Sell excess passive components in bulk
We buy excess passive components in bulk across the USA and Canada — capacitors, resistors, inductors and frequency-control parts — almost always on tape and reel. Value lives in volume and packaging integrity, so send manufacturer part numbers, quantities and date codes for a firm recovery offer; we take title and resell into a global supply channel.
Passives are bought in huge reel quantities against a bill of materials, so when a build is cut, rescheduled or over-forecast, thousands of full and partial reels are left stranded — they make up the bulk of most excess-BOM piles by count. Individually they are low value; the recovery comes from volume, consolidation and keeping the packaging intact.
Allocation cycles are the swing factor: MLCCs and tantalum capacitors periodically go on shortage, and surplus value rises with them. A sealed full reel of a single part number is worth far more than the same parts as a mixed, unlabelled box.
What we buy
- Capacitors — MLCC ceramic, tantalum, aluminium electrolytic, film
- Resistors — thick/thin-film chip, MELF, arrays
- Inductors, ferrite beads and chokes
- Crystals, oscillators and resonators
- Brands buyers ask for — Murata, TDK, Vishay, KEMET, Yageo, Samsung, AVX/Kyocera
What drives recovery value
- Volume & consolidation — per-piece value is low, so full single-MPN reels in quantity carry the value.
- Packaging integrity — sealed full reels outvalue partial ("cut tape") reels, which still sell for prototype/repair at a lower level.
- Allocation status — capacitor shortage cycles can spike surplus value; flag parts on allocation.
- Date code & brand — don't mix date codes in one reel unless labelled; brand matters to the buyer.
- Exact MPN & counts — a "mixed box of capacitors" with no part numbers is effectively unsellable.
Who buys it
Surplus passives move through passives-focused and general excess brokers and, often, straight to manufacturers buying a specific reel to finish a production run at near-distributor pricing. Smaller manufacturers are common buyers of a single bulk reel. We take title to the whole lot so you clear it in one transaction.
Selling it cleanly
Counterfeit risk is lower per part than for silicon, but the same discipline applies: keep reels sealed, don't mix date codes, label partial reels honestly, and ship on ESD-appropriate packaging. We're upfront that low-value passive bulk recovers modestly — the realistic value concentrates in any high-demand or allocated lines in the lot.
The offer list is the asset. Send manufacturer part numbers, quantities, date codes and packaging (sealed reel / tray / tube / loose) — that is what gets a firm recovery offer fastest. Send your list → or estimate value →
Related
Other components we buy: ICs & semiconductors · Connectors & electromechanical · Optical transceivers & cables · Excess BOM & mixed kits · back to components buyback · see the glossary for terms.
Questions sellers ask
What passives do you buy?
My passives are low value each — worth selling?
Do partial reels have value?
How do you price a passives lot?
Turn surplus into cash.
Bulk lots only — lots, racks, pallets, reels. Tell us what you're holding and we'll come back with a firm bulk offer.
Get a Bulk Offer →