Sell excess outdoor, camping, hunting and fishing gear

What outdoor gear can I get an offer on?

• Camping: tents, sleeping bags, pads, camp furniture, lanterns, stoves, cookware, coolers, hydration
• Hiking: packs, trekking poles, headlamps, water filters
• Hunting: camo and blaze-orange apparel, blinds and stands, calls and decoys, game cameras, field-dressing tools, scent control
• Fishing: rods, reels, tackle, line, nets, waders, boxes and bags
• General outdoor: knives and multitools, optics, emergency and survival gear

Typical sources: off-season leftovers, pattern and model-year changes, retailer resets, brand discontinuations and online returns. Team sports, fitness and bikes are on the sporting goods page.

Outdoor gear is sold on three calendars

Hunting seasons vary by state and species, so demand is regional too. A blaze-orange lot moves best where firearm deer seasons are strong. Resellers stock hunting gear before the seasons open and camping gear before warm weather, so offer each well ahead of its season. State wildlife agencies publish season dates, which tell you when and where a given lot is most wanted.

Patterns, colors and model years

Outdoor brands change products on a cycle that resellers watch:

• Camouflage patterns are licensed designs. When a brand changes pattern, older-pattern apparel and accessories become closeouts. They still sell, but at a discount to current patterns.
• Model years in coolers, stoves, game cameras and optics change features and packaging. Last year's model is fine; several generations back is harder, especially for electronics such as game cameras.
• Colors in hiking and camping apparel and packs follow fashion more than people expect.

List the pattern name or model year on every line.

Hazardous and regulated items

Outdoor is a category where a few items in a load can affect how the whole load ships:

1. Fuel canisters (propane, butane, isobutane blends) are compressed flammable gas and must be declared for transport.
2. Bear spray and pepper spray are hazardous for shipping, and some states and countries restrict pepper spray.
3. Fire starters, matches and liquid fuels are flammable.
4. Lithium batteries in headlamps, game cameras and lanterns follow lithium shipping rules.
5. Knives. Some blade types are restricted by state or local law, and many export markets restrict them.
6. Optics and night vision. Some night-vision and thermal devices are export controlled. List these by exact model and ask before including them in a lot, since some can be sold only domestically and some need an export license.
7. Firearms, ammunition and regulated parts need licensed channels; ask before including them.

Put regulated items on their own lines, or on their own pallets, so the rest of the load is not held up.

Condition guide for outdoor gear

Insulated goods (sleeping bags, jackets) and tents should be dry before packing. A tent packed wet will mildew in storage.

Who resells outdoor closeouts?

• Independent outdoor and sporting stores buy branded camping and fishing gear in retail packaging.
• Farm, ranch and rural retailers are strong for hunting apparel, coolers and field gear.
• Discount and bin stores take accessories, lanterns, camp kitchen items and returns.
• Online resellers want branded, current-model goods where brands allow it.
• Export buyers take tents, coolers, fishing tackle and rain gear; knives, sprays and optics need checks for each destination.

Regional fit is strong in this category. Fishing tackle for saltwater suits coastal buyers; ice-fishing gear suits northern states and Canada; blaze orange suits states with firearm deer seasons.

Restrictions outdoor brands ask for

Many outdoor brands sell only through authorized dealers and run minimum advertised price policies. They may ask that closeouts not appear online, not appear near their dealers, or go export only. Some licensed camo patterns also restrict where pattern goods may be sold. Agree these before pricing; they reduce the buyer group but protect your dealer network.

Your outdoor offer checklist

• Brand, model or style, description and UPC per line
• Quantity per line, sizes for apparel and waders
• Camo pattern name, color or model year
• Hazmat flags: fuel, sprays, batteries, fire starters
• Restricted items flagged: knives, optics, anything firearm related
• Condition per line; returns separated and noted as complete or not
• Retail price per unit
• Photos: product, label or pattern tag, open carton, pallets
• Pallet count, location and dock access
• Restrictions you want: no online, no domestic, export only

Outdoor seller mistakes

• Selling hunting gear after the season it was meant for
• Mixing fuel canisters into general pallets
• Packing returned tents wet
• Not listing camo pattern names, so buyers assume the oldest
• Including restricted knives or optics without telling the buyer
• Treating game cameras and electronics like soft goods when they need testing
• Storing fishing line and soft plastic lures in heat or sunlight, which weakens line and melts or fuses baits together
• Leaving coolers with lids and drain plugs separated during returns processing

Coolers deserve a note of their own. Hard-sided premium coolers hold value well and sell to many buyer types, but they are bulky. Nested or stacked properly, a trailer carries far more of them; tell us how they are packed.

A worked example

For illustration only, not market data: an outdoor brand changes its camo pattern and has several pallets of hunting apparel and accessories in the old pattern, plus a smaller group of returned tents from its online store.

The brand asks for no resale through its authorized online dealers' marketplaces in the current season. Apparel is offered in late spring so buyers can plan for autumn. Tents are sorted before pickup.

To see the buying side, visit wholesale closeout outdoor gear. Send your line list through the offer form on this page.