by applying for a business credit card. While there are differences between the two, a business credit card operates in a similar manner to a personal credit card.
A business credit card gives you funding to use towards your business. As it is with the SBA loan, the amount of money you’ll receive depends on what you qualify for. If you don’t feel like you’re ready for a business loan, getting a business credit card might be the way to go.
Business Line of Credit
Another option to consider is getting a business line of credit. This option is a little different from a business credit card. With a business line of credit, a bank or other type of financial institution will agree to loan you a specific amount of money.
One benefit of this option is that you’re only charged fees and interest on what you borrow, not the total amount of money in your account. If you qualified for a $150,000 line of credit and only took out $75,000 from this account, you would only pay interest on the $75,000.
Inventory
One way or another, you figured out how to fund your business. That’s great! Now, you’re going to need to use this funding to start buying inventory. In this case, the inventory you’ll carry will be tablets.
But how many tablets should you have on hand? We wish we could give you some magic number of tablets you should carry. Unfortunately, that number doesn’t exist. Everyone’s situation will be different.
Determine how much inventory you need by taking a close look at your budget. Generally, it’s a good idea to start out by carrying a small number of popular tablets. If you’re already running a successful electronics company, you might have more room in your budget for larger quantities of tablets.
Business Space (If Necessary)
After you order the tablets you plan to resell, you’ll need space to store them. One benefit about tablets regarding storage space is that these electronics are quite small. Because of this, you won’t need a ton of space to store your newly purchased tablets.
But what happens after you continue running a successful business? More often than not, your home or apartment will eventually run out of room to store the tablets (and maybe other electronics) you plan on selling.
If you’re running out of room at home, you’ll need another storage space to call your own. Understandably, most people don’t have spare money lying around to rent or buy a large and expensive business space.
One way to potentially find usable storage space and not pay a small fortune is by renting out a storage unit. Chances are, you’ve seen these buildings all around the city you live in.
Marketing
With everything else out of the way, you can now start focusing on your company’s marketing. As you can probably guess, there are many ways to market a business. However, some are more effective (and cost-effective) than other marketing methods.
First, you’re going to need a website. Think of a website as your company’s online footprint. Without a website, it’s hard for many people to even know your company exists! Next, create accounts on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
What Types of Tablets Can I Buy and Resell?
Another thing that’s important to focus on is the condition of tablets you’ll encounter when trying to purchase these devices online. Fortunately, we’re here to give you a quick run-down of some of the most common tablet conditions.
Brand-New Tablets
A brand-new tablet is fairly self-explanatory. Brand-new tablets should arrive in the original box this item was placed in when it left the manufacturer. If the device hasn’t been used, there should not be any problems with it.
However, while it’s rare, there can be times when the tablet’s manufacturer sent out brand-new tablets with faults. In this situation, there’s not much you can do besides getting in contact with the manufacturer or company that sold you these new tablets. Again, keep in mind that the odds of this happening are very low.
Used Tablets
Most of the tablets you’ll find on the resale market will be previously used. Because this is such a large portion of the tablet market, it’s important to learn about the many types of used tablets available for sale.
Here’s a quick run-down of what the various types of tablet conditions mean.
Great / Grade A
If you’re not finding new tablets and are looking for ones in the best possible condition, look for items in excellent or great condition. Of course, the important thing to know here is that the seller is in charge of deciding the condition of a tablet. This is good and bad.
Having the seller be in charge of listing a tablet’s condition is good if the seller has high standards. Oftentimes, sellers who are very thorough when checking a tablet can list items in good condition that are really in great condition.
The flip side of the previous situation is that sellers might be new to what they’re doing or otherwise unfamiliar with listing an item’s condition. These sellers might list an item in great condition while it’s really in good or fair condition.
Fortunately, you can avoid this situation by always making sure to take a close look at what you’re interested in buying. Sure, it takes a little extra time. But closely looking over what you buy prevents you from wasting money on items you or your customers might not want.
Good / Grade B
Stepping down, we’re now talking about items in good condition. Sometimes, the difference between tablets in great and good condition can be very small. Other times, not so much.
Generally speaking, tablets in good condition are going to have a few scuffs and scratches. To take a closer look at this item’s condition, it’s important to check the pictures in each listing. If there aren’t pictures available of these tablets, you might be taking quite a big risk.
Many customers will find that tablets in good condition give them everything they need!
Fair / Grade C
You might also run into tablets that are listed in fair condition. As it is with items listed in good condition, it’s important to check over tablets in fair condition.
The main difference between tablets in good and fair condition is that items in fair condition will be a bit more beaten up than items in good condition. For example, you might find that the screen on the tablet has a major scratch or two. There may also be some small dents and such.
If it seems like the tablet’s fair condition will limit how customers use it, you'll probably want to skip those listings. Just understand the money you save on tablets in fair condition might be spent on repairs before they're ready to sell.
Poor / Grade D
Tablets that don't meet good or even fair condition standards will be listed as being in poor condition. When you're looking at electronics in poor condition, it's best to closely look over this item's listings.
