Guide · Manifests
The one-page list that gets a lot reviewed.
Construction, size, footage, condition and location, written plainly and photographed in the same order, so nobody has to ask twice.
A manifest is not a spreadsheet. It is one page a buyer can read in a couple of minutes and act on without calling back for the same four answers. The cable does not have to be valuable for the list to work; it has to be complete, specific and honest about what is unknown.
Most lists that stall are missing the same few things: what the cable is, how much of it there is, where it sits and whether it can be moved. Fix those four and a review can begin without a round of questions, which is usually the difference between a lot that moves this month and one that sits.
Buy quote request
Tell us what you have
Type, conductor, voltage class and how much is on hand. Photos can follow by text or email. A buyer reviews the lot before anyone talks about money.
Prefer to talk it through? 954-740-1983 · saleselectricalbuyers@gmail.com
01 Fields
What a line item needs
One line per cable type, size and length. The line needs the construction as printed on the jacket, the conductor size, the footage and how it was established, the condition in words a buyer uses, and the location. If a reel is unidentified, say that rather than leaving the field empty.
Length deserves its own note. Say whether the figure came from the tag, a wrap count or a weight calculation, because each carries a different confidence. A line reading 'tag says 500 ft, wraps suggest less' is more useful to everyone than a clean number that nobody, including the seller, actually trusts.
02 Gaps
The fields usually missing
Condition and length are the two that most often go missing, and they are the two that decide how a lot is read. A list with a construction and a footage but no condition tells a buyer what the cable is and nothing about whether it is worth collecting.
Access is the other. A list that says 'warehouse' says nothing about whether a 53-foot trailer can turn, whether the dock is at grade or four feet up, and whether a forklift is available on the day. Those three answers decide whether a lot is collected in one run or two.
| Missing field | Why it matters | What to write instead |
|---|---|---|
| Condition | Sets the whole review | New surplus, partial, removed, unknown |
| Length basis | Decides whether footage is trusted | Tag, wrap count, weight, unmeasured |
| Location | Decides the run and the access | City, site type, dock or ground level |
| Access | Forklift, crane, dock height | What is available and what is not |
| Authority | Who can release the cable | A role, not a name, if that is sensitive |
03 Evidence
Photographs and the page
Four photographs per distinct cable type is enough: the tag, the jacket print, the cut end and a wide shot that shows the reel and its surroundings. Put them in an order that matches the line items so a buyer can move down the page and across the images without hunting for the reel that line six refers to.
Keep the manifest to one page if it can be done. Where it cannot, group by location and put a count at the top of each group. A buyer reading twenty lines wants to know at a glance whether this is four reels in Garland or a warehouse in Grand Prairie with a dock and a forklift.
04 Process
Sending it without obligation
Sending a list costs nothing and commits to nothing. It can be a photograph of a handwritten page, a spreadsheet export or a set of notes, as long as the fields are there. Nothing is collected until terms are agreed in writing, and the terms say what is included and what stays behind.
If part of the list is uncertain, send it anyway with the uncertainty marked. A buyer can work with 'possible aluminium, tag missing' far better than with a gap that looks like an oversight, and marking it costs a sentence rather than a second site visit with a tape measure.
FAQ Seller questions
What sellers ask before they send a list
Answers describe how the buying desk works. They are not an offer, a rate or a promise of purchase.
What should a surplus cable manifest include?
One line per cable type and length with construction, conductor size, footage and how it was measured, condition and location. Add access notes and photographs, and mark anything unknown rather than leaving it blank. Those fields let a buyer read the lot without a round of questions.
How many photographs do I need?
Four per distinct cable type will answer most questions: the reel tag, the jacket print, the cut end and a wide shot. Add a fifth where there is damage, water or a stack that matters. More photographs of the same reel do not add much.
Can I send a handwritten list?
Yes, photographed clearly enough to read. What matters is the content rather than the format, and a tidy handwritten page often reads better than a spreadsheet with empty columns. It can be typed later if the lot moves to terms.
What if I do not know the footage?
Say so, and say what you do know: the tag figure, the reel size, roughly how much is left. An unmeasured reel is normal. A guessed number presented as measured is what causes trouble at the scale and during the review.
Should I include cable I am not sure about?
Include it, marked as uncertain. A buyer can identify a construction from a photograph and a cut end, and a mixed or unidentified reel is a normal part of a clear-out. Leaving it off the list only means a second conversation later.
Does sending a list commit me to anything?
No. A list is reviewed and terms may be offered, and there is no obligation to accept them. Nothing is collected until both sides agree the terms in writing, and the cable stays where it is until then.
Buy quote request
Tell us what you have
Type, conductor, voltage class and how much is on hand. Photos can follow by text or email. A buyer reviews the lot before anyone talks about money.
Prefer to talk it through? 954-740-1983 · saleselectricalbuyers@gmail.com