Customer returns, shelf pulls, overstock and salvage: what each condition means

The condition matrix: six codes at a glance

Every lot on Two Bro Sales carries one of six condition codes: New, Like new, Customer returns, Shelf pulls, Salvage or Mixed. The seller picks the code when listing, and the seller agreement requires it to be accurate: a lot with a material share of units in worse condition must be coded as that worse condition, or as Mixed with an explanation.

That rule matters because liquidation grading isn't standardized. One supplier's “Grade A” means tested electronics, another's means clean-looking clothing (The Liquidators Guide). Read the code, the manifest and the photos together.

Overstock isn't a separate code: it is listed as New, because that is what it is. Mystery pallets aren't a code either (see below).

The defect column is where first-time buyers get hurt. Published reseller estimates for customer-returns loads run from 10–20% to about a third of units unsellable as-is, while overstock usually lands in single digits (Closo, two 2026 guides). Plan on roughly 15–25% for returns, then adjust for category: electronics and anything with small parts run worse.

What each condition sells for is a separate question. Two Bro Sales publishes median winning bids as a share of seller-declared manifest retail, by condition, on its liquidation pallet prices page when enough sales exist. Until then, compare loads using the % of retail shown on each lot.

New and overstock: never sold

In liquidation, overstock is merchandise a retailer, manufacturer or distributor has more of than current demand, cleared out new in its original packaging (The Liquidators Guide). A buyer over-orders, a purchase order is cancelled, a model year changes or a box design is refreshed. None of that touches the product, which is why New is the cleanest code.

Clean isn't risk-free. New loads are often deep in a few items, so ask whether your channels can absorb hundreds of the same thing. New doesn't mean current either: last year's model sells for less, and shoppers will compare sealed goods with retail prices. A New lot that arrives opened or used is a condition problem, which the bidder terms treat as grounds for a claim on manifested lots.

Like new and open box: complete and working

Like new sits one step below New: the box has been opened or the item handled, but it is complete and it works. Typical sources are inspected returns that passed, display stock in good shape, and warehouse box damage with an intact product inside. Scratch-and-dent appliances belong here when the damage is cosmetic and the unit runs.

That clear bar makes Like new easy to check at the dock. Open the highest-value lines: every accessory, cable and manual should be there, and electronics should be free of activation locks. There is no separate landing page, so use the browse filter. A material share of dead or incomplete units in a manifested Like new lot is a fair basis for a condition claim, even though the same units in a returns lot would be ordinary.

Customer returns: bought, then sent back

Customer returns are products a shopper bought and sent back, which the retail program chose not to restock. Retailers estimated that 16.9% of their 2024 sales would be returned, about $890 billion of goods (NRF and Happy Returns).

Returns are the widest condition. One unit came back unopened in the wrong colour, the next was used for a month, the next is broken or missing its charger. That spread is why the blurb tells you to expect a defect rate.

What “untested” means on a returns lot

Untested means nobody plugged it in, not that it is broken. Plenty of untested items work; you just won't know which until they are on your bench, and that testing time belongs in your maximum bid. If a listing doesn't say what was tested, assume nothing was. Price the load on the share you expect to sell, not on manifest retail, and spot-check for missing pieces and box swaps. The manifest guide shows how.

Shelf pulls: pulled from the shelf, never sold

Shelf pulls are store stock removed from the sales floor for merchandising reasons such as seasonality, assortment and packaging changes, and markdowns (Racklify). No shopper took the item home: the product is usually unused, and the packaging took the hits.

Expect scuffed boxes, dented corners, clearance stickers, security tags and dust, and count the labour of removing stickers on a high-piece-count lot. Seasonal pulls carry a timing cost: holiday décor pulled in January may wait most of a year to sell well. Check date codes on beauty, personal care and pantry items, since some are pulled because a date is close.

Shelf pulls vs customer returns vs overstock

The real question is whether a shopper ever owned the item. Shelf pulls can be handled in bulk, while returns need item-level inspection (Racklify), and that shows up in your labour and defect rate.

Salvage: damaged or incomplete, sold for parts and repair

Salvage is a condition, not a way of selling: liquidation is how bulk goods are sold, while salvage describes goods with significant damage or missing parts that rule out standard resale (Racklify). It comes from failed return inspections, freight damage, worn display units and parts separated during processing.