If you don't have all of the information you need, don't be afraid to ask the seller questions about how well their tablets work. A professional seller should be able to easily communicate why they listed their tablets in fair condition. If they can't, it might be time to move on to another listing.
Broken Tablets
At first, it might seem weird to even bother with broken tablets. After all, they’re broken! How can you get any money from broken tablets? Well, with the right connections, you can make some decent money from these devices.
However, these sales aren't likely to come from a traditional consumer. Instead, you can sell broken tablets to people or companies capable of fixing them. Or you might also partner with an electronics repair person. Once the tablet is fixed, you can sell it back to another consumer or business for a profit.
Remember, check with the seller if their listing has pictures of broken tablets before you buy them. Not only can this save you from an unhappy customer, but it might also spare you from wasting money on items that would be nearly impossible for you or a repair professional to fix successfully.
What Are the Most Popular Tablet Brands?
At this point, it's time for you to learn where the big bucks are in with tablets. Generally, you'll make the most money by reselling tablets from popular brands. But there's no need to spend hours on search engines tracking down this information. Instead, let us tell you more about the most popular tablet brands.
Apple
If you're looking for what is arguably the most popular line of tablets on the market, look no further than Apple's iPad. Apple has made a name for itself on the tablet market by offering sleek devices that boast strong processors and easy-to-use software (otherwise known as apps).
While iPads are incredibly popular, they're also likely going to carry a higher purchasing price than tablets from other brands. But if you can find a way to turn around and resell these devices, we highly recommend it.
A few popular features of the iPad include having access to tens of thousands of apps, Apple's pre-loaded programs exclusive to iPad owners, and an optional cellular connection.
Samsung
If you're looking for some of the best tablets on the market, tablets from Samsung are definitely worth your time. Why? For starters, Galaxy tablets come in just about every size and shape imaginable.
With such a wide range of items available, it's easy to find something that is in your company's (and customer's) price ranges. If you're looking for tablets that are budget-friendly, check out the tablets in the Galaxy Tab A series. These tablets provide affordable prices while still providing great features like Samsung Flow.
The Galaxy Tab S series is Samsung's premium line of tablets. These tablets are packed with features like large displays, 4K video recording, and great stylus support. The only problem with these devices is that they tend to boast higher prices than other tablets on the market.
For the more business-focused consumers, you might want to check out some of Samsung's other options like their Galaxy Book. These devices provide users with 2-in-1 tablet functionality for easy on-the-go computing. If your wholesale business caters to a lot of B2B customers, the Galaxy Book can be a hot seller for your company.
HP
Some people prefer to use tablets to play games and for other leisure-related activities. With that said, some people use their tablets only for work-related purposes. If this is the case, it's good to have tablets from HP in your company's store.
HP is a business that's well-known for the computers it manufactures. However, it's also recently extended its product line to include tablets. One of this company's most popular tablets would be the HP Chromebook.
Chromebooks are well-known for their low prices. This is great for customers looking to buy an affordable tablet without sacrificing quality or features. Plus, they feature more than enough processing power to run multiple programs and complete lots of tasks.
Microsoft
Last but not least, another popular tech company is Microsoft. But to call Microsoft a tech company would be doing this business a huge injustice. Whether it's computers, software, or tablets, Microsoft makes tons of different products.
You can find tons of great tablets to consider carrying by checking out Microsoft's Surface line of tablets. While Microsoft's tablets might not be as well-known as an iPad, these electronic devices still produce great processing power, cameras, and crystal clear display screens.
Plus, these tablets also feature the familiarity and comfort of the Windows operating system. Unless your customers exclusively use Macs, many of them should love seeing the Windows operating system running on their tablets.
How Much Money Can I Make Selling Tablets Online?
Before you start buying tablets or creating a website for your business, it’s understandable to wonder how much money these electronic devices resell for. Unfortunately, there’s no set price that every tablet will sell for. Much like it is with other electronics, many factors determine the worth of an electronic tablet.
Brand
One of the most important factors affecting the resale value of tablets has to do with what company makes them. As you can probably imagine, tablets from Apple would resell for much more than those from a no-name business.
Since we covered the most popular tablet brands in an earlier section, we won’t waste your time repeating the same information. Generally, tablets from popular brands (Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung) are going to be your best-sellers.
What’s also great about most of these big brands is that most of them sell budget-friendly tablets. Since they’re often priced considerably lower than other tablets, these lines of tablets can be an affordable way to start reselling electronics.
Condition
Something else that's very important to consider before buying a tablet is what condition it's in. We already covered what the various types of electronic grading conditions mean, so we won't go over all of that again.
However, it's important to keep the following general rule in mind. If tablets are in great or excellent condition, they'll probably cost more than tablets in poor or bad condition.
With that said, you can also price these items higher due to their great condition. That means potentially more profit for your business!
Included Accessories/Bundling
If you want to maximize your company's overall profit, it's also worth thinking about pairing your electronics with accessories for this product. This is a popular sales technique that you might have heard referred to as bundling.
