Before you spend any money on inventory, survey your target market and build up demand. Be creative in designing an engaging campaign that allows you to "presell" purchase orders (simply taking a poll on who actually would be a paying customer). Give these individuals a discount, which in terms of your cost basis is simply the price of the risk reduction when you go and make your first inventory purchase.

Once you've acquired enough demand, negotiate your purchase price with the suppliers and arbitrate the sales with those who expressed interest.

You'll be cutting into your margin, but you will be reducing your capital risk, and "bootstrapping" your market demand + cashflow for future runs.