The Reselling Starter Kit: 5 Things Worth Buying First

You do not need much to start reselling, and you should not spend much before you have sold anything. But a few small purchases genuinely pay for themselves by saving time and preventing shipping mistakes. Here is the short list, in the order worth buying it.

Buy in this order

1. A scale first. It is the cheapest item here and it prevents the most expensive mistake, which is underestimating shipping and eating the difference on every sale.
2. Mailers next. Most beginner inventory is apparel and small goods, so poly and bubble mailers cover the majority of what you ship.
3. A thermal label printer once you have volume. When you are printing more than a few labels a week, a thermal printer stops being a luxury. No ink, no taped-on paper, just peel and stick.

Do not over-buy

Skip the fancy shelving, the photo light kits, and the storage systems until volume forces the need. A window with good daylight and a clean wall photographs inventory just fine at the start. Spend on the things that touch every single order, which is weighing and shipping.

The full sourcing-to-shipping system, including how we pack to keep costs low, is laid out step by step inside The Income Lab.