When you bundle items together, you can give your customers exactly what they want. Plus, this helps prevent your potential customers from checking out one of your competitors to get what you don't offer!
So, what kind of tablet accessories should you offer? A few examples of popular accessories that go well with tablets include charging cords, cases, and screen protectors.
How Do I Get Tablets Ready for Resale?
At this point, you now understand what kind of tablets people want. Once the tablets you order arrive to you, unless they’re brand-new, you’ll want to do a few things before sending them out to your customers. Here are the four things you’ll need to do to get tablets ready to resell!
Testing Tablets
One of the first steps involved in getting tablets ready to sell involves testing them. You can skip this step if you bought brand-new tablets. But, you won't want to skip this step if you're receiving previously used devices.
What kind of tests do you perform on tablets? We're glad you asked! When making sure a tablet works properly, you'll want to test its:
Touchscreen
Buttons (power, volume, etc,)
Ability to hold a charge
Ability to connect to the Internet (usually through wi-fi or 4G/5G)
Performing these tests can take some time. But these checks are well worth it, especially when it comes to giving your customers peace of mind. Plus, these tests also help you prevent dealing with an unhappy customer who owns a non-functional tablet.
Physically Cleaning Your Tablets
Unless you buy brand-new tablets, many used tablets will need some quick physical cleaning. Since you’re going to be cleaning electronics, you don’t want to use traditional cleaning methods like soap and water.
Instead of using soap and water, you’ll need a soft cloth. You can use a microfiber cloth, but make sure it’s in good condition. A used cloth could have dried particles on it that damage your tablet when you use it.
Avoid using paper towels or non-microfiber cloths to clean your tablet. Wiping down tablets with these objects can sometimes leave scratches on your tablets, something no reseller wants to have happen to them!
Since tablets are somewhat fragile, it’s also important to make sure you never apply a lot of pressure while cleaning these devices.
Data Removal
If you're like most people, you've been through a few cell phones and tablets. With that in mind, used tablets sometimes carry data that's from a previous owner. And you don't want to sell tablets to your customers that have another person or company's personal information on them.
So, it's best to remove all data from an iPad before selling it. Fortunately, removing data from tablets doesn't have to be super complicated. Whether you're working with an iPad, Samsung Galaxy tablet, or something else, you can find how to erase data from these devices by checking the manuals that come with these devices.
Don't have manuals? That's okay! Check out our recent post on how to erase data from cell phones. We cover how to safely erase data from phones that use either the Android or Apple operating system.
Getting Your Tablets Ready to Ship
It's important to charge used tablets before reselling them. The last thing you want is a tablet that doesn't work. Since you can purchase chargers, cables, and other accessories for relatively low prices, it's also worth your time to think about buying such products in bulk.
Next, it's time to ship out your tablets. Before you ship or tablets, which are fragile electronics, you'll want to make sure you wrap them in bubble wrap.
After that, try to find a box that is only slightly bigger than what you're shipping. For example, you wouldn't want to ship a tablet in a box big enough to store a large television.
With that said, you also don't want to try and force a tablet into a box that's not quite big enough. Trust us, that won't end well. Even if a customer receives a tablet without any damage at all, they might be disappointed or even feel cheated if their package arrived damaged. And you don't want that to happen!
It's always better to be safe than sorry when you're shipping out your expensive tablets. Plus, it gives you peace of mind that you can pass on to your customer.
Speed Up Your Tablet Sales by Joining Trade-In Tech
So far, you learned quite a lot about how to start a business buying and selling tablets. Considering that, it’s more than understandable if you’re a little overwhelmed. If you’re looking for a much easier way to run a business than managing it manually, check out Trade-In Tech.
Trade-In Tech is a wholesale electronics platform. But what does that mean for your business? It means that, by joining Trade-In Tech, you’re going to be able to have a kind of launching pad for your company.
A Wide Range of Electronics (Especially Tablets)
Whether you’re just getting started in the world of reselling electronics online or you’re the owner of an already established business, Trade-In Tech has a ton to offer. First, there’s the Trade-In Tech Marketplace. Think of it like Facebook Marketplace but better!
You’ll find electronics including tablets, computers, laptops, and much more. Plus, our worldwide network of members buy and sell electronics from the most popular brands, including Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and many others.
You won’t be wasting time browsing through a massive amount of listings about unrelated products or things you’re not interested in. Instead, our marketplace is organized and incredibly easy to use.
No Transaction Fees
Plus, Trade-In Tech is proud to offer no transaction fees! Whether you’re buying or selling tablets, laptops, smartphones, or anything else on Trade-In Tech, you’ll never have to worry about those fees eating up your hard-earned money.
Without having to deal with transaction fees, you’re left with more money in your pocket to continue growing your company.
Wrapping things up, you can make quite a living by buying and reselling tablets. Keep this guide in mind and don’t be afraid to come back to it as you continue working to scale up your business. If you want to make this process much easier, we highly recommend you join Trade-In Tech. Also, don’t forget to check out our blog which you can get to by clicking or tapping here.