Brands We Buy

Don't see your brand? We also buy Schneider Electric, Merlin Gerin, Bulldog, Zinsco, ITE, Gould, and more. Text the label to (951) 903-9804 and we'll tell you what it's worth.

Why the manufacturer changes the number

Brand matters in surplus for one reason: installed base. A manufacturer whose equipment went into millions of buildings has millions of buildings still needing replacement parts, and that demand persists for decades after a line is discontinued. A brand with a thin installed base has a thin resale market no matter how well the equipment was built.

That is why the major names anchor this business, and it is also why discontinued lines from those same manufacturers frequently outprice their current catalog equivalents: the demand is still there while the supply has stopped entirely. The oldest plate in a lot is regularly the most valuable one.

Reading the nameplate before you call

You do not need to identify anything yourself, but knowing where to look speeds up your quote. The manufacturer name is usually on the front label or a metal plate. Below or beside it, the catalog or type number is what actually prices the item — it identifies the specific line and frame, not just the brand.

Older equipment is where identification gets interesting, because company histories merged. Westinghouse lines became Cutler-Hammer and then Eaton. ITE and Gould became Siemens. Federal Pacific became Federal Pioneer in Canada. A plate carrying an old name is not a problem — it is often the signal that the item is scarce and worth setting aside before the rest of the lot goes anywhere.