How to prepare a surplus steel offer buyers can evaluate

A familiar problem: a list that cannot be sold

A supplier sends an Excel file. It contains an internal article number, dimensions and total weight. The stock exists, but an outside buyer still cannot answer the basic question: can I use it? This is one of the main reasons surplus offers generate many emails but few serious discussions.

The solution is not a longer sales text. It is a better file. A buyer should be able to see what is confirmed, what is approximate and what still needs checking. If that distinction is missing, the buyer will price the uncertainty.

Build one file people can actually work with

Start with a clean spreadsheet. Group identical items where that makes sense, but keep coil-level or bundle-level data when the material varies. Use one unit system. Remove internal abbreviations that mean nothing outside your company. Then connect the stock lines to the available certificates and photographs.

• Product, grade/specification and quality category
• Thickness, width, length and item-level weights
• Coating, surface, edge and packing details
• Reason for surplus or downgrading
• Origin, certificates and traceability available
• Current location, loading method and earliest availability

Do not hide the difficult photo

Use recent photographs: an overview of the lot, readable labels, packing, coil edges or sheet surfaces, plus any known damage. If one section is affected, identify it. A buyer should not have to guess whether a rusty edge belongs to one coil or the entire stock.

The difficult photo belongs in the offer as much as the good one. Showing the real condition early may reduce the number of enquiries, but it increases the quality of the enquiries that remain. That is more useful than losing the discussion during inspection.

Finish with the commercial facts

Can the lot be split? What is the price basis and currency? Which Incoterm applies? What payment is expected, when can the material be loaded and is inspection possible? These are not details to add after finding a buyer; they shape which buyers should be approached in the first place.

Our preferred starting package is simple: one reliable stock file, the available documents, honest photos and clear commercial conditions. With that, targeted market work is possible. Without it, broad circulation usually creates noise rather than a sale.