Price salvage on what parts and realistic repairs are worth, never on manifest retail. It suits repair shops, refurbishers, parts sellers and exporters, and whatever can't be fixed still costs money to dispose of. Repairs don't clear a recall: offering a recalled product for sale is unlawful under Section 19 of the Consumer Product Safety Act, so check cpsc.gov/recalls before reselling (CPSC). Hazardous materials are prohibited on Two Bro Sales, including lithium batteries outside their original product packaging.

Salvage grocery is a different thing

In the food trade, salvage means dented cans, damaged packaging and goods near or past a printed date. Those lots belong in the grocery and household category, not the Salvage code. Most food dates describe quality, not safety: “best if used by” marks peak quality and “sell-by” is for store inventory (University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension). Infant formula is the exception: federal rules require a use-by date on its label (21 CFR 107.20), so never resell it past that date. Alcohol is prohibited, and state and local food rules apply to anything you resell.

Mixed lots: a blend, so read the manifest

Mixed lots combine conditions: returns, shelf pulls and new goods on one pallet, or a load where part of the stock is worse than the rest. Because a material share of worse stock must be coded as that condition or as Mixed, Mixed is often the honest code for the loads that need the most reading.

Manifests on Two Bro Sales have a condition column for every line, so check whether the seller filled it in. Total the manifest retail by condition and price the lot on its worst material share, not its best. If the blend is explained only in words, treat it as the seller's estimate. There is no separate landing page for Mixed; use the browse filter.

Mystery pallets: what the term really means

“Mystery pallet” is consumer and social-media wording for a pallet or box sold without a list of what is inside, usually pitched on its supposed retail value. It isn't a condition. The business equivalent is an unmanifested lot: sold as-is on its photos, description and condition code, with no item-level manifest.

There is no mystery code on Two Bro Sales. An unmanifested lot still carries one of the six codes, and it has no claim window, because claims exist only for manifested lots. The trade-off: it usually costs less per dollar of retail, and you give up line-by-line pricing and claim rights. The manifested vs unmanifested section of the manifest guide covers it in detail.

Who should buy blind

Buying without a manifest suits bin stores and high-volume resellers who spread losses across hundreds of items, buyers who know a seller and category from earlier manifested lots, and repair or export buyers who price on parts and volume. It is a poor fit for a first purchase, and for anyone who can't absorb a load worse than its photos.

Be wary of mystery pallets advertised on social media for a fraction of a claimed retail value, including “unclaimed package” pitches: Malwarebytes warns that sponsored social ads for pallet sales are almost always fake. The red flags checklist shows how to check a seller.

Which condition fits your channel

Match the condition to where you sell, not to the cheapest pallet. A salvage load is expensive without a bench, and sealed overstock stalls if you can't sell hundreds of one item.

For a first lot, pick a manifested load in a category you know, coded New, Shelf pulls or Customer returns, so you can price it line by line and keep claim rights. Test a realistic unsellable share in the pallet profit calculator, read are liquidation pallets worth it? for the full math, and use the buying guide for verification, bidding and pickup.

Condition FAQ

Are shelf pulls new?

Usually unused, but not pristine. Shelf pulls never sold to a shopper, so the product is typically new while the packaging may be handled, stickered or worn. That is why they are coded Shelf pulls rather than New.

Is overstock the same as new?

On Two Bro Sales, yes: overstock is listed as New, meaning unopened, unused and in original packaging. Check model years, though.

Can I claim a customer returns lot because some items don't work?

Not for ordinary defects, which are part of what the code describes. On manifested lots, claims cover a shortage of 5% or more of manifest retail, the wrong lot, or a condition materially different from the code, filed within 48 hours of pickup.

What is the difference between salvage and customer returns?

Many customer returns work. Salvage is already known to be damaged or incomplete, so expect most units not to work as-is.

Does Two Bro Sales use letter grades like A, B or C?

No, every lot uses one of the six codes. Letter grades vary by supplier, so treat one in a listing as description and rely on the code, manifest and photos.

Are mystery pallets worth it?

Rarely as a first purchase: without a manifest you can't price the load line by line, and there is no claim window. The worth-it guide covers the math.