When it comes to sourcing for your Amazon FBA business, there are two main approaches: manual sourcing and using pre-vetted lead lists. Both methods have their advantages and drawbacks, but understanding the differences can help you choose the right path for your business.

Cost: Time Spent vs. Money Invested

One of the biggest questions you’ll face is: how much is your time really worth?

Manual Sourcing

Manual sourcing can eat up hours of your day. You’ll spend time hunting down suppliers, verifying product listings, cross-referencing, and checking if the product’s even worth flipping. When you calculate your hourly rate, manual sourcing often turns out to be more costly than you think.

Lead Lists

On the other hand, using lead lists lets you bypass the majority of this work. With a subscription, you get access to pre-vetted, high-potential products — meaning you spend less time searching and more time scaling. In the long run, you get to focus your efforts where they matter most.

“Lead lists allow you to bypass the initial legwork, letting you get straight to the selling part — where the real money is.”

Risk Level: How Much Are You Willing to Gamble?

Manual Sourcing

When you source manually, there’s a higher risk. You’re exposed to potentially purchasing counterfeit products or dealing with unverified suppliers. If you misjudge a supplier or product, you might end up facing Amazon policy issues, such as account suspensions or product delisting. This can lead to serious financial losses.

Lead Lists

With lead lists, the risk is significantly reduced. All products on the list are pre-vetted, meaning they meet Amazon’s requirements and are more likely to pass Amazon’s scrutiny. You don’t have to worry about working with unreliable suppliers or selling counterfeit goods, which lowers the chance of encountering issues with your account.

Using Leads to Find More Leads

Many of our members don’t just use our lists to pick leads — they use them as a starting point for further research. Here’s how:

Reverse Sourcing

Once you find a lead, look at what the seller is also selling. This process, known as reverse sourcing, can help you find additional profitable products that you might have missed. Often, these sellers will be carrying other products that are equally or more profitable than the one you initially found.

Explore Seller Storefronts

Successful sellers often have a broad range of products. By exploring their storefront, you can uncover even more potential opportunities. This process can lead to discovering multiple profitable products without having to start from scratch every time.

“A single lead can often open the door to 3–5 more high-potential products, making it easier to scale your catalog.”

Competing With the Pros

As a new seller, it can feel like you’re competing against experienced sellers who have the best tools, years of experience, and a steady supply of leads. How do you compete? The answer is simple: work smarter, not harder.

Manual Sourcing vs. Using Lead Lists

Experienced sellers are using advanced tools and time-saving strategies to source products efficiently. You’re working with them, not against them, by using lead lists. Instead of spending hours trying to figure things out on your own, you can use the same type of tools and pre-vetted data that the pros rely on.

Work With, Not Against

Rather than spending time sourcing manually and possibly making mistakes, lead lists give you access to high-quality products that have been curated by experts. This lets you skip the learning curve and start scaling your business like a seasoned seller right from the beginning.

“Don’t fight the pros, work with them. Lead lists give you the edge you need to scale quickly.”

Conclusion

Both manual sourcing and lead lists have their places in the world of Amazon FBA. However, for most sellers — especially beginners or those looking to scale quickly — using lead lists provides a smarter, more efficient approach.

With manual sourcing, you risk wasting time on unprofitable products and untrustworthy suppliers. But by using lead lists, you gain access to pre-vetted leads and can find products faster, reduce risk, and scale your business with more confidence.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for efficiency, consistency, and fewer headaches, lead lists are the way to go.