Hi Jesse,
Welcome to SaleHoo :)
First, I would just like to say that Electronics is actually one of the most competitive markets online. The electronics industry has always run on very low margins from wholesalers to end users and marketplaces like eBay have only tightened the margins even further.
Most electronics sell at the wholesale price or below wholesale on eBay. That's how intense the competition is. But please don't get discouraged in pursuing the product line you are interested in. You can still succeed in selling iPods and other related products provided (as you mentioned) you buy these products in bulk (which lowers the price relatively).
Unfortunately the requirements to source these wholesale are extremely high due to Apple’s desire to protect their brand value. If you want to source these items wholesale, you’ll need to fill out an application on Apple’s website and be able to meet a minimum annual purchase requirement of more than $100,000 and provide 2 business references – among other things. You can read the full requirements here:
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Although there is no other way to legitimately source Apple iPhones, iPods and the iPad wholesale except through Apple themselves, you can source Apple accessories from a number of wholesalers and drop shippers. Here is a list of a few SaleHoo suppliers for Apple accessories:
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(Don’t forget you need to find the Wholesale section on these supplier’s websites and either fill out an application form or contact them directly to get wholesale prices).
The other option to source Apple products is via liquidators. Liquidators can legitimately resell iPods, iPhones etc, but Apple won’t honor the warranty for products sourced this way.
Some liquidators of Apple products in our directory are:
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I would strongly recommend downloading your copy of our recently added user manual for pro-wholesale sourcing tips! To download your FREE copy please go to:
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Also, you may find this thread helpful in your search for products:
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Hope this helps